Did anyone log into their account and be made to sign a new agreement (MF)? I don't know if this has always been the case but I was bored read the entire thing and it looks like if you haven't accumulated $50 in reimbursements for month, they wait until you have (via direct deposit) or gift card program!??!?!? I thought it was always you can do as much or as little as you want?!?!? Anyone else?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/2023 05:54PM by wisconsinwisconsin.

To which MSC are you referring?

MF

I read the Market Force new agreement and find it confusing in terms of the $50 amount. Also confused as to mention of gift cards rather than payment in cash.

Agreed. And as I have only done one shop with them this month for $25 fee and $16.89 reimbursement with no prospects of doing another one in the next week, I guess I'll find out about this $50 thing.

I didn't read it. That is an interesting way to get people to take more shops. If you do more work...you won't have to wait for your pay. if you only do one 5g, or Rc, or DHC or something else small...then they will wait until you reach their threshold. I don't do that much for them either. Guess we will know around 5/20.

I have no idea what you are referring to. Did this come to you in an email? Is it on their shopper's site?

I was required to accept a new agreement when I logged in to the website today. I admit that I didn't read all of the fine print.

@big_sky_thunder wrote:

I have no idea what you are referring to. Did this come to you in an email? Is it on their shopper's site?

I just signed it. I hope they will send out an email to clarify or someone will understand it better than me. I read it over and over and still unsure what it actually means. They want to pay you with a gift card? You won't get paid unless you spend at least $50?

Almost sounds like it's a way for them to "float" your reimbursement money in their account until you accumulate $50.

Then the question is, do they automatically release it to you? Do you have to request it? Is it paid immediately or on the next payment date, usually around the 20th?

My issue is the only shops near me are 5 G . There also were daycare phone shops but an older man pretending to be pregnant was not possible. Lol I recently moved to this state so I will not take the shops in unknown areas in a nearby large city with a very high crime rate as my safety is worth more than a 5G shop fee. There is rotation on shops and 3 5 G in areas I feel safe in so I cannot do the ones in areas that I am familiar with them frequently enough to get $50. I do not like the idea not sure how this will work. I am confused by this new policy and hope it gets clarified.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/2023 10:09PM by OldmanJames.

It pops up when log-in today. You cannot select any new shops without accepting.

I pay for my 5 G food with my credit card. I need the money back to pay every month. Not loving giving MF basically a free loan. Not loving this at all. Do not need gift card need cash,

I have not done any shops for MF since its last payment snafu. With this new development, I probably will not shop for MF anymore. This is an easy decision for me since the burger chain is the only client they have left in my area that is sometimes worth doing when bonused and I don't like the food.

thank you for posting: I just signed at the end without reading it.

I haven't signed anything and nothing popped up when I signed in looking for jobs.

It is wrong to expect shoppers to use their own money on a shop that is to be reimbursed and not give it back the same way in a timely manner. To require one to wait until they accumulate $50.00, worth of reimbursement money and/or reimburse with a gift card is a new low. No one is going to use my money up front and pay me back with a gift card or make me wait for a certain balance to be met.

I also had to agree to that change in order to login, so I checked the boxes -- and then I immediately sent a message asking to deactivate my account. I do not take kindly to a mystery shopping company holding my money hostage, so they can save money or time or whatever corners they are cutting by issuing payments less often. They are not a bank. All the funds I am owed should be paid to me according to the payment schedule, and I should not have to wait until I have accumulated more to get that money - especially since there are very few shops where I live. I could wait a year for it! And most of what is offered doesn't pay enough, so it's no skin off my nose to divorce myself from them. So, that's what I did.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/2023 03:59AM by shopnyc.

Plus, I am sure whatever gift cards they would offer would be those they received free from their business affiliates.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/2023 04:22AM by purpleicee.

I am assuming this has to be effective going forward, right? So I'm going to wait to take a shop until I see how others who continue to do them comment when pay comes later in May or maybe even with the June payment since this might not take place until 5/1/2023 shops.

Would be funny to see a shopper boycott of their shops and then what would they do? Reverse policy?

Wonder if anyone has saved the agreement or maybe @Morledzep can cut/paste and put it here when they eventually have to sign it.

FWIW they mention "ACH" so I am assuming that means the automatic funds transfer they have been doing up until now. The gift card part I think means you can chose to get paid cash or to have the money sent to you as a gift card from whatever list they have. It does not sound mandatory.

I've got a burger shop Friday. If I don't get my reimbursement with my shop pay next month, that's the last one I'll be doing.

Then since it's under $50, how will I ever get my money?

They have lost so many clients and have so few left, they are probably struggling to stay afloat.

If this is true, looks like I will terminate MF. Burgers are all they have around here and I don't do them consistently enough anyway.

Fortunately, I have enough to get the $50 reimbursement this month. Problem is what if I do one 5G and spend $17.25 and then there are no more of them or other shops with reimbursements in my area? Then I lose the $17.25? 5G food is not great for my diet although the fries can be tasty albeit very bad for my health, overpriced and not worth losing money or sleep over. I think MF has a lot of nerve. I will not be taking any more assignments- either close or far away. I might consider some shops that do not require me to purchase anything but never see any of those lately- perhaps MF is going belly up? I saw these stupid day care phone shops for $3 no less where you have to claim to be pregnant and have 2 other kids who need daycare. Really? I laughed- Daycare for 3 kids in my area based on my son paying $32 K for 2 kids would cost about $45-50K. Infant care is VERY high so who can afford that? No one would be calling to ask such stupid questions! The shops then were all removed rather quickly- and I looked in several zip codes where I used to live- they all disappeared at once- I doubt anyone took them as who wants to make a fool of themselves on the phone or be hung up on as the day cares do not have time for 50 questions about meals, activities, late fees, etc, when most in my area and other areas from what I gather are on 6 to 12 month wait lists. Really sad as I have shopped for them for quite a while. I think they are doing this to get shoppers to do 5 G shops in areas that no one wants to go to- in my case in areas of a large city nearby which is NOT safe and where I would stick out like a sore thumb as I do not fit the typical demographic for that area- no thanks MF!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/2023 12:56PM by SueW70.

Copied from the agreement: "Fees for all assignments which are designated as completed in the portal during any calendar month will be paid within 20 business days of the next calendar month, as long as your account balance is at least $50.00. You can elect to be paid via ACH or receive a gift card through our gift card program. Your participation in the gift card program is subject to the program’s fees and rules, which may be modified from time to time."

Before I comment, Market Force terminated me in the fall of 2010. Their procedure, at that time, was to remove one's ability to apply for work. I neither received nor requested an explanation. I always acknowledge being terminated by an MSC IF my post is in any manner negative.

From the above comments, it seems the Arab has possibly loaded the final straw on the camel's back. Only time will tell as to how their shoppers will respond.

I was terminated in about 2010 and told that they would not tell me why, About 3 years ago, I wrote them a letter and asked to be reinstated, and I was. Since then, I have been treated fairly. If I do one 5G a month, it will take me 3 months to exceed $50 in reimbursements. I am lucky to be able to afford to wait that long. I have been getting cret card offers for % off deals at Five Guys, which I have been trying to use. That also helps. If the number of shops decreases so that I am waiting 6 months (for instance) to be reimbursed, I may decide to go into hibernation.

I will also guess, if one has less than $50.00, in the reserve and decides not to do any more shops and/or terminate the relationship, MF may have a plan to charge a processing fee to get your money.

I hope the Godzilla MSC does not follow suit. What a racket.

@Treeline wrote:

Copied from the agreement: "Fees for all assignments which are designated as completed in the portal during any calendar month will be paid within 20 business days of the next calendar month, as long as your account balance is at least $50.00. You can elect to be paid via ACH or receive a gift card through our gift card program. Your participation in the gift card program is subject to the program’s fees and rules, which may be modified from time to time."

My interpretation of this is that I won't even get the shopper fee, let alone the reimbursement if it doesn't total over $50.

So a $30 fee and $17.25 reimbursement means I won't be seeing ANY of my money next month.

I e-mailed them asking if this was true and if it was to cancel my shop.