Is anyone else having problems with Sinclair's Availability Profile? Do you know how to make it work? Sinclair has an exceptionally fine design for shoppers with an availability profile that is supposed to show only locations that you are interested in shopping.

I add locations to my profile when I am in other communities. When I return home I delete other cities from the profile but the shops show up on my Online Scheduling page. Sinclair is my favorite company and I do not want to do anything to upset anyone. I just want to delete locations and have them actually go away from my scheduling page.

I have asked for help from Tech support and they do not respond in any way to my questions. I work on a Macintosh computer and have tried three different browsers. All have the same result. I signed into my account on a PC and have the same problem. I asked them to delete my entire Availability Profile so I could rebuild it. Still no response. If you know how to make this work please let me know.

I have exactly the same problem, EddyLee. I took a look in an area I was going to visit and cannot get the notices to go away now that I am back. I am sure that the issue is not being able to delete the area where I was looking rather than any browser issue as I am still getting emails of **NEW SHOPS** that are in the now unwanted area.

When I sign into the site, there are NEVER any shops that show as being available to me. However, when I access the link on the "available shops" email, they come up. I always keep one old email on file, just so I can see available shops.

Are the available shops in your email the same locations as you selected on the "availability profile"?

EddyLee Wrote:
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> Are the available shops in your email the same
> locations as you selected on the "availability
> profile"?


Yes, I'm sure they are, because I've never asked for shops elsewhere. I think the shops that appear through the link are individually area specific.

I'd definitely try giving them a call, or ask one of the schedulers you deal with what to do. BTW, I know they recently made "upgrades" to the site, and some things aren't working like they used to.

I have called. I was told to send a message to Tech Support through the website. I have emailed Tech support twice and received no response.

EddyLee Wrote:
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> Is anyone else having problems with Sinclair's
> Availability Profile? Do you know how to make it
> work? Sinclair has an exceptionally fine design
> for shoppers with an availability profile that is
> supposed to show only locations that you are
> interested in shopping.
>
> I add locations to my profile when I am in other
> communities. When I return home I delete other
> cities from the profile but the shops show up on
> my Online Scheduling page. Sinclair is my favorite
> company and I do not want to do anything to upset
> anyone. I just want to delete locations and have
> them actually go away from my scheduling page.
>
> I have asked for help from Tech support and they
> do not respond in any way to my questions. I work
> on a Macintosh computer and have tried three
> different browsers. All have the same result. I
> signed into my account on a PC and have the same
> problem. I asked them to delete my entire
> Availability Profile so I could rebuild it. Still
> no response. If you know how to make this work
> please let me know.

Eddy Lee, email Matt at Matt@Sinclair.org. He can assist you, let him know you have emailed IT several times and no response.

nicelytwicely Wrote:
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> When I sign into the site, there are NEVER any
> shops that show as being available to me.
> However, when I access the link on the "available
> shops" email, they come up. I always keep one old
> email on file, just so I can see available shops.


Ask one of the Schedulers to look at your Shopper rating. If it's below a certain percentage you can't see shops online. You'll receive an email notice letting you know there are shops, you just cannot see or use online scheduling. You'll have to schedule through a Scheduler until your rating improves. The rating helps weed out Shoppers that do not complete shops or have shop issues.

Gina Wrote:
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> nicelytwicely Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > When I sign into the site, there are NEVER any
> > shops that show as being available to me.
> > However, when I access the link on the
> "available
> > shops" email, they come up. I always keep one
> old
> > email on file, just so I can see available
> shops.
>
>
> Ask one of the Schedulers to look at your Shopper
> rating. If it's below a certain percentage you
> can't see shops online. You'll receive an email
> notice letting you know there are shops, you just
> cannot see or use online scheduling. You'll have
> to schedule through a Scheduler until your rating
> improves. The rating helps weed out Shoppers that
> do not complete shops or have shop issues.


Definitely not the problem. My shopper rating is extremely high. If shops are available, I get emails, but they only appear when I click on the link in the email to log in. To be honest, this hasn't been a problem for me, as I feel that I AM notified when shops are available. I was just making an observation for the person who posted, thinking that they might have the same issue. For example, I get an email and when I click the link to access the site, I see all the available shops. If I sign out, and then try to sign in through the main link, I can't see them. Oh, and I can self-assign.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/17/2011 11:54PM by nicelytwicely.

Nicelytwicely, I can go to assignments via email links, and also see the same shops when I log in.

You may have disproved this already, but under their tab of Available Shops, there are 3 drop downs - How to Get Shops, Request Shops, and Online Scheduling (New). For me --- How to Get is info only. Request Shops shows nothing available. Online Scheduling is where my available shops show up and from where I can self-assign or apply. These are the same shops emailed to me.

Does Online Scheduling show available shops for you? I have used both IE and Firefox with identical results.

Mert, you're a genius! At first I couldn't see it, but after I set my zip code and miles I'd be willing to travel, voila! Identical results! Thanks!

Is Sinclair responsive to emails?

I've emailed them through their website, and replied to their various emails, and have never heard a peep.

What's so weird, is that I constantly get email offers, and when I try to sign into the site, it states that it's been over 6 months, so I need to take their XO test again.

After wasting my time on on test that ask 16 variations of , X does not precede 0 type questions, I hit enter and voilà ...error message.
I know their site is sensitive, so I lowered my security, and allowed them through my firewall, and I still received the error.

I should just deactivate myself, but I hate to cut of ties over a stupid mind quiz -- and yes, I said stupid.

Anyone have a similar situation?

I would pick up the phone and give them a call at 800-600-3871. I have had troubles with their website with odd things you would not expect to cause issues, and this may be a known error for which they have a known work around.

I have contacted them at least eight times. Seems if they intend to fix the problem it would be fixed by now.

I was actually responding to DaScubaLady's frustration.

I understand your frustration EddyLee and that you have contacted them. My sense of their website overall is that they are trying to salvage a patchwork on a flimsy framework. If you have ever tried to fix or change a software program someone else wrote and did not document well or even an old program you wrote yourself and did not document well, you know that a patch here may create a break there. I had hoped when they changed over a couple of years ago to what I thought was going to be a new platform we would see something a bit slicker than what appeared. I am not convinced but that it is just an updated viewable page slapped onto the same old frame (fresh upholstery on the old couch that should have gone to the curb decades ago).

Flash Wrote:
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> I was actually responding to DaScubaLady's
> frustration.
>
> I understand your frustration EddyLee and that you
> have contacted them. My sense of their website
> overall is that they are trying to salvage a
> patchwork on a flimsy framework. If you have ever
> tried to fix or change a software program someone
> else wrote and did not document well or even an
> old program you wrote yourself and did not
> document well, you know that a patch here may
> create a break there. I had hoped when they
> changed over a couple of years ago to what I
> thought was going to be a new platform we would
> see something a bit slicker than what appeared. I
> am not convinced but that it is just an updated
> viewable page slapped onto the same old frame
> (fresh upholstery on the old couch that should
> have gone to the curb decades ago).


And there were changes recently, too. I don't know if/how it affected anything else, but they used to have it so that you were automatically unable to assign a shop unless the waiting period between rotations was up. After the change, you could assign anything that showed as available, and then if your time wasn't really up, the scheduler had to manually cancel the shop. Not sure if that's been fixed (or if it will be).

I don't see ones I am out of rotation for--and come to think of it the only time I have ever seen them when I am out of rotation is when they have been claimed the name shows up on the backup shopper request page but no place to sign up as a backup shopper.

Flash Wrote:
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> I don't see ones I am out of rotation for--and
> come to think of it the only time I have ever seen
> them when I am out of rotation is when they have
> been claimed the name shows up on the backup
> shopper request page but no place to sign up as a
> backup shopper.


For me, I used to see the shops as available, but when I tried to assign, I was told I was not eligible. so, out of habit, I tried to assign, and was successful on two occasions when my rotation hadn't come up. Both times, the scheduler sent me a very nice email, explaining why she had to cancel. The second time, she told me that there had been some changes to the software, hence, the glitch.

I couldn't believe this!
I had noticed an error on Sinclair's supermarket report. When the project manager called ME about more opportunities I decided that I could and should mention it. She took the time to pull up the questionaire and we reviewed it. She said that she would mention the mistake to her manager. I entered the shop that night (ahead of deadline, because she was so respectful) and guess what? The correction was there !
Their corporate culture is impressive. I truly felt valued as a shopper and will whenever possible reciprocate with earlier than required shop submits.

On a different note, I wonder if I will ever again comfortably write in the present or future tense?

On Flash's post regarding calling -- luckily I didn't have to call --
The scheduler needed a shop filled, and corrected the "annoying" message to re-take the test.

Unfortunately the shop in question,(the one that was open and I was needed me to immediately complete) disappeared after I took the time to read the long winded instructions and take the shop test.

Yes, I can call Sinclair, but quite frankly, there's just too much rigmarole to go through for a $10 shop.

I like the KISS Shops/MSCs -- The ones where you self assign, do the shop, and receive the payment while you still remember which shop you're being paid for.

nicelytwicely Wrote:
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> Definitely not the problem. My shopper rating is
> extremely high.

I know that did not turn out to be the problem for you, but that is not always true. My shopper rating with them is in the high 90s, but I still can not see shops because one client challenged a shop tht did not get a good report.

lisams901 Wrote:
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> nicelytwicely Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > Definitely not the problem. My shopper rating
> is
> > extremely high.
>
> I know that did not turn out to be the problem for
> you, but that is not always true. My shopper
> rating with them is in the high 90s, but I still
> can not see shops because one client challenged a
> shop tht did not get a good report.

Oh, that's a shame. I hope that will be remedied in time.

The only way I knew my shopper rating is because a scheduler told me. She explained that it's based on the amount of shops you do, as well as performance.

nicelytwicely Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> The only way I knew my shopper rating is because a
> scheduler told me. She explained that it's based
> on the amount of shops you do, as well as
> performance.


That was how I found out mine. When I first could not see the shops, I called and asked why. They told me my rating and said they had no idea why. I later found out (when I questioned why I was not paid for assignment) that a client challenged my shop because their store did not do well. It's been around nine months and I still can not view the shops. BUT, that does not stop a scheduler from calling me last minute whenever they have a cancellation in my area.

I am so sorry to see repeatedly, when a shopper is honest in completing a shop the shopper can be punished. This does not help the industry receive candid reports. I think anyone that has shopped for several years absolutely dreads needing to file a negative report.

Do these companies really want an honest report? If honest reports are wanted, such policies need to be examined. Companies need to stop shooting the messengers.

EddyLee Wrote:
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> I am so sorry to see repeatedly, when a shopper
> is honest in completing a shop the shopper can be
> punished. This does not help the industry receive
> candid reports. I think anyone that has shopped
> for several years absolutely dreads needing to
> file a negative report.
>
> Do these companies really want an honest report?
> If honest reports are wanted, such policies need
> to be examined. Companies need to stop shooting
> the messengers.


I've never had a shop questioned for bad performance, and I'm really beginning to feel that I've been lucky! The closest I've come thus far was an email from MarketForce, asking me if I was sure that what I saw hadn't been corrected by the end of my visit (which it hadn't).

Lisa, I hope that Sinclair eventually reinstates your ability to view the shops online.

I have never had a shop rejected for a negative report, and I have filed plenty of them I have been asked to verify that I meant what I said, but that's fine with me. The first time that I have a report rejected for negative ratings will be the last time I shop for that MSC.

I cannot get through as well, never get email for jobs like I used too, and get no reply to my questions as to why. They had several jobs in my area, just don't know how to reach them anymore.

Has anyone done one of their supermarket shops for which you buy a minimum of four items placed in the basket of the shopping cart and one item below?
I almost bailed on one of my assignment because the cart seemed to have been designed to make this lower storage impossible, v shaped and very very narrow with no grates only a single support strut. All the carts were the same.The basket is so deep that you look stupid shoving a box of soda below, having it hang way out and/or falling through. I asked if I was the only one with this dilema. Guess what? I am! In the entire territory!
How could this be ? paper towels, toilet paper, shrinkwrapped cartons of quart bottles, anything more than eight inches tall doesn't fit or if less than 12 inches falls through.

I haven't seen that exact kind of cart yet, though I have seen some with the lower 'shelf' so narrow that a carton of soda would only partially rest on the shelf. I have also seen some carts with no lower shelf at all so you would rest stuff on the frame and it would need to be something big like a big package of towels or tissue. Luckily those stores still have 'regular' carts, but I suspect that BOB is enough of a problem that many stores will be moving to carts with no lower rack potential.

I use that cart at Sprouts market, tiny carts, but, there not shopped at this time, and new in my area. These carts will be the new wave. Sprouts is a farmers market with super low prices for produce, and came here from AZ.
Never had a market with Sinclair, just retail, won't de-activate but would like some connection with them. Took and updated tests, so, I'm good to go, where are they?