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Has anyone done a 360 Relay shop posted on the isecretshop website?

August 28, 2022 04:25AM
Haven't done one from them before
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August 28, 2022 04:32AM
360 relay is renamed from 360 intel. They were something before they became 360 Intel, but I forgot that former name now. I've done quite a few shops for them and never had an issue. Not sure why they keep changing names.
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August 28, 2022 04:44AM
I have done quite a few shops for them. Have one scheduled for next month. I like them. The scheduler is real nice.
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August 28, 2022 05:09AM
@hbbigdaddy wrote:

360 relay is renamed from 360 intel. They were something before they became 360 Intel, but I forgot that former name now. I've done quite a few shops for them and never had an issue. Not sure why they keep changing names.

Goodwin Hospitality.

Very infrequently shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado these days.
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August 28, 2022 12:48PM
The FLAT fee outfit, I avoid unless it has a bonus worth accepting.

A Dad shopping the Ark-LA-Tex and beyond.
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August 28, 2022 02:38PM
13 yrs. ago, I accepted two branded motel shops from Goodwin; each was near my store. After being assigned, but before visiting either location, I checked the Volition board and discovered they were not paying shoppers. I immediately canceled and then received a letter from the scheduler acknowledging the pay problem, but assuring me I would be paid from a special fund. My thought was male bovine manure.

I do not criticize those folks for whom second and/or subsequent chances are a way of life.and acknowledge they can occasionally be fruitful. As for me, though, I have zero recollection ever being rewarded for giving another chance and several occasions of regret; this based upon my youth.
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August 28, 2022 04:42PM
@ShoppingDad wrote:

The FLAT fee outfit, I avoid unless it has a bonus worth accepting.

Why? At the end of the day, flat fee type of work just needs an additional step of our own accounting for taxes…

Very infrequently shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado these days.
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August 28, 2022 05:09PM
I was unaware of their problems 13 years ago. I have only done food-related shops for them, so if they had hosed me on payment, it would have only been for my time inputting the reports since I had to eat a meal anyways. I have always been paid by them and I don't think I've seen any negative stuff about them (in the recent past), so maybe they had difficulties during a period and overcame them.

They had a pretty good restaurant chain in SoCal (family-friendly and reasonable prices). I miss them doing that smaller chain, but I don't think they have come back since Covid.

@shopperbob...I think your advice and positions are solid about 96.379% of the time. I do think however, that you can be rigid in a position from time to time. It sounds like you never were burned by Goodwin and dropped the shops to avoid that possibility. But to never shop with them because of a not so great period in their business existence seems a bit harsh.

@shopperbob wrote:

13 yrs. ago, I accepted two branded motel shops from Goodwin; each was near my store. After being assigned, but before visiting either location, I checked the Volition board and discovered they were not paying shoppers. I immediately canceled and then received a letter from the scheduler acknowledging the pay problem, but assuring me I would be paid from a special fund. My thought was male bovine manure.

I do not criticize those folks for whom second and/or subsequent chances are a way of life.and acknowledge they can occasionally be fruitful. As for me, though, I have zero recollection ever being rewarded for giving another chance and several occasions of regret; this based upon my youth.
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August 28, 2022 05:35PM
I did a number of shops for Goodwin back in the day, and never had an issue with payments. Around the time they switched over to ISS (2017 or thereabout), I took a break from MSing as I had a lot going on in my life at the time. Anyway, since having recently gotten back into it, I have done one shop for 360 Relay and it was easy. My shop was approved rather quickly, too. I don't think any past issues that some people had with the company are relevant today.

.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/28/2022 05:39PM by shopnyc.
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August 28, 2022 07:50PM
shopnyc posts--I don't think any past issues that some people had with the company are relevant today.

Bob replies--Obviously, they are not to you, but they are to me.

Daddy comments--I think your advice and positions are solid about 96.379% of the time. I do think however, that you can be rigid in a position from time to time.

Bob 2/3rds. agrees--On your statement of rigidity and my positions, I definitely agree, but not on advice. The reason being I merely stated my experience; I did not advise anyone on actions.
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August 28, 2022 08:18PM
@shopperbob wrote:

shopnyc posts--I don't think any past issues that some people had with the company are relevant today.

Bob replies--Obviously, they are not to you, but they are to me.
Regarding relevancy, I was thinking more in terms of turnover of personnel over the years. I knew the scheduler with whom I'd worked had moved on, and there could be completely different people running the show since Goodwin became 360 Intel, now 360 Relay. When I looked them up in ISS, that is the sense I had.

So, after your response to me, I went to their website. On their History page, they explain that 360 Relay was formerly *part of* Goodwin, which apparently had three branches. In 2018 all three converged to form one company, rebranded as 360 Intel at that time.

Furthermore, they are indeed under new leadership, as I had suspected. Further down the page, it states: "In 2021, Kurt Eddins took over full control of the business from Eric Goodwin, with great excitement and optimism about the company’s future." Their History page is at [www.360-relay.com] for anyone who wants to read it.

Now, I'm not recommending anyone do work for them or not. I don't know anything about Kurt Eddins and I've only done the one shop for them since they've become 360 Relay, but I'll be sure to report back if there are any issues with payment. However, for now, I'm not too worried.

.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/28/2022 08:34PM by shopnyc.
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August 28, 2022 08:40PM
shopnyc,

My compliments on an excellent post. My concern is and was never about me, as I have not the slightest need for money. It was for those shoppers yrs. ago, ill able to absorb the loss. As all are aware, it is one situation to lose a fee, but, completely different to lose a reimbursement. What I do not recall is the resolution of the situation, but that it occurred is sufficient for me to avoid the company. Finally,there is the BS scheduler who attempted to convince me that although they were not paying others, that would not apply to me. Her exact verbiage was "a special fund."
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August 28, 2022 11:22PM
@shopperbob

I can live without a food reimbursement. It's the reimbursements for crap I wouldn't buy in the first place that would bother me more. But then I would just return the items anyway.

Randi Hardiman has been at 360 for awhile now. Cannot tell you how many years, but she has been around for awhile.

Out of curiosity, I went back to my sent items and checked "Hardiman" and see sent emails from 2010

Randi Hardiman <rhardiman@goodwin-associates.com>
To:
rhardiman@mysteryshopperprogram.com
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August 29, 2022 02:30AM
@Tarantado wrote:

Why? At the end of the day, flat fee type of work just needs an additional step of our own accounting for taxes…

Many times their flat fee does not even cover the cost of what they require you to do to earn it.
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August 29, 2022 03:20PM
They have a very tasty sandwich place in my area that reimburses $12 only and the required cost of the items is easily $16-$17. I would pick it up all the time if it was a $12+$5 thing but unfortunately some people enjoy being out of pocket for these shops.
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August 29, 2022 03:53PM
Canadiang shares--unfortunately some people enjoy being out of pocket for these shops.

Bob opines--The greater the number of shoppers willing to work for a pittance, the lower will be the reimbursement. I fully expect some dining shops to fall to zero fee with a 50% bill covering.
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November 18, 2022 12:06PM
I had an issue with a shop being declined when the location was closed for renovation. This was not divulged in my required pre-visit phone call, which must have rolled over to a different branch/ location nearby, so I proceeded to the location I was assigned. I had even been offered a $15 bonus to accept this "urgent" distant shop last minute, spent an hour going to the location, and it was CLOSED! I took photos, explained the situation and filled out the survey. In addition, I wrote up and completed the first part of the 2 part shop and uploaded the required screenshot as proof of the call.
Scheduler Randi H said I would NOT be paid, period. I then emailed the CEO Kurt Eddins, and within 2 hours, full payment was issued. Nice! I guess Randi had a problem with that because a few hours later, she DELETED me as a shopper. Personally, I'd stay away. I also had a friend who was deleted as a shopper a few years back for an issue with ordering requirements at a seafood restaurant. Long story, but it appears that questioning unclear shop instructions/policies at 360 gets you deleted. Pretty petty. Kind of funny when I hear from shopper friends that there are many bonused/unclaimed shops in my town that I could have easily picked up if I hadn't been zapped from their roster. Their loss. LOL

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/2023 02:16AM by shopper64.
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