$15 pay- expected 30 min prep before shop /30 min report

So I'm looking at a job on stereo equipment. $15 shop with no purchase. The description says to expect to spend 30 preparing for the shop and 30 min to complete the report. They don't mention how long the shop should take but if you are offered a demonstration, you must accept.

I'm sure someone will take it but from the description, no thank you.

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Yuck!

I will say that my very first shop I think I honestly spent 2-3 hours prepping (if you factor in passing whatever general test the company had, plus the test for the assignment test... And they put the fear of
God in me about paying attention to detail). I think I could've recited the shop instructions word for word.. All for a $5 pretzel shop! But yeah, if an experienced shopper need an hour to prep and input, that's not enough $ at all! Even the quickest shop probably mean an hour of time round trip... So $7.50/hour before considering taxes you'll have to pay, and milage... There's no $ left to "pay yourself" for your time.

This is a easy shop. Took me 10 minutes maybe 15 to prepare. Took me 15 to 20 minutes in store. Took another 15 to enter max. I got $13 grabbed before it was increased. It was a easy filler shop.

Shopping Western NY, Northeast and Central PA, and parts of Ohio and West Virginia. Have car will travel anywhere if the monies right.

@wwin wrote:

So I'm looking at a job on stereo equipment. $15 shop with no purchase. The description says to expect to spend 30 preparing for the shop and 30 min to complete the report. They don't mention how long the shop should take but if you are offered a demonstration, you must accept.

I'm sure someone will take it but from the description, no thank you.

You don't think you need to prepare for the shop? Or you don't want to take an electronics shop that will likely lead to a demonstration, with an average of 20 minutes time? The $15 the client is paying you *IS* for your prep/report and execution time.

@SunnyDays2 wrote:

You don't think you need to prepare for the shop? Or you don't want to take an electronics shop that will likely lead to a demonstration, with an average of 20 minutes time? The $15 the client is paying you *IS* for your prep/report and execution time.

I don't read this as wwin saying he doesn't think he needs to prepare for the shop! I read it that if the shop takes one hour of time for preparation and report, plus the time in store (at least 20 minutes if a demo is offered, as you say), plus drive time (if it's not on the way to someplace else), it's not worth $15. I agree.

A person who has never done the shop has no way to know if those estimated times are accurate or not. If, as BuffaloNY says, it's much easier and less time consuming than the MSC estimates, then $15 is probably a good fee. But how is the OP supposed to know that?

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.

What I always find interesting about the time estimates provided by some MSCs is the insight into what they believe is the value, our value, for assignments. To me that is priceless.

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 think some MSCs would have the shoppers pay them for the privilege of shopping and writing reports if they could get away with it.

Interesting that this particular MSC has, apparently, over estimated the time factor. Most of them severely understate the amount of time and work required. Of course, if they were honest, they'd never get any shops filled!

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.

Also, remember that if there are multiple locations available to complete that you can save time in preparing for the extra locations. It does not take as long to read the guidelines if you are already familiar with them.

Shopping across Indiana but mostly around Indianapolis.

Since I hadn't done the job, my thought was that if the MSC say it takes 30 min. each part then it will probably take 45+. It's a nice change to hear that a job takes less time than the MSC estimates.

@BirdyC wrote:

Interesting that this particular MSC has, apparently, over estimated the time factor. Most of them severely understate the amount of time and work required. Of course, if they were honest, they'd never get any shops filled!

I think this one has overestimated. And once you've prepared and done the first one, repeat shops are a breeze.

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$15 pay- expected 30 min prep before shop /30 min report

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