Shopper’s Hotline

Before I begin I would like to remind everyone that it is very rare for me to give a negative post or review. I do not give a bad review unless I have had a bad experience and I only give it because I want you to make an informed decision. Shoppers Hotline is one of those few times I did not have a good experience with a legitimate work at home company.

Shoppers Hotline is legit. They do pay and they are easy to use. Shoppers Hotline is a scan company much like Home Scan. Basically, you receive a hand held scanner and you scan the barcode of everything that you purchase. The scanner plugs into your phone line and once a week or so it send your information. You receive points for scanning any items you purchase each week (whether it be groceries, clothes, etc), and often a bonus for doing it every week, and for doing surveys.

I have done Shoppers Hotline for almost three years. It takes time to scan each item when you get home from shopping but it is easy and even somewhat fun. Personally, I do not go shopping every week for groceries and anything else I shop for probably less than once a month. I usually get enough food to last us two weeks so I never qualify for the extra bonus for doing it every week.

Shoppers Hotline also sends out surveys you can take and I do try to take as many of those as I can.

I have made $17 on my Shoppers Hotline debit card after almost three years of scanning! I have made more from survey companies, and pay to click email sites. You may be wondering why I kept doing it for so little but I had not really paid attention as I usually let these type of things just add up until I want something then I cash them in.

Somehow I have missed checking up on Shoppers Hotline until recently, when I once again realized the batteries were dead in the scanner. I’m not sure how such a small piece of equipment goes through batteries so quickly, about every month and a half to two months. This year we have been slowly moving ourselves over to rechargeable batteries. Though cheaper in the long run, these batteries are very expensive upfront, and you have to purchase the charger as well.

I realized it has actually cost me money to be a part of Shoppers Hotline because of the cost of batteries, factor in my time and it just becomes ridiculous!

Once this sunk in I just quit using the machine.

Let me stop here and also explain that Shoppers Hotline is a company run out of India. Let me also say that normally this wouldn’t bother me but the few times I have had to call, two of the operators were very rude and one was very nice. All three made for a difficult conversation as I could not completely understand their accents and they could not understand mine or what I was trying to say. One problem was because they threatened to cancel my enrollment because I hadn’t transmitted data in a month. This was last August when the hubby and I lived without electric or water for a month while the new home was being put in. I explained why I hadn’t transmitted and was told that was fine and they would give me a few more weeks to get settled. I received two more phone calls in the next two days stating I was going to be cancelled for not transmitting. I finally had my husband stop at the gas station for something to scan. Remember, I still didn’t realize this was costing me money.

Back to now. I stopped scanning over two months ago. I honestly didn’t think anything more about it. Last week I received a letter in the mail from Shoppers Hotline. This letter offered an address I could email to request a prepaid return kit for my three year old hand held scanner and if I did not return the scanner I would be sent to a collection agency and charged $270.00!!!! I was shocked and offended. I pride myself on the good credit I have struggled to get for my husband and I and to be told collection activities would be started for me over a survey company was unreal. I looked back over my Shoppers Hotline info and there is some fine print about returning the scanner or being charged and I appreciate they send a prepaid return package but the rudeness of their letter was too much.

If you have had a good experience with Shoppers Hotline please contribute an article with your experience as I do believe in sharing both sides.

I am going to take my $17 and chalk this up to a learning experience and I hope you learn from it as well.