I hadn't done anything with them for a few years up until this past Thursday. I did a sporting goods store that paid $20 and a $5 bonus. Took 25 minutes in the store and 15 for report input. Easy peasy. Doing another one Monday.

Edited because I haven't had enough coffee and I wrote "unput" instead of "input", LOL.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/05/2016 02:35PM by JASFLALMT.

@chrisdd wrote:

I had problems with this same shop. They asked about 2 items that were already in my report, plus they asked for something that was NOT included in the instructions or on the report. Then they came back a second time and asked for a receipt, which was sent with the original report. I was not happy, especially since it was the first shop I'd ever done for them.

STN has a tricky photo upload interface. Even though the shopper sees the image in the window post-upload, how you close that window makes a difference. If you click the "Close" button or the "X" the image is lost! You have to look at the top of the image and there is a gray band above the image with a small "Save" button. Just last night it took me 4 attempts before I noticed the "Save" button.

STN is a great company. They are one of my favorites because they pay promptly and correctly. Their schedulers are easy to reach and provide clear direction. One of my friends likes to say, "Reading is fundamental." I take a copy of the instructions detailing the correct order with me so that I order the correct donuts. It is not unusual to have a list indicating which donuts a customer wants. The instructions clearly require getting a receipt even if you have to ask for it. There is a picture of the receipt showing what information is required to document. Also one of the instructions is to keep all supporting proof for six months. So following the instructions, you would have had a receipt (which you did), and at the end of the online survey, there are questions which involve uploading the receipt and a simple upload process. It is impossible to submit the report without answering the questions. If you are not uploading the receipt, you must explain why. The editors give clear instructions regarding what missing information is necessary. They have always been fair and forgiving with me but I have built a valued relationship with them over the years by owning my mistakes and providing prompt, detailed reports. The biggest complaint my scheduler notes in her email blasts is that not enough commentary is provided. So if you already did not buy the correct items, submit your receipt, and add substantial commentary, the editor's supervisor may have decided the report wasn't worth their putting their neck on the line with the client for you.

I like STN, but they have a paucity of shops in my area, and the ones they have don't pay very well. No doughnut shops, no sporting goods stores.... I'd love to do more with them, though, because the schedulers are very responsive, and they grade fairly.

The sporting goods store is a well-known national chain, perhaps they all got taken or do you look at their job board regularly?

@BirdyC wrote:

I like STN, but they have a paucity of shops in my area, and the ones they have don't pay very well. No doughnut shops, no sporting goods stores.... I'd love to do more with them, though, because the schedulers are very responsive, and they grade fairly.

excellent word = paucity. there can be no doubt that you are a superior writer of reports.

LOL, Brian!

@JASFLALMT wrote:

The sporting goods store is a well-known national chain, perhaps they all got taken or do you look at their job board regularly?

I check the job board every time I get an e-mail from them, which is nearly every day. Maybe they get posted and taken right away, but I don't recall ever seeing one. I have seen a sporting-goods store shop in my area once, but I think it was through another company.

I do believe a different MSC had the client up until about a month or two ago.

I've had limited interaction with STN because there's not many shops where I live but I've always had excellent interactions with them. They pay well, they bonus, and they have excellent customer service.

I like STN and have never had any problems with them. Mostly I do assignments for them at this time of year because they have a lot of medicare shops that are easy and pay well. When medicare season is over I do fewer assignments for them, mainly because they don't fit in with my routes or are on dates I can't do MS. Have always been paid correctly and on time and have had good communications with them.

I did a lot of shops for them and I never had any problems

@SunnyDays2 wrote:

@JASFLALMT wrote:

I got the humor. I added on my own. I'm lighter than a cupcake but not lighter than a snowflake, LOL.

I love cupcakes.

I could go for a doughnut.

I have never had a problem with them they have it the way they want it if we don't do it right we don't get paid.

The first mistake I see you made is paying tolls and driving 28 miles to complete a shop. I never agree to do a shop unless it is either on my route or it is something I planned on buying anyway. In the 20 years I have been mystery shopping I have never had a rejected shop, but if it does happen to me, I know that it was either, not out of my way or I was going to buy the item anyway.
I haven't done a shop for second to none in a while because they have not been worth my time, but had never had issue with them before.

@JASFLALMT wrote:

I do believe a different MSC had the client up until about a month or two ago.

If it is the sporting goods store no it has been over a year ago that I had done my first one with 2TN, then I had done a series of Tex-Mex shops then nothing till the sporting goods shop at half of the stores in town. The donut shop I will never do for less than $40.00