Company Watch List
As this site is dedicated mostly to reviews, I feel that it's important that we keep a record of companies that have been known for being unreliable. It's important to note every mystery shopping company, no matter how well-run or shopper-friendly, will always have its critics. The point of maintaining this list is to create awareness of MSPs that have not only a few critics, but major and significant problems.
New shoppers may not be familiar with the infamous G3 (Global Growth Group) debacle. G3 was one of the industry's larger mystery shopping providers. However, it shut its doors in 2005, and all evidence points to the fact that it continued to hire out shoppers during the last few months, knowing that they would not be paid. Even as the company was closing down, G3 responded to shoppers assuring that they would all be paid, but it did not happen. Thousands of dollars are still owed to shoppers, as well as direct employees left without paychecks. After such an event, it's necessary to be reasonably critical of a company's claims if they appear not to follow up on those claims; lack of communication and payment are warning signs that the company may be in distress or simply may not care to meet its commitments.
The following is a list of companies that the mystery shopping community should be concerned about due to the apparent risk of working for them (based on their reputation). Completing shops for the following companies is not advised until their problems are resolved, at which point they will be removed from this list.
Hilli Dunlap: Hilli Dunlap also had major payment problems in late 2005 and ongoing. According to Hilli Dunlap, this was due to an embezzling problem with one of its employees, and they publicly put out a statement to their shoppers that, in order to pay for recent shops (in order to keep money flowing in), old shops would be placed in a "holding file" and paid out at some time in the future when the company's finances were in better order.
Sadly, many still report that their correspondence to Hilli Dunlap has gone unanswered as to when they will be paid -- including certified mail returned. Hilli Dunlap has not been communicative about how many are in their "holding file" or when they can expect to be paid, though some shoppers who have been persistent in contacting Hilli Dunlap have been paid for old shops. I, unfortunately, suspect that the holding file is a convenient way to convince some shoppers not to bother contacting them and to write off the shop money as lost.
Infotel: Infotel has a bad reputation among a large number of shoppers for payment problems (spanning over the last several years). Its own website claims payments should be sent the 25th of the following month, yet shoppers report waiting months past this time to get payment, and some months-old shops that remain unpaid. The company often blames its payment issues on PayPal and is not quick to respond to shoppers with problems. If you choose to work for Infotel, expect that payments may take four to five months and a lot of hassle.
Jancyn: Whether it is intentionally misleading business practices or just poor organization and communication skill by schedulers, Jancyn is known for not keeping its' word with shoppers in a wide variety of ways in recent months. A signficant number of payments have been significantly late or incorrect. Many shoppers report that the terms of a shop have changed after completing it (for example, a reimbursement allowance being decreased without notice); in other cases, offered bonuses were not fulfilled when the shop was completed. Some shoppers have reported very rude interactions with schedulers, or schedulers only releasing payments owed if they agree to take on additional shops. However, the feelings about Jancyn have been mixed; some shoppers report only positive experiences.
Satisfaction Services, Inc. In January 2006, SSI launched a new Rated Evaluator program that requires an upfront fee to shoppers (currently at an "introductory rate" of $5.99, planned to go up to $9.99) in order to receive feedback and to have preferential treatment for shops. Existing shoppers are required to sign up to keep their previous rating. SSI has never been known for being high paying, so I find that their assertion that "your signup fee can be recouped in value with your first assignment" to be laughable. Also note that "due to the nature of our business, meaning, clients we service may or may not have locations close to you, there may be another evaluator more qualified than you for a particular assignment, there are no guarantees you will receive assignments, and there can be no refunds of your signup fee." Substandard pay is bad enough, but a non-refundable fee just to receive feedback and evaluations? I think not.
The Solomon Group: I've always been a fan of the motto "don't pay to shop", so I have to give a warning about The Solomon Group, which has a required training that you must pay for even if you're MSPA certified. (The company defends this saying that you're not paying to shop, you're paying to be trained, but the training is required to work for them.) These shops range from $34.95 - $59.90 just for this one company! (Compare MSPA Silver at $15 and it is good at hundreds of companies.) Sure, in theory, it could apply to other restaurant shops, but at that pricetag, I simply can't justify it. In addition, you're required to do sample shops at restaurants at your own expense. I can understand that companies have their own expenses; to a point, I could understand a business reason to lower shop fees for extensive trainings, or even take the fees for trainings out of the first few shops (although I doubt I would work for such a company). However, you have to be trained to even be added to their database and know if there are shops in your area. There's simply no reason to do this when there are other restaurant shops out there and it is preying on people who are simply uninformed about mystery shopping.
Do you agree or disagree with what you have read? Please leave a comment with your experiences with the above companies, or a suggestion for a company that should be added to this list. This file was last updated on 1/23/2006.
New shoppers may not be familiar with the infamous G3 (Global Growth Group) debacle. G3 was one of the industry's larger mystery shopping providers. However, it shut its doors in 2005, and all evidence points to the fact that it continued to hire out shoppers during the last few months, knowing that they would not be paid. Even as the company was closing down, G3 responded to shoppers assuring that they would all be paid, but it did not happen. Thousands of dollars are still owed to shoppers, as well as direct employees left without paychecks. After such an event, it's necessary to be reasonably critical of a company's claims if they appear not to follow up on those claims; lack of communication and payment are warning signs that the company may be in distress or simply may not care to meet its commitments.
The following is a list of companies that the mystery shopping community should be concerned about due to the apparent risk of working for them (based on their reputation). Completing shops for the following companies is not advised until their problems are resolved, at which point they will be removed from this list.
Hilli Dunlap: Hilli Dunlap also had major payment problems in late 2005 and ongoing. According to Hilli Dunlap, this was due to an embezzling problem with one of its employees, and they publicly put out a statement to their shoppers that, in order to pay for recent shops (in order to keep money flowing in), old shops would be placed in a "holding file" and paid out at some time in the future when the company's finances were in better order.
Sadly, many still report that their correspondence to Hilli Dunlap has gone unanswered as to when they will be paid -- including certified mail returned. Hilli Dunlap has not been communicative about how many are in their "holding file" or when they can expect to be paid, though some shoppers who have been persistent in contacting Hilli Dunlap have been paid for old shops. I, unfortunately, suspect that the holding file is a convenient way to convince some shoppers not to bother contacting them and to write off the shop money as lost.
Infotel: Infotel has a bad reputation among a large number of shoppers for payment problems (spanning over the last several years). Its own website claims payments should be sent the 25th of the following month, yet shoppers report waiting months past this time to get payment, and some months-old shops that remain unpaid. The company often blames its payment issues on PayPal and is not quick to respond to shoppers with problems. If you choose to work for Infotel, expect that payments may take four to five months and a lot of hassle.
Jancyn: Whether it is intentionally misleading business practices or just poor organization and communication skill by schedulers, Jancyn is known for not keeping its' word with shoppers in a wide variety of ways in recent months. A signficant number of payments have been significantly late or incorrect. Many shoppers report that the terms of a shop have changed after completing it (for example, a reimbursement allowance being decreased without notice); in other cases, offered bonuses were not fulfilled when the shop was completed. Some shoppers have reported very rude interactions with schedulers, or schedulers only releasing payments owed if they agree to take on additional shops. However, the feelings about Jancyn have been mixed; some shoppers report only positive experiences.
Satisfaction Services, Inc. In January 2006, SSI launched a new Rated Evaluator program that requires an upfront fee to shoppers (currently at an "introductory rate" of $5.99, planned to go up to $9.99) in order to receive feedback and to have preferential treatment for shops. Existing shoppers are required to sign up to keep their previous rating. SSI has never been known for being high paying, so I find that their assertion that "your signup fee can be recouped in value with your first assignment" to be laughable. Also note that "due to the nature of our business, meaning, clients we service may or may not have locations close to you, there may be another evaluator more qualified than you for a particular assignment, there are no guarantees you will receive assignments, and there can be no refunds of your signup fee." Substandard pay is bad enough, but a non-refundable fee just to receive feedback and evaluations? I think not.
The Solomon Group: I've always been a fan of the motto "don't pay to shop", so I have to give a warning about The Solomon Group, which has a required training that you must pay for even if you're MSPA certified. (The company defends this saying that you're not paying to shop, you're paying to be trained, but the training is required to work for them.) These shops range from $34.95 - $59.90 just for this one company! (Compare MSPA Silver at $15 and it is good at hundreds of companies.) Sure, in theory, it could apply to other restaurant shops, but at that pricetag, I simply can't justify it. In addition, you're required to do sample shops at restaurants at your own expense. I can understand that companies have their own expenses; to a point, I could understand a business reason to lower shop fees for extensive trainings, or even take the fees for trainings out of the first few shops (although I doubt I would work for such a company). However, you have to be trained to even be added to their database and know if there are shops in your area. There's simply no reason to do this when there are other restaurant shops out there and it is preying on people who are simply uninformed about mystery shopping.
Do you agree or disagree with what you have read? Please leave a comment with your experiences with the above companies, or a suggestion for a company that should be added to this list. This file was last updated on 1/23/2006.
posted by The Reviewer at 4:11 PM
17 Comments:
Right on the money for all companies! I also have to congratulate you on the elegant writing.
I have had payment problems with Jancyn. I have had to email them for payment the past 3 months. It takes them up to 2 weeks just to respond to my email...UNACCEPTABLE!!
I have a friend that shops for them that has been in the same situation.
The part you reported about them requiring you to take additional shops to receive payment is UNACCEPTABLE too.
I will not work for such an unprofessional company.
Mystery shopping no longer seems worth the hassle. Why bother when you have to harrass them for the payment?
How naive are shoppers to believe a few (one?) who say they are 'forced by schedulers to accept more shops in order to be paid for what they've done'?? Are some adults that controllable by others and not in control of themselves? Also, I know a scheduler, who sometimes has to inquire of their pay just like shoppers so if schedulers had that much control with pay, don't you think they'd pay themselves whenever they felt like it if they could? Their billing department controls those buttons.
I no longer work for Hilli Dunlap (they actually had the embezzlement much earlier than 2005 - at least 2-3 years earlier) I hounded them until I finally received payment for my shops before quitting them. I also stiopped Infotel because of very late payments. I have not, at this time, had a problem with Jancyn or Solomon Group.
It has been over a year and Hilli Dunlap has not paid me for my work. Emails go unanswered and ingnored. My suggestion is don't put in the time to work for them if you want to be paid.
I did a few shops for Jancyn. When I got the instructions for the last shop I did, I made the mistake of emailing the scheduler for clarification on one point. The email I got back was nothing but a rant. It was crazy. She told me that if shoppers would just read the instructions, blah blah, blah blah. The email went on and on. It was rude and insulting. I did that job and it was my last.
I disagree with the comments on Satisfaction Services. I paid to be "rated" and receive several assignments each month, plus more offers I do not accept. Their forms are easy. I have received some of the largest reimbursements from this company when purchases are required (up to $25 at a sporting goods store). I have received simple revealed assignments, and an assortment of non-revealed restaurants and retail shops. I have received bonuses. Payment has always been correct and punctual, the month following the assignments. Helpful and pleasant schedulers too!
I've done several shops for Satisfaction Services, beginning in early September, but have not yet been paid for any of them. Does anyone know what their schedule is for payments?
Satisfaction Services ... well, some folks don't have a problem. Some people grin and bear it when Infotel holds their payment for 120 days, too. Sadly, they both charge to be a "rated evaluator" -- which nearly all other MSPs do for free -- as well as have a track record of late payments.
Check out the last few pages of this Volition thread:
http://forum.volition.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5482
Satisfaction Services is a franchise. Two of their franchisees have sued Satisfaction Services for breach of contract. One of their offices started bouncing checks. Granted, there is positive feedback too ... but just because some people don't have bad experiences, doesn't mean it's a good company.
IMHO, they started charging shoppers since they got some national publicity by being The Today Show about a year ago... but still have poor business practices. All in all it sums up to not being a great company.
Infotel is still screwing people and is still late when folks finally are paid.
I have shopped a few times for Satisfaction Services and I've always been paid quickly. I do NOT pay for their services, either, and I'm contacted every so often.
I can agree with the Infotel and Solomon Group and Dunlap info. Solomon Group I had to beg for my money as well as the other two. I finally got my money from Dunlap. As for Jancyn, I USED to schedule for them and can say, I too had to ask where my pay was many times. It was not up to us as schedulers, but billing and the general manager who had to submit the shops. Many projects weren't submitted until they were fully completed and some areas were extremely hard to book. They still owe me $800 but I'll never see it. I for one didn't associate with the other schedulers and can't say if they stated pay would only be forthcoming if more jobs were taken. I know I NEVER said that because I wasn't in control of pay, so how could I say that? However, you have to note it's a two sided coin, I had many SHOPPERS threaten me and say they weren't going to shop if they didn't get paid and much more, MANY are very rude too and the way they type? Puleeze, don't call the kettle black until you can judge yourself. We had/have to put up with a lot too.
i want to add another company to your list. consumer critique inc. from beaverton oregon. they send you to an assignment then you fill out their online report. after receiving your report they say its not good enough and tell you they won't pay you. im not the only one this has happened too. beware of these thieves
I've been working with Satisfaction Services for six months now and have been paid very generously and on time every month. They are one of my favorite companies to shop for. I have not seen any problems with them yet.
I'll have to add *Customer Service Experts* for a scheduler named Julie Posner who must be so fed up with her job that she lashed out at me for cancelling a shop. She gave me a bad-mouthing on the CSE sassie site for everyone to see just because I cancelled a shop two days before it was due. I didn't do it and not ever speak to her, I emailed her and explained that I was a new shopper so had yet to get paid after nearly two months of buying stuff and had just done my accounting to find that I was negative 250 dollars from paying "upfronts" for restaurants and retail shops. So I really couldn't take on a $25 debt (for the two months while someone sits on the float). Watch out for these sort of "shops". That's a lot of cash to let them barrow from you for 60+ days for the measley $12 they're going to pay you. Plus your time, plus the gas! I'm not talking about using your own credit card and waiting 3 days to get the refund. I'm talking about where she wanted me to buy a $25 gift card and then I'd have to send the card in to get my money back. I mean come on, how long would that take? No information was forth coming on that little caveat.
I have been a shopper and auditor, in conjunction to my career in advertising for 15 years. I work for about 12 companies. I worked successfully for Certified Field Associates for 6 months, 4 jobs a week. Then a desperate scheduler called me and asked me if I could take on a large handful of a new audits. I said, "Well, I will see what I can do and if there is anything I cannot complete I will know 36 hours before the due date and let you know." She said okay, and booked them for me. Eventually, I chose to send in a message regarding 3, that I just knew I couldn't make, 36 hours prior to due date, as I said. They messaged me back over the message board and were fine with that. I had they fleeting thought, "What if someone gives me trouble about those at some point?" so, I took a screen shot of the correspondence regarding the jobs. I had never canceled or been late on 4 jobs a week, for 6 months. At this point, I had completed and entered 11 jobs and had one to go. I get a phone call the next morning at 5 AM, and was chewed out by the scheduler for canceling 3 out of the 15, she almost begged me to do. I reminded her about the arrangement we had. She tells me she is going to be in trouble. She says her supervisor wants to talk with me. We get on together and I told her to look at the message board. Low and behold, we get on there and someone had erased ALL of my messages, incoming and outgoing. She told me they didn't have the ability to do that and essentially that I was a liar, despite my track record. I told her I had saved screen shots! She told me to go ahead and do the last one I had left and enter it. I conducted the audit that day and entered it in the evening. I took a screen shot of the 12 entered jobs. I felt very unsure at this point after the very rude call I'd abruptly received and the deleted messages. The next day I logged in and discovered they had deleted my entered jobs- ALL 12 OF THEM.
I called and spoke with an associate who put me on hold and spoke to the same supervisor. He comes back and says, "Oh yeah, she says they can't use your reports because they believe you falsified information." I thought I was going to shoot through the roof. Here I had pained myself, to acquire the most scattered and detailed information. Because I called the the supervisor on their sneaky ways and mistake, they completely screwed me over, intentionally. She knew she was going to do this when she told me to go ahead and complete the last one, after I had 11 already entered. It was horrible and I had to let go of around $250. Then at random, 4 months later I receive a $60 direct deposit from them. Strange. Though I enjoyed 6 fruitful months with Certified, because of this game they played with me in the end, I would advise strongly not to get too involved with them.
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