Does anyone know anything about Pacific Research Group. Have you done any shops for them?
Thanks in advance

I had someone call me from PRG asking me to do an assignment at a saladworks, the pay was decent but they ask for about 15 pictures which I think is extreme for the pay and I don't see a way to actually do this well enough unless I invest in a spy-cam. lol Maybe some day...

Are they nationwide? I'm registered with them, but haven't any work, and I'm not "pacific" (play on words).

They don't have many shops in my area but what is available sounds the same as dars3001 mentioned. They are looking for a minimum of 15-18 digital photos, however you are NOT to identify yourself as a mystery shopper and you are not to ask for a receipt when making a purchase.
Can someone explain to me how you can take quality photos while being under cover?? And is it worth it for $10??

I do not think it is worth it myself. I have basically quite doing any shops that call for photos. I don't mind the reveal shops so much where there are photos but gettting them ready to send with the reports is a pain. I learned the hard way. I did a lot of photo shops when I first started doing MSing but only because I did not know better. I learned real quick they were not for me.

The photos are possible--if you run away afterwards. Ha.

My husband, the computer professional, insists upon uploading the photos. It seems a very inefficient process to me. I asked him if there isn't any cutting edge technology to make it better, and he said no, but he'll get me some more equipment. He doesn't teach it to me because it is so "complicated" and also it is something he can know that I don't, but he doesn't know that I understand that. I don't do nearly as many photo shops as I might because I have to contend with his schedule, too.

What I wish companies would do is let us fax or mail receipts to them instead of uploading them. Several companies give us the choice. Some of them let us put in the report, then upload later (when my husband gets home). So I can go to bed at a reasonable hour! But other companies, probably because they've had too many pending reports that never get completed, require uploading before the report. Sometimes if I'm not going to be at the house, I leave my notes for my poor tired, overworked husband to enter as well as upload the receipt. That isn't an optimum solution. He wasn't there at the shop. I often make additions to my reports after I get home because I've had a few minutes to think about the significance of everything that went on at the store.

Sandra

I have done this company a few times but find it very uncomfortable. I stopped doing it cause

1. The pay is not worth making me feel that way

2. The time is consuming getting the pictures, driving and spending getting the pictures

Anyhoo..I stopped doing them. Was a newbie when I started but since I have become MSPA Gold Certified I have learned to do much better.

I am a newbie myself, and looking for suggestions from anyone. I have only done jobs that pay $5-$8 and with the cost of gas, it is hardly worth it.
Do you have to take the low pay jobs to work up? or are there some decent paying companies, that I haven't discovered yet?
Thanks for any suggestions in advance!!
Linda in Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Has anyone shopped for Pacific Research? I DO NOT RECOMMEND SHOPPING FOR THEM!

One of their clients is *** Doughnuts. I had signed up to be a shopper and when I saw the jobs was for ***, I never accepted any assignment. They called me and talked me into it and even offered me a bonus for the driving distance. The report is 114 questions long and requires detail comments for any no answer, plus 21-30 photographs. So the job went from $15 with an added bonus of $15 to $30 plus cost of required purchase.

This is one of them jobs they expect you to do each month between the 1st-10th. When they called me at home I still was unsure about shopping for them, but did agree to do it ONE month. I did the assignment and when the next month came around, it was automatically assigned to me again, and their attitude is, you will do it each month. I emailed them and said I really wasn't happy with how much is involved and they asked me to do it again, because it probably wouldn't be as bad, so like a sucker, I agreed.

The first assignment I did took me around 2 hours to complete on site with another hour at least submitting the report online and photographs. My pay was to be $30 plus $10.71 for the required purchase. My total invoice $40.71. It takes 6-8 weeks to be paid. I checked the online status of my invoice and they have deducted points for the report and have reduced my pay to a total of $23.71.
I shopped for them again in July but that report is still in editing so no telling what they will do to it.

I submitted photographs required plus every NO response photograph and then one month later they deduct from what they owe me.

I would NOT recommend anyone shop for Pacific Research.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2007 03:35PM by JacobJ.

things have not changed except they dictate the exact donut to purchase now and oh you have to cut them in half for photo ....
not quite as bad as the cut up pizza shops but close and definitely pay far worse

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/30/2008 08:53PM by CANADAMOMMY.

Well, I continued shopping for Pacific Research, the payment is slow; it takes close to 2½ months to be paid/reimbursed. I have shopped for them since June 2007. It became easier after the first month, it averages one hour. Your first part of the shop is mystery, then revealed.

My situation now is they owe me for August that was to be mailed out Nov. 15th, September to be mailed Dec. 15th and October to be mailed Jan. 15th. I have not received August payment, they will not answer my emails, and I am totally being ignored.

I am out money. Each money cost me $10.82 plus my gas and time. Is anyone else having a problem with PRG?

Redrabbit

They have definetely changed. Used to be posted by the first of the month. Paid more often. They are by far not a great paying shop for the work involved. Uploading that quantity is a time money loss for all of us. Time is money.
TO expect what they do is only worth it if you are close anyway.
And this month is rotten. here it is the end of the first week and they are not even posted yet.

We are all behind on money.

They are NOT the first company to handle the donuts and it sure looks like they may not be the last.

FYI...Did anybody else get this email? (originally posted on another forum.)


Pacific Research Group is PLEASED to announce that as of January 8th:

1) We are the FIRST mystery shopping company to INCREASE shopper assignment fees on every account, beginning with the January 2008 assignments that will be posting this week! We can't do this without you, our digital mystery shoppers.

2) We are now verified to offer PayPal as an additional payment option. All current shoppers will need to update your My Profile page if you wish to have PayPal as your form of payment. New shoppers will be asked to choose the payment form when completing a Mystery Shopper application. ( [65.119.21.227] )

3) Direct bank deposits will soon be added as a 3rd payment option.


If any current or past PRG shopper has a valid, outstanding payment issue, please email payments@pacificresearchgroup.com and we will research and resolve your payment issue. Please send any documentation in the email that will substantiate your claim. Please allow 3-5 days for research before you receive an email response.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vicky Whiteid, Accounts & Scheduling Coordinator
PRGVicky@netcommander.com


Pay via either PayPal or DD? INCREASED fees? Outstanding payment resolution? OMG! Sounds like they're finally entering the 21st century!!

They increased a few shops by $1 a shop, which still makes the pay very very low for the number of required pictures. How on earth can you get a picture of a cashier through a kiosk glass after dark, while still remaining anonymous?


I had a bad experience with Pacific Research Group. I got called to do two shops that were well out of my usual area, but the scheduler promised a very large bonus on each shop. I went and did the shops, got 10s on both shops, then waited 2 and a half months for pay. Can you guess where this is going? Yep, NO BONUS. I contacted the scheduler and she said she didn't remember the conversation. I had a follow-up email which I forwarded to her. She said she'd look into getting the bonus to me. That's the last I've heard from her. No more replies to emails and NO MONEY. From what I've read on other boards, this is typical for them. They have a D rating with the Better Business Bureau. BEWARE

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/2008 05:57PM by Gloria.

edit

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/16/2008 03:27PM by Gloria.

They used to be a good company but they seem to be in decline. They used to have good schedulers and a fine office staff but now there is just one scheduler and maybe no one in the office. I have never gotten a person on their 800 number or even the courtesy of a return call. The scheduler is on some kind of power trip. She got very hostile with me because I would not go out on a last minute assignment in the snow. I am still waiting on my final check and can't even get a reply to email or IM about why it is over a month late.

Same Boat! No response from scheduler or owner not sure what Vicky is or was?

Vicky is the scheduler that I worked with until I quit over this ongoing problem with getting paid. When she was still responding to my requests for payment she told me that she couldn't cut me a check because she was just the scheduler and the owner was the only one who could cut checks. Something is very fishy with a company who doesn't even have a bookkeeper.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/2008 04:25AM by fed.up.w.prg.

Has anyone gotten their I9 yet from PRG? I know I don't need it to file my taxes but I'm concerned that their records won't match mine. I don't know how they determine how much I made, by the checks they cut for me, or by the $$ value of the completed shops. Since they owe me over $200 now, it's a big difference.

I really don't worry if the 1099s match because they won't whether you are a cash accounting or an accrual accounting filer. If you are cash accounting you will claim all $ received in the calendar year and deduct the expenses you had in the calendar year from that. If the MSP sent you a check dated 12/31 you won't have received it and counted it as a cash accounting person but they will include it on your 1099. If you are an accrual accounting you will claim all you earned in the calendar year and all expenses in the calendar year irrespective of when you actually see payment. Again, there is no way you will match an MSP 1099 if there were jobs or payments close to year end.

I don't get many 1099s but what I usually do is enter those that I have received if they conceivably match my records and then subtract them from my total earnings for the year to figure out what was "not 1099ed". In other words my gross income from my records will end up equal to the sum of all 1099s plus money claimed as not being on a 1099.

Been there, done those, won't do anymore.