I have been receiving emails from intouch insight about a particular job shop that involves going to a dealership to inquire about a particular motorized vehicle. I started getting the emails at the beginning of november, so it's been exactly 2 weeks. The first few days, the email said that the shops would not last and to get them soon. Then, about a week ago, the shop started saying "final hours for these shops." I think any normal person would assume that "final hours" would mean less than a few days. Because if it was more than a few days, it would be more accurate to say "final days.". The emails kept saying final hours for several days, and I was getting at least two of these emails a day.

Yesterday, the emails came in saying "last chance" and the shops "end tonight." Not surprisingly, I got another email this morning saying "last chance" and "ends tonight.". I thought it was supposed to end yesterday evening?

Clearly, this scheduler was being dishonest to create a false sense of urgency. Trying to make shoppers think that if they don't take the shop today then they're going to miss out on an opportunity. Well, it's been seven full day since they started saying "final hours," and the pronouncement that yesterday was the last day was certainly a lie. Remains to be seen if that same proclamation is a lie today.

Sounds like they’re trying to sell a shop no one wants to do…for whatever reason.

Actually the shops are not terrible for the amount of pay. They're up to $75 now. I would say that the total time in, from the visit until the shop and handwritten shop form are completed would be 1 to 2 hours. I've done them before, and I wouldn't mind doing them again.

I just find that the dishonesty in these emails is glaring. I wonder if this actually works on people? Do they actually think that schedulers are being honest when they write stuff like that? And then by sending the same thing day after day, and just downright lying and saying that it was the last day left, shows everyone that receives those emails that they're not honest.

Intouch absorbed a couple of different mystery shopping companies over the past few years. Before the merger, both of those mystery shopping companies were great to work for and had honest, helpful schedulers. This project used to be with one of those other companies, and the schedulers were great to work with to get this work set up. Completely honest about due dates and requirements. I am noticing that the less than forthright business dealings of Intouch are beginning to rub off on the projects that were absorbed during the mergers.

@SBP wrote:

Sounds like they’re trying to sell a shop no one wants to do…for whatever reason.

I get a kick out of the, "Going fast! Get yours before they're gone!" Emails for shops that have been sitting for a month or so, not going fast.

I ignore the ones that have URGENT in caps or ones they say how easy they are. The ones that go fast don't need to be advertised.

I decided to go into one of the shops to see if it really did end tonight. If it did really end tonight, maybe they just posted that one a day early. So I looked at one of the shops, and the due date is the 19th! That's 5 days from now. How could they with any sense of moral turpitude blast out emails saying that the shop ends tonight when any shopper could simply go into the shop and see that it doesn't end until the 19th.

Clearly, this shows a lack of business ethics and scheduler oversight from Intouch Insight. It also shows a lack of personal character from the particular scheduler that is blasting out these emails.

I've decided to stop reading their headlines and words, and just go online and see what they are offering. I stopped trusting emails a long time ago.

How many times have you seen the word EASY on a shop? . Reading and remembering 7 pages of instructions, sometimes taking surrupticious photos , and then remembering exactly what the employee said is not what I consider easy,especially when the pay is 1/2-1/3 of the minimum wage where I live. That is what I consider really stretching the truth.

"Final hours for this shop" is a little extreme. But one of the companies that is now part of Intouch Insight used to always send emails saying "MUST BE DONE BY CLIENT DEADLINE OF XXX!!!" And then the next week send the same email with a new date, and do this several times over. To the point where I learned to ignore that part.

All right! So, after claiming on both Thursday and Friday that those days were the last days, I'm getting emails again today that say "final hours." The same locations on the list. If these all have to be done, I guarantee you they're going to keep them on the board and keep raising the pay until they all get done. Apparently they have no problem lying to shoppers when they post their scheduler emails.