Like you Computer man, I have never been bothered by Bestmark. They pay every two weeks, and have only challenged me a time or two just to clarify something. They were the very first company I signed up for, so I have a soft spot in my heart for them. I estimate I have done about 60 shops for them in the past year.

Just checked. 68 shops.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/2011 07:40AM by 57carol.

Long time employee but was terminated for nothing. Refuse MF.

krazekatt1 Wrote:
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> Trend Source! Just finished printing out their
> Manuel to do a shop and it was 9 pages long. They
> also want 12 pictures !!! The good part, they
> will pay me 9.00 HOLY COW!!


What, you didn't enjoy the tiny chicken sandwich??

Dave

candodo Wrote:
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> Long time employee but was terminated for nothing.
> Refuse MF.


Were you employed by MF or were you an IC?

I just finished a "shop I will never do again" diatribe and my follow up is, "Companies You RUFUSE to Shop For". This is the only company I have ever quit. The revisions for an "easy" $15 airport shop turned out to be a nightmare. I will never work for Customer Service Experts. They pay super quick and not all of their shops had the Investigative Editor from the New York Times doing the reviews. The essay portion of one shop cinched it for me (search my other posting). I Will never work for CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERTS again.

BTW first post unfortunately on a negative note (I have been a registered with a different id but just changed my id to avoid punitive actions). Sorry about the spoiled introduction. You all do amazing work. Thanks for postings!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2011 03:54AM by d2travelaa.

My CSE nightmare was an "easy" phone shop. Ironically, a longer, more involved shop with an on-site visit was easier.

I have just given Bestmark a third chance, after telling Cory I won't, will not, no way work in Palmdale...so, these jobs coming to my personal email, not the one I gave him for work, jobs in Palmdale...don't they read our emails, or listen. That company...I could die a slow death, and for the fourth time, just plain don't want to work for them, also, why can't you see the restaurant or job you sign up for, you see a city like Los Angeles, well, where in L.A., and how can I sign not knowing....stupid!

While there are differences in how CSE is viewed by different shoppers here, I am a bit concerned about a poster who takes a new name, supposedly to avoid "retaliation, in order to dump on CSE. How do we know that this is not just another poster who makes 1-2 posts of a negative nature and then disappears?

In addition, as someone who has done 300+ shops for CSE, I see some things in the story about the client that do not compute. I would be happy to be reassured, but I am very cautious about this poster.

walesmaven Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> While there are differences in how CSE is viewed
> by different shoppers here, I am a bit concerned
> about a poster who takes a new name, supposedly to
> avoid "retaliation, in order to dump on CSE. How
> do we know that this is not just another poster
> who makes 1-2 posts of a negative nature and then
> disappears?
>
> In addition, as someone who has done 300 shops
> for CSE, I see some things in the story about the
> client that do not compute. I would be happy to
> be reassured, but I am very cautious about this
> poster.

I never stated 300 shops for CSE. I hardly think a rational individual would throw the baby out with the bathwater. I have completed 250 shops with various companies. My email address was my id before I created this account. Perhaps you could have pm'd me before flaming. Is it really a common item to create a new account to complain? My story does not go against anything that has been said before about that particular shop. I would hardly think an individual would include so much information to collaborate a claim and move on to another account. Troll on!

Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 04/12/2011 08:46PM by d2travelaa.

An Walesmaven is not stating that you claimed to have done 300 shops for CSE. She is stating that SHE has done 300 shops for them.

While I can understand when people use their email or real name as their identification they can open themselves to problems--if not with companies, with spammers only too happy to collect "live" email addresses to add to their junk mail lists and sell to others. Perhaps stay with us with this address and let the old one die 'a natural death'.

BM- keep reports as is in that if they flunk they flunk-flunk is not passing.

Expressing "caution" and hoping for something more reassuring hardly sinks to the level of flaming.

Only one I would refuse to work for is "About Face". They stiffed me when their instructions were wrong, phone people didn't know correct information. I suggested how to 'fix' instructions. They used my recommendations, but stiffed me and blamed me for not reading them, even though incomprehensive and schedulers gave wrong information.

As for Market Force, they have been really good to work for. I would recommend them.

I haven't had too many problems with others. Some have cut their shop fees, and no longer worth it. But each person has to judge that for themselves what their limit is.

About Face had an incorrect location they never paid me for either. And they do not pay for parking.

Thats interesting. I have done a few shops for AboutFace. I am not a fan of their reports. Too much narrative for the pay IMHO. That being said I have never had a problem with them.

I'm kind of hesitant signing up with Maritz. I don't like the idea of sending a picture ID.

I do a lot of work for Matitz. I think they are a good company.

That's good to know...maybe I'll reconsider.

Lizdreamz Wrote:
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> I'm kind of hesitant signing up with Maritz. I
> don't like the idea of sending a picture ID.

I do tons of work for Maritz. They are a great company to work for. They pay fairly, for the most part (I will say they do cheap-out on a couple of their projects... I just say no to those.), and bonus well if you offer to help them out by doing something they really need to get done. I would have no problem recommending doing work for Maritz.

Checkup Marketing
Just check out the mystery company discussions. And check out Volition website. If there are any shoppers who have done shops for them since January 2011 SPEAK YOUR MIND!

shoppersteven Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I do tons of work for Maritz. They are a great
> company to work for. They pay fairly, for the most
> part (I will say they do cheap-out on a couple of
> their projects... I just say no to those.), and
> bonus well if you offer to help them out by doing
> something they really need to get done. I would
> have no problem recommending doing work for
> Maritz.

They must have changed a whole lot in the couple of years since I requested they terminate me. They were cheap shops and every time I took one I kicked myself because it was so much time and BS for so little money. Bonus? Are you kidding? Try to guilt you 30 miles across a $6 toll bridge for no bonus other than a willingness to pay the bridge? Or help them out because their shopper of many years 40 miles away has died but they aren't authorized to bonuse. Gimme a break. When they scheduled me into a night time visit in the roughest area of town and couldn't reschedule at least to daylight or pass me up the ladder to a supervisor who could, that was "Bye bye." Does their website still advise you not to go where you don't feel safe?

You might want to give them a try again, Flash.

I just picked up a couple of bonused shops today... I did one this afternoon. Made a nice trip up to the foothills through the orange groves between Fresno (where I live) and Kings Canyon National Park. Got my gas cost covered, did the audit (which took about 12 to 15 minutes), made about 20 extra bucks, and had a nice drive with my mom.

Got another shop bonused that's closer to home, so will make a decent amount on it, too. I just tell them how it is. I tell them I'm more than willing to do a shop if it's worth my while. They ask how much I need to do the shop and I let them know. Most of the time they'll give me what I want. If they don't and I don't like their counter offer, I tell them I'll pass.

I've developed a very good working relationship with a couple of their projects' schedulers and managers... they know they can count on me to get the job done and they're willing to pay me for it. I've financed some terrific day trips (even a couple of overnight ones that were totally paid for, including lodging) to Big Sur, the Eastern Sierra, the Mendocino coast, and up in the Sierras this way.

Anyways, I guess the main thing I'm saying is that I tell them what I need to do the job and stick to my ground. And then I always come through for them. That's what I try to do to build a great relationship with them.

Thanks, but no thanks. Life is too bloody short. What they had here while I was still working with them were garbage shops and from what I am hearing, they haven't gotten any better paying or more interesting. There may be enough in your area to negotiate work but here it was gas, shipping (gone elsewhere) and chocolate (gone elsewhere).

Did I hear chocolate? (Ears perking up......................................)

I've never done a chocolate shop... hmmm...

In the yrs. I've been registered with Maritz, I've yet to encounter them begging shoppers to complete undesirable assignments. I rarely self assign work with this MSC due to the pay, BUT, schedulers call, we discuss their vs. my needs and, at times, reach an agreement. All with whom I've spoken have understood this is business and I'm an independent contractor who ONLY works for money. This month, as an example, on 2 of 3 occasions, they've accepted my bid. Simply put, it's the business attitude of the company I find appealing.

Things must be different in your location, shopperbob. Jobs go fast in my location but there are always some locations that are far out from town, making them undesirable. Although I am able to self-assign, and I do self-assign all the jobs I want, I get constant begging phone calls to take the undesirable locations. I had to remove my work phone number from my shopper profile, because the constant calls at my office got to be a problem. Now they can call only my cell; IF the voicemail they leave for me offers a bonus and I am interested in the shop in the undesirable location, I will call them back and accept. That has not happened in at least the last 14 months. IF a bonus will be offered, and it is almost never, it is $5. Their reasoning seems to be that if I have taken several of a similar shop, why wouldn't I want to take another of the same shop, different location,......just because this one is 40 miles away should not be a negative, right? I should want to do it as a "favor" to the scheduler, right? Wrong. I like Maritz and will continue to shop for them, but I self-schedule the low-paying jobs that I want when they are convenient for me and I ignore those that are not profitable and not convenient.

MARITZ is the most unprofessional and sneaky company I have worked for!!! I did several gas shops for them. They basically harrassed me with phone calls until I finally and reluctantly accepted but I have two kids to feed. I submitted them etc. Never got paid. I asked why and they said they never received an invoice. I happily resent my receipts etc only to be ignored. I resent the inquiry by email a third time only to get back an unprofessional response and a "no." Their software is designed to screw over the shopper if the invoice doesnt go through. After 14 days has gone by all info is wiped from the shoppers log so you can not check the status or pull up past jobs. I am ready to bring legal action.

Welcome to my world and others with Checkup Marketing! Different story, but same, NO PAY. File with the BBB. They will at least contact the company.
Good Luck.

I have done 54 shops for Maritz and never had a problem with payment. Once I did not receive a check and when I called them about it they put a stop payment on the old check and sent me a new check. I have found them to be very professional.