WTF? It is a mess. They already postponed it once (so I had to make a special trip to complete it and try to pick up a few shops along the way because I did not want to cancel). Then they kept pushing back when the paperwork was ready to download. Half the needed to know directions were not available until after you signed up, such as the fact that you couldn't use a FedEx drop box and needed to go to a location with an office. It said just drop it off at your nearby FedEx. The closest FedEx with an office to where the lighters were is 45 miles. Um, nearby????

Then yesterday was the day for me to pick up the lighters, they had sent about 10 updates in the last few days with new instructions, get rid of the old instructions, etc. So I pick up the lighters, but can not take them to FedEx yet because of the distance, which is all good anyways because then I get an update that most FedExs won't even take them. So I marked my status on the site yesterday as please contact me, I need help with this assignment.

They did not contact me, but I noticed that the job was off my list, so when I check out my messages, there is a new one today. The just has been put on hold by the client. If you already picked up the lighters, just sit tight and hang on to them until furthur notice. So I'm now sitting here with a box of recalled lighters and no idea what I'm supposed to do with them.

Sorry about the long rant, just also saw today that another of my refrigerator POP placement job has been cancelled (that is now all three that I signed up for) so next to my lighters, I have a UPS overnight envelope filled with stick on refrigerator POP that I now do not need. Ugh.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/12/2010 07:20PM by lisams901.

Not the first time I have heard similar tales of Certified. And no, you cannot ship flammables by USPS, UPS or FedEx last I heard. If they want them shipped they may have to go to a 'common carrier'--i.e. trucking firm. Good luck with that one, but I suspect you may have just 'inherited' a whole bunch of lighters. Hopefully they won't require you to demolish them for the gas to escape so they can be mailed back.

I was scheduled to do that job too. I received a message stating the job had been cancelled by the client. So, I didn't go. Saved me a trip because it would have been a drive for me.

Flash Wrote:
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> Hopefully they won't require you to demolish them for the gas to escape
> so they can be mailed back.


Ha, I left that part out. Yeah, we have to remove the top and release the gas.

ashi5509 Wrote:
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> I was scheduled to do that job too. I received a
> message stating the job had been cancelled by the
> client. So, I didn't go. Saved me a trip because
> it would have been a drive for me.


Oh, it's back on now, as of about 15 seconds. I just got the message from Certified. It wasn't actually cancelled, just put on hold. Now the directions are just to go to the location, pick them, release the gas, and wait for further instructions. I'm still trying to release the gas, it's not fun.

Yes, releasing the gas is a time consuming process. I would probably take them outside, put them on a piece of wood and pop them with a hammer to crack the plastic case. The wood would help keep you from making sparks that might cause problems.

That sounds like one heck of a 10 ft pole job!

dee shops Wrote:
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> That sounds like one heck of a 10 ft pole job!

Haha yeah that is a good way to describe it. I blame myself for taking a job without fully knowing what all was involved, but the only information they gave you ahead of time was just pick up the lighters and ship them back to the company. It sounded simple enough.

Flash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes, releasing the gas is a time consuming
> process. I would probably take them outside, put
> them on a piece of wood and pop them with a hammer
> to crack the plastic case. The wood would help
> keep you from making sparks that might cause
> problems.


The thing with these is they aren't plastic, they are long metal Zippo things. The directions say to remove the metal piece from those snap clip type things, pop the cap off, then use the metal piece to depress this circle and the gas should come out.

Oh, those. Certainly gas them out in open air rather than in the house. I sure hope they are increasing the price for the work accordingly!

Flash Wrote:
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> Oh, those. Certainly gas them out in open air
> rather than in the house. I sure hope they are
> increasing the price for the work accordingly!


Heheh, I wish, but I don't think so.

This typical of Certified/Market Force. I don't do much business with them. They have strung me out on assignments one too many times.

Let's see after you let the gas out and smash it to shreds THEN you mail it back?
Sounds like a possibility!

I did not do the lighter recall,But I am very much feed up with these guys and their bull.....It is always something with them (Project,Payment,Paperwork) etc.

I did do the recall lighters. It is a long time process to release the gas. It took me almost 4 hours, which I did not get paid for, and still have the lights, it has been 3 months now.

Did they pay you for having picked them up amaliamf?

Flash Wrote:
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> Did they pay you for having picked them up
> amaliamf?

That's what I was wondering. I still have no idea what I'm going to be doing with these lighters, but I still expect to paid what I was told I would be paid since I held up my end of the deal.

I also find myself wondering about this "job" since evidently three months ago they knew the fuel needed to be let out of them prior to shipping and yet they did not mention that with the current shop? Sounds pretty fraudulent to me. You gals are making me truly glad I decided years ago not to work for/with these folks.

I was paid for picking them up, after 2 months of calls.

I just spoke to a scheduler from another company, that said I was just lucky that CFA just owed me $355.00. She has an other person that was deactived with the company owing her over $900.00 which she has not received, and it has been 6 months.

Hmmm. That is odd, since MFI pays like clockwork, and owns them.

I also work with MFI, which is only the parent company. CFI has a different payroll, web site and from I understand different polices. With MFI, I have never had a issue of payment. I have had small issues with shops, but it was taken care of quickly.

Yes, I am aware they are the parent company. I know that Certified has not consolidated with MFI the way others, such as SG, have. I just find it quite odd that MFI, being the parent, is not taking stronger action on this, since if Certified fails to pays it's debts to shoppers, then MFI, as the parent, also fails. I would go up the chain to the parent company (not that they are "personable" since they are so automated, but you should be able to get a name of an executive there.

I did 3 pick-ups. The first one I sent back, Fedx ground. The other two, my sheet said, pick-up empty, and dispose on your own. Iemptyed them with a metal shis-ka-bob skewer and put them in the trash can at home.

deejee7 Wrote:
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> I did 3 pick-ups. The first one I sent back, Fedx
> ground. The other two, my sheet said, pick-up
> empty, and dispose on your own. Iemptyed them with
> a metal shis-ka-bob skewer and put them in the
> trash can at home.


Were those from this project of pick-ups or the earlier project? With this project we are still on hold with no idea of what to do with them.

This is really getting to be too much. I received an email from them the other day saying the report needed to be filled out by midnight that night. I was under the idea we were still waiting for further instructions from them, but okay, I filled it out the best I could.

Now today I sign in and I see I have one more current assignment than I had before. They have added that assignment back to my list, but still with no more instructions as to what we are doing with the lighters??

crud... just grabbed a shop like that... something tells me im going to keep the lighters as they are rather than do anything to them... he he... might sell them on ebay if any of the crap happens to me that happens to you 901... lol

If the lighter's are being recalled, then would it not be a safety issue to sell them to an unsuspecting person?

yeah i thought of that too... scratch that then... will probably blow them up on a friends firing range... could be fun...

I'm still hanging on to the ones I picked up. Supposedly we are still waiting for them to find a shipping company that will deal with the lighters.