I was just told that after spending over 5 hours on a mystery shop for this company they are refusing to pay me because of problems with my report. First of all, the shop itself took 2 1/2 hours. The enormity of the report is absurd, over 21 pages to print out, and that's the "cheat sheet"! Then, they give you 12 hours to complete and submit the report on line. It took me over 2 hours just to complete the on line report! I have been a mystery shopper for 23 years and have NEVER experienced anything like this! If you are thinking about doing any shops for this company BEWARE!!!!!

6/22/11...Update: I was just contacted by Cirrus Marketing and was offered the opportunity to go back and complete the part of the shop that was missing and receive full credit/compensation as originally promised. I agreed and I appreciate their willingness to resolve this.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/22/2011 07:02PM by andi2797.

I know the shop that you are talking about and I would never, ever do it. What was the exact problem? I did an apartment shop for them once and they docked me FOUR points because I couldn't reach the target and failed to inform them the dates and times that I attempted to reach the target. It was really irking because they could have e-mailed me for that information. The report itself did not ask for it and I had to go through the entire thing and answer it "n/a" because I didn't have anything to comment on.

It said to purchase a white ticketed item, a full service item. I chose a white ticketed item, just as I was told. It turned out that particular white ticketed item was not a full service item, which I did not know. I followed the instructions I was given, but because the store moved the item I chose I was told I did it wrong. Because the item was located in a different area where it was supposed to be, I also missed two areas in the store, giving them further cause to not to accept my report. This shop was unbelievably huge! It should have only been given to someone very familiar with the store. They should have also indicated that this shop would take several hours to complete, including the on line report. In my 23 years of being a mystery shopper I have never experienced anything like this before. There really should be some way to report this company.

It is 'reported' at length on forums. I know very few shoppers who visit forums who are willing to perform this shop, regardless of how high the bonus gets.

I wish I had found this forum 2 weeks ago. I just happened across it today as I decided to do some research on this company. I guess more people should be made aware of the forums. I should have done my research prior to the shop. In the past there was never a need. I've learned my lesson.

I know what shop you are talking about, and I remember being extra careful to get a carry ticket, or whatever it was called. It's pretty specific that you need to take that ticket and evaluate several other areas incluing pick up and delivery. You really couldn't evaluate those areas if you were able to get the item yourself. I agree with you, the shop is grueling. I spent three hours in the store, and it took me 3.5 hours to input it online. And I'm a pretty quick typist.

I almost died when I got an email, which seemed flippant, that my report scored a 9/10.

Wow, good for you for surviving it! LOL! Were you familiar with that store prior to the shop? I had never been in it before. I think that may have helped if I knew where the departments were, etc. I kept getting lost!

Actually, I feel like I'm one of the few people around who doesn't go to that store regularly. I'm an old/wood/victorian type of chick and the store is not my style. I knew where nothing was, and I wondered if I could do the shop in less time if I did it again.

The next time I wouldn't stand around in sections for so long waiting to find a staff member. That's what made it so time consuming, waiting in the 'as-is' for help and the textiles.

No one here likes doing that shop. If is that tedious maybe they should break it down and assign different parts to different people.

I thought of that too. It is easily a two-person job. They were supposed to pay me $60 to do the whole thing. I would have done half for $25.

Heck, why split it up when they can collect substantially complete reports for $0?

Ya, no kidding! The "manager" I spoke to when I called to complain after receiving an email saying I was not getting paid told me she could not use my report at all. I argued that the majority of the report was completed and had very detailed information about my experiences in the store, that there was plenty of information to pass on to their client. She said they would not accept any of it. I think that's a load of crap!

I suspect you are right about the contents of the manure wagon. These shops seem to be pretty systematically rejected for one 'reason' or another, yet they don't seem to get reposted . . .

I am surprised no one has reported it to the client; this is NOT a client that would condone such behavior. I have shopped there frequently all over the country and love it but I would not consider doing this shop.

I believe they make this shop nearly unshoppable for that very reason. Oh well, lesson learned. Just hope they eventually stop doing this to other shoppers.

Wow, good point AustinMom! I just sent a message to the client.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/2011 03:28AM by andi2797.

6/22/11...Update: I was just contacted by Cirrus Marketing and was offered the opportunity to go back and complete the part of the shop that was missing and receive full credit/compensation as originally promised. I agreed and I appreciate their willingness to resolve this.

Pretty interesting. I've seen a lot of complaints that Cirrus won't pay for the shop but none of the posters have come back to say that they were contacted several days later to complete the part of the shop that was missing and receive full credit/compensation as originally promised. Wonder if contacting the client had anything to do with it.

I'm not sure, but maybe this will be a consideration in certain circumstances in the future due to the complexity of this particular shop. I take my responsibility as a mystery shopper seriously, as do most shoppers I'm sure, and if an unforeseeable situation occurs, it is only fair that the shopper be given the opportunity to complete the shop as assigned.

I refuse to work for them. I did the shop in question you are talking about, and it was accepted, but they docked me four points on an apartment shop when other reports with them of the same quality got me a 9 or a 10. They pay too little for the detail of the reports.

I have completed this shop three times and scored 8 or 9 the first and second time. It is a COMPLICATED shop and has like 300 questions on the report.

The last time the bonus was so high that I took it even though I was completing the shop on a weekday (instead of a Saturday) after my regular work day. I did the best I could. I spent 2.5 hours in the store, hit ALL the departments and had names for everyone. I was falling asleep typing the report at midnight because of the absurd deadline.

After the shop was vetted I was told that I rated a 2/10 on my report. I got pissed and argued w the editor via email. I knew my shop was not up to my usual standards (since I'd only spent 2 hours on the report instead of three or four) but it was no way a 2.

The editor said that I would not be paid because my report was unusable and deleted my profile w Cirrus. Two months later I got the full payment and could not have been more surprised. Apparently my report wasn't unusable.

My guess is that if the shoppers are treated this poorly, I don't want to think about how poorly the editors are being treated. I wouldn't want to work for Cirrus and am grateful that I don't receive the daily emails for that particular shop anymore!

Years later we're still talking about this shop...I did it years ago and never again, they will always find something wrong with report and not pay you. When I did it pay was a measley 50.00....lesson learned, some things never change.

Still waiting for payment for May 29th completed shop. I was told 12 days ago the invoice would be paid within the week.

Cirrus is definitely on my grey list at the moment as well. I'm one of the few nutcases that doesn't have too much issue with doing the blue/yellow furniture shop, provided the payment is high enough. But, the grocery shop that I did in April was just payed today.

Have been talking with one of their execs directly, and explained that an MSC still owes its shoppers for fulfilling their end of the deal, regardless if the client has paid them or not.

Each time I get tempted by their emails for this place, all I have to do is read this forum and get that "gee, I could have a V-8" slap alongside the head. Thanks, all.

That is true. I had my own business for a while, but when the recession hit hard my clients were not paying on time and I was having trouble keeping up with my employee's paychecks. I actually had to close my business because it was not fair to the employees.

Quiltcycle, it is THE shop from hell! I do not recommend that shop for ANYONE unless they shop that store and know it very VERY well! There are just some shops that are not worth the money. This is one of them.

Thanks, andi2797. I've only been in the store once and got very confused with their layout. So, another reason to pass on this one.

RobinMarie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Still waiting for payment for May 29th completed
> shop. I was told 12 days ago the invoice would be
> paid within the week.


O.K. - somthing's up with this company - surprised there aren't more shopper complaints about non-payment. I read some of this thread, but didn't see your's - so I began my own thread about non-payment and how they treat their shoppers - and everyone seemed to get stuck on my having "revealed" the retail client - which I apologized for and edited from my post (it was an oversight on my part, but excuse me(!) everyone knows who we are talking about anyway when we say Cirrus's retail store shops).

There have been something like 24 posts (including my original one, I suppose), but only two postings were in response to the original issue I posted - non payment. Everyone else was all hot and bothered about the impropriety I committed by mentioning the name of the store!

So, you're still waiting on payment for a shop you should have been paid for in July? It's now the end of Aug. I shopped in June, and my "Getting Paid" guideline in my assignment email states, "Shops performed in June will be paid mid-to-late August. Went back and looked at the comments on the shop, thanking me for my "excellent" report. I got a score of 10/10. HA!

Very bad news to read that another shopper is still waiting at the end of August for payment that should have been made in July.

They must be in trouble - that's the only conclusion I can come to. Have you tried to contact anyone there at Cirrus? I began by sending an email to the person that I submit the pay vouchers to. No answer. I sent her another, and copied the recruiter/scheduler, and the program director AND the person who emails out the payout notices. That one came back to me as unable to contact. A big red flag. No answer from anyone. Sent the entire round of emails again. The scheduler emailed back that she'd "heard" that payment w/b sometime this week. That was a week ago, Monday. Nothing on the Horizon as of this evening - and now after reading your post - I guess I shouldn't expect to see anything, either. Another thing I've noticed - not seeing any more recruitment emails for this particular retail shop from this MSC. Another shopper in the thread I started just posted that she was tempted to take the shop until she read my complaint, because Cirrus is begging shoppers to take the shop and they are raising their fee for this shop.

Know what I think? I think they've dumped shoppers they owe, and are trying to recruit a new bunch of shoppers who are unaware of what they're trying to pull. Any thoughts on this? Any input would be much appreciated.

This isn't new, has been going on for years, I stopped working for them years ago after doing the swedish store....sorry to hear they use newcomers, but they can't get the experienced any longer. The pay is enticing, if it seems too good to be true, well, you know the rest.