Freeman Letter
Fluxmaster - Cancel, walk away, don't look back. Many have posted here about not being paid by Freeman. You didn't know about this when you took the job. Now you do. Don't be guilted into working and spending your money for nothing. Mystery shopping is not supposed to be a charity.
Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.
I think that if any shopper explained to a scheduler that they were not comfortable performing a shop because of what they read about Freeman and the loss of MSPA membership, they would be excused from the shop.
If the scheduler is heavy-handed in pressuring you to still take the job, makes a promise of a quick payment or denies the problems you have read about, then they are not someone you want to be working with anyway, since that's unethical behavior IMHO.
If the scheduler is heavy-handed in pressuring you to still take the job, makes a promise of a quick payment or denies the problems you have read about, then they are not someone you want to be working with anyway, since that's unethical behavior IMHO.
I agree with all the above. Fluxmaster, although I am the same way as you apparently are about canceling shops, in this case I would cancel. Freeman has not been paying shoppes in a very, very long time, so getting your money is not a good bet. In addition, most of Freeman's shops require that you spend a substantial amount of your own money and wait for reimbursement as well as pay. While I *might* be willing to risk not getting paid a fee for a fee-only shop, I would not put out my own money if I did not have a good feeling that I would be reimbursed in a timely manner. This is one I would cancel - and I'd be glad I found out in time to do so. Whichever way you go, good luck!
I agree Fluxmaster. If the scheduler pressure by saying they have worked through that issue ask for hotel cost up front. If they are unwilling to put money up front I woulr be unwilling to do the shop.
Thanks for all the advice, everyone.
You make me feel better about canceling the shop. I do have a message into the scheduler and I'll wait until I hear from her. If I don't hear back form her in the next couple of days, I'll cancel the shop.
You're right. I don't want to be stuck with a huge payout that I didn't get reimbursed just because I felt like I needed to be "nice." In all my years of mystery shopping, I have never not been paid for a shop and I would feel foolish to start now.
You make me feel better about canceling the shop. I do have a message into the scheduler and I'll wait until I hear from her. If I don't hear back form her in the next couple of days, I'll cancel the shop.
You're right. I don't want to be stuck with a huge payout that I didn't get reimbursed just because I felt like I needed to be "nice." In all my years of mystery shopping, I have never not been paid for a shop and I would feel foolish to start now.
Shopping the greater Los Angeles area and beyond
About Freeman Group are they "on the brink of disaster" my b.f. has done about 5 shops so far (since June) and isn't too sure about taking more..just read the letter from Bill Freeman..any new news?
Start nagging them and make noise. Seems the ones that has bugged the you know what out of them are the ones being paid. Start calling or emailing everyday and they will pay quicker.
Karen,
If he did the shops in June, he hasn't even reached the point where he should have been paid yet according to their terms which state 12 weeks. While they are not yet late, I wouldn't be expecting payment anytime soon or anywhere near their stated guidelines.
I have an unpaid shop from February. I have emailed Kim Scarcia and haven't had a response since June. I did e-mail Bill Freeman last weeked and got an almost immeadiate response promising payment by last Wednesday. Not here yet.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/26/2012 03:47PM by Shelly.
If he did the shops in June, he hasn't even reached the point where he should have been paid yet according to their terms which state 12 weeks. While they are not yet late, I wouldn't be expecting payment anytime soon or anywhere near their stated guidelines.
I have an unpaid shop from February. I have emailed Kim Scarcia and haven't had a response since June. I did e-mail Bill Freeman last weeked and got an almost immeadiate response promising payment by last Wednesday. Not here yet.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/26/2012 03:47PM by Shelly.
Thanks Shelly for the reply. Do you knowod any other companies that do hotel shops in the U.S. that are reliable and have you had any "trouble" with Tiffany the scheduler?....not returning phone calls etc..?
Karen,
I emailed Tiffany, the scheduler on Friday and waited until today for a response (not all schedulers work weekends like the rest of us!
. She did email me back with a note stating that they "typically" pay 10-12 weeks after a shop completion, but to contact Kim Scarcia re: payment questions.
She said that she doesn't handle shopper payments so that she was unfortunately not able to make any guarantees.
I'm glad she was straightforward and honest with me, but I still canceled the shop in light of all that's going on with Freeman right now. And also deactivated myself in their sytem.
Hopefully, your boyfriend can get paid soon. Squeaky wheel, etc. Good luck!
I emailed Tiffany, the scheduler on Friday and waited until today for a response (not all schedulers work weekends like the rest of us!
. She did email me back with a note stating that they "typically" pay 10-12 weeks after a shop completion, but to contact Kim Scarcia re: payment questions.
She said that she doesn't handle shopper payments so that she was unfortunately not able to make any guarantees.
I'm glad she was straightforward and honest with me, but I still canceled the shop in light of all that's going on with Freeman right now. And also deactivated myself in their sytem.
Hopefully, your boyfriend can get paid soon. Squeaky wheel, etc. Good luck!
Shopping the greater Los Angeles area and beyond
I received an auto reply from the Kim Scarcia e-mail that she is no longer working for the company.
Shelly Wrote:
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> I received an auto reply from the Kim Scarcia
> e-mail that she is no longer working for the
> company.
Ouch! Not that I blame her but does this seem to anyone else like rats abandoning the ship?
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> I received an auto reply from the Kim Scarcia
> e-mail that she is no longer working for the
> company.
Ouch! Not that I blame her but does this seem to anyone else like rats abandoning the ship?
Im not personally owed by the Freeman group but while that letter does seem to own up to the problems it also contains some huge red flags.
There is an undelying subtle threat that you won't get paid unless you keep taking assignments while pushing out the payment dates even further
You can bet your sweet tush people working at the Freeman group will be getting paid from the jobs people take now while the shoppers wait to get repaid.
Hate to say this but this is a classic ponzi/ robbing peter to pay paul situation.
In this case..... robbing shoppers to pay owners/workers.....
Hope everyone has a chair when the music stops?
When part of you business plan is to sell stuff........ thats not good either.
Sounds like they have exhausted all lines of normal credit and dont even have the ability to sell an equity share in the company to raise capital.
If this company just did shops where you had very small/no reinbursements then it would be a reasonable risk.
Based on the facts as we know them I would be exteremely wary of doing any jobs for this company as the risk of default would seem to be very high.
There is an undelying subtle threat that you won't get paid unless you keep taking assignments while pushing out the payment dates even further
You can bet your sweet tush people working at the Freeman group will be getting paid from the jobs people take now while the shoppers wait to get repaid.
Hate to say this but this is a classic ponzi/ robbing peter to pay paul situation.
In this case..... robbing shoppers to pay owners/workers.....
Hope everyone has a chair when the music stops?
When part of you business plan is to sell stuff........ thats not good either.
Sounds like they have exhausted all lines of normal credit and dont even have the ability to sell an equity share in the company to raise capital.
If this company just did shops where you had very small/no reinbursements then it would be a reasonable risk.
Based on the facts as we know them I would be exteremely wary of doing any jobs for this company as the risk of default would seem to be very high.
What is more interesting with the letter from Kim is that I finally got a reply from an e-mail I had sent a month earlier checking to confirm the amount I was owed in order to assist with payment. I responded (about 36 hours later as I had not checked my e-mail) and got the auto reply that she no longer worked for the company.
I just called Freeman, asked for Kim, and was told she no longer worked with the company. I was directed to Amy (forgot the last name), and left a voice mail as she was out of the office today. Apparently she has access to Kim's emails so should be able to follow up with anyone where Kim left off. Hopefully this brings resolution. Funny thing is I've gotten 3 more emails requesting me to do the same shop, which I'm not touching now due to all of this. Really sad and I hope Freeman can turn things around but I'm doubtful at this point.
Sounds like everyone need to start all over with Amy. It appeared that the only way I got my money was working with Kim. Now she is not there, they game starts over with a new dealer.
I have posted this previously, but for those of you who did not see it, here is a list of the executive e-mail addresses for Freeman. I had performed 2 shops for them in December, and I was strung along just like everyone else.. until I sent a demand letter to each and every one of the executives. Remarkably, I was paid for one shop within a week of the first e-mail, then when I sent out a second e-mail..slightly more demanding.. I was paid within a few days. I have been told by other shoppers that this method worked for them too. Here's the list:
jboles@freemangroup.org, kwolff@freemangroup.org, pmoore@freemangroup.org, pobryan@freemangroup.org, pvishy@freemangroup.org, bavant@freemangroup.org, gmarquart@freemangroup.org, dhyatt@freemangroup.org, rscott@freemangroup.org, bgarbacz@freemangroup.org, wtarrant@freemangroup.org, bfreeman@freemangroup.org.
jboles@freemangroup.org, kwolff@freemangroup.org, pmoore@freemangroup.org, pobryan@freemangroup.org, pvishy@freemangroup.org, bavant@freemangroup.org, gmarquart@freemangroup.org, dhyatt@freemangroup.org, rscott@freemangroup.org, bgarbacz@freemangroup.org, wtarrant@freemangroup.org, bfreeman@freemangroup.org.
I have sent one letter to this list already, which is what prompted them to send me the infamous "Freeman Letter." I will go ahead and send a second email. FYI, Amy has not returned my call (did I really expect her to?)
Just remember the squeaky wheel will get the oil. I would suggest hint a few words to get their attention; lawyer, lawsuit, and immediate attention. Just one persons opinion. I believe that is what expatiate my payment.
I would also call and mass email the company every single day, including weekends.
A single email or call is not a squeaky wheel.
A single email or call is not a squeaky wheel.
Has anyone considered a class action lawsuit? It would take a good deal of organization and an attorney. Perhaps this is a longshot but something needs to be done, if not for us (those owed money) but others that appear to be working for them in the future. I don't know any shoppers that can afford to just suck this up.
This is/was being discussed earlier or on another thread. I am not sure what direction it was going.
Jacob started another thread called "Sticky".. below is what he wrote:
Shoppers who are owed money are beginning to coordinate our actions. If you are owed money, please fill out the form linked to below (created by one of our members)
Go to that thread and fill out the document in the link. I don't know where this is going either, but I believe it was to determine how many people are owed money by Freeman, the amount.. etc.. before looking into a class action suit against them.
Shoppers who are owed money are beginning to coordinate our actions. If you are owed money, please fill out the form linked to below (created by one of our members)
Go to that thread and fill out the document in the link. I don't know where this is going either, but I believe it was to determine how many people are owed money by Freeman, the amount.. etc.. before looking into a class action suit against them.
I am waiting on ................................................ One is from May and other from June. I keep getting the runarounds about payment.
Any advice? I left a voice mail at.........................................
Any advice? I left a voice mail at.........................................
Sharon51369 Wrote:
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> I am waiting on ................................ One is
> from May and other from June. I keep getting the
> runarounds about payment.
>
> Any advice? I left a voice mail at ........................................
Yes. Don't take any more shops.
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am waiting on ................................ One is
> from May and other from June. I keep getting the
> runarounds about payment.
>
> Any advice? I left a voice mail at ........................................
Yes. Don't take any more shops.
Happily shopping Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts and Connecticut
Read above in this thread. I posted a list of the corporate executive's e-mail addresses. Type a demand e-mail.. throwing in words like "my attorney".. etc.. and send it to each of them. Do this every day until you hear from someone. Worked for me. I was owed for 2 shops I did in December and at the end of August i was finally paid for both.. but only because I wore them out !!
AND.. don't take any more shops. This company is in serious financial hardship right now. In the "letter from Bill Freeman", he talks about "hoping" to get caught up by November.. but nothing in the letter sounded good. You would be a fool to work with them again.
AND.. don't take any more shops. This company is in serious financial hardship right now. In the "letter from Bill Freeman", he talks about "hoping" to get caught up by November.. but nothing in the letter sounded good. You would be a fool to work with them again.
Sharon you may want to edit your posting. I posting connects a client with a company. ICA?
Time for me to finally put some squeek in the wheel....I just sent an email to Freeman letting them know that I will be filing a smalls claims suit if I don't receive payment for my December 2011 hotel shop within 30 days...if they want to avoid extra court costs and interest it would behoove them to pay me the money they owe me! I will let you all know what happens...
Shelly Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I received an auto reply from the Kim Scarcia
> e-mail that she is no longer working for the
> company.
So did I -- a little later.
Jamie
Editor and shopper
-------------------------------------------------------
> I received an auto reply from the Kim Scarcia
> e-mail that she is no longer working for the
> company.
So did I -- a little later.
Jamie
Editor and shopper
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