How common a practice is it for MSCs to ask to be granted the authority to pull shopper's credit report and share that information with their "affiliates" at any time while they are under contract? I must admit to being a quick skimmer of some of these IC agreements when signing up, but, I don't recall seeing that before today. Makes me want to go back and review all the others I've signed. Don't remember seeing Fair Credit Reporting disclosures like that before. Is this common?

Which MSC is doing this?

I would not sign an IC agreement with that provision. I echo Susan L., which MSC is doing that?

I also echo that request. Which MSC is asking for that?

The MSC agreement with this provision is Servimer.

That may be because they deal almost exclusively in cash integrity shops. Their clients are VERY wary. I am surprised that they do not ask permission to run full background checks.

However, I have done 15-30 or more shops per month for them over 5 years and there has never been a hit on my credit report. This makes me think that, perhaps, they would only do that if a serious shopper integrity question arose. But, if you email them, they may provide more concrete information.

There are few MSC's that I would be interested in working for if a credit check was a requirement. While I have excellent credit and have passed extensive background checks, I'm not granting access to my info for a few hundred dollars a month, if that.

The IC indicates you agree, to "investigative consumer report, financial report and criminal background report" to be pulled and shared with affiliated companies at any time. You are given the option to not allow them to share the information with other companies, though they caution that doing so may require those companies to request their own separate reports and this may slow down processing. It also lists some states in which you have the right to request a copy of any report they request.
After posting this, I did a bit more research. It turns out that an "investigative consumer report" is technically different from a credit report in that it summarizes information about your: character, general reputation, personal characteristics, way of living. The gathering of that information might even include interviews with your neighbors, friends, and associates. I'm not sure what a "financial report" technically entails, but standard use of the term is vague enough to be interpreted to include a credit report. I take the agreement at face value.
Sure, there are some MSCs that ask for background checks. For most I've seen, you pay for it yourself, you pass or fail, its valid for a specific period of time and that's that. Those companies usually state what kinds of assignments you need a background check for. I've done it and don't have a problem with it, where it makes sense.
However, to be asked for a blanket, open-ended, on-going authorization to probe your personal and financial life at any time is another matter altogether. Then to be asked to allow the company to SHARE your information with other, unnamed affiliates seems excessive given what most of us are doing as mystery shoppers.

Then you are not doing a ton of cash integrity shops in an industry that bleeds cash at a very high rate. The first month that I did such shops, a single hotel valet parking operation was documented by video with losses exceeding $2500. And those were just the "diversions" that were caught by the MS operation. There is a good reason why MSCs that do this sort of work prefer to work with a small cadre of shoppers, specifically trained to spot fraud and cash diversion, and trusted not be be joining an MS team in order to shake down the fraudsters for part of the take. After all, some of the client's managers have been caught doing so. It is a very lucrative source of illicit funds.

We are all ICs and can decide not to work on any sort of MS assignment or for any MSC or client. Cash and asset "protection" is not for everyone. Neither are fast food and gambling shops.

Hi veebeeshops!
Thanks for raising the concern.
The section of the ICA that you are referencing is the part of the document that deals with independent contractors representing Servimer in the securing of new contracts. We have a profit sharing program whereby any IC who can secure a contract for Servimer evaluations to be conducted with a new client will receive a percentage commission of the gross revenue from all shops ever completed with that client, for all locations shopped, for as long as the contract is maintained. This is whether or not an IC conducts any shops with Servimer at all. The percentage of the commission even goes up when additional new client contracts are secured. It's a great opportunity for a significant additional revenue stream.
Since the IC will be representing Servimer in communications with potential clients, and will have access to Servimer marketing material as well as proprietary information, any IC thus representing Servimer *may* be asked for the investigative report.
To date, only long-time trusted and proven shoppers have pursued this profit-sharing opportunity, and we've never needed to ask anyone for permission to conduct the report.
It should be noted that at times the potential client may require certain personal vetting in order to enter into contract, thus the language regarding sharing information with affiliates. Again, not for conducting mystery shops, rather for IC's representing Servimer with potential clients. The IC would be fully aware of the need for this as she/he would be in direct communication with the potential client requiring such credentials.
For anyone who'd like to take a look, scroll to the last section of our ICA, far past the mystery shopping portion where no such checks or reports are referenced or ever required, to the heading entitled, "COMMISSION AGREEMENT."
Beneath that you'll see:
"DISCLOSURE AND AUTHORIZATION
Servimer (the” Company”) may request a consumer report including an investigative consumer report, financial report and criminal background report about you as part of its regular agent selection and retention process and in order to determine your continued qualification to be a representative of the Company, as well as your compliance with applicable laws and regulations and Company requirements and policies.
The Company may share any such consumer report obtained on your with any other affiliated companies unless you indicate otherwise in the Authorization below. If you choose not to authorize such sharing, some affiliates may be required to obtain a separate report, which could delay the processing of your application to represent those other affiliates."

So sorry if this has ever been confusing to anyone, but I hope this clears it up. I also hope that some industrious Forum Shoppers will be able to benefit from this potentially lucrative opportunity. Feel free to PM me with any individual questions or to continue the conversation through this thread.

Thanks for replying, Servimer Scott. For the sake of clarity, perhaps you might consider making these two (mystery shoppers and commission reps) separate agreements. That way, you can be sure that only those who have been fully vetted and properly trained to represent your company with potential clients would be doing so. In addition, those mystery shoppers, like myself, who prefer not to give blanket access to our personal data beyond what's required to do the job we've signed up for might feel more comfortable with the agreement.
Your response shows, once again, that this forum truly is a great source for getting all manner of answers about this industry. Cheers!