My bet would be that bonuses are at stake on the shops so they anticipate that the location will challenge a poor report.

?? Looking behind the purple door. Any suggestions on types you enjoy? Thanks, not sure what to choose. Will be my first!

MsLynn: to answer your ??. I like doing the shops with sticker placement. the company sends them Fed X. I do a lot for a major retail co. They have a store on every corner just about. I sign up for a bunch and do them in one day. Good luck! In my area, south east, can't go wrong with MFP.

I'm just disgusted with their pay schedule; when I started you were paid on the 10th; if the 10th was a weekend you got paid the Friday before hand via DD. Then it went a few days longer, I figured, its winter, things happen. Then back to the 10th. Then last month says processed on the 10th, doesn't hit until the 11th (which was kind of weird). Today is the 9th, no direct deposit is even scheduled (not even saying processing) so that means they'll start Monday the 12th and we get it the 14th or so. They need to have the same sort of consistency as they expect from their contractors IMO. If its not until the 15th or whatever and you've changed it - FINE. Just let people know whats going on. A lot of people use MFI as their "bread and butter" company and depend on that bigger deposit for more significant bills of the month.

Rant over.

I do their FF shops because there are so many locations in my area and, apparently, not enough interested shoppers which results in a lot of bonus $s. I've memorized the job requirements, so they're very easy even though you have to do the drive thru and walk in during the same short time allotment.

anakin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This is a sincere question.
>
> I just saw couple of their postings and felt that
> even Nike might be paying more to their Chinese
> workers than what they are offering. Here are
> couple of examples:
>
> 1.Estimated in-store time: 30 Minutes
> Merchandiser pay rate: $5.00 Flat Rate
> Download your paperwork
> Update your status on the website to let us know
> you’re all set
> Submit your completed report online within 12
> hours of assignment completion with required
> pictures.
>
> 2. This is a COVERT assignment
> This assignment is expected to take
> approximately 45-60 minutes to complete – the list
> of products to audit will be about 60 items.
>
> Payment for completed assignments is $8.00 –
> ($4.00 for a store closure or manager
> refusal.....Then how can this be covert?).
>
> Print and familiarize yourself with the field form
> prior to conducting your assignment – they will be
> broken down by area of the store
> Take your field form to the store and use it
> like a “shopping list.”
> Record the regular price and sales price for
> each product you find.
> Enter the price for each product you find on
> your field form.
> Enter your results online when you return
> home.
>
> I wonder the powers to be at Marketforce must be
> super humans who can do all of the above in 45
> minutes (including drive time + gas money).


Well I can tell you that market force in one of the best companies I have worked fro. The pay is mostly on time, and I can negotiate the pay. You have to have done a lot of shops for them to do this though. I like them can't complain been thought there are some issues. As of today I face much bigger issues with quite few other companies. I am finding out it is best "not" to to take very complicated time consuming shops form any of these companies. I got screwed with one that took me three hours and 15 dollars of gas. They purposely got me to send the packages and then told me I took too long and that they did not want me to work for them. they were okay until that very detailed and complicated assignment. Never again will I trust any of these companies for large detailed assignments...I am going through something similar now with athpower.

When some one wants you to do a job for $2-3/hr....they can't be the best company to work for.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/12/2011 04:18PM by anakin.

I love the blue side, it's probably my favorite msc but the purple portal has the most confusing paperwork and most unprofessional employees I've ever interacted with.

After this last go round, I honestly don't think I'm going to work for them any more.

I did a shop and the paperwork was incredibly confusing. I had to message them for more info. It even included a site visit that I didn't have to do but the paperwork NEVER explained that. Guess it's good I asked.

Then, over a month after I'd submitted a report and a couple weeks after I'd been paid for it, they sent me a message (with several grammatical errors in the subject) saying there was an error and I needed to go back and add the info they said was missing and resubmit my report. I looked back at my copy of the report and I HAD included that information on it. Then when I looked at the report on their site, it had the correct info on it. I resubmitted it without any changes. Sent them a note telling them what I did and apparently they were happy with that. What the heck???? I swear it's like they lost my report or something, but I was not about to redo it, even though it was only a page.

MarionS, Wow what a shame you had such a bad time. I really prefer purple over blue, for a couple of reasons. Where I am the blue is mostly ff and that isn't really my thing and they pay 1xper month. The ones I do are retail and the reports aren't bad. The purple side has a larger variety and I can book 5+8 of the same project if they are close together.The reports are a breeze and they pay 2x per month. I agree, their grammer and spelling is , however, the schedulers I have come in contact with, both message and phone are great. This is my theory, I would rather do 5+shops in a 3 mile radius, that takes 20 min. each to complete, including the report, than 1 shop that waves " some money," takes an hour and the report is a nitemare.

Its an easy $25/week for me. I'm currently an unemployed full time student. I can make an additional $25/week without it affecting my unemployment insurance - anything more is deducted 75% from unemployment, so I'm basically working for free (rather spend that time on school work). Its difficult to find a 'real' job where I can make 'only $25/week and be able to work it around my school schedule. Oh course, I also pick up some of the shops that only reimburse and don't pay, so thats basically free $$$. Sure, its only $25/week, but when all of unemployment insurance goes to pay the mortgage, every extra dollar counts.
I'm in a pretty large city, so many of the shops are within just a few miles of home. I usually just do them when I'm out running errands so it doesn't involve a whole lot of time or expenses.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/2011 05:33PM by CaliforniaPlaya.

I was called by Certified Field Associates (Market Force), they were in a real spot and needed help. They wanted me to do four jobs that required traveling over 700 miles. We agreed that they would pay me $400.00 for all four jobs. They were reluctant because I had never done a reset job, but they couldn't find anyone else. Two days later I went and did the jobs. Seventeen hours later and over $200.00 in gas, I finished the jobs. I had trouble with the web site and didn't understand some of it so my reports were screwed up. It was a week end so I thought it could wait. Wrong. They removed the jobs from the web site and now won't pay me because my reports are all wrong. That was three weeks ago. Do not trust these people.

WHERE did you go?

jfhuntsr: I'm with suzieboz...where did you go? I haven't seen a project from MF that asked someone who hasn't done resets, much less drive that distance. I was in retail for 30yrs., doing resets and wouldn't drive that distance frome my house. Did you try to contact the scheduler and ask for help with the reports? I am sorry that this happened.

jfhuntsr: Don't wait until Monday if there's ever a problem. Send an e-mail asap describing your problem with the report and the site. Then your message will be in their pipeline & MF may be less likely to reject if they see you tried to get help but couldn't.

I have just started with MF but have already decided not to do a particular ff job again. Not only is the pay low, the reimbursement amount doesn't cover the cheapest of the required menu options. All that and I can't have the mayo I hate held on my burger!

Hurry Hurry. They have a bonused baloon shop for $12.

They can blow something for that job for 12 bucks and it is not a balloon.

JFhuntsr,

That is a very expensive lesson and so sorry you had to go through that. When things go bad, you need to contact the company ASAP. I know certified often has people working on the weekends with some of their movie projects. I often get calls on Saturdays to go out and work for them. If I had a major problem, I would always call and/or leave an e-mail. Most of the time shops will go off of your list after certain period of time that they are late.

This is another reminder of why it is important to try a shop before agreeing to travel to far to complete it. Unfortunately we are at the discretion of the companies as to whether or not they pay us. Obviously word gets out if they do not pay too often, but we have limited recourse when they aren't paid---- especially when there is an error that is on our end.

I shop for Market Force. Why? They were the 1st company to allow me to shop for them. I pay my dues.

Market Force has straightforward shops, clear guidelines, and cordial employees. They pay as agreed. If they have a shop that fits my program, I'm very pleased to work for them. They were willing to offer me work when I started mystery shopping. I appreciate the guidance they gave me, and I will continue to work with them for as long as they like.

I totally agree MDavis & Rich - been with MF for over 8 years. I do wonder about 1 client of theirs. They used to have a GREAT "burger & fries" joint (not their traditional FF shop). But it hasn't shown up in my area in months. Just wondering if this one is still offered in other areas.

sun&fun I'm doing "burger & fries" tomorrow for MF. I'm in Lexington, KY

Thanks geteisen for the info. I'm glad to know they are still a client of MF. One of the schedulers told me a while back they'll have a new round of these shops coming out, but they used to be offered here regularly. I saw something on a current events show about how well this company is doing and growing - just thought maybe they didn't need shoppers anymore.

Enjoy your meal - I LOVED this shop!!

I loved the burger but not the fries. No worries, my husband ate the fries ;-)

ChardonnayLuvr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've been quite unhappy with them recently; I've
> shopped FF for them for over 5 years. Recently I
> ordered my coffee at the FF place "1/2 decaf".
> They disqualified the shop because this was a
> "special order". Are you kidding me? I've been
> doing it the entire 5 years and they just NOW
> decide to not pay me and DQ the shop?
>
> At another FF shop, I dropped my change while
> paying the cashier and was honest in the paperwork
> that this prolonged the timing (of paying NOT of
> receiving food). They DQ'd the shop because I
> didn't have the proper money/change ready. SO,
> from now on, I guess I'll just lie to them!!!
> (This was one where they had increased the fee to
> $18, too! I had only taken it for that reason;
> it's WAY too far for me to drive otherwise.)

I agree, I was told to do one which was a "special order" shop and I asked for everything removed except two main toppings. It was disqualified because I didn't specify each ingredient to be removed individually.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2011 03:39AM by Lindazane.

They cheated both of you.

vtrimmier Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MsLynn: to answer your ??. I like doing the shops
> with sticker placement. the company sends them Fed
> X. I do a lot for a major retail co. They have a
> store on every corner just about. I sign up for a
> bunch and do them in one day. Good luck! In my
> area, south east, can't go wrong with MFP.


Thank you very much for the feedback! Have yet to choose a job from the maroon colored portal, but will soon! Thanks again.

cvb42jeb Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I do their FF shops because there are so many
> locations in my area and, apparently, not enough
> interested shoppers which results in a lot of
> bonus $s. I've memorized the job requirements, so
> they're very easy even though you have to do the
> drive thru and walk in during the same short time
> allotment.

Are you referring the the purple door? I do a lot of ff too. Now they call me all the time offering jobs paying bonuses. Am a little peeved though. I recently accepted at least three jobs, bonus-ed to $10. Similar jobs now posted bonus-ed at 15, like a day or two later. Drats!