Market Force Question

July 07, 2010 04:15AM

I don't know if I am in the right forum and please forgive me if I'm not but I think that someone how my Select shops in Market Force is not working properly. Yesterday morning I had over 100 shops to choose from (I'm in CT and they go as far as NJ due to the mileage) and then it went down to 6 petroleum shops. Later when I filed a report I hit select shops again and they were all (100+) there and I chose another shop to do. When I went back to schedule more, only the 6 stores were there again; no fast food, no grocery, nothing. I emailed the help desk and they said that everything is fine on their end but I find it kind of weird that they all disappeared and then reappeared only to disappear again (they aren't back as of tonight either). Does anyone have any advice? I asked a friend who also shops them to log in and look and see what she comes up with using my parameter from my zip code. I would like to schedule some more shops for next week as I am going away the last week of the month and of course want to make sure my stuff is done before I go (I refuse to bring a laptop to Disneyworld!). Any help would be most appreciated and thanks in advance!

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July 07, 2010 05:38AM

I don't really have any suggestions, but I've had that happen with the fast foods on MF this week. I could see them the other day, but not for the past two days. Search with MF is always so funky that I really didn't pay much attention.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/2010 03:03PM by lisams901.

July 07, 2010 05:53AM

There are very odd things that happen with their job board. Idiocy such as a shop 4 miles from my home only showing up on an extended search to 160 miles. I was chatting with a shopper friend the other day and mentioned my jealousy of 20 shops close to their zip code. They could not see ANY of them. At the same time they could see 4 shops around my zip code that I did not get to see until several days later. "Funky" is an understatement for their job board. I do understand that with certain shops they limit you to X and once you have taken that many you will see no more of them. There are also shops that theoretically have no rotation requirement, but you take one and the rest disappear for that location even later in the month or in the following month. Yet those shops may magically reappear a week later even if you still have one on your 'to do' list.

July 07, 2010 06:01AM

That happens tons with their banks. There will be 30, and you take one type, and then there are 15, you take one of another type, and then there are 5. You take one of that type, "and then there are none."

Then, their system is totally flawed as to spitting out daily shop emails and figuring distance. But of course, they do nothing wrong. It's not them, it's us, *but of course.*

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“Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a colored pencil long enough to draw on the ceiling."
~Gilbert K. Chesterton

July 07, 2010 06:13AM

What I find even more bizarre with them is this: one day you will see a notice of a raised fee. Then, two days later, for the same shop, it is GONE! Then, they will again raise the fee, but lower than the first time. Then the next day it shows up on the front page as bonused and that you should "email the help desk with an offer."

July 07, 2010 02:04PM

suzieboz, it's a common occurrence for shops to appear, disappear and reappear. Sometimes, I'll play with the number of miles when searching. Try changing the radius from 20, 50, 140 or 200, and you may see shops that disappeared.

July 07, 2010 11:11PM

I wonder if its because I have lined up a lot of stuff with them for the next few weeks (then nothing for a week) and then for the first week in August. I did have a few openings still that I could fill with their jobs and wanted to add them in. I tried the 200 mile radius from a different zip code and only had a few grocery stores show up. I did have my friend who also shops for them put in my zip code and she got tons in my area. Do you think its worth it to call them and ask about it? Also, my DD isn't set up yet for this month (just changed banks and didn't have the info to put in for this pay period); does anyone know when they cut live checks and are mailed.

Thanks a lot, you guys are terrific! :-)

July 08, 2010 12:49AM

They have a four a day limit. Other than that, their rotations are not specific, but shoppers have discussed not being able to assign their favorite shop for a month or so. You may find it helpful to review their FAQ section before calling them regarding potential shops. Checks are mailed by the 20th of the month following the shop.

July 08, 2010 12:57AM

Thank you Mert, I appreciate it. I'm new at this and appreciate all your help. If they aren't still showing up in a few days (I actually just tried my MIL's zip code in California - I'm in CT - and still only got petroleum shops, I will call, but wont bother them in the meantime, I have enough to do right now but like to plan ahead.

July 10, 2010 04:03PM

I simply cannot reach the website for Marketforce. I key in [marketforce.com] and get a blank screen. Could it be blocked in someway? I've been trying to get to the website for over 2 months and it just will not load. Anyone else have this issue?

July 10, 2010 04:28PM

[www.marketforceshopper.com]

July 10, 2010 04:30PM

It worked easily for me from the link you presented. I assume you are signed up with them already, so try [www.marketforceshopper.com] to get to the login page.

My best guess is that you need to clear your cache. Another thought, when you can't reach a site with one browser, try another one.

July 11, 2010 02:34AM

Odd, last week basically the only thing that would shop up for me were the gas audits. Now this week the audits are gone and the FFs are back.

July 11, 2010 02:55AM

I got the below e-mail from MF:

"We've just found out that due to a temporary problem on the Shopper Website, you may not have been able to see July McDonald's shops. This problem has been identified and resolved and you should now be able to see these shops on your WebFC.

We apologize for the delay in availability and hope that you will take this opportunity to visit the Shopper Website to see which of these McDonald’s shops may be available in your area.

Thank you,

Market Force Help Desk
helpdesk@marketforce.com"

July 11, 2010 04:06PM

I have a problem with Marketforce. For the past three months, I have not been offered any banks shops, which I have been doing regularly for the past year. I emailed them. I was told that they will not be offered to me for now. They cannot explain why as it is confidential. They were offering me bonuses and even calling me to do these shops.

July 11, 2010 07:36PM

It is truly frustrating when they won't discuss why. My guess is that you probably filled a quota on them, but who knows? For close to a month I saw none of the shops I most frequently do for them even out of area, yet I know they were there. Then they started reappearing and the ones in my area had unusually short due dates. This was not their recent ff folly.

July 11, 2010 08:35PM

I think I filled a shopper quota for them, as well. They even state on their terms and conditions that they limit assignments by week, month, and year. First, the FF shops disappeared, and then soon after, all the other shops started disappearing as well, as I was doing MS'ing Full Time at one point and worked a very aggressive schedule.

However, eventually, they barred me from all shops and I am still barred from this day. As usual, they will not disclose why as they say it is confidential and that I know "some of the most confidential information within their business" .... the usual stuff they tell people. They thanked me for all of my hard work, but told me they will be unable to offer assignments to me in the future.

That was several years ago, back around 2006. I tried re-applying, and of course they told me the same thing and even years later, I can not shop for them.

They were my favorite company to work for when I was doing so and I did an enormous amount of shops for them. However, when all that started going down, I was just dumbfounded as I couldn't believe they wouldn't tell me if there was an issue so I could correct it.

However, it may very well just be quota related.

July 11, 2010 09:45PM

Accepting shops in moderation appears to be the message. It's just so dang easy to assign what you want, when you want. "They thanked me for all of my hard work, but told me they will be unable to offer assignments to me in the future." Now that's extreme.

July 11, 2010 10:25PM

Yes, if there have been no issues with shops it does seem extreme. I would suspect that they want/need to limit the # of shops or total $ value over time to keep IRS from questioning the 'independence' of the 'independent contractor'. I suspect a whole lot of companies get a bit nervous as you approach the 1099 level with them for the year.

July 12, 2010 09:10PM

Ugh, just another bunch of reasons why MF is not the best company out there to shop for. I also can't do any shops for them. Unfortunately we are treated as a number by them rather than a human being performing their shops.

I bet Flash is right though.

July 12, 2010 10:25PM

I have loads of stuff available again but to tell you the truth its nothing that I want to do right now; I've signed up with other companies, (MF was the first) so I'm not going to sweat it. I am expecting a big check from them with the reimbursements from last month and didn't get my DD in on time so have to wait for a live check. I really hope it gets here this week sometime!

July 17, 2010 01:41PM

Just accepted my first shop for them, as it happens to conveniently be located at the same address another shop I'm doing on the same day. I know reviews on the company are mixed, but because of that, and no purchase, it doesn't seem particularly risky.

So my question is, there's a page that appears before you print the instructions. It's labeled invoice, and it asks you to acknowledge acceptance of the assignment by signing. It can't be signed returned electronically, and I'm not sure if this really needs to be done. What, if anything, do I do with it? (I've already received confirmation notice of the shop via email.)

Thanks in advance for any help.

July 17, 2010 01:45PM

If it is the CPI it has to be done and either scanned back as an attachment or faxed back to them after you have completed the shop. As a rule I put the confirmation code after inputting my report right on it when I fax it to them. Never had a problem.

July 17, 2010 02:02PM

Oh, that's a bit of a pain. Wait -- do the reports have to be faxed/scanned as well, or are they inputted online?

Looks like I better revisit MFI 101. I've been registered for such a long time, but rarely even went to their boards.

July 17, 2010 02:07PM

Not the report, just the CPI where you sign it. Just the one page.

July 17, 2010 02:07PM

You can input the results online. You also scan and upload the cpi online.

July 17, 2010 02:10PM

Thanks, suzieboz and lisams901!

July 17, 2010 02:12PM

Nicely, I used to print and sign the CPI before scanning and attaching it to the report. I have my scanned signature on my desktop. I just copy the CPI (it is Word) and I copy and paste my scanned signature onto the signature line, then I make it a jpg and save. I attach that jpg as the CPI and have had no problems. It is a pain but would be a bigger pain to print, sign, scan.

July 17, 2010 02:14PM

Austinmom that is a great idea. How do you save it as a small enough JPEG though to go through, thats why I'm faxing, I can't figure it out.

July 17, 2010 02:15PM

Thanks, AM. My preferred mode is fax, but that's an excellent suggestion.

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