I did these until I had to start making three or four phone calls to get paid. Four months is too long to wait and then they kept misplacing my invoice! I can do an IKEA in about 1 1/2 hours (you don't have to wait for service, go ask the people as soon as you hit the department, it saves time. The longest part is usually waiting for the pick up item and then standing in line for the return. The report on the other hand took a few hours. Heavily bonused, they were okay shops until I had to start pulling teeth to get paid. That MSC is red lined on my spread sheet and they will have to start getting good reviews here and elsewhere to get me to work for them again. Too many other companies pay quicker, have less hassles and easier high paying jobs for me to hassle with this one.

NEVER, EVER would I do this shop again! Not even with 40% less to do on the questionnaire.

I spent over 4 hours in the store and still did not finish by the time they closed. The location was an hour from my house, so there was no way I was going back to finish up 2 departments the next day. I had called the scheduler beforehand and she said that doing the shop in a couple of hours was possible. Bull!

After spending hours and hours on the report, I simply gave up and wrote it off as a loss. My blood pressure was so high that I had to go to the doctor the next day.

I e-mailed the scheduler after submitting what I had finished and told her that I was done. This is the only time in over 40 years that I did not complete an assignment after starting it.

Robin, good decision to stay clear of the IKEA shops. WAY too much work for the money. By the time you get through the shop, the drive, and the reporting, you end up making about 50 cents an hour.

I know this is an obvious question, but why don't they break it up into several smaller shops. Wouldn't it be more attractive and less daunting for one person to do?

(heart)

A year or two ago I was out of work and desperate for money so I took a few Ikea shops for the $105 bonused payment. I did complete them but it was high anxiety. Five hours in the store and another 4-5 hours to input the report. Now fully employed, I have kept my distance from IKEA shops.

Well, I applied for an IKEA shop and then when I got approved, I read the guidelines....OMG!! I just sent an email to the scheduled saying I would NOT do the shop! I do not care if they ban me from their database, I haven't worked for them but what they're asking is OUTRAGEOUS!

I mean, for 50$ (the fee here in California), you can do 2 investment bank shops where you just have to sit down and listen to a financial advisor and then report everything. How do they expect us to remember EVERYTHING they ask from us ? Really, those people have never been doing shops!

Given I haven't been paid yet, I really haven't made anything from the one IKEA shop I've done. However, were I to be paid the $65 for the shop, after the ELEVEN hours I put in (three hours on the shop, eight hours on the report), I earned less than $6/hour!!! In order for me to even consider doing one again, first they'd have to pay me about $400 to make it worth my while because I make way more than that an hour in my regular job and don't have to work nearly as hard. It was one of my first shops, and I didn't know better (I was wondering why it was posted for so long; I kept pondering whether or not I wanted to pick it up before I finally wanted to try it out because the shop said expect to take about two hours to do this extremely-detailed shop.

To be honest, I'd expect them to also pay me $177 minimum additional for the first shop to at least match my regular wage for the amount of work I did. Man, I thought the shop was tiring until I had to sit down and write the report. It took me all day long!

I guess I will have to employ the efforts of a poster upthread to get my money. I think I will call first then do an e-mail follow-up...every day. I see the amount of money decreasing even more with the additional work I have to do to get paid (I mean money paid per hour of work/effort).

Few years back I received an email from a scheduler trying to fill one of these. I wrote back and politely declined, citing what I had read on this forum written by shoppers who had ventured out and tried one - and only one - and that it sounded like far too much work for the assignment fee. I got a fairly snippy email back, saying that she had LOTS of shoppers who absolutely LOVE these shops and she would have no trouble filling it. Uh...right.

I hope they changed the report. I about had a nervous breakdown over it... but I DID complete it. If they reduced it significantly, maybe I'd do it again, but it would have to be 60% or video.

I should mention that Ikea was one of the "oh dear Lord!" shops we discussed at my Chipotle training. The one in my state is closer to where the folks I was training with live...and I told them that you all had saved me from the fate of thinking I could try one of these! ;-)

The closest Ikea to me is about an hour away, and I've been wanting to take a trip back there. But, after reading about these shops on this forum, it will NOT be as a mystery shopper! Especially if I have to drive back to return an item.

I'm another "determined to remain an Ikea virgin" after reading posts here! Thank you all for the warnings!

BirdyC Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> I'm another "determined to remain an Ikea virgin"
> after reading posts here! Thank you all for the
> warnings!

I pledge to also! This forum has saved me from many 'nightmare' shops. Thanks to all who post their experiences, trials, and tribulations, so that others may be saved!

Y'all haven't figured out that they're all telling you this so you'll stay away from them and they'll sit on the board until they're bonused and then the people that warned you off of them will swoop in and get primo shops for a lot of money?





*sometimes I have a vivid imagination

bgriffin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Y'all haven't figured out that they're all telling
> you this so you'll stay away from them and they'll
> sit on the board until they're bonused and then
> the people that warned you off of them will swoop
> in and get primo shops for a lot of money?
>
>
Well now, you sound like someone quite familiar...let me think...thinking....still thinking.....oh yeah, now I remember.... it's (the old) FREELANCEREPORTER!

(heart)

Not true at all. My name isn't in all caps!

robinv Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I won't do IKEA after reading all the horror
> stories here. A virgin I will stay, LOL!
>
> Robinv


A pure white, unspoiled Ikea Virgin! You Go!

jackthomas Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not only that but the shops used to pay $90 now I
> believe it's down to $65 for a full day of
> work...Not worth it...
>
> Katnina Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > the email said they reduced it by 40%. anyone
> > willing to try it now? I'm not!! Ikea is the
> ONLY
> > shop I have ever flaked on. I got so
> overwhelmed
> > while at the store, I emailed them and said, I
> > cannot complete this shop, it is too too much
> for
> > me.

Geesh! $65 bucks, a waste of a whole day!

.... when instead, we can hit up a shoe shop, a chicken shop, a mall shop, hair cuttery shop, ice cream shop, toy shop, bank shop and a burger joint for much MORE than that!

Do they at least give you one of those free Allen wrenches that are used to assemble their furniture? A plate of Swedish Meatballs?

As someone else posted, I accepted one (since I was traveling to IKEA anyway). After reading the instructions, I immediately declined. NOT worth it! I ended up picking up two Lowes shops and a grocery shop on my way to IKEA and made more $. I we able to complete all reports while in the care returning home. I love shopping (as a customer) at IKEA. I would hate to taint my experience with this shop.

I love love love actually shopping at Ikea, and so when I decided to take on one of their shops I was delighted. OMG, having done MSing full time-ish for seven years I can truthfully say that there has been no other shop which has completely devastated me and turned in to such a nightmare as this one. Even at 50% reduced, it would STILL be the worst MS experience of my life. At the time I took it I thought, "WOW - big fee!". I was crying hysterically and my shop still got rejected even after seven hours of input. They wouldn't hear my arguments. It was absolutely horrible.

Never ever again, and I shop there frequently!

SunnyDays2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jackthomas Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Not only that but the shops used to pay $90 now
> I
> > believe it's down to $65 for a full day of
> > work...Not worth it...
> >
> > Katnina Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > the email said they reduced it by 40%.
> anyone
> > > willing to try it now? I'm not!! Ikea is the
> > ONLY
> > > shop I have ever flaked on. I got so
> > overwhelmed
> > > while at the store, I emailed them and said,
> I
> > > cannot complete this shop, it is too too much
> > for
> > > me.
>
> Geesh! $65 bucks, a waste of a whole day!
>
> .... when instead, we can hit up a shoe shop, a
> chicken shop, a mall shop, hair cuttery shop, ice
> cream shop, toy shop, bank shop and a burger joint
> for much MORE than that!

$65 nothing; it's down to $50 now.

I did the revised shop also mainly because I love IKEA.... it's still confusing and not worth it....stay sane unless you want to make this an all-day project.....

MM1970 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SunnyDays2 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > jackthomas Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Not only that but the shops used to pay $90
> now
> > I
> > > believe it's down to $65 for a full day of
> > > work...Not worth it...
> > >
> > > Katnina Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > the email said they reduced it by 40%.
> > anyone
> > > > willing to try it now? I'm not!! Ikea is
> the
> > > ONLY
> > > > shop I have ever flaked on. I got so
> > > overwhelmed
> > > > while at the store, I emailed them and
> said,
> > I
> > > > cannot complete this shop, it is too too
> much
> > > for
> > > > me.
> >
> > Geesh! $65 bucks, a waste of a whole day!
> >
> > .... when instead, we can hit up a shoe shop, a
> > chicken shop, a mall shop, hair cuttery shop,
> ice
> > cream shop, toy shop, bank shop and a burger
> joint
> > for much MORE than that!
>
> $65 nothing; it's down to $50 now.

Less money....MORE misery

bgriffin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Y'all haven't figured out that they're all telling
> you this so you'll stay away from them and they'll
> sit on the board until they're bonused and then
> the people that warned you off of them will swoop
> in and get primo shops for a lot of money?


Um, I don't think this is the case at all, bgriffin. Have you ever tried to do an IKEA shop? I ended up in the doctor's office due to the stress. I was at IKEA for over 3 hours and still had 5 departments to shop, but could not finish because the store closed. Then I spent another 5 or 6 hours on the report hoping to go back the next day to complete it. My blood pressure was so high the next morning that I rushed myself to the doctor. Total waste of 11 hours total including travel.

There is no way in this world that I would EVER, EVER do this shop...even for $200 or $300 or more. So bgriffin, you are certainly incorrect in your statement as many others will agree. Your opinion is duly noted though and thanks for sharing.

I hate IKEA as it as. The parking is worse than Wal-Mart! I have a hard time finding my way around as it is. To do a shop? Yeah, after reading these, I would rather do $10 cell phone shops an hour away!

We have one IKEA here and it's far from me. I see these emails often for this shop. It pays only $45.00. Out of curiosity, I looked to see if they had been assigned, and, sure enough, someone has taken at least one of the two available shops.

bgriffin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Y'all haven't figured out that they're all telling
> you this so you'll stay away from them and they'll
> sit on the board until they're bonused and then
> the people that warned you off of them will swoop
> in and get primo shops for a lot of money?
>
>
>
>
>
> *sometimes I have a vivid imagination

I assure you, nslowry, this was only meant as a joke. (Note the asterisk.)

(heart)

nslowry Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Your opinion
> is duly noted though and thanks for sharing.


As is your lack of a sense of humor.

Oooooh.......

(heart)

I used to shop IKEA regularly when they were paying $90 to $100. They are now down to $70 in my area so I have declined them so far....