Happens all the time. "Dinner up to $100!!!" (but what you are allowed to order will never pass $35.) And another one now- a McDonald's Happy Meal shop that quotes "up to $28" in food reimbursement- but two happy meals at McDonalds will be less than $10.00 Who do they think they are fooling? The use the high quoted fee to peak your interest and rope you in. Pretty slimey if you ask me.

You can't read. Sorry. It's true. You aren't only ordering 2 Happy Meals.
The scheduler for these is a personal friend of mine. She's pretty smart. She has been around for over a decade. She was a shopper, right along with the rest of us, for years.
Go ahead and leave these for the rest of us (but not me this round, as I am traveling).

You must feel pretty strongly about this, because you posted to another thread about this and have now started a new thread to discuss it. [www.mysteryshopforum.com]

Now that it's in two places, I'll repeat my response to your first post about the subject. t first, let me add that SoCalMama made a good point about the inaccuracy of both your posts. This is not just the purchase of two happy meals.

I kind of think some of the over-statement comes from the client. The main MSC, which is different from this one, posts the shops for all the locations and also over-states the reimbursement amount. That MSC shows the reimbursement as up to $20, when in reality it usually runs about $12, less if it is a breakfast shop.

I don't necessarily think this company intends to be dishonest and misleading in order to con shoppers. I think they may be using maximum figures provided by the client.

I haven't actually seen a lot of shops that offer a huge reimbursement but the ordering requirements mean my reimbursement will be a much lesser figure. There are the McDonald's shops. I think all the MSCs that shop McD overstate the reimbursement amount. I think Jay C is right and that may come from McDonald's. But I haven't seen a lot of $100 reimbursement food shops that will be limited to a much lower amount. Of course, maybe it's a regional thing and there are other shops you are seeing that are not available in my area. Can you give examples? Since you haven't mentioned any MSCs, maybe you can tell us which clients you are referring to.

I usually see the opposite - I see reimbursement amounts and I must be careful to order items that will stay under that amount. Or, in a couple of cases, a reimbursement amount is stated but the ordering requirements mean I will definitely exceed the amount stated.

The idea of going out of pocket bothers me a whole lot more than the idea that a MSC states a much bigger reimbursement than I will use. Actually ...... now that I think about it, it doesn't really bother me at all that an MSC states a bigger reimbursement than I would use.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/05/2015 05:44AM by AustinMom.

The reason it says up to $28 reimbursement is because some cities the prices are higher. They are compensating you up to that amount if you shop in the more expensive cities.

When the MSC puts a ceiling on a shop expense, and they require a fixed purchase, they are likely putting the ceiling at the cost of the most expensive location that is shopped. Think downtown Manhattan, or inside an amusement park where the prices are jacked up to the max.

If they put the bar lower and you took a job at one of the most expensive locations, you'd never shop them again.

I get the question every time that asks me if I bought any additional item other than sand, drink, fries. It's always $12-$13 here for an inside and drive thru.

Haven't we had people complain when a FF or fast casual sets a lower flat reimbursement as the max because they do live in an area where prices are easily 50% higher? To me it seems the MSC has finally factored in the regional price differences and is assuring the shopper does not need to go out of pocket.

The instructions state that you must order a total of 2 Happy Meals, a 10-piece nugget, and a specialty lemonade. I'm sure after it's all said and done, it will cost around $11 in my city. I'm not sure why some people are so upset by the wording. If you don't like it, don't sign up for it. Simple as that

Bet that order in Hawaii or New York city would be close to the amount. Would far prefer to have it offered this way, more honest! Great scheduler for sure.

@scanman1 wrote:

I get the question every time that asks me if I bought any additional item other than sand, drink, fries. It's always $12-$13 here for an inside and drive thru.

I was quite shock when my local WI and DT came to over $14 last week. The prices keep creeping up. When I first started doing those shops, it was around $10. The OP's post for these McD shops are with another msc. I'll pass since I have no interest in kids meals.

In my area, it's around $12 - $13 for both WI and DT. The higher reimbursement shown doesn't bother me, though. It's way better than the Steakhouse shops that reimburse "up to" $35.00 when it's nearly impossible to spend that or less. Just the required purchases will put you over! I would rather them reimburse way more than I could spend, than way less than I know it will cost! Just sayin'!

I know which shops OP is referring to, they didn't use to even "cover" the required costs so I see this as an improvement..that being said, I think the shopper fee is way too low for all the work required and I easily pass right over them....

The usual walk in and drive through for me is usually close to $16. It's always covered.
I am going to do the otherone tomorrow for the $7 fee. As long as the food I must buy is reimbursed, I don't care about the wording. Why would I want $28 worth of the food? I just like feeling sure it will all be reimbursed.

The fee may not really be worth it, but it is helping edge my day up to a good day mystery shopping. If I could find something better, I would take something better.

I just came home from a Mexican fast casual that reimbursed up to $25 and allowed for one or two people on the shop. I ordered double meat and the most expensive of the items allowed and fell short by $3 and change going alone.

I needed to take two packets of alkeselzer in a tall glass of water before I finished the report.

You can eat too much trying to get all the reimbursement allowed. I would have been better off not eating all of the desert.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/2015 06:29PM by scanman1.

The main MSC with the up to $20 reimbursement is needed here. 13% HST makes the combination of WI and DT 17-18 usually. It flags the system every time when your order is over 15. It asks if you ordered extra things.

A reimbursement is simply getting cash back that I had to spend first. Doesn't help my budget a bit. I don't really care about a large reimbursement as long as it covers what I had to spend.

I have stopped shopping at a couple of places because I always end up having to spend more than the reimbursement.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/10/2015 06:16PM by misellen.

@SunnyDays2 wrote:

The reason it says up to $28 reimbursement is because some cities the prices are higher. They are compensating you up to that amount if you shop in the more expensive cities.

Yes! I agree. I do not do theses shops for health reasons. Although I did live in Alaska during the 90's. Everything is not as expensive as people think in their 3-4 major cities BUT some items are vastly more than you would imagine. An example from that time is Twinkies. I could have gotten a box of Twinkies for $2 in NY but in Fairbanks Alaska it was $4.50. I did not eat Twinkies after this. The franchises were also more expensive. This is before the war and these outrageous gas prices. Everything is logistics in Alaska. High gas equals much greater increases there than the "Lower 48". Hawaii is also more expensive.

The other point people made about it being the company and not the actual scheduler or MSC is accurate. You are soliciting and getting paid by the place you eat at. They are setting these guidelines OR approving the guidelines.

It's not deceptive at all. They list the amount that you are required to spend in order to get the job down. I just purchased this meal today in Canada and it was over $21, so that $28 well more than enough to cover it. As stated above, if the meal is more in some markets, they always cover it anyways as you have a receipt.

I dunno. Some families have 5-6 kids or more. A $28.00 reimbursement plus a small fee might sound pretty good to some people. I haven't done any Happy Meal shops, though, so I am not sure of what all of the specifications are.

I agree with the OP to a degree. I got an email once for this shop that was all in BOLD letters stating the reimbursement had been raised to $20!!!! The meal still costs me $13 and didn't raise the fee at all. I'm sure there are people that fall for this, so that's why the scheduler's continue to do it. More power to them if it makes people take it who wouldn't at the original "cost of meal reimbursed".

Mickey D's was mentioned. Some people love Mickey'D's. You only have to take a taste and you can give the rest to the "homeless" guy at the door begging for change. Even the "homeless" guys refuse the food, they are looking for "change

In the Urban areas you get offers that are paid "combat pay" bonus which is offered when a suburbanite passes by and they are not dressed for the part. They are afraid they may poop their pants if they got out of the car. They probably would have an accident if they got asked for "changed" or offered "personal services" by a "lady" who looks twice her age and is shaking for a fix. The scheduled suburbanite keeps on going and the scheduler has to offer big money plus reimbursement to fill the flake.

It is close to deadline and that shop was on the board a long time because some shoppers know where those shops are as there are many locations in the urban area. You have to have "chutzpah" and prior urban experience like law enforcement teaches you and even then a random act of violence may get you especially after dark.

The bonuses are worth the money if you know how to handle the shop and do them in the day time. A suburbanite may get lucky and may get through the shop without incident. Your risk of danger increases after dark. You do not get the bonus unless you ask. You do not get the shop and big money close to deadline unless you are called and will not flake.

I can eat the fish and chicken. I will pass on the mystery meat that should be cooked for more than two minutes but are sometimes served in less than 2 minutes. Mickey's first concern is speed, to the split second speed. They also ask other questions about taste and appearance of the food but they want it served quick even if the food makes you sick which is probably why they are loosing business to the competitors that take a little longer and offer peanuts why you wait.