FYI I have called the company in a situation like that and asked for the person that I spoke with. If they identify the name correctly I can use that.

REMOVED

Here is the real world: The client does not own a work product they refuse to pay for. Further, “welcome to the real world” is quite harsh given that this person fronted
$150+ that they are now out. I thought this was a supportive forum.

Dharma,

I understand you are pissed. From a logical standpoint and being inside due to a single digit chill, I will address your situation lines by lines.

Dharma posted--I did the (client's name removed). I accepted the shop on Monday and per their guidelines I called to make an appointment immediately. They were closed due to weather and the message said to book online.

Bob comments--Not HS BRANDS, but the closed company stated "book online." You followed their, NOT HS BRANDS, suggestion. Mistake #1!

Dharma continues--Never have I been set up like this… they wouldn’t discuss it either. Just because you are 1099 contractors it doesn’t mean you don’t have rights.

Bob opines--No one set you up. Simple stated, you flubbed by following the directions of the customer. In addition, you and I and all other shoppers have rights, but not as employees.

Dharma adds--My mom is an attorney and she said that the fact that there is no phone number to reach the company is ridiculous.

Bob retorts--That is an opinion I do not share, but I respect.

Dharma states--They have a pattern of not paying and this is a lot of money.

Bob 1/2 agrees--It is a lot of money, but your comment concerning HS having a pattern of not paying is incorrect. I have been contracted with the MSC for 2 decades and have neither experienced nor ever read the slightest verbiage concerning their honesty. The ONLY negatives of which I have any knowledge are due to their pre-stated payment cycles.

Dharma is concluding--They tell you that the shop should have been booked via phone but the guidelines do not address a blizzard and needing to book within 24 hours of being assigned.

Bob--As I am ignorant concerning the guidelines, I am unable to comment.

Dharma--They don’t say you can’t book online.

Bob--Upon reflection, do you really think such a statement is logical?

Dharma concludes--Horrible company, horrible editor. They have rejected a lot of high $$$ shops.

Bob also exits--I vehemently disagree with your assessment of the MSC, their editors and their rejection rate.

Concluding comment--As you have recently joined the forum, what I am about to type may seem as though I am an arse kisser and a cheerleader.
I have terminated more shopping companies than the average IC. I have been with HSB since the days of Miles Standish & Evelyn; they have my "3 thumbs up!"

A quick, no one is answering the phone, email would have bought the needed time. Most people that have been around awhile have eaten one, because of not following the instructions.

I bet even Bob might have flubbed one, I know I have with the thousands of jobs I have done.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/2026 07:44PM by 87Supra.

Sup comments--I bet even Bob might have flubbed one............

Bob confesses--ONE? Hell I have 3 where I shopped the wrong location. Add in a forgotten pic on a day route and an unknown number of flubs, I have no idea of the number.

I am not here to argue with you. Tell me, in your infinite wisdom, how does one book a shop via phone when the location is closed? I have called them Monday (closed) and today ( did not pick up). They have NEVER answered their phone. A relative, who is the former receptionist, confirms they never answer.

@Dharma19 wrote:

I am not here to argue with you. Tell me, in your infinite wisdom, how does one book a shop via phone when the location is closed? I have called them Monday (closed) and today ( did not pick up). They have NEVER answered their phone. A relative, who is the former receptionist, confirms they never answer.

Easy, toss it back to the scheduler and ask what they want you to do. You messed up, it happens, learn from it.

The scheduler was informed in writing of this development. I don’t feel comfortable sharing communications but they were advised that the business was closed and that the shop deadline was the next day AND that the only way to do it on time was to do it via web. They said nothing. I do regret going.

You have to follow the guidelines. If it says the reservation must be made within 24 hours ON THE PHONE, you can’t choose one instruction over the other. That’s the point at which you send an email to HSB and ask what to do. Don’t just go ahead and make your own decision.
Clients generally don’t want to know how their online reservation system works. They already know that. They want to know how their employees deal with you on the phone.
I too PREFER to have a telephone number available for important last-minute questions, but if there isn’t one, then they are usually pretty quick answering emails. If you don’t get an answer in time, the best thing to do is scrap the job before you have spent any time or money on it. When the email is answered they may tell you that the 24 hours starts over or they may cancel the shop. In either case you aren’t out any money.
I recently had a restaurant shop requiring me to make a phone reservation within 24 hours of accepting the shop. But it was New Year’s Eve and, even though I knew the restaurant was open, the phone was answered by a message saying no one was there to answer the call and to make reservations online. I called multiple times and got the same thing. Called again on New Year’s Day, within the 24 hours: same answer. So I didn’t go online because that was against the guidelines. I emailed support and told them the situation. The scheduler replied, saying she would contact the client and get back to me. She did on January 2nd (the first business day) and said the client okayed making the reservation then, a few days late.
If I had made an online reservation I would probably have been out the $250+ cost and the fee. The lesson is: don’t assume. Follow the guidelines to the letter.
Going back to the Red Flag, I have done many shops for HSB and always gotten paid by the end of the month following, including some high-dollar ($2000+) casino shops.

1. You email the scheduler and ask how to proceed.
2. You do NOTHING until the scheduler gives direction.
3. I'm not familiar with this shop, but most state you can NOT shop a location if you have any friends or family that work or sometimes even previously, work there. I would not have picked up this shop to begin with due to that.

Anytime something goes awry you freeze and contact the scheduler.

@Dharma19 wrote:

I am not here to argue with you. Tell me, in your infinite wisdom, how does one book a shop via phone when the location is closed? I have called them Monday (closed) and today ( did not pick up). They have NEVER answered their phone. A relative, who is the former receptionist, confirms they never answer.

It has happened to all of us. I burned on a TRH because it was not in by 9:00 AM the next morning. The one I did before was not turned in by 9 but she whacked me on this one.
It was clearly stated in the guidelines which I choose to ignore. Really couldn't argue about it. Food was good though.

Well I am glad your food was good. It just bothers me that they are using info that they refuse to pay for. If I have a good relationship with a scheduler and feel it was my fault I would happy give them the material to try to compensate for my mess up. Ironically, it was the worst massage I ever got and I now find out that this location NEVER answers their phones. Lesson learned.

In real life I definitely believe in a few conspiracy theories, but in mystery shopping there is only one company I have even an inkling MIGHT send a shop to a client that was declined and 100000000000000% it is NOT HS Brands.

@Dharma19 wrote:

Well I am glad your food was good. It just bothers me that they are using info that they refuse to pay for. If I have a good relationship with a scheduler and feel it was my fault I would happy give them the material to try to compensate for my mess up. Ironically, it was the worst massage I ever got and I now find out that this location NEVER answers their phones. Lesson learned.

Hi @Dharma19,

I'm curious, how do you know they are using your information?

I have been scheduling for over a decade (to be clear, I do not and have not scheduled for HS Brands), and I can tell you that it is ALWAYS better to email and wait for a response than proceed with a shop without following the guidelines. The 27th may have been the listed due date because you were assigned for that day (it's very rare for there to be a client deadline on the 27th). Of course, it's not impossible, just my professional opinion. If there is an issue, the scheduler would usually ask the account manager how to proceed, and then could reschedule your date. This happens a lot with inclement weather, forgetting about the additional issues surrounding your shop that might require more clarification prior to the visit.

Finally, I want to mention that even if you did the shop perfectly, it would most likely now be invalidated because you violated multiple terms of your independent contractor agreement. Most notably, you cannot evaluate a location where you or a family member has worked (which you mention here). In addition, the HS Brands agreement says you cannot share details of assignments (who the client is) or post negative statements about the company or client. These would easily invalidate any potential claim you might think you have.

While I see you are new to the forum, I'm not sure if you are new to mystery shopping. If you are, even though this experience was not ideal, I hope that, as time passes, you can chalk it up to a good learning experience, as there are so many awesome opportunities out there.

I see that dishonest people could take advantage of people they believe are not protected by employment laws. People are protected by contract law, though. I don’t necessarily believe there is a plot against shoppers to deprive them of the fruit of their labor but I do believe many simply do not care whether you get paid or not. There are good and bad schedulers, editors, etc. I am lucky enough to be able to weather paying $150 upfront and not get reimbursed but many would not be able to eat the rest of the week. I may just go back to editing. In the few years I have been out of the field I am shocked at how the communication between shoppers/company has chilled… it’s borderline hostile from the get go! (Example: When I was on the other end I would have made at least a partial payment of your food. First, to not be accused of unjust enrichment and secondly because I know shoppers will return the favor. We are paid (in many situations) a fraction of total pay for that shop. It seems like we do the heavy lifting yet the proportional share is really low!

Trust me, the last company I would ever want to work for is HS Brands. A law firm reviewed the situation and OK’d it for conflicts. This relative is not considered a family member. We never lived at the same home, ever, and have different parents. The agreement has not been violated. Truth is an absolute defense to libel. Just facts were shared….no location, no names. If I violated the agreement so too did many posts on here as they shared no more, no less than I. In order to be found to have violated the agreement you need to have provided specifics. And to answer your question I have worked in every facet of shopping and was a certified shopper over 15 years ago. If you care to point out what provision you think I have violated I will address it. Further, this entire situation is going to be reviewed by the law firm for the people: the state attorney. I will be proposing new laws regulating this industry. Any good faith suggestions will be appreciated.

Go sue and come back and let us know how it worked out for you.

You seem to not take ownership that you did not follow the instrx. Who cares when the shop was due? If you cannot do the shop according to the guidelines, the date does not matter. You do what others have told you. Sit and wait. If they do not want to reschedule, that is their problem. You doing the shop on your own terms is your problem and now you want to rant about it.

Have your mom file suit against them and when you get a judgement against them, you can come back and let us know how it worked out.

I agree with Terminator Bob! I do not give them 3 thumbs up, but they are a legit company and would not do the shady stuff you are accusing them of.

FYI, I am NOT the person who posted the original red flag about this company, please do not inadvertently confound the two. The scheduler was contacted ahead of time regarding the fact the place was closed. I was told there was a hard deadline. The fact that location NEVER answers their phone for any reason is worth GOLD to that company. I’m not going to repeat everything that happened because it is redundant. Having worked in several areas of this industry it is clear they have shoppers indoctrinated. What is our effective hourly rate considering expenses? It is an employers dream.

Litigation is money for one party. I seek not to sue but to insure that meaningful changes are enacted in this industry. That involves bringing a situation to the attention of either federal or state agencies whose very existence is premised upon insuring that individuals are treated fairly (remember the little guy?) If you believe that individuals are always treated fairly in this industry without question you are part of the problem. You cannot know how these companies operate because you only see one aspect of it. If you are satisfied good for you but there are others who don’t want to keep getting say $15 per shop when they could be paying $50.

I realize that as someone who is now shopping and used to be on the other end I hold a very unusual prospective. Quite frankly, there IS a great deal more discretion in whether you get paid, or partially paid. It is not and never has been a black and white rule. THERE IS DISCRETION ALLOWED IN WHETHER AND HOW MUCH $ you get. I see a lot of indoctrination going on here. What a shame. The only party who benefits is the company. The only consistency here is that shoppers are told “no”, “never” and sadly, many are all too happy to kiss the derriere of the companies.

I understand that you are upset. But given that you said you have worked in all aspects of this industry over 15 years, I am sure you realize that not following guidelines is grounds for nonpayment, even if you think you are giving even better information than they would have been given otherwise.

I don’t know the specifications for this specific client so if it says family member and not relative and you feel they are different that is your choice (though I would have asked the company to confirm approval explaining that you had a relative that previously worked there, but maybe you did). If it specifically mentions you cannot shop if anyone in your household previously worked there, then I would agree with you that this part was not a violation.

You mentioned the scheduler was aware of the place being closed. Did you tell the scheduler that you were unable to make an appointment over the phone? Did the scheduler tell you it was fine to make it online instead? To be fair, if the scheduler said it was fine to make the appointment online, then I would fully agree with you that you should have been paid (prior to breaking the other terms of your ICA, but I realize this was a result of not initially being paid so likely wouldn’t have happened).

The forum does not allow screenshots as far as I can tell, but below is the text just from just two parts of the independent contractor agreement. I would say at least three bullet points were violated just in this confidentiality part (1st, 2nd, 5th). You are 100% correct in that you absolutely have a right to freedom of speech. However, you agreed to these terms (it’s required before being able to apply for a shop), so if you choose to violate the terms you agreed to, the company has rights as well, including non-payment (which already happened because it was not completed to published guidelines).

MSP Independent Contractor Agreement Policy
Please re-confirm your agreement to the policy
Confidentiality, Restrictions & Proprietary Information

Contractor agrees:
• Not to share, post, or publish any details of assignments (including personal experiences, client names, or results) on social media, review sites, or any other public forums.
• Not to make or publish any negative or disparaging statements about the Company or its Clients.
• Not to complete or submit a client's customer satisfaction survey, feedback form, or similar evaluation in connection with an assignment performed for the Company.
• This restriction applies only to assignments; it does not prevent the Contractor from submitting surveys related to personal visits outside of assignments.
• Not to file or post public complaints about a client; all concerns must be reported directly to the Company
• Not to film, photograph, or record assignments unless the assignment guidelines specifically require it.
• All reports, videos, photographs, and other deliverables created during assignments are the exclusive property of the Company.
• Not to consume alcohol during an assignment unless the assignment guidelines specifically require it. If alcohol consumption is permitted/required, Contractor must always remain professional and may never become impaired or intoxicated.

Work Performed
Contractor may choose which assignments to accept.
Contractor is responsible for completing accepted assignments according to published guidelines and deadlines.
Contractor is not required to accept any minimum number of assignments and may use their own methods to complete the work.

Consequences

Any violation of the obligations outlined in this Agreement, including but not limited to Confidentiality, Restrictions & Proprietary Information, Conflict of Interest, or Work Performed requirements, may result in non-payment of assignments and/or expenses, immediate and permanent removal from the Company's database, and/or other legal remedies as allowed by law.

This is frustrating, for sure. But the course of action would have been to email the scheduler and tell them no one is answering the phone, and ask how to proceed.

Often with these shops, they are evaluating the appointment booking over the phone process. Its likely part of the survey questions.

@Dharma19 wrote:

I am not here to argue with you. Tell me, in your infinite wisdom, how does one book a shop via phone when the location is closed? I have called them Monday (closed) and today ( did not pick up). They have NEVER answered their phone. A relative, who is the former receptionist, confirms they never answer.

MSCs could pay more for most shops. They don’t because people are willing to take them at the offered fee. It’s called supply and demand. It’s how businesses work. If they can pay less, they will.
Personally, I don’t take shops that don’t meet my earnings standards. Just like I wouldn’t accept a full-time job that didn’t pay what I think I’m worth.
Do I wish that people wouldn’t pick up some of the shops for low fees? Sure.
In seven years of mystery shopping, I’ve had only one shop refused for not meeting the requirements. I personally don’t feel that the guidelines covered the requirements correctly, but the client didn’t accept it. Can’t win them all.
This is America. If you want to report them to some agencies or file a lawsuit, that’s up to you.
Best of luck to you.

I haven’t written anything negative about this company. Tell me what you consider negative. Ironically, a large section of this site is devoted to discussing companies: in the sites own words; “what works and what doesn’t work?” Look at the site directives as well as others posts. There is nothing illegal about discussing what has been posted in terms of problems getting paid. That is not negative, it is a very important factual issue that has saved other shoppers from getting burned. These companies get away with murder because of the boy scouts on here.

I’m not sure who you’re responding to with the comment about negativity. If it’s me, I never said anything about that.
The original post was from couponanimaniac. As you noted, anyone is free to comment on their thoughts about the subject.
This thread is about a Red Flag warning on HS Brands. My comments are simply that I don’t feel that the company deserves a Red Flag based on my experience with them.
If you and couponanimaniac don’t want to work for them, no one will make you. If you want to earn others about them, based on YOUR experience, that’s fine.
I will express my opinion and readers can believe what they want.
And I sincerely meant it when I wished you luck on a lawsuit looking for more accountability in shoppers’ contracts.

Is writing "horrible company, horrible editor" not negative? I was initially trying to help, as I see countless others were doing as well, but I think it's best for us all to just move on. Best of luck.

How about poor grammar and spelling errors!! If you count those mistakes then …,

Thanks for whatever assistance you attempted to provide. I appreciate your intent, even if the substance wasn’t there.

Honestly, I applaud your creativity. I have a feeling that the company would be really upset if they knew that. I don’t think it’s a problem but others may think it was not OK.