1. Forums
  2. Mystery Shopping Company Discussion

ACL

May 23, 2019 04:45AM
The company hardly ever has payment shops. When they do, it's laughable $5 payment. They all pretty much reimbursement shops. Don't they understand gas and time are not free? Why would someone work for this company regularly? Even more, why is this company someone's favorite? The scheduler in my area keeps sending daily emails average at least 5 emails per day. On the approaching due date day, you'll get 10 emails. Today I got 7 emails. That is totally insane for someone to keep sending the same shops over and over. Keep hitting at us like this will not increase the chance to get the shop filled. If they start paying instead of reimbursing, they'll no longer need to beg people to shop. That's just logical sense for normal people to figure out.
Reply
Log In
x

Create an Account or Log In

Membership is free. Simply choose your username, type in your email address, and choose a password. You immediately get full access to the forum.

Already a member? Log In.

May 23, 2019 04:51AM
They have some good shops and some bad shops. I ignore the bad shops and focus on the few good ones. I agree though with not understanding the love a lot of people have for them. They are a very average MSC to me.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind
Reply
May 23, 2019 05:53AM
I shop for them regularly. I insist on a bonus for every shop.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton
Reply
May 23, 2019 07:05AM
I think it's worth the $80-$200 reimbursement for most of the shops. The reports are much shorter than Coyle reports. For the extra three hours it takes to complete a Coyle report and pain in scheduling, they can keep the $15. ACL schedulers are wonderful. ACL people are pleasant. Communication is fast and easy. I would take these with just reimbursement any day over Coyle.
Reply
May 23, 2019 11:37AM
I just embed their shops in a day route so that there is no added travel expense. The hotel shops yield a TON of rewards points that are VERY handy (and nontaxable "compensation") for use on vacation and/or to support multi-day routes.

The 5 schedulers that work the DMV locations are super easy to work with, responsive, and helpful.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Reply
May 23, 2019 12:23PM
I think it is all about location with the email spam. ACL jobs get snapped up in my area. What I see is 10 emails a day at the end of the month for a certain steak restaurant that everyone loves on here. No one takes them in my area. I have done one, and only after it was bonused very nicely, and it was just OK. I love the free meals (at places I like to eat) and no new taxable income that ACL provides. Remember, we all MS for different reasons.

Orlando - lightly shopping NC
Reply
May 23, 2019 02:04PM
I agree. This is why I slowed down tremendously on the amount of ACL shops I do. But mainly because my goal is profit and not just a free meal. I used to do like 10-15 of these shops a month. But then I realized I'm coughing out so much out of pocket expenses that just sit an accrue interest on my credit card. (I always use my credit card for out of pocket expenses for mystery shopping). Anyways even if I spend under the reimbursement, I still used my gas and time and like I said I accrue interest on what I spent so by the time I get the actual payment I have to pay my credit card off for the interest that acrrued while waiting for the payment.

Even if I used a debit card, I still wouldn't do as many ACL shops. There's no fee, so no point to me. Like @walesmaven said I would maybe just include it in a route if I was hungry or something. I would also do it if I needed to take someone out for a birthday or something. That way its no out of pocket for me. So yes there are reasons I will still work with ACL just not as consistently as before.

I think if you're shopping for free meals than ACL is for you. But if you need profit, I don't think there's much of a benefit. I'm also gonna try what @HonnyBrown said and start asking for bonuses on shops that sit there for weeks. smiling smiley
Reply
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login