I won't be working for them on phone shops anymore. Just had one rejected when I did what it asked me to do. Also I feel very uncomfortable doing target shops. Not my bag

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/2025 10:56PM by ChristySuperShopper.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/09/2025 09:46PM by ChristySuperShopper.

Thank you for that info. I will not take anymore shops from them unless it is highly bonused and close to home!!

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/2025 10:57PM by ChristySuperShopper.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/2025 10:58PM by ChristySuperShopper.

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/2025 10:58PM by ChristySuperShopper.

Update: mine was finally approved (3+ weeks)

@gigishopper wrote:

Update: mine was finally approved (3+ weeks)

Glad to hear it.
Confirmed mine were received. At 3 weeks. Previous turnaround before was 2. Still waiting.

X

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/19/2025 08:48AM by SBP.

At 4 weeks. I previously confirmed all 12 reports were received. No communication otherwise until today.

Just received a rejection email from an editor for one of the assignments with a lame excuse I'm now forced to rebut.

No other communication. No payments. Was previously paid as soon as 2 weeks.

Also blocked from all new assignments"¦as GH gobbles up more of the competition

Welcome to late stage capitalism, where we're all just endlessly replaceable profit centers.

What was the reason for the rejection?

6 weeks, and still no payment for my (last) 10 assignments. Reply is that they’re now paying 45 days after the statement date on the invoice.

They’re also taking more time to edit/review assignments in order to produce an invoice; 3 weeks in this situation, when we were previously paid in 3 weeks.

21 days plus 45 days is 66 days from submission, plus having to chase the payment.

Contract states: “Payment will be made WITHIN 45 DAYS FROM DATE OF SUBMISSION” not

This is exactly why Cirrus was booted from the MSPA and added to the s———t list on this forum.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/2025 08:13PM by SBP.

I just took a highly bonused apartment shop with GH. It is my first shop with them, and now I am feeling nervous after reading this thread.

Update:

Was finally paid for 9/10 assignments. I submitted everything as requested and submitted on time. Logged over 1K miles.

They waited over 2 months to pay me over 1K after previous 2-week turnarounds…and blocked me. Did nothing wrong. Just stood up for myself.

Totally unnecessary and unprofessional.

Did they tell you why they blocked you? Do you know who did it or prompted that treatment? I just heard of someone else getting treated that way. They told me they had defended themselves on something questioned. I am concerned because I recommended the MSC to them.

I'm sorry that happened to you. I completed two apartment shops a few months ago and have been paid. I also received no pushback or follow up questions from my reports. I'm only sharing to give others hope of getting paid. It did take several weeks for my shops to be approved.

@SBP wrote:

Update:

Was finally paid for 9/10 assignments. I submitted everything as requested and submitted on time. Logged over 1K miles.

They waited over 2 months to pay me over 1K after previous 2-week turnarounds…and blocked me. Did nothing wrong. Just stood up for myself.

Totally unnecessary and unprofessional.

Wow! 1000 miles, so like 20 hours of driving or more? How many hours of prep, on site, and report time did you log? And you mentioned hotel cost, plus there is gas and wear and tear on your vehicles. I suppose when people say they make $$$ mystery shopping and there is more to the story.

So glad you got paid! How stressful. We really are at the mercy of these companies.

I'm glad that I only drove 2 miles for one and 5 for the other!

Yes, there are overhead costs to any assignment. Routes can be lucrative if there’s cooperation and prudent planning ahead to create a beneficial budget.

It was offered by the scheduler because I was thorough and dependable and included target complications.

Had I not been (literally) left stranded by the side of the road a third of the way into it when my assignments disappeared, and had to stay 2 extra nights (with expensive last minute reservations) as I waited to be reinstated ,and lose the savings I’d booked for the rest of the route, plus rescheduling those tours around target work days (no weekends allowed), I would have done far more than break even with a little pocket change that took months to arrive.

Yes, we need to be very discerning regardless of the relationships we build because…we are all infinitely replaceable, especially if someone new up the food chain decides to create havoc and frame it as progress for profit at our expense.

These ethics are exactly why I left the traditional corporate…theater. It was too hard to care and be expected to look the other way.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/2025 11:42PM by SBP.

OH--KAY.....I am now going to issue a warning for anyone shopping for Grace Hill and to validate @SBP concerns. I picked up an apartment shop this week for $125 shop pay. I confirmed the shop AND reserved my tour time. The shop not far from my house (8 miles), but it is in the neighboring state and I have to drive on an unsafe bridge and pay tolls. I happened to remember this post and checked again just now before I headed out to the shop. The shop has vanished from my jobs. It was there 3 hours ago. Poof...no shop. Word to the wise, do not schedule with them if its far from home or you have to go out of your way. #neveragain

@gigishopper wrote:

OH--KAY.....I am now going to issue a warning for anyone shopping for Grace Hill and to validate @SBP concerns. I picked up an apartment shop this week for $125 shop pay. I confirmed the shop AND reserved my tour time. The shop not far from my house (8 miles), but it is in the neighboring state and I have to drive on an unsafe bridge and pay tolls. I happened to remember this post and checked again just now before I headed out to the shop. The shop has vanished from my jobs. It was there 3 hours ago. Poof...no shop. Word to the wise, do not schedule with them if its far from home or you have to go out of your way. #neveragain

So sorry you experienced that GG.

Glad you found out before it cost you anything more than the prep and the assignment you could have been doing instead.

There are many single parents here and others just trying to make it all work who care enough to do quality work, and depend on the income this work provides … when we’re working with ethical companies.

This is not ethical at all. I agree with you!

@SBP wrote:

@gigishopper wrote:

OH--KAY.....I am now going to issue a warning for anyone shopping for Grace Hill and to validate @SBP concerns. I picked up an apartment shop this week for $125 shop pay. I confirmed the shop AND reserved my tour time. The shop not far from my house (8 miles), but it is in the neighboring state and I have to drive on an unsafe bridge and pay tolls. I happened to remember this post and checked again just now before I headed out to the shop. The shop has vanished from my jobs. It was there 3 hours ago. Poof...no shop. Word to the wise, do not schedule with them if its far from home or you have to go out of your way. #neveragain

So sorry you experienced that GG.

Glad you found out before it cost you anything more than the prep and the assignment you could have been doing instead.

There are many single parents here and others just trying to make it all work who care enough to do quality work, and depend on the income this work provides … when we’re working with ethical companies.

I did one shop with them and it went well. My shop was approved, but hasn't been paid yet. The shop was easy and pretty enjoyable.

@couponanimaniac wrote:

I did one shop with them and it went well. My shop was approved, but hasn't been paid yet. The shop was easy and pretty enjoyable.

I’m glad it’s working for you, C. Please be careful, keep good notes, and document everything in writing. Save your emails.

I create a file for each assignment, and a spreadsheet for each company’s address, contact info, and assignments noting scheduler name/contact info, relevant assignment dates, latest payment date per contract, actual payment date and amount, other data needed for taxes, and notes about the experience with the MSC personnel, editors, and on site folks.

That system is also helpful in highlighting who pays well and is enjoyable to work with.

I was very happy with over 100 assignments I did for GH, and was paid in just 2 weeks for everything up until the change in management in August, bringing with it erratic scheduling behaviors noted by others, and an almost bipolar communication style. When I stood up for myself, I was blocked, and an intentional 12 week wait was imposed for a multi-assignment payment of over 1K that didn’t just hurt me.

We are people, not numbers. As a single/widowed parent it negatively impacted my family finances and I had to have someone help with my kids when I did that final route on top if the rest.

I wasn’t paid until I advocated for myself with the above-noted supporting data, that would also stand up to factual scrutiny in a more formal setting.

This is a business. We wear a lot of hats in this work, including the accounting. We also cover overhead and other costs the companies we work with would have to pay an employee, such as mileage reimbursement, travel time compensation, health care, disability, and unemployment benefits. These savings the MSC enjoys are not passed on to us in our fees. If you do all of the math after taxes and expenses, and time, you can calculate the gross costs and net return and its usually not even minimum wage.

If I’m treated poorly or have to chase down my earned compensation, I won’t do any more work for that company.

I could be an employee with required mileage and travel time stipends, and mandatory unemployment, health, and disability benefits protected by labor laws and minimum wage requirements for the same experience, hopefully better.

This MSC has been successful enough to buy out several others along with their client contracts. They were astute enough to do so soon after the annual renewals, adding them to a perpetual database and have thier eye on other competing MSC’s.

They’re making back their risk on our backs, or wouldn’t still be in business.

We deserve better.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/31/2025 07:30PM by SBP.

I just finished $150 apartment shop. My adult special needs but understands all daughter was with me. (It only read not to bring children).

If I’m not paid, lord help them as they would receive issues from my husband after I attempt to receive payment. All payments are extra for my daughter’s trust.

⚠️Grace Hil apartment shops are much more time-consuming than they might seem. Targeted shops require up to five phone calls, spaced two hours apart over two days, lunch hour excluded. The recorded calls must be made from a computer, and you cannot leave voicemails, which means you have to be home and can’t really plan other errands during that time. You might get lucky on the first try, or you may have to be tethered to your computer for the better part of the day for the phone call portion prior to the day of the apartment tour. Your shop could be excluded if there is background noise, so you can't exactly go to a Starbucks or anywhere else to make these calls.
The property tours can take an hour or more, and the reports usually take another hour to an hour and a half to complete. In my opinion, the time commitment these $50 shops require is absurdly out of proportion with what they pay. Be prepared for the phone calls to potentially take up the better part of your day before your actual tour. No extra compensation for the inconveniene.