Recently I received in the mail two checks from TNS in separate envelopes. I didn't think anything about it but realized, when I was marking payments received on my shop sheet, that they had issued two identical checks duplicating payment for work performed. The checks were identical down to the check number and were an obvious error.
I contacted them and they were promptly responsive. They investigated it and evidently there was a series of checks that were duplicated. They asked that I cash one and destroy or return to them the duplicate. That was fine and posed no problem for me, I simply shredded the second check.
Last evening I noted on their website that some shoppers evidently deposited both checks and banks returned one, deducting the duplicate deposit and evidently in some cases charging returned check fees. While the basic error was a TNS one, most MSPs have taken the stance in the past that problems with checks that caused bank fees were the shopper's problem. TNS, on the other hand has indicated that if shoppers deposited both and have incurred bank fees, document them and send them along to TNS for reimbursement.
THANK YOU TNS FOR BEING AN ETHICAL AND RESPONSIBLE PARTNER IN MYSTERY SHOPPING!! I had no charges because you helped me straighten out my confusion promptly and without a huge hassle on my part. But I can tell you that your offer to make shoppers whole due to a TNS error warms my heart and renews my faith that some companies out there still indeed "Do the Right Thing."