They're supposed to be "transitioning " to CX, but they've messed it up and don't care. I did a shop two days ago, signing up on Bestmark's site. When I went to write up the shop, it directed me to CX's platform, but my shop didn't show up there. I emailed Bestmark immediately. They didn't respond, just sent me an email that my shop hadn't been submitted and was cancelled. I called CX. They said the transition wasn't done yet and to contact Bestmark. I left two messages with Bestmark and also sent them a message through their website. I got no response at all. I would suggest you don't accept any Bestmark shops, because you'll not be able to submit your report and will have wasted your time and any money you laid out.

Exactly why I won't work with BestMark. Too sketch. Tx's for sharing.

Jobs posted on the Bestmark site are still tracked and paid the same as always, on the Bestmark site. Some clients have moved over in which case the job is posted on CX, tracked and paid there. Eventually, I guess they all will be posted in one place. But if you requested via Bestmark, that is still where you submit and where you would look for updates.

I did a couple Bestmark jobs recently with no issues.

BTW, that messaging has been there for ages. It was there when you signed up for your task. It says, in part "Please note: BestMark shops will be available in both portals during this transition. Be sure to check both your BestMark portal (this page) and the ShopperHub (via your transferred account), so that you don’t miss out on any of your favorite shops."

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/2025 01:35PM by Deedeezthoughts.

This is the new wording:
"BESTMARK IS MOVING! CHECK THE HOME PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
BestMark is moving to a more expansive platform — the CX Group ShopperHub. Click here and follow the prompts to transfer your BestMark shopper account information to the new portal. After you have transferred your account information, download the CX Group ShopperHub app for easy access to your new account." There was no place on Bestmark or CX for me to write up the shop. Nor have they bothered to contact me.

Nope, that's not new either. You'll notice it doesn't say that the Bestmark site has closed down? You claimed the job on the page you just quoted. Didn't you look any further? Maybe at the "my shops" page where a shop goes after being claimed? Maybe at the home page where the messaging I quoted shows? The messaging you quoted directs you there. Or did you think that setting up a profile on CX meant you couldn't return to the Bestmark site ever again?

Part of doing shops is reading the guidelines. If you routinely stop reading after the first couple sentences, you are going to have a lot of trouble succeeding with any MSC.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/26/2025 04:45PM by Deedeezthoughts.

You don't get it. I'm an experienced shopper. I followed every possible way to find the questionnaire. I also tried to contact Bestmark three different ways -- on their web site, by email to the scheduler and by phone. They never replied to any approach.

Sorry to hear that, Brian B. Since Second to None bought BestMark during Covid, I haven't had a bad experience since then. Before the acquisition, BestMark was struggling and pay was not timely. CX Group (STN) always pays according to terms. I did BestMark shops fairly recently on the BestMark site without issue. My scheduler was Cory Walker, who is a gem. He's been scheduling as long as I've been shopping, if not longer.

If you haven't tried also contacting CX G, that could possibly help.

I absolutely contacted CXG! They told me that the transition wasn't complete, which was why the shop didn't show up on their (CXG's) web site. They suggested I go back to Bestmark, which I did, in writing, on Bestmark's web site. It didn't help.

On what site did you find the guidelines?

For the record: CXG and GX Group are two different MSC's. Please designate specifically which you are talking about.

CX Group or CX G, formerly Second to None, bought BestMark. CXG has no seat at this table.

The Bestmark site, as it always was.There was no record of the shop on CX

Sorry. It's CX only.

Thanks. I messed up by writing CXG.

The guidelines would be in the same place as the shop report. If you were able to access the guidelines then you would have seen the report as well.



[


quote="Brian B"]
The Bestmark site, as it always was.There was no record of the shop on CX[/quote]

@viv0412 wrote:

The guidelines would be in the same place as the shop report. If you were able to access the guidelines then you would have seen the report as well.

Exactly. The complaint doesn't make sense to anyone who has worked for Bestmark before. Likely, OP simply waited too long to submit their report either because they found the report format confusing or they have a habit of waiting until the next day and this was one where that isn't acceptable. They then misinterpreted a removal for missing a deadline to be linked with the CX announcement.

You're determined to find fault. If that makes you feel better, that's OK. I know I did everything right, the same day as I did the shop.. And you just blow off the absolute silence from Bestmark. That is an inexcusable action on Bestmark's part. Bless your heart.

Thanks for the head’s up.

I keep getting emails from BM for a singular “easy” weekend shop requiring visits to 7 high end hotels and spas for “simple” interior photos and “about 15 mins of time” each location at $10 per location, between the hours of 10am and 4pm on a single weekend day.

Did my homework. Travel alone is 2 hours during peak traffic times if you already live close by in one of the adjacent, posh, east SF Bay suburbs. If you did, you wouldn’t need to be gigging, and if you didn’t, it would cost you more in time/fuel.

Then there’s the mandatory valet and paid parking at the locations so you can enter the building, at a minimum of $25 each location, which is likely to double the time at each site, or more, meaning you will need to hustle to meet the timeframe requirement, risking disqualification.

Plus report time/photo uploads.

That’s called “paying to work.”

I replied to the scheduler with my cost analysis asking for a reasonable bonus to bring the pay to minimum wage in reply to the September and October emails.

No reply.

Got another one today. Same post, same terms. Deleted.

Anyone else want to donate their time on a weekend and run yourself ragged for a stressful assignment in order to pay to work for Bestmark, or the new owners?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/12/2025 05:09PM by SBP.

SBP inquires--Anyone else want to donate their time in a weekend and pay to work for Bestmark, or the new owners?

Bob replies--Not me, but then BM fired me 19 yrs. ago for refusing to "help out" and complete work for which the pay was unacceptable.

Just curious, are there ANY jobs that you don't 'pay to work' as you say?
Seems like you say this every other second around here.

Just curious what jobs you deem worthy?



[


quote=SBP]
Thanks for the head’s up.

I keep getting emails from BM for a singular “easy” weekend shop requiring visits to 7 high end hotels and spas for “simple” interior photos and “about 15 mins of time” each location at $10 per location, between the hours of 10am and 4pm on a single weekend day.

Did my homework. Travel alone is 2 hours during peak traffic times if you already live close by in one of the adjacent, posh, east SF Bay suburbs. If you did, you wouldn’t need to be gigging, and if you didn’t, it would cost you more in time/fuel.

Then there’s the mandatory valet and paid parking at the locations so you can enter the building, at a minimum of $25 each location, which is likely to double the time at each site, or more, meaning you will need to hustle to meet the timeframe requirement, risking disqualification.

Plus report time/photo uploads.

That’s called “paying to work.”

I replied to the scheduler with my cost analysis asking for a reasonable bonus to bring the pay to minimum wage in reply to the September and October emails.

No reply.

Got another one today. Same post, same terms. Deleted.

Anyone else want to donate their time on a weekend and run yourself ragged for a stressful assignment in order to pay to work for Bestmark, or the new owners?[/quote]

@SBP wrote:

Thanks for the head’s up.

I keep getting emails from BM for a singular “easy” weekend shop requiring visits to 7 high end hotels and spas for “simple” interior photos and “about 15 mins of time” each location at $10 per location, between the hours of 10am and 4pm on a single weekend day.

Did my homework. Travel alone is 2 hours during peak traffic times if you already live close by in one of the adjacent, posh, east SF Bay suburbs. If you did, you wouldn’t need to be gigging, and if you didn’t, it would cost you more in time/fuel.

Then there’s the mandatory valet and paid parking at the locations so you can enter the building, at a minimum of $25 each location, which is likely to double the time at each site, or more, meaning you will need to hustle to meet the timeframe requirement, risking disqualification.

Plus report time/photo uploads.

That’s called “paying to work.

Your assessment of this route of shops on the peninsula is 100% accurate.

@SBP wrote:

Thanks for the head’s up.

I keep getting emails from BM for a singular “easy” weekend shop requiring visits to 7 high end hotels and spas for “simple” interior photos and “about 15 mins of time” each location at $10 per location, between the hours of 10am and 4pm on a single weekend day.

Did my homework. Travel alone is 2 hours during peak traffic times if you already live close by in one of the adjacent, posh, east SF Bay suburbs. If you did, you wouldn’t need to be gigging, and if you didn’t, it would cost you more in time/fuel.

Then there’s the mandatory valet and paid parking at the locations so you can enter the building, at a minimum of $25 each location, which is likely to double the time at each site, or more, meaning you will need to hustle to meet the timeframe requirement, risking disqualification.

Plus report time/photo uploads.

That’s called “paying to work.”

I replied to the scheduler with my cost analysis asking for a reasonable bonus to bring the pay to minimum wage in reply to the September and October emails.

No reply.

Got another one today. Same post, same terms. Deleted.

Anyone else want to donate their time on a weekend and run yourself ragged for a stressful assignment in order to pay to work for Bestmark, or the new owners?

I'm not going to discuss your analysis and your understanding of the shop which are all wrong, If you do the location once, it takes 10 minutes to do it each subsequent time. But I never do them for less than $20 each and only if I am going to be near one. An experienced shopper should be able to ask a valet to keep the car to keep the car there for 5 minutes. I am also surprised that it will be in a high end hotel because I ve done the shops in two different cities and none of them were the high end type, nor a high end hotel would do such an event. I have also shopped the specific events and similar for the clients and are never held at high end places.

I never do these shops because they are too much hassle. I can see how they might not be so bad if the shopper was already working in that location and it'd be a quick lunch break stop.