Not an uncommon story - shopped a uniform shop, purchase required. Nothing inexpensive to buy, provided explanation plus photo showing time and date. Turned down my report so I'm done with them. Suggest you all look carefully at the fine print and lack of knowledge from their coordinators

If a purchase was required and you didn’t buy anything, I’d expect your shop to be rejected every time.

I would never do a purchase required shop for a place I'm not familiar with without checking to see if there was something that I could buy at the reimbursable amount.

I can see where the shop would be rejected, sorry you had that experience. Was this one of those $15 shops at a uniform chain? And there were no socks, ID lanyards, cutsey impulse items near the registers?

Not only that, but some MSCs will allow you to return the merchandise. If it's not in the guidelines, ask.

@davewolin wrote:

Not an uncommon story - shopped a uniform shop, purchase required. Nothing inexpensive to buy, provided explanation plus photo showing time and date. Turned down my report so I'm done with them. Suggest you all look carefully at the fine print and lack of knowledge from their coordinators

I don't think the requirement to purchase something was fine print. I think it was a very clear requirement in the guidelines. You didn't meet the requirements since you chose not to make a purchase. You were surprised the report was rejected? You probably won't be dealing with them again. If this was your first shop with them, they will probably not allow you any other shops. This MSC usually does deactivates a shopper whose first shop is unsuccessful.

Dave,

SoCalMama's reply says it all. On a related note, as I have never seen this before, it was refreshing to see a new participant slam an MSC.

I had to learn a few lessons the hard way at first. Counted the expense as the cost of my education.
I didn't ask a name on a simple retail shop that barely had any interaction. It would have felt weird to ask the name. Report denied. Lesson learned, just ask, "What is your name?" if a name is required. 10 seconds

And apparently I still need educating. Hit submit on a report this morning only to say the start day for the project was today! Bleah. Sent message to schedular and will re do it today. Lesson relearned - read the date!

I would have tried really hard to buy something, or if there really was nothing, I may have decided not to do the shop and sent an apology explaining. There are shops I don't do, for that reason.

@davewolin wrote:

Not an uncommon story - shopped a uniform shop, purchase required. Nothing inexpensive to buy, provided explanation plus photo showing time and date. Turned down my report so I'm done with them. Suggest you all look carefully at the fine print and lack of knowledge from their coordinators

I have to applaud shopperbob's dry wit.

They have $3 pens, lanyards, all kinds of little things, but most small items are still at least $5 and the shop only pays $15. I won't do this shop again for thst reason.

Is it $15 plus reimbursement or a flat payment of $15?

Flat fee, IIRC.

Ugh.

I choose not to do FLAT rate shop unless its somewhere I customarily shop.

I love secretshopper.com

There is a shop that requires an underaged kid to buy an "M" rated game at a gaming store. It's a VERY easy shop. I love doing them. However, in the gaming store, there are NO "small purchases." The cheapest thing I could find are earbuds for $5....and all of my kids have multiple earbuds compliments of this shop; we don't NEED any more! (We even give them out to friends at Christmas, etc!) Unfortunately, there is no gum, no candy bars, no pens, etc. AND it's a $12 shop with a purchase requirement but no purchase funds.

So I no longer do the shop. I have four kids and have done it often...one of my kids has already "aged out" of this. The next kid is 16 and will "age out" in a couple months. Got two kids left after that....

The thing is: I've TOLD the scheduler this. I've said, "I can't do those anymore; I just can't be comfortable about spending more than half of my pay for something I don't really need or want. There is nothing cheap enough in the store."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ All of that is with one MSC

ANOTHER MSC does the same type of shop, but their client is a big box store as opposed to the little independently owned (??) gaming stores. There IS candy and gum and things that would work as bday/Christmas gifts/stocking stuffers, etc in the big box store. I will do those in every town I drive through all day long.....

@Jill_L wrote:

There is a shop that requires an underaged kid to buy an "M" rated game at a gaming store. It's a VERY easy shop. I love doing them. However, in the gaming store, there are NO "small purchases." The cheapest thing I could find are earbuds for $5....and all of my kids have multiple earbuds compliments of this shop; we don't NEED any more! (We even give them out to friends at Christmas, etc!) Unfortunately, there is no gum, no candy bars, no pens, etc. AND it's a $12 shop with a purchase requirement but no purchase funds.

So I no longer do the shop. I have four kids and have done it often...one of my kids has already "aged out" of this. The next kid is 16 and will "age out" in a couple months. Got two kids left after that....

The thing is: I've TOLD the scheduler this. I've said, "I can't do those anymore; I just can't be comfortable about spending more than half of my pay for something I don't really need or want. There is nothing cheap enough in the store."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ All of that is with one MSC

ANOTHER MSC does the same type of shop, but their client is a big box store as opposed to the little independently owned (??) gaming stores. There IS candy and gum and things that would work as bday/Christmas gifts/stocking stuffers, etc in the big box store. I will do those in every town I drive through all day long.....

I bought giftcards there. (Starbucks, Taco Bell, etc)

@prince wrote:

And apparently, I still need educating. Hit submit on a report this morning only to say the start day for the project was today! Bleah. Sent message to scheduler and will redo it today. Lesson relearned - read the date!

After 8 years I had to learn this AGAIN. Did TWO shops today instead of NEXT Friday. Call and email into Scheduler. Fortunately, I wasn't able to do the reports. So will grovel and hope that I can do them next week. Because, of course, this is for that MSC that drops you at the drop of a hat and gives good bonuses.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/2019 01:40AM by kryswyn916.

I tried to log onto their site to see when I was going to be paid and the log-in button is blacked out!

My pet peeve is Best Buys audits require you to buy something and reimbursement is $1.00...please, water there is 1.79, I don't eat candy, so nothing to buy for a buck, can't they make it 2.00 or just take a picture of outside to show your at the correct store, I've complained to no avail, so you can't fight city hall. they want it there way.