@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.