Are you allowed to, ...

Decline a shop, AFTER you see the full job requirements?

I've noticed that until you accept, or apply and get the actual shop, that you DO NOT KNOW exactly what will be involved in getting the given job done.

Is it OK to change your mind AFTER reading the full specs?

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As an independent contractor you do not have to complete assignments if they include requirements you were not aware of prior to applying.

There are several schools of thought. One is that you have made a commitment and should honor the commitment regardless. I'm sure the MSCs most notorious for giving little to no information about a shop love that one. The other is if the full guidelines are drastically different and withheld key pieces of information you can withdraw if you do so in a timely manner. Timely would mean you open and read the guidelines within hours of being awarded the shop and decline right away. Another consideration is your relationship with the MSC. If it is your first shop it can be difficult to think of canceling and may not serve you well going forward. In those cases it may be best to complete the assignment and consider it a learning experience.

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.

I was kind of thinking along those lines, but it would be nice if the requirements were spelled out PRIOR.

Another thought would not to apply/accept the job without seeing the guidelines in advance. Unfortunately that is probably too late for your example. Some companies let you see the instructions while others don't. For the latter you can ask the scheduler for that information before applying and see what happens.

For your example, I would suggest because you are a new mystery shopper you might lean toward the latter option suggested by LisaSTL - do the shop and call it a learning experience as well as building your reputation with that company.

However, I would also ask what about the shop makes you want to cancel? If it is a big thing, such as a purchase and return on the next day when the return element on the next day was initially hidden, it would be easier to cancel if you are simply unavailable the next day.

Happily shopping Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts and Connecticut

One of the few shops I ever cancelled after accepting was one where important shop details were hidden.

The shop was described as an 'easy' retail shop at a sporting goods store. The description said nothing about any type of purchase, but simply to ask an associate about an item and document the interaction. Once I accepted the shop and read the guidelines, I found I was to purchase an expensive and non-reimbursed item that the associate recommended and I either had to keep it or wait 5 hour to return it. I absolutely didn't want the item and would not be able to either wait 5 hours or make a return trip to return the item.

mialuce,
That is exactly the sort of thing that would justify canceling after accepting a shop, IMHO.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

Recently I asked to see the guidelines and report on a new to me shop and company. To my surprise the scheduler said to feel free to self-assign and cancel if the guidelines were not acceptable. She said the company does not penalize shoppers if it is done in a timely manner. I have it in writing

Thanks for all the input!

It hasn't necessarily been any given job. I'm just on a mission to understand ALL the parameters involved.

As a potential example:

I've been seeing tons of listings for fast food places. The BLURB says that you can do multiples, and need to spend a dollar. You have to get a picture of the menu board. Would this picture need to be done "on the sneak", or are the units aware that this is being done? I've also noticed that the payout has improved, since it was first put out there.

Is the menu board in question, the one that's above and right behind the counter, or can the drive thru board be photographed?

With pay scales, at MY level being between $10 to $20 for the entirety of an assignment, I have to be able to be an efficiency expert in order for this to be profitable.

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