I need help in solving a issue with Freeman my wife perform several shops for this company and use her own money to pay for hotel rooms and they will not respond and they could at least give her money back, We were thinking about a class action suit because they are still asking for mystery shoppers.

It's a shame you had not read about them before your wife took the shop for them and laid out significant money of her own. This is not unusual behavior for Freeman. They seem to pay but payment is very late. Do a search for "all dates" for Freeman and you will find plenty of information. Small claims court might be an option for you....or the threat of small claims court.

Yes, not too long ago they got a new President of the company who indicated that they were finally going to get all their shop payments caught up to date over the next month or so. They anticipate an 8-10 week pay cycle going forward. If your wife's shops were accepted and were done prior to mid-August I would suggest she contact the guy at President@freemangroup.org

Thank you everyone for your help

I emailed the President about two payments.

1) No response from him. No movement from the company on that payment. The company used the excuse that the scheduler left the company and no one checked her email for a long time. But that they would take care of it. STILL no word.

2) Amazing the scheduler emailed me and asked for the invoice (again!). Completed that shop beginning of October 2010. I sent the invoice. It's been so silent on their end.

Anyone having any luck with them?? Does someone have a phone number that I can call or a contact person?

Thanks!

I did 5 shops for them in May and was paid for them 10/25/10 with $5.00 extra for each shop. It takes them awhile to pay, but they do eventually pay.

Having finished shop Oct., I would guess you won't get paid for at least another two months...it hasn't been 2 months yet.

How extensive are the reports for the hotel shops you do for Freeman/

yossi,
Mostly multiple choice with a very few short narrative remarks. Piece of cake as far as I am concerned for a clean place to sleep while doing a multi-day route shop of well paid videos.

ijdk Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I emailed the President about two payments.
>
> 1) No response from him. No movement from the
> company on that payment. The company used the
> excuse that the scheduler left the company and no
> one checked her email for a long time. But that
> they would take care of it. STILL no word.
>
> 2) Amazing the scheduler emailed me and asked for
> the invoice (again!). Completed that shop
> beginning of October 2010. I sent the invoice.
> It's been so silent on their end.
>
> Anyone having any luck with them?? Does someone
> have a phone number that I can call or a contact
> person?
>
> Thanks!




Did yu ever hear from him?

I had completed 2 hotel shops for Freeman earlier this year and was also told payment would be 8-10 weeks. At 9 weeks, I started calling. I did receive both payments 12 WEEKS after completing the shops. They did add a measly $5 "bonus" onto the payments, but I ended up paying more than that on interest charges on my credit card, since it was several hundred dollars I paid to complete hotel shops. SO I ended up losing money by doing the shops. I will not do business with Freeman again. It was not worth the hassle!!!

Daisy123 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I had completed 2 hotel shops for Freeman earlier
> this year and was also told payment would be 8-10
> weeks. At 9 weeks, I started calling. I did
> receive both payments 12 WEEKS after completing
> the shops. They did add a measly $5 "bonus" onto
> the payments, but I ended up paying more than that
> on interest charges on my credit card, since it
> was several hundred dollars I paid to complete
> hotel shops. SO I ended up losing money by doing
> the shops. I will not do business with Freeman
> again. It was not worth the hassle!!!


Yup.

They caught up with their payments to me a month or two ago, so I pressed my luck with two shops coming and going to the relatives for Thanksgiving. Would have needed to stay somewhere anyway, but it would be nice to get them for free plus forty bucks. We will see. As for the one with October shops, you might not yet be outside their 8 week payment schedule...let us know if and when you get paid!

I'm really interested in getting into the hotel shop segment. Can anyone recommend which companies are good to shop for and pay on time in this segment? Thanks!

The scheduler stated that payment would be made via paypal on the 25th day of the following month (of the shop being submitted).

STILL waiting for Sept payment!!

Just received Oct payment. I was given a $5 over payment --- BUT the terms of payment said there was a $5 bonus if report was turned in quickly. So really, no bonus. Just a late payment. And a "lost" payment.

Still hoping for that reimbursement.

But for me - no more shops for this company.

If anyone has a phone number to reach a real person with the company, please email it to me.

Thanks!

I just got paid for two late October hotel shops. The third was not input until early November, so I hope to see that soon. These were my first shops for Freeman and I am relieved to have the $$$$ pretty much on the schedule they had told me to expect.

edited for typos!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/2011 09:09PM by walesmaven.

That is certainly sounding positive, walesmaven. I appreciate you letting us know. Hopefully the new schedule will be adhered to closely. While it is still long at least you know/knew what you were agreeing to.

I just got paid from Freeman for a hotel shop I did for them in early October. I sent them an email the first week of January inquiring about payment. They responded to me 3 days later and I received payment 1 week after that. Yes, I did have to email them to get it, but I had no problems beyond that and they quickly paid me. I will give them another chance.

I have not shopped with Freeman. Since 2008, I have read of slow payment. That's a very long time for a company to get its act together, and at the expense of shoppers. I will be watching from a distance.

Thanks, walesmaven. I keep watching their shops and have seen some I'd like to do. If it looks like they come around to prompt payment, I'll probably try them out. I hate, HATE to chase the money .... I figure I've worked hard enough earning it.

Still one outstanding payment with only glaring silence from the company.

The last communication was from the scheduler telling me she had nothing to do with payments. Huh?? Then why tell me to send my invoice - to you - again???

So, I am still out several hundred dollars.

Hey, maybe I can send it directly to the president and he will do something that would result in my getting paid? *fingers crossed*

I just got paid (2-11-11) for my two shops before and after Thanksgiving without any calls or emails from me. That looks like 11 weeks to me, and no $5 supplement this time. I think they are paying once a month now, so if that payment date is before you reach the 8 to 10 weeks they currently promise, you will get it the next month. I continue to do these only as they fit into planned travel (motels I would have to pay for anyway) rather than seeking them out (I would probably do something every week if I did this) due to payment uncertainties, but I have gotten paid for every shop eventually and sense that will continue. Next up are the shops I did before and after Christmas. March 11 would be ten weeks. We will see.

ijdk...payments come from snguyen@freemangroup.org. You might want to try contacting whoever is at that email. Good luck!

I am still waiting for an October 2010 shop payment!!!!!! I kinda think they may be
in more financial trouble then we all think. Recently Freeman group doubled their pay for shops. Just wondering if they will file for chapter 13!!!!!!! Why would a company pay more, when they can't pay their shoppers now??

Why would a company start paying more money to shoppers?

I am still waiting for an October 2010 shop payment!!!!!! I kinda think they may be
in more financial trouble then we all think. Recently Freeman group doubled their pay for shops. Just wondering if they will file for chapter 13!!!!!!! Why would a company pay more, when they can't pay their shoppers now??

Freeman had a hotel shop that I was interested in on a day that I was already going to be in the specific area where the hotel is located and it also had a good bonus attached, but I was leary about taking it because of all the bad feedback. I decided that I would accept it provided they would confirm in writing that I would be paid as per their stated payment schedule of 8-12 weeks (I spoke to one of the schedulers on the phone who admitted they've had horrible payment problems in the past, but a new president came in and now they are paying right on schedule between 8-12 weeks). I figured if I got a commitment in writing concerning payment, I would have the paper back-up I need to file a BBB complaint later, should the necessity arise (which I assume would be likely, given their history).

So I emailed the scheduler with a couple general questions about the shop and also asked for them to confirm that I will be paid within 12 weeks. The scheduler wrote back and answered my general questions about the shop but avoided the payment question altogether - simply ignored it. So I emailed back again telling her that before I commit to this shop, I need them to verify that I will be paid within 12 weeks. This was her response: "Yes, our reimbursement time is about 12 weeks from the time we receive your expenses."

Notice the word "about".

I promptly cancelled the shop and have permanently removed them from my company list. I told her "The 'about 12 weeks' statement is a big red flag for me and I am already foreseeing the hassle I am going to have to go through in 12 weeks to get payment."

Good for you CheeChild. If more people took this stance we would be better off.

I got paid for my shops done before and after Christmas, last week and this week, respectively. Looks like they are keeping the schedule up with me. I did another one a couple of weeks ago. I'm told they raised the fee to $40 on a lot of them because they are trying to get them all finished, and supposedly will not release the new assignments for 2011 until they are all done. Good luck with THAT! They aren't offering anything anywhere I want to go.

I have visits I did for Freeman that are over a year old now and still have not been paid. I also sent the "new president" several emails and no response at all from him or the company. I no longer work for them and don't recommend them to anyone.