Ath Power

I contacted Ath by email this morning and told them due to their inability to pay me in a timely manner I will no longer accept their assignments. I wish more shoppers would do the same until they change their payment policy and show more respect for the men and women who work diligently for them.

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They are only 60 days out. Some are 90. Not good at all. But it is becoming more of the norm.

Yes, my shops for them are now about 60 days old with their website showing I was 'paid' on 7/10. Knowing them, that means I have another 2 weeks to wait for payment. These shops were done in May because I misunderstood the caller to be from a different company I am happy to help out, so I sort of got stuck. In the subsequent two months I have recognized the caller as Ath and just said "NO! But thanks for calling." They are my oldest unpaid shops and it is just absurd.

My check arrived exactly on May 10 for March shops. I got paid Jun 7 for April Shops. I thought it was a good trend. However no check for me yet in July.

My reaction is that there was a holiday in there, so I can understand perhaps a day late. This is the time of year when folks take off for vacation, so perhaps a delay there. But if it was IMPORTANT to deal appropriately with shoppers in good faith, arrangements would have been made. It just tells you where your efforts are valued in the company's priorities.

Flash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes, my shops for them are now about 60 days old
> with their website showing I was 'paid' on 7/10.
> Knowing them, that means I have another 2 weeks to
> wait for payment. These shops were done in May
> because I misunderstood the caller to be from a
> different company I am happy to help out, so I
> sort of got stuck. In the subsequent two months I
> have recognized the caller as Ath and just said
> "NO! But thanks for calling." They are my oldest
> unpaid shops and it is just absurd.

7/10 just means that's when they brought out their checkbook. They didn't actually open it until the 13th.

But they havent't had anything in my area for so long that I haven't had to worry about the slow payment.

Since their checks are sent out by a third party (the bank), I fantasize that 7/10 may be the date somebody said, 'Ok, the client didn't kick this back, so I guess we can send it along to accounting." Then accounting can sit on it a few days while they put together a list of payables for the owner to sign off on when he/she gets around to it. Then it can go back to accounting, who can start setting up payments for the bank to send out as they have cash to cover. And then the bank can take 5 days to actually send out the check.

I just stopped shopping for them recently. I look at it this way....I jump thru hoops to get the shop done perfectly, so they can jump thru hoops to pay me. 60 days is ok, maybe even 90, but what's next?

I did bunch of banks for them in the last two weeks and will update when my money comes.

I have no out of pocket with them and I don't do that money so I just deal. what is burning me up lately is Market Force went from always being paid on the 10th (earlier if the 10th was a holiday or weekend) and is now at the 15th.

Plus....I'm kind of getting tired of my inbox being blown up with begging emails from Ath.

I do their shops with open eyes, knowing I'll get paid in 60 days. I don't do shops were I have to spend cash and then wait for 90 days to get reimbursed.

I have more then a dozen jobs completed for them. I've only started working for them, but I've got to say they do get a bit annoying; and now I'm reading these posts about the paying practices they are exercising and its making NOT want to so anything else with them

"Plus....I'm kind of getting tired of my inbox being blown up with begging emails from Ath"

That is actually good. You can extract more $ from them.

Hmmmmm....wonder if I could delay my American Express bill for 90 days. I could tell them that I only pay my bills on the 15th, following a full moon and during high tide. Should there be an eclipse, payment could be delayed. Now that sounds much more reasonable.

Rich - I tried that with Bank of America. Didn't work. I also followed it up with in all seriousness - a lot of these companies have been forced to push out their pay to us due to the banks cutting credit limits, etc and tightening up. However they seem to forget that when they want THEIR money.

I got paid today for May shops--almost exactly 3 months to the day since the work was done. A whole lot of wait for a tiny bit of money. What bull.

^ Hurry !!!! You have only 90 days to cash.

I just started work for them and what I am see now has me a little concerned. Am I correct in assuming the jobs I did in Aug will not get paid until end of October?

Sarahv Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I just started work for them and what I am see now
> has me a little concerned. Am I correct in
> assuming the jobs I did in Aug will not get paid
> until end of October?

Yes. This is disclosed on their website. However, despite their stated policy, I have been paid mid-month, but never until 60 days later. ATH is not the only company who pays at the end of 2 months following the shop. It's always a good idea to check into the policy of any company for whom you're considering working, if only to keep track of late or missing payments. It's sometimes also helpful in determining the shops you're willing to do (ie; a shop involving reimbursement).

Actually, it is more than 2 months following the MONTH the shop was performed. Then they want 5-10 business days to stuff envelopes, stamp and do other things. For the shops done in July, they are going to pay me on 9/10. I just will have to wait and see how they will pay me on Saturday.

I bet they are counting on people forgetting the work they have done.

It IS two months by the time it comes. But yet they want it IN within the day done.

I got tons of E's from them. Bonuses and all. You know what they say about curiosity. Well I suffered through the WEBnar to take the silly test. Went on the site and saw lots of shops. Funny thing is, if you read the fine print on
the job description, it is pretty much a one time shot, cause these people will remember you. Maybe that's why they don't pay for 3 or 4 months....hoping
the employees will forget you!!! And it sounds to me like their moto is "the check is in the mail."

vickeet

Did anyone (except me) take the survey about mobil banking.....guess this will be a new client.

Live consciously....

I don't think I got it.

I just wanted to post a really great interaction I had with Ath in the past few days. I did a shop for them in which the client refused to do something when asked (give a "quote" type thing, without revealing what kind of quote it was). I thought I was going to have to go around and around about the shop's validity, but I read the entire scenario from first line to last and there was never any suggestion on how to resolve the problem I had, so where I punted and hoped for the best, I thought they would invalidate the survey for lack of materials.

I spoke with Brian M. who said he understood the situation. It went on to his higher ups and I received a note from a very sweet Maria S. who said not to fear. I would still get paid for the shop, even though for them it didn't count.

I wish that it did, I hate the idea of a job not being completed for them, especially when they paid for the work. Still, I can't help but be relieved that the situation resolved well on my end.

I just wanted to take the time to put a little positive out there about ath. I don't know how long it'll take to get paid (sounds about like 2 months), but the getting paid part is the important one. When it comes... well, I can wait. =D

I have never done a job for them, bur did recently register. I am now innovated with emails and no jobs being in an area less than 100 miles or another state....they must be desperate, and after reading this, I'm de-activating.

Live consciously....

Ath is the one with the sneaky get 200 or so pet food prices without getting caught.

That's the one the emails are for, something like $60.00 fo 4 hours work getting prices on everything to do with dogs and cats, adds up to about 12.00 not counting report that will take hours...who stays in a store for 4 hours..can you imagine the report.

Live consciously....

Irene, why not just turn off email notifications? For me, there's nothing special about this MSP. Pay is low, though sometimes bonused. Payments are slow. May be more clients, or bonuses on the horizon. We never know what the future will bring. Staying active gives us one step up.

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