Ok, so I know that I'm no super-star shopper. I used to shop years ago, then quit for a good while. I've only been back at it for a month, and have done about 20 or so shops. Like most of you, I work for a handful of MSC's.

Anyway, all but one MSC's have given me a high rating and paid the full amount owed. One apartment shop was boarder-line (I've only done 2 of them, with 2 more scheduled this week). I had a shop returned, couldn't figure out why, so I emailed saying that I'll take it as a loss BUT that I would really appreciate feedback, so that I don't make the same mistake twice. I haven't yet heard back, but the shop still shows a payment pending, so who knows...

However, that's not even my concern. Apartment shops are a whole other ball-park, at least to me. What I am concerned with is this other MSC that I've only done grocery shops for... I've done 4, and they've declined 2. This particular MSC expects a lot for a little $. Yes, I could drop them, and very well may... gonna give them one more shot, or only use them to fill-in, providing I don't get more declines. I do take some blame for the declines - I didn't get receipts. Both of these declines were at the same store/same location. The first decline I explained: I had used WIC to make purchase and heard the Customer Service girl tell the cashier to keep WIC receipts. (this is NOT usual - ALL other stores give WIC receipts) Anyway, my required purchase was a produce item that had a scannable sticker (no date/location) on it, which I did submit in my report. The next time I shopped that location, I used WIC again, BUT the required purchase wasn't a WIC item, so it should have been a completely different purchase, with a regular receipt. Well, can you believe this?? The cashier rang up ALL items on my WIC voucher - of course the system gave her an error. Well, I *assumed* the Customer Service Rep. who has to verify WIC orders would catch it... OMG! She didn't! I stood there and watched her roll her eyes, and OVER-RIDE the warning, ALLOWING the incorrect purchase! I guess in my shocked state, I totally didn't realize that this was gonna prevent me from getting a receipt AGAIN. I got out of the store, THEN remembered, so I ran back in to get one NO MATTER what excuse they gave me. Well, after standing there for 5-10 minutes, I gave up and left cuz this time my required purchase was meat from the deli, so it also had a scannable sticker WITH the date, etc. (btw, the reason i ended up leaving was because between the cashier & Cust. Service girl they had a backed-up line of ppl and some other apparent chaos going on) Here I thought that I had a great bit of valuable info for this shop client - I seriously didn't expect to stumble across this level of error, you know? Well, needless to say, even with the verification of purchase from the meat sticker, and a detailed report of what had happened, my shop was declined. Seriously??

In all, my main question is:
Do you see any trends as far as declined shops and/or poor ratings with certain MSC's??


( LOL!! ..and, "NO" I don't use "cuz", "btw" or "ppl" in my reports.)

I never stick around to 'see a pattern' in declined shops. If I screwed up, I screwed up and that is my problem. If they decline because of no fault of mine, I will not be taking shops in the future.

Similarly there are companies that love my work, provide me with plenty every month and companies where I can routinely expect a 10/10. So why would I bother with a company that sends back a report because they can't read what is written and decides to award an 8/10 after several go rounds of baloney? Similarly, why would I bother with a company that changes my report and then sends it back to me because their changes no longer match my narrative? Huh???

The companies I have had issues with are ones that other shoppers love. Go figure.

I am not trying to be mean, but the MSC did exactly what they should have done when they declined your shops. You did not get the receipt for the purchase. Most grocery stores I have done are a combo of reimbursement and pay in order to make it valuable. By just providing one item they wouldn't know your total purchase. Also, even with an up close scan of the sticker, that doesn't mean you purchased the item. People get items from the deli all the time and change their mind or leave it somewhere in the store. I do get that is not what happened in this instance, but the receipt is what was required, so it is what you need to turn in.

Even if you had a few WIC items, you could have asked to have them rung up separately before you began the order. You should not be trying to use an purchase of a WIC item as a purchase that will be reimbursed as you are not paying for it.

Every business has some sort of expectations to follow. If you don't follow them you don't get paid.

No offense. but I would just stop shopping. It seems to be straining your life. That's not what it's about. Follow the instructions, if you like it, be happy! Never do stuff you hate, feel uncomfortable with, question your own feelings, or simple are not qualified to do. Be happy!

My experience is fine for the most part, however, I have a couple low grader's I have written about. I tried hard to get a 10 a couple days ago, report was sterling, I swear no errors. I had to add a problem I noticed after getting home and checking receipt. They charged me 1.50 for a diet root beer, when it said .99 on the shelves. My narrative said that at the end. I received a 9/10 due to this being in the "wrong" place, although there wasn't a specific place for it. I was told there was a spelling error, I used spellcheck, re-read it twice and couldn't see any. I work for them monthly and want a 10, but they are fussy beyond belief. I give up.....

Just.Laura, what is a WIC? Many of my MSC's require item to be paid for by cash or CC, where proper receipt is given and accepted.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/09/2011 05:42PM by Irene_L.A..

Laura - To answer your question about trending toward rejected shops and low scores, I haven't seen that with any of the companies I work with. I've done grocery stores for MSI Trendsource, Corporate Research, Sinclair, and ICCDS, and they've all been great to work with.

It is regular procedure for shops to be rejected if a receipt is required and you don't provide one. Your experience does not mean anything is wrong with the company. Every company will reject if you don't submit a required receipt.

I hope you'll consider these rejections part of the learning curve and you'll work to maintain a relationship with this company so you can continue to shop for them. You may not think the grocery stores are that great as far as money goes, but what makes them standout shops is that every cent of the reimbursement can be for something you need.

It's been a long time since you shopped and it's going to take a little while to get your game back. I shop continuously and still get a little edgy when I pick up a new MSC/new shop.

You feel distressed now, and that means you're a conscientious shopper and expect better from yourself. You'll get past this heartburn. We've all had less than sterling experiences to look back on, but that's part of learning. Hang on. It's going to get better and it's going to get easier.

WIC is the women, infants, and children program which is a government assistance to provide healthy foods for pregnant and breastfeeding women and children to age 5 healthy foods. They have specific items which are purchased are paid for with government dollars.

While it is a wonderful program, I would think that you should not be eligible to be reimbursed for the items because the user is not paying for the items.

Laura - I'm thinking you should be able to pay with WIC. Why would the client care? Ask the store to print you a duplicate receipt if they need the original.

To be sure, I'd check with the MSC about whether the client will reimburse for items bought with WIC. They are probably indifferent as to how the bill is paid. Of course, if you paid with WIC, then you would report the reimbursement as income. After you take all allowable deductions, I can't imagine it would make any difference.

Here's a big ATTAGIRL to you for doing what you can to support your family. Best wishes and let us know how this works out for you.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/09/2011 02:32AM by MDavisnowell.

Ok... my earlier comment was based on the fact that the reimbursements are to cover your out of pocket expenses. If the items were already paid for, they you did not have out of pocket expenses. That was my opinion.

HOWEVER, I just did some searching on the internet and found that getting any monetary benefit by selling items you get through WIC is fraud and a legally punishable offense in some states. I would think a financial reimbursement could be viewed in the same light. I would hate for you to get in the middle of a legal issue or no longer to be able to collect benefits from WIC because of a low paying shop.

I get doing everything you can to support your family, but know that the types of items you can get on WIC are very limited, so you will still need to make purchases at the grocery store. Having worked behind the cash register for a few years, I know it is not uncommon for someone to ask for parts of their order to be rung up separately. Given the experiences you had and the potential that it may be illegal I would definitely have them be two separate orders.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/09/2011 02:45PM by Shelly.

Let me start this by saying I am glad their are programs in place to help people. That said, if you are receiving government dollars for certain food purchases if it is not illegal it is certainly unethical to then try and receive reimbursement for those same items. If your reimbursement is $5 then buy something with your own money for $5.

Shelly Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HOWEVER, I just did some searching on the internet
> and found that getting any monetary benefit by
> selling items you get through WIC is fraud and a
> legally punishable offense in some states. I would
> think a financial reimbursement could be viewed in
> the same light. I would hate for you to get in the
> middle of a legal issue or no longer to be able to
> collect benefits from WIC because of a low paying
> shop.
>
> I get doing everything you can to support your
> family, but know that the types of items you can
> get on WIC are very limited, so you will still
> need to make purchases at the grocery store.
> Having worked behind the cash register for a few
> years, I know it is not uncommon for someone to
> ask for parts of their order to be rung up
> separately. Given the experiences you had and the
> potential that it may be illegal I would
> definitely have them be two separate orders.

Good job, Shelly. I was reading through the thread this morning and getting ready to respond when I got to your post, and you are on the money with what you found on the internet. I work for a state agency which deals in fraud in my state. The MSP itself (or the client, for that matter), would likely NOT care if WIC was paying for the items. But WIC certainly would. Purchasing any item with WIC and then selling that item or receiving reimbursement for the item from someone else is fraud. I know the OP did not think about this and realize it was wrong, but it is most definitely fraud.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/09/2011 04:28PM by AustinMom.

OK, Shelly and AustinMom. I stand corrected.

Ok, it seems that several of you missed the point... I did NOT intend for the required purchase to be used towards my WIC. I just happened to have two seperate orders, with two seperate instances. And, YES, I always keep the items seperate, heck I even usually place all the WIC items on the belt w/voucher myself to save on confusion. This particular store doesn't allow that due to the way the lines are set-up. In this case, I specifiacally told the girl the few items in the front of my cart were for the voucher, and the items in the rear were seperate.
Apparently, while I was focusing on the cashier (name, desciption, etc.) I happened to miss the one item get pulled in with WIC. I don't usually get my WIC formula during my shops, but just happened to need it at the time, no FRAUD was ever INTENDED - I sure as h*ll wouldn't have placed this info in my report if I had. I "thought" it would be useful to the client as this is a BIG no-no.

And, for the record, my local WIC office has been notified, BY ME!!
If you'd like their contact number, feel free to PM me.

Thank you to the few of you that actually offered valid, and helpful responses.

Richraynor... really?? What kind of response is that?? Definitely not helpful, nor supportive. Right now, this is how I'm staying afloat, just barely. I should throw in the towel because it's "straining my life"?? WTH? I happen to enjoy what I do, and joined this board to gain advice, NOT to be told not to even bother trying to learn the ropes. I asked a question because ONE particular MSC out of 13 seems to be more rigid, or difficult, or whatever, and this is what you suggest?? As for the apartment shops, I've done TWO to date, for the same company and enjoyed them. They are very lengthy repetative reports, and I'M NEW TO THIS, so I could understand that one.

Yep, I missed what was going on here totally. You obviously have a good grip on WIC requirements and I don't know squat about them. I was looking at this strictly from the viewpoint of the MSC reimbursing, and that wasn't the issue at all.

I still encourage you to continue shopping with this company as I think it will work out well for you over the long term. Not only would you be able to continue with the grocery shops, but they're bound to have other work of interest. Every company you work with is one more company you can list when you apply to new MSCs.

"The first decline I explained: I had used WIC to make purchase and heard the Customer Service girl tell the cashier to keep WIC receipts. (this is NOT usual - ALL other stores give WIC receipts) Anyway, my required purchase was a produce item that had a scannable sticker (no date/location) on it, which I did submit in my report. The next time I shopped that location, I used WIC again, BUT the required purchase wasn't a WIC item, so it should have been a completely different purchase, with a regular receipt."

I hope you understand that if some of us "missed the point" the reason was the way your post was worded. You made it clear that the second time you went the required purchase was not a WIC item, you did not intend to purchase it that way and the cashier was in the wrong. If you look at the information provided for your first visit it simply states you used WIC to make the purchase and tried to use the sticker from the required produce item. I don't claim to understand everything allowed with this program, but it was easy to think produce might be an allowable purchase.

I never thought you were trying to commit fraud, because if you were then why would you publicly say anything about it. I think you would be as quiet as possible if this were an intentional act on your part. Based on what was posted there was the possibility that you had not thought this through and it was an oversight on your part.

However, my intention was to make certain that you or any future reader of this realized there was an issue with it. How sad would it be to sit back and find out that someone was no longer eligible to receive WIC vouchers or other government assistance to help meet their families needs because I sat here quietly in order to avoid potentially hurting your feelings.

As you read the forums, you will find that many people -myself included - have had a shop rejected because of a failure to follow one of the requirements. Sometimes the requirements seem foolish, but in order to get paid you need to do what is asked. If you did not have a receipt, then you did not do what was asked.

One of the benefits of MSing is that we can complete some of errands for our home life while getting paid. What we need to keep in mind is that what we are there for is to get paid for a service. If having two separate orders is not allowed at this location, then I would do all the requirements for the shop, pay for my purchase, and after I finish go back and get the items I want for personal reasons. I know this takes a few minutes longer, but it makes thing cleaner.

In terms of shops getting rejected, it does seem like the extra information that isn't specifically asked for is what frequently leads to shops getting rejected or questioned. I agree, the company should know about but it didn't fit into the report. Sometimes I ignore those issues, but with a major violation of some sort you could always send an e-mail to either the scheduler or the corporate office for the company detailing what you saw.

The only company that I think I have never heard mentioned for rejecting reports was CORI. There was just a thread about this.

LisaSTL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "The first decline I explained: I had used WIC to
> make purchase and heard the Customer Service girl
> tell the cashier to keep WIC receipts. (this is
> NOT usual - ALL other stores give WIC receipts)
> Anyway, my required purchase was a produce item
> that had a scannable sticker (no date/location) on
> it, which I did submit in my report. The next time
> I shopped that location, I used WIC again, BUT the
> required purchase wasn't a WIC item, so it should
> have been a completely different purchase, with a
> regular receipt."
>
> I hope you understand that if some of us "missed
> the point" the reason was the way your post was
> worded. You made it clear that the second time you
> went the required purchase was not a WIC item, you
> did not intend to purchase it that way and the
> cashier was in the wrong. If you look at the
> information provided for your first visit it
> simply states you used WIC to make the purchase
> and tried to use the sticker from the required
> produce item. I don't claim to understand
> everything allowed with this program, but it was
> easy to think produce might be an allowable
> purchase.

I agree. Rather than missing the point, I think your post was worded in a way that did not accurately convey what transpired and several posters answered, me included, based on what your post said. I'm sorry you were offended that the word "fraud" was applied to the transaction that did not take place. My statement of fraud in the case of receiving payment or reimbursement from another party for any item purchased by WIC is factual. Even if the transaction had taken place as we initially believed, fraud would not have taken place because you were NOT reimbursed. Even if you had been reimbursed, I doubt anyone would attempt to track you down to prove fraud based on statements made on a forum.

In any case, to simplify the shops for yourself, if I were in your place, I would continue to do the shops but, to avoid even the impression of impropriety, I would not mix WIC purchases with my purchase for a MSP. I would perform my mystery shop, check out and receive a receipt. Then I would do my regular shopping. This separates the two transactions completely. This also removes unusual requests or requirements from your shop, making you an "average customer," which is usually the intent of the shop. When the cashier is required to do additional things or to perform an unusual transaction, I believe it skews the results of the shop and I would not want to do that. In addition, if I were performing a shop while also making WIC purchases, I would be concerned that the WIC purchases would make me stand out and be a more memorable shopper, making it easier to identify me as a mystery shopper.