Why Would You Take These Shops????
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Instead of concentrating on what other people take shops for, I only concentrate on what I take shops for.
There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind
At the moment only demons come to mind
@bgriffin wrote:
Instead of concentrating on what other people take shops for, I only concentrate on what I take shops for.
Enough said!
My posts are solely based on my opinions and for my entertainment, contact a professional if you need real advice.
When you get in debt you become a slave. - Andrew Jackson
When you get in debt you become a slave. - Andrew Jackson
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/29/2015 11:42PM by MDavisnowell.
Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/29/2015 11:42PM by MDavisnowell.
The way I look at it, the more of the $8 jobs my competition takes the less time they'll have to take the $20-$30 shops that I'd rather do. More good shops for me!
There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind
At the moment only demons come to mind
There is more to it than just the fee. Maybe a cluster of ten $8 mystery shops can be completed in three hours or less including reports while two $40 shops might take the better part of a day between trying to reach a target and a long tedious report. It's when the $8 shop is accompanied by a $40 report that it becomes an issue
Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.
@bgriffin wrote:
The way I look at it, the more of the $8 jobs my competition takes the less time they'll have to take the $20-$30 shops that I'd rather do. More good shops for me!
Hmmm...never looked at it in that light.
I often see the same shops that someone took off the boards at $8 come back later, highly bonused. They obviously flaked having decided it was not worth it. So then I scoop them up with the bonus. They just did me a favor.
The movie shops only pay $5 but it's an afternoon well spent with my mother, plus I don't have to pay for tickets or concessions so there is the money saved factor.
Kim
@kimmiemae wrote:
The movie shops only pay $5 but it's an afternoon well spent with my mother, plus I don't have to pay for tickets or concessions so there is the money saved factor.
yep, agreed
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/29/2015 11:40PM by MDavisnowell.
Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/29/2015 11:40PM by MDavisnowell.
OP, don't be so arrogant. I assure you that I can "construct a proper sentence". I also fit this description of yours - "professional and complete their assignments on time and deliver reports that don't require much in the way of clarification."
Yet I will take an $8 shop anytime it is convenient to do so. I live in a major city and bonuses are extremely rare. So if an $8 shop is along my way to the usual $10-$15 shops, I'll gladly spend the 20 minutes to do the shop. Its all profit. And rather than be self-righteous about the fee and let someone else take it, I'd rather pocket the extra $8 myself.
Yet I will take an $8 shop anytime it is convenient to do so. I live in a major city and bonuses are extremely rare. So if an $8 shop is along my way to the usual $10-$15 shops, I'll gladly spend the 20 minutes to do the shop. Its all profit. And rather than be self-righteous about the fee and let someone else take it, I'd rather pocket the extra $8 myself.
I will take one maybe two just to see what they are about and if the report is short enough before I put them on the ten foot pole list. Or I will do one shop at each location that they have in town.
I hear ya parkcitybrian! When I was brand new I took $4 gas shops that paid $1 in fuel and I did these in my gas guzzling Ford Explorer. I thought it was just wonderful. It was probably the reason I got smart, realized I wasn't making any money and gave up mystery shopping for a while but when I came back to it I had a different attitude. I don't look at a shop under $15 anymore and even then only if there are others nearby.
I spent 95 minutes, including drive time and reporting, to do two $8 grocery store shops today. That's $16 plus $20 of groceries for less than two hours of work on a rainy morning with nothing else to do. Its ignorant to generalize and criticize $8 shops.
And for folks trying hard to make ends meet, $8 plus lunch PLUS a meal to take home is a nice shop. Everyone has different circumstances, so don't be so quick to make blanket judgements.
And for folks trying hard to make ends meet, $8 plus lunch PLUS a meal to take home is a nice shop. Everyone has different circumstances, so don't be so quick to make blanket judgements.
To be fair, I don't think the OP was criticizing anyone who takes low paying shops. Rather, I interpreted his words as meaning that our work is worth more than the low pay being offered. If we refuse to take them, he believes that shoppers who are less competent than we are will be the only ones to do them, and then the MSCs will be forced to offer more in order for us to do them.
Effectively he thinks that you (and he) are worth more than the current pay.
The argument fails, however, due to the very tiny percentage of all shoppers who are members of this Forum. Were we to all opt out of low paying jobs, it would force nothing, because I don't think the MSCs would notice.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/09/2015 10:54AM by elcarev68.
Effectively he thinks that you (and he) are worth more than the current pay.
The argument fails, however, due to the very tiny percentage of all shoppers who are members of this Forum. Were we to all opt out of low paying jobs, it would force nothing, because I don't think the MSCs would notice.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/09/2015 10:54AM by elcarev68.
@roxy1 - I don't think anyone begrudges others for taking $8 out of necessity. IF anything, like elcarev says, we're unhappy with the MSC's for offering them at what is clearly less than we're worth. To me they're taking advantage of people who NEED an income, however minimal it is.
When you're in a situation where you need food/rent/life, you do what you need to do. It's a shame that, in most cases, MSC's try their damnedest to pay what relates to less-than-minimum wage.
When you're in a situation where you need food/rent/life, you do what you need to do. It's a shame that, in most cases, MSC's try their damnedest to pay what relates to less-than-minimum wage.
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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
I take on lots of $5-8 jobs....
If they don't come with a nice meal or some kind of reimbursement amount, they're typically reports I can complete in 30 minutes or less, especially many of the $5 phone evaluations.
We all have a different reasons for mystery shopping. While many aim to make as much money as possible, I may be in the minority and use mystery shopping to subsidize my lifestyle and I take into consideration the reimbursements with this kind of work. I do not rely on mystery shopping as a main source of income.
I take on low-fee restaurant assignments to try out new foods from restaurants. Additionally, I rarely pay for food out of my pocket, while in the end save a ton of money and time for meal prepping. This also allows me to take girls out on dates with little expenses.
I take on low-fee movie theater assignments to, again, take girls out on dates and to just be able to catch a flick for 15-30 minutes of my report time.
I take on low-fee phone evaluations or convenience store assignments because they're simple and the reports are a decent bang for my buck.
Think outside of the box for a second instead of condescendingly suggesting that these low-fee shops should be meant for the incompetent....
If they don't come with a nice meal or some kind of reimbursement amount, they're typically reports I can complete in 30 minutes or less, especially many of the $5 phone evaluations.
We all have a different reasons for mystery shopping. While many aim to make as much money as possible, I may be in the minority and use mystery shopping to subsidize my lifestyle and I take into consideration the reimbursements with this kind of work. I do not rely on mystery shopping as a main source of income.
I take on low-fee restaurant assignments to try out new foods from restaurants. Additionally, I rarely pay for food out of my pocket, while in the end save a ton of money and time for meal prepping. This also allows me to take girls out on dates with little expenses.
I take on low-fee movie theater assignments to, again, take girls out on dates and to just be able to catch a flick for 15-30 minutes of my report time.
I take on low-fee phone evaluations or convenience store assignments because they're simple and the reports are a decent bang for my buck.
Think outside of the box for a second instead of condescendingly suggesting that these low-fee shops should be meant for the incompetent....
Shopping the Greater Denver Area, Colorado Springs and in-between in Colorado. 33 year old male and willing to travel!
I agree with the majority of the responses to the OP's post. I had the same thinking as bgriffin which REALLY scares me. I normally do not accept shops under $10.00 but when I was housebound recovering from surgery, $8 to $10 phone shops helped with the boredom and brought a little money in. Now I have no need for those shops so let someone else recovering from an injury have them.
We have no idea what other people are going through or what their circumstances are. I refuse to take FF shops because I can't stand that type of food but some people love those shops. And maybe they NEED to take them because it puts food in their kids' stomachs.
We have no idea what other people are going through or what their circumstances are. I refuse to take FF shops because I can't stand that type of food but some people love those shops. And maybe they NEED to take them because it puts food in their kids' stomachs.
I guess it depends - I've used $7 jobs as fillers if I knew that they were ... the level of work required of a $7 job. Get in, get out, type up report real quick, save on gas.
Somewhere in the Midwest, shopping / auditing full time since 2014. Will use PV-500 for food! 
To me if I accept an $8 shop it means - EASY report, verses a $25 shop. Many times, that is totally worth it to me. Particularly on a route.
Another way I look at an $8 shop (if it's easy).. That's 2.5 gallons of gas. Lowers my route cost. IF it can be done really quick.
Somewhere in the Midwest, shopping / auditing full time since 2014. Will use PV-500 for food!
@kimmiemae wrote:
The movie shops only pay $5 but it's an afternoon well spent with my mother, plus I don't have to pay for tickets or concessions so there is the money saved factor.
I just did the $5 movie shop. I had not seen a movie in ages and decided why not? They are paying for the movie and the expensive snacks. The report was fast, all yes, or no's. Small narrative only if you had no's.
I fit it in with all my other shops
I don't think anyone was questioning low fee shops with decent reimbursement. Just look at ACL. They're not having any trouble filling most of their reimbursement-only shops.
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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
Ohhhhhh. I'm doing my very first reimbursement only meal shop for them this week. I'm kind of excited.
There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind
At the moment only demons come to mind
I did an ACL dinner shop. Could not arrive before 7PM. Drinks and Appetizer at the bar. Move to a table for Dinner, another Alcoholic Drink and Dessert. Arrived home @ 11:30, full and buzzed. All I wanted to do was take a nap but knew I would never get up and finish the report by 7AM. My typing was as slurred as my brain and it took me until 3AM to finally be able to submit the report. Full reimbursement plus $10. Never again, unless they extend the report time. Good Food!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/09/2015 04:16AM by BeachBumess.
Shopping Central Jersey Shoreline. WHAT? I'm an adult?! When did this happen?! How do I make it stop?!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/09/2015 04:16AM by BeachBumess.
I've never submitted an ACL dinner report before noon the next day and it's never been questioned. They're very reasonable people.
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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.
When I perform an ACL lunch, I meet the 12-hour deadline. When I perform an ACL dinner, I always ask for a longer deadline AHEAD of time especially if alcohol is involved. They always laugh when I say that they would not want to edit my buzzed report.
If I did not accept any jobs under $8, I would have almost no jobs to do. In my area the pay is low and most of the jobs get grabbed quickly without a bonus. I take these jobs because they are the only ones I can get.
I am insulted by parkcitybrain who said to leave the $5 - $8 jobs to those who could not construct a proper sentence using a noun, adjective or adverb, or to those who could not complete a report without help.
I have been shopping for about a year now. I have taken jobs that pay these fees and would again if I could find them. I am not greedy.
Many years ago I was involved in a hobby called "refunding". Manufacturers used to give cash and coupons to people who would send in UPC codes or bottle caps or whatever was required to get the "refund". Along the way many offers called for original cash register receipts. Many people went so far as to manufacture receipts at home to get a refund they were not entitled to. This was the downfall of "refunding". Greed is what it is called.
By getting on a high horse and telling other people who do mystery shopping that "if we all stop accepting jobs that pay $5 - $8" the MSC will start paying more is, in a similar way, on the same level as "refunding". Greed will be the downfall.
I think I have all my verbs, adverbs, adjectives and punctuation in place.
I have been shopping for about a year now. I have taken jobs that pay these fees and would again if I could find them. I am not greedy.
Many years ago I was involved in a hobby called "refunding". Manufacturers used to give cash and coupons to people who would send in UPC codes or bottle caps or whatever was required to get the "refund". Along the way many offers called for original cash register receipts. Many people went so far as to manufacture receipts at home to get a refund they were not entitled to. This was the downfall of "refunding". Greed is what it is called.
By getting on a high horse and telling other people who do mystery shopping that "if we all stop accepting jobs that pay $5 - $8" the MSC will start paying more is, in a similar way, on the same level as "refunding". Greed will be the downfall.
I think I have all my verbs, adverbs, adjectives and punctuation in place.
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