@Minime wrote:
Indastruktable: Close to a year ago I started a thread about the possibility of ‘class action lawsuits’ being imposed on the most frequent MSC offender, Ipsos, for their unfair practices against ICs. It was met with a lot of half baked BS from people who wanted to either brown nose - knowing that Ipsos spies are a presence on this board - or impose their own personal experience with them over mine in a condescending way. Some strongly rejected the thought of being considered an ‘employee’ of the MSC, with the point of it going way over their heads.
I backed up my reasoning for the possibility of a class action suit by sharing facts about the changes that took place on the federal level to protect ICs , which commenced on 3/11/2024. That info was ignored by the OPs. Since that deadline I’ve seen changes in how Ipsos handles their below minimum wage shops. They’ve become more ‘squirrelly’ but have not fully changed their ways, probably due to the fact that there are still people willing to pick the low hanging fruit, who they can continue to take advantage of. I stated that there was no reason given for rejecting the shop I performed (which they were forced to pay because they couldn’t find one) and Ipsos appeared to be running out the clock on the high paying, ‘last minute’ shop in the boonies as a way to get something for nothing. When I sounded the alarm that this was happening with their higher ups, one was extremely nasty and her boss deactivated my account right after it was paid.
Some of the responses to my post stated that there simply wasn’t enough people to start a lawsuit, using some flawed calculus. Others stated it wasn’t worth getting banned. They would accept the loss, which makes it harder on the rest of us. Exposing their actions and reporting it to the proper authorities will eventually lead to a class action lawsuit, and those members will profit far more than the naysayers get for putting up with their abuse.
Ipsos doesn’t value their ICs enough to work out any issues with the shops. They’re always MIA, and now that they've imposed the midnight deadline for the submitted shops to go POOF, the ICs have no proof they completed the shop to spec. Ipsos obviously won’t tell anyone they’ve been banned, but that’s the punishment rendered for not taking their sh* t. It’s a well known fact. The dumb mistake NYS made was imposing a minimum earnings amount before a complaint can be heard, if what the OP stated is true. Ipsos will ensure the IC will never make enough $ to get that far. They leave theICs who have sacrificed the most for them scratching their heads, wondering what rose to the level of being devalued and ignored. There’s no ‘relationship building’ with that lousy, cut throat company.
I believe this law was created primarily as some sort of protection for ICs who work for ride share companies (Über, Lyft, etc…)
With that said, you’re absolutely right—Ipsos has built a pattern of exploiting independent contractors, hiding behind policies that make it difficult to hold them accountable. Your experience really highlights how they operate: pushing ICs to take on shops that barely pay enough, rejecting reports without proper feedback, and creating arbitrary deadlines that wipe out any trace of completed work. It’s frustrating, and I understand why you’d raise the possibility of a class action lawsuit to address these unfair practices.
The lack of transparency and accountability from Ipsos is exactly why so many ICs feel powerless. And when some choose to overlook these issues or dismiss them, it only strengthens Ipsos’s position. They bank on the fact that people will tolerate the abuse, thinking there’s no viable recourse or that it’s too risky to challenge them.
Your mention of federal changes to IC protections on 3/11/2024 is a valuable point—those laws were designed to make companies treat ICs fairly and protect them from exactly the kind of exploitative practices you’re describing. This should make Ipsos more accountable, and I agree that if more people reported these issues, it could eventually lead to serious consequences for them. A class action lawsuit would not only address compensation but would also set a precedent, showing companies like Ipsos that they can’t continue this way without repercussions.
For anyone reading this thread who’s experiencing similar treatment, it’s worth documenting everything, from guidelines to email threads, so there’s a record of what you were asked to do and the efforts you put in. Even with the midnight deadline policy, any evidence of discrepancies can build a case. And for those in states without strong IC protections, federal agencies like the FTC might still be an option.
Your persistence in raising awareness is important. Standing up to Ipsos, whether individually or as part of a larger effort, can eventually drive the change that’s needed. It’s about time ICs were treated with respect and fairness.