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I've never worked with this MSC. Apologies in advance that I don't really have any specific guidance on how to potentially escalate or get in touch with the right person. Maybe someone else can provide further assistance.
Regarding having the wrong address on a receipt, I've never had one with the wrong state, but I've had one with the wrong city. There's a location that's often confused with which city it is. There's a line of demarcation for the county line, where east of it is one city, and west of it is another city. I often go to this location because it's within walking distance of me. I usually get the same editor who is familiar with this. But every once in a while, I get a different editor, where I have to explain this. After enough shops though, the MSC updated their records.
Regarding having the wrong address on a receipt, I've never had one with the wrong state, but I've had one with the wrong city. There's a location that's often confused with which city it is. There's a line of demarcation for the county line, where east of it is one city, and west of it is another city. I often go to this location because it's within walking distance of me. I usually get the same editor who is familiar with this. But every once in a while, I get a different editor, where I have to explain this. After enough shops though, the MSC updated their records.
What is the difference between Alsa 360 and Alta 360? I never heard of Alsa.
When dealing with cash there is no proof even though you may be right. The only way you can prove it (easily) is if you did a credit card trx at the pump (even for $1 in gas). Perhaps the receipt would be correct at the machine. It would have been worth a gamble to me to try it or at least find someone else's receipt or claim you needed the receipt from pump whatever number when someone finished pumping. I don't know why I am assuming this was a gas station type shop. Maybe it wasn't. But there had to be a business next door or across the street.
Sucks that you don't get paid and had to go thru that. Shopperbob (aka Terminator) would tell you to cut your losses and terminate them. I kind of agree that I would not want to do work for a crap MSC that would not attempt to see if I was correct. Even if that meant you buy something at the business next door to prove you were in the right area (mcdonalds or something). How can they refute you were there if the receipt shows a time of only a couple minutes apart?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/22/2024 08:01AM by hbbigdaddy.
When dealing with cash there is no proof even though you may be right. The only way you can prove it (easily) is if you did a credit card trx at the pump (even for $1 in gas). Perhaps the receipt would be correct at the machine. It would have been worth a gamble to me to try it or at least find someone else's receipt or claim you needed the receipt from pump whatever number when someone finished pumping. I don't know why I am assuming this was a gas station type shop. Maybe it wasn't. But there had to be a business next door or across the street.
Sucks that you don't get paid and had to go thru that. Shopperbob (aka Terminator) would tell you to cut your losses and terminate them. I kind of agree that I would not want to do work for a crap MSC that would not attempt to see if I was correct. Even if that meant you buy something at the business next door to prove you were in the right area (mcdonalds or something). How can they refute you were there if the receipt shows a time of only a couple minutes apart?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/22/2024 08:01AM by hbbigdaddy.
Is this Alta 360 we're talking about? Did the shop include photos taken onsite? Were the photos geo-tagged? That could help prove the address issue.
Something seems amiss. This is a company that has aways been fair and helpful, from my experience. Not one of those that assume all shoppers are liars and morons, like Ipsos. I have, a few times in the last 20 years, messed something up but they have never banned me from a client. They would always give me the opportunity to fix what I did wrong and I did. I don't understand why you would get banned, even if you really did shop the wrong locations. Especially if you shop for base pay, they know it's in their best interest to keep you.
It just seems to me that there's more to this story than what we've read here.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/22/2024 11:36AM by sestrahelena.
Something seems amiss. This is a company that has aways been fair and helpful, from my experience. Not one of those that assume all shoppers are liars and morons, like Ipsos. I have, a few times in the last 20 years, messed something up but they have never banned me from a client. They would always give me the opportunity to fix what I did wrong and I did. I don't understand why you would get banned, even if you really did shop the wrong locations. Especially if you shop for base pay, they know it's in their best interest to keep you.
It just seems to me that there's more to this story than what we've read here.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/22/2024 11:36AM by sestrahelena.
While they don't pay enough for their shops (at base), I have found them extremely approachable in the event of issues. In fact, even though they're down the list a bit of MSC's I do business with, but it comes to being approachable, I may rank them #1. I've had a similar thing in a similar type of shop with another MSC, and the key is to immediately address it. On the shopmetrics form, there is a spot at the top where you can "add a note". That's where I would have immediately documented the issue. With Alta, the emails for the schedulers are available, so I would have immediately sent a message to them, on top of that. For this to happen on two different shops is quite unusual and would definitely need to be documented. I sense that their response is because they find it strange that you did not immediately document it.
I hate to say this, but I am really thinking in the same manner sestrahelena is. Seems like there is more going on here.
I hate to say this, but I am really thinking in the same manner sestrahelena is. Seems like there is more going on here.
I can't picture them issuing a ban for a mistake.....maybe if it were the 100th case? not sure...
you can reach them and find out....not an issue for this MSC.
you can reach them and find out....not an issue for this MSC.
I've had different street numbers show up on receipts, but never a different state!
This serves as a reminder that we should check our receipts for potential issues, and, as others have posted, use the notes/comments in the shop report to bring them up pre-editing.
It's far too easy to just snag a receipt photo and file the paper wherever one usually files it. I print out the 1st pages for shop reports for notes, and staple my receipts to them.
And while I've fallen out of the habit, it's not a bad idea to get a picture of the location being shopped, even if such a picture is not required. Using an app that date stamps the photo would be advised.
S%^& happens in the real world, and the better documentation we can provide, the better the chance we don't lose out for our efforts when it does.
This serves as a reminder that we should check our receipts for potential issues, and, as others have posted, use the notes/comments in the shop report to bring them up pre-editing.
It's far too easy to just snag a receipt photo and file the paper wherever one usually files it. I print out the 1st pages for shop reports for notes, and staple my receipts to them.
And while I've fallen out of the habit, it's not a bad idea to get a picture of the location being shopped, even if such a picture is not required. Using an app that date stamps the photo would be advised.
S%^& happens in the real world, and the better documentation we can provide, the better the chance we don't lose out for our efforts when it does.
Have synthesizers, will travel...
How frustrating. I've had receipts where the time was completely wrong on them. I've just added a note about it. CoolMusic has a good suggestion to use a time/ geotagged photo to prove you were there. I'm going to add that to my practice.
Try reaching out to them. There is nothing you can do about the information their receipt provides.
Try reaching out to them. There is nothing you can do about the information their receipt provides.
Different MSC but I did have a receipt show a wrong address before. My better half suggested to me that the register may have been used at a different location.
In my instance, the address was for a closed location that was in close proximity so it seemed very plausible that the register had come from a closed location to a new location. It definitely freaked me out though thinking I would be accused of shopping the wrong location.
Sorry this is happening to you. Can you call one of the locations and inquire about the receipts being wrong? Maybe get some back information to provide the MSC?
In my instance, the address was for a closed location that was in close proximity so it seemed very plausible that the register had come from a closed location to a new location. It definitely freaked me out though thinking I would be accused of shopping the wrong location.
Sorry this is happening to you. Can you call one of the locations and inquire about the receipts being wrong? Maybe get some back information to provide the MSC?
Over the years I have encountered several wrong receipt addresses, even one for a city hundreds of miles away. I attribute it to them using a used point-of-sale system and not updating the address.
Optimally, every time there is a receipt discrepency, I would point it out in the comments. But in practice, I often don't give the receipts a second glance. If an MSC I had worked with for years can't trust me about a receipt, then they really need to rethink their business model, and I mine.
Optimally, every time there is a receipt discrepency, I would point it out in the comments. But in practice, I often don't give the receipts a second glance. If an MSC I had worked with for years can't trust me about a receipt, then they really need to rethink their business model, and I mine.
Dang, 20 years!@sestrahelena wrote:
I have, a few times in the last 20 years, messed something up but they have never banned me from a client.
I have had shops where the cash register used to be at a different location in a different city and state, and they just had not updated the address. I have also had a cash register receipt that was completely illegible because printer ribbons were no longer available for the older printer. I had one gas station that listed the year 1947 as the date. Shoppers shouldn't be penalized for things beyond their control.
I had the wrong location on my receipt once. I ended up holding up my purchased product in front of the storefront and took a geo stamped picture of it as well as gps verifier. It was accepted by the MSC.
@mjt9598 wrote:
I had one gas station that listed the year 1947 as the date. Shoppers shouldn't be penalized for things beyond their control.
Me: 1947? I want my money back, this Coke is only 5 cents!"
@prince wrote:
CoolMusic has a good suggestion to use a time/ geotagged photo to prove you were there. I'm going to add that to my practice.
Thanks, and you are welcome!
One caveat: quit the time-stamping photo app before starting your shop, unless the shop guidelines call for it. I've had to edit out the visible metadata on a couple of occasions. The app I use takes over as the Camera default when it is open.
Have synthesizers, will travel...
1. You shopped for Alta360 for two years but you got their name wrong both in the subject header and the text of your post.
2. There are multiple mistakes in your post in addition to the wrong MSC name.
3. You noticed the addresses on the receipts were way off but claimed not to know what happened when the scheduler asked for an explanation. You took (and are still taking) the stance that it was the chain's fault and there was nothing you could do to address the problem.
4. Your scheduler did try to look into the issue by asking you for an explanation but you were not helpful. Why should the scheduler do more than you to get you paid when you wouldn't lift a finger to help? You noticed the addresses were wrong but did nothing at the time to obtain other proof of visit. You could have taken pictures of the exterior after each shop (preferably with an app that shows the GPS/address info.), or bought something cheap at a nearby business to obtain a receipt with an address w/ the correct street/city/state info. Even if you didn't do anything right after the shops, you could have obtained proof later on the same day showing which state you were in -- to prove you could not have possibly shopped the wrong stores in different states.
5. I, too, suspect you left out significant details in your post. There is no reason for an MSC to ban a shopper from a client if the only issue was the wrong addresses on two receipts.
6. What "digging" did you do? Did the receipts not have the name of the large retail chain on them?
2. There are multiple mistakes in your post in addition to the wrong MSC name.
3. You noticed the addresses on the receipts were way off but claimed not to know what happened when the scheduler asked for an explanation. You took (and are still taking) the stance that it was the chain's fault and there was nothing you could do to address the problem.
4. Your scheduler did try to look into the issue by asking you for an explanation but you were not helpful. Why should the scheduler do more than you to get you paid when you wouldn't lift a finger to help? You noticed the addresses were wrong but did nothing at the time to obtain other proof of visit. You could have taken pictures of the exterior after each shop (preferably with an app that shows the GPS/address info.), or bought something cheap at a nearby business to obtain a receipt with an address w/ the correct street/city/state info. Even if you didn't do anything right after the shops, you could have obtained proof later on the same day showing which state you were in -- to prove you could not have possibly shopped the wrong stores in different states.
5. I, too, suspect you left out significant details in your post. There is no reason for an MSC to ban a shopper from a client if the only issue was the wrong addresses on two receipts.
6. What "digging" did you do? Did the receipts not have the name of the large retail chain on them?
@sil2222 wrote:
Ive been shopping a certain retail shops for Alsa 360 for about 2 years. The shops dont pay much and I pick them up for candy/ Soda money. Well I completed 2 shops separate location and paid with cash. The clerks provided me the receipt and I noticed the addresses on both receipts were in a different state, but I did not think it was a problem because its a large retail chain and it must be some type of computer problem. Well I was wrong the scheduler sends me an email about the receipts asking for me to explain what happened. I do not know what happened. I just went to the stores and completed the shops and paid with cash. So the scheduler tells me I wont get paid for the 2 shops then I noticed the shops are no longer available to me. So basically I am being held liable for the receipts the store provided me when I paid. The receipts actually had the correct location business names, but the wrong address and state. I still dont know why this happened , but it seems the scheduler did not want to look into the issue any further. I did some digging with the information on the receipts and found that they are linked to the correct retail stores I visited, but the scheduler did not follow up on this information. So now I am not able to work those little shops anymore because they gave me receipts that had wrong information on them. Anybody else have a similar issue where you get punished for something that is out of your control ?
@mjt9598 wrote:
I have had shops where the cash register used to be at a different location in a different city and state, and they just had not updated the address. I have also had a cash register receipt that was completely illegible because printer ribbons were no longer available for the older printer. I had one gas station that listed the year 1947 as the date. Shoppers shouldn't be penalized for things beyond their control.
Exactly this. Franchises can swap in/out register machines and not bother to update the addresses, correct the dates, or adjust the time. I’ve had this happen a few times over the past couple of decades.
FWIW, I get reports returned for bad receipts more than anything else. After all these years you'd think should've learned to actually look at them but I must have some kind of mental block. I even had a note taped to the dashboard, "Check receipts!" It never worked. I just take the pic and upload. It would save me and the MSC reps time and trouble if I could just remember to do that simple thing. I'll keep trying.
I'm the same way with receipts. At least for those who do the dine-in shops, the good thing these days with the fast-casual sit-down restaurants like the ones provided on ACL, where there's a portable payment device, is that there's an option for receipts to be emailed to you. The digital receipts are much cleaner and convenient to store. For those rare instances though, most MSCs from my experience are ok with a screenshot of the credit card transaction if all else fails, if cash wasn't a requirement.
IF Alta 360 is the former Ritter & Assoc., it is my understanding the MSC was merged with Intouch Insight. I completed a job a few months back where the worker's tag stated one name but the receipt was different. As that is common, I did not so note in the report. The editor phoned me from N. Carolina for an explanation.
I did a pizza shop for them several years ago..
The address that was listed in the guidelines was the address they used to be at? However, the pizza place had moved the down the street (About 5 miles) but it was on the same street.
A couple of days before the shop, I emailed the scheduler saying that the pizza place has moved to DDDDDD. I asked even though the address in the guidelines said AAAAAA, will it be OK since they moved to DDDDDD.
She said that would be fine but to take a couple of outside pictures..
ETA.. The receipt was still showing the address of the old location.. When I got the receipt, I did not ask why it was still showing the old address.. I did not think much of it..
I asked the scheduler about this and she that is no problem
My shop was approved.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/2024 12:46AM by Isaiah4031a.
The address that was listed in the guidelines was the address they used to be at? However, the pizza place had moved the down the street (About 5 miles) but it was on the same street.
A couple of days before the shop, I emailed the scheduler saying that the pizza place has moved to DDDDDD. I asked even though the address in the guidelines said AAAAAA, will it be OK since they moved to DDDDDD.
She said that would be fine but to take a couple of outside pictures..
ETA.. The receipt was still showing the address of the old location.. When I got the receipt, I did not ask why it was still showing the old address.. I did not think much of it..
I asked the scheduler about this and she that is no problem
My shop was approved.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/2024 12:46AM by Isaiah4031a.
I believe that Alsa 360 is a typo and it is really Alta 360. Alta 360 is an independent company. I just logged into their website.
@shopperbob wrote:
IF Alta 360 is the former Ritter & Assoc., it is my understanding the MSC was merged with Intouch Insight. I completed a job a few months back where the worker's tag stated one name but the receipt was different. As that is common, I did not so note in the report. The editor phoned me from N. Carolina for an explanation.
Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008
I understood your post similarly to the way the Buzzing Bee did. My first impression was that you probably did not explain about noticing the discrepancy and address it in your report when you wrote it. In future if you do that you will most likely be covered. But then when the editor contacted you and asked you for an explanation it seems you thought the editor wanted to know why the receipt had the wrong address. So you responded that you did not know.
It sounds to me that your problem arises from an assumption that you were supposed to explain the workings of their cash register machines to the editor rather than just explaining the actual sequence of how it happened from your point of view....That would be something like you brought your item up to the counter, the clerk rang you up and gave you a total., you handed the clerk cash and the clerk handed you a receipt. When you looked at the receipt you noticed it had the wrong store address printed on it although the location name was correct.
Perhaps I am wrong in my assumptions and if so I apologize but if that is what happened then it might be helpful for you to let them know the steps as they happened and just state that you misunderstood what they were asking for.
Our pay grade does not include explanations of why things work the way they do! Just the facts of what happened step by step. .
It sounds to me that your problem arises from an assumption that you were supposed to explain the workings of their cash register machines to the editor rather than just explaining the actual sequence of how it happened from your point of view....That would be something like you brought your item up to the counter, the clerk rang you up and gave you a total., you handed the clerk cash and the clerk handed you a receipt. When you looked at the receipt you noticed it had the wrong store address printed on it although the location name was correct.
Perhaps I am wrong in my assumptions and if so I apologize but if that is what happened then it might be helpful for you to let them know the steps as they happened and just state that you misunderstood what they were asking for.
Our pay grade does not include explanations of why things work the way they do! Just the facts of what happened step by step. .
Alta360 is now part of Intouch Insight, just like SeeLevel. Intouch Insight is another company that is swallowing up smaller MSCs like Ipsos did.
Alta is far from perfect, but up until Intouch Insight took over they were relatively easy to deal with. They listened to exceptions and understood when things came up. But, I can't say that is still the case. Though they pay quicker now than they used to.
Alta is far from perfect, but up until Intouch Insight took over they were relatively easy to deal with. They listened to exceptions and understood when things came up. But, I can't say that is still the case. Though they pay quicker now than they used to.
Alta360 is still one of those MSCs on my lists that I'll do jobs for sometimes. I have no issues with Intouch Insight either. The only job Alta did not approve for me was one of the shops where you have to buy with a credit card at a certain gas station. You have to take an overall photo with the sign. I normally do that when I'm leaving the premises. When I came out of the store there was a disturbance going on. My attention went to it, and I left without the photo. I didn't realize it until I was back home. I did turn in the report and explained what happened, but it was rejected. I understood, and I was most definitely at fault. It worked to my benefit. The job was still sitting there a few weeks later, so when I was back out that way I picked it up with a good bonus. I made back my loss from the first shop, and still had a nice fee leftover.
I also think something is awry in the OPs story.
I also think something is awry in the OPs story.
@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz wrote:
1. You shopped for Alta360 for two years but you got their name wrong both in the subject header and the text of your post.
2. There are multiple mistakes in your post in addition to the wrong MSC name.
3. You noticed the addresses on the receipts were way off but claimed not to know what happened when the scheduler asked for an explanation. You took (and are still taking) the stance that it was the chain's fault and there was nothing you could do to address the problem.
4. Your scheduler did try to look into the issue by asking you for an explanation but you were not helpful. Why should the scheduler do more than you to get you paid when you wouldn't lift a finger to help? You noticed the addresses were wrong but did nothing at the time to obtain other proof of visit. You could have taken pictures of the exterior after each shop (preferably with an app that shows the GPS/address info.), or bought something cheap at a nearby business to obtain a receipt with an address w/ the correct street/city/state info. Even if you didn't do anything right after the shops, you could have obtained proof later on the same day showing which state you were in -- to prove you could not have possibly shopped the wrong stores in different states.
5. I, too, suspect you left out significant details in your post. There is no reason for an MSC to ban a shopper from a client if the only issue was the wrong addresses on two receipts.
6. What "digging" did you do? Did the receipts not have the name of the large retail chain on them?
@sil2222 wrote:
Ive been shopping a certain retail shops for Alsa 360 for about 2 years. The shops dont pay much and I pick them up for candy/ Soda money. Well I completed 2 shops separate location and paid with cash. The clerks provided me the receipt and I noticed the addresses on both receipts were in a different state, but I did not think it was a problem because its a large retail chain and it must be some type of computer problem. Well I was wrong the scheduler sends me an email about the receipts asking for me to explain what happened. I do not know what happened. I just went to the stores and completed the shops and paid with cash. So the scheduler tells me I wont get paid for the 2 shops then I noticed the shops are no longer available to me. So basically I am being held liable for the receipts the store provided me when I paid. The receipts actually had the correct location business names, but the wrong address and state. I still dont know why this happened , but it seems the scheduler did not want to look into the issue any further. I did some digging with the information on the receipts and found that they are linked to the correct retail stores I visited, but the scheduler did not follow up on this information. So now I am not able to work those little shops anymore because they gave me receipts that had wrong information on them. Anybody else have a similar issue where you get punished for something that is out of your control ?
I've got to admit, I love the way Busy calls BS, no holds barred!
Morled,
In addition to paying more rapidly than Ritter, Intouch also, at least in my experience, is willing to pay considerably more when the need arises. Ritter was definitely a bottom paying MSC. Finally, again in my experience, communication is top shelf. Whether it involves E-mail or the phone, the exchange is professional.
In addition to paying more rapidly than Ritter, Intouch also, at least in my experience, is willing to pay considerably more when the need arises. Ritter was definitely a bottom paying MSC. Finally, again in my experience, communication is top shelf. Whether it involves E-mail or the phone, the exchange is professional.
Hm, I decided to sign up for Alta 360. Didn't see any in my area, but saw some in a neighboring city. Every once in a while I see it on the secret platform. Oh well, maybe I'll check on it every once in a while.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/2024 02:32PM by Okie.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/2024 02:32PM by Okie.
Not sure which part of TX you're in, Okie, but there's stuff out there on the Shopmetrics platform. But TX is bigger than many countries so keep looking when the first of the month hits, you might see something near you.
Use a large search radius just to get an idea of the brands being shopped then you'll know the possibilities for what's local to you.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/2024 04:28PM by sestrahelena.
Use a large search radius just to get an idea of the brands being shopped then you'll know the possibilities for what's local to you.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/2024 04:28PM by sestrahelena.
Thanks! That helps, I'll take a look when next month comes around. I think some similar locations nearby may be available then.
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