Regal Hospitality Group I accepted a mystery shop assignment from an internet posting from Regal Hospitality Group at 13940 W. Hillsborough Ave. Tampa FL 33635. Phone number 813-854-1855. The advertised work was to do a mystery shop of a Marriott Hotel 1401 Lee Highway Arlington, VA 22209.  Tampa FL

I was to book one night at the hotel and make a purchase at the bar and room service and pay with cash. Regal Hospitality Group advertised that I would be reimbursed for the hotel room, the cash payments at the bar and room service and a $35 fee for submitting a report to Regal Hospitality Group, who would then submit their findings to Marriot Key Bridge.

On May 7, 2017, I traveled to the hotel in Arlington, VA and performed the mystery shop tasks as required. When I arrived home, I submitted the report to Regal Hospitality Group. Approximately a week later, I received a call from Regal Hospitality Group asking me some questions about the shop I submitted. I than was sent an email another week later while I was out of the country from Regal, letting me know that had more questions.

Upon coming back into the country and receiving the email, I called Regal and answered some more questions. Regal Hospitality Group then told me that I had done the shop incorrectly. I was told they would not being paying me the $35 fee for the shop and I would not be reimbursed the $167.60 that I put out in cash to perform the room service and bar tasks. Regal told me that Marriott would be reversing the room charges of $257.16 on my credit card.

In March of 2018, the room charges had still not been reversed from Marriott on my credit card. I contact Marriott Key Bridge I spoke with Christina Devairakkam in the finance and accounting department. She sent me an invoice of $1358.76 that Regal Hospitality had billed the Marriott for my mystery shop services. Christina told me this entire invoice had been paid to Regal Hospitality Group.

The itemized invoice (enclosed) included $799 less $100 if paid by invoice date for mystery shop work performed on 5/7/2017. Administration fee of $35. Cash expenditures (which was out of my own pocket) of $167.60 and Hotel room charges (also out of my own pocket) of $257.16. Marriott informed me that they used my report of the mystery shop findings and therefore paid Regal Hospitality Group for the work performed, plus all of my out of pocket of pocket expense in order for Regal to forward my portion of out pocket expenses to me as an independent contractor.

Regal has refused to compensate me for my out of pocket expenses and the agreed upon fee for my work and has kept the entire payment for themselves. Regal had me put out $459.76 of my own money to perform the shop. They then billed Marriott for my out of pocket expenses and kept the money form themselves.