I have been mystery shopping since 1991, and Shoppers Inc probably since 1993. Well, no more.

Most of the shops I have been doing are for a convenience store, between 5 and 11 a month. I just got an email that these shops will require shoppers to use GeoVerify. That requires a GPS-enabled smart phone.

Shoppers Inc told me to get the GeoVerify app from JobSlinger. I went there to find out about GeoVerify, and it sure sounds like Big Brother. However, the FAQ page said GeoVerify is not required for Sassie shops, and you won't get a ding for not using it.

So, I called Shoppers Inc. Eventually I talked with the president. She said despite what the JobSlinger FAQ says, we have to use GeoVerify for this company's shops. So, anyone who wants to shop these has to get an expensive smart phone - and be willing for their location to be tracked. She said there have been cases where the shopper went to the wrong location. I asked why the 99% of the shoppers are being dinged for the mistakes of a few, and she said this is what the company wants. I told her this was not acceptable and asked to be removed as a shopper.

It's not worth losing my privacy so I can do these shops. There are so many other companies out there. I see some questionnaires asking if I do GeoVerify, but it's OK to leave the spot blank. If another MSC changes its mind and starts to require tracking my location, I'll leave them, too.

There's enough Big Brother stuff going on out there. I'm not going to voluntarily join up with GeoVerify to give Big Brother more info.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/19/2013 07:46PM by niteowl.

good for you. All these MScs must think they can do anything and the shoppers are so hungry that they will do anything. Some want to track your presence, some want to open a special bank account to get paid, some want you to install special browser.

And the funny thing is most of these MSCs are no larger than a mom&pop shops. Owner, a secretary and a domain name.

Ironically, I'm out on a dinner shop now an for a Sassie-platformed company. I try to use geoverify when I can and remember. It's not working! Some error message...it's worked here before but this isn't the first time it hasn't worked. One time, it was significantly off from where I was located- something like 1/4 mile and didn't want to register me at first.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/10/2011 04:55AM by dkk5685.

I do not see how using Geo-verify is going to change a shopper going to the wrong location. There are multiple ways to verify where you were and some companies require so many now it has become ridiculous. Where once it was just a business card now it has to be that plus a receipt plus a photo of the location. It really is out of hand and this "technology" just may be the straw that breaks the camel's back. I have a smart phone for my own benefit not theirs and if they want me to use an app to verify my location then the fees better start going up to help cover my data package. My guess is the companies which will jump on this the fastest are those that pay the least.

I have always believed that fees will not increase because there are too many shoppers who don't know better and will find it acceptable to perform a $3 shop because it is on their way home and they find value in that $1 worth of gas and free soda. With the proliferation of smart phones my guess is those same shoppers will not have a problem with using this. The end result will be mystery shopping reports which have about as much validity and usefulness as the customer surveys on the back of receipts.

I have yet to moved up to the world of smart phones. I am quite confident that the quality of my reports is as good as if not significantly better than many of the shoppers have gone to the wrong location or submitted reports that are suspect.

I think that they can already figure out based on receipts and other information that the shopper is in the wrong location. If they want more reports from people who can't handle the basics, so be it.

I totally recognize that any one of us can on rare occasion have difficulty finding a shop, but this seems to be target those consistent offenders. If you can't routinely show up at the right place, it might be a sign that MSing is right for you.

And just what many of us need, another piece of technology that can fail and prevent us from getting paid for our shops. After dealing with road construction, traffic, websites that are not functioning, receipts that are printing out the wrong day or time when they come out, and GPS units sending on goose chases, we really need to add another reason to the list of things that can get a shop rejected??????

I consider myself "tech-friendly".
I own a smartphone and use it constantly.

I refuse to use GeoVerify. Why? Easy, it amounts to tracking my movements during a shop. You want to do that? Fine, pay me as if it were a video shop, not at the $7 that it was before GeoVerify came out.

I actually looked at this. Only 12 people have gotten the GeoVerify.

CANADAMOMMY Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I actually looked at this. Only 12 people have
> gotten the GeoVerify.

How did you figure this out?

I have a smartphone but no way am I going to waste my precious data on it or risk the MSC rejecting my report because even technology isn't perfect.

niteowl-go to try to download it on your phone-I did not download it but when I checked it last week it was 12 previous users. Probably more now but then was 12.

I just have one question. Are they so overstaffed that they can afford to do all of this monitoring? I personally like this company, but I will not participate either. I think there is a line that exists and when the MSC crosses it, that is enough. We probably all give them a great shop for a modest amount of pay. That should be enough.

intelli shop had it as an option that replaced the required buisness card on a shop that didnt require purchasing...

its nice to have that option but as to forcing people to use it? no way...

its extremely unreliable... cloud cover/weather patterns, solar flairs (which happen every day), low data connection... if you really think it can be used to track your location reliably it cant...

option good...

forcing to use it, BAD... evidentially they no longer can afford the time it takes to look at a receipt and check the date... (which takes me less than a minute)

Your very first paragraph confirmed why this is a goofy idea. It's to verify a job, but they will accept that and not require the business card. How hard would it be to go inside long enough to check out a name tag and proceed to spend the rest of the "shop" sitting in your car? You know what's going to happen. Use geo-verify and there's no need for the business card. Three days after the shop, the site was down or some other type of glitch and now we need a business card or with no way to verify your shop you won't be paid.

cooldude581 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> intelli shop had it as an option that replaced the
> required buisness card on a shop that didnt
> require purchasing...
>
> its nice to have that option but as to forcing
> people to use it? no way...
>
> its extremely unreliable... cloud cover/weather
> patterns, solar flairs (which happen every day),
> low data connection... if you really think it can
> be used to track your location reliably it cant...
>
>
> option good...
>
> forcing to use it, BAD... evidentially they no
> longer can afford the time it takes to look at a
> receipt and check the date... (which takes me less
> than a minute)