Someone in a different thread alluded to the fact that there are "suckers" (possibly me ) out there who will do shops for low prices. That got me wondering, what would you consider a "sucker" price for a job?

For example, how'd you guys rate these hypothetical jobs?

Scenario 1:
*Fast food shop with average length report.
*Full reimbursement for meal (say no more than $12)
*$7.00 fee

Scenario 2:
*Fast casual dine-in shop with average length report
*Full reimbursement for meal up to $25
*$10.00 fee

Scenario 3:
*Retail store shop with average length report.
*$10.00 fee
*Must interact with sales associates to test their customer service.

Scenario 4:
*Apartment shop with average length report
*$35 fee
*Must do recorded call and onsite visit to tour a place

Scenario 5:
*Banking account opening shop with average length report
*$50.00 fee
*Open an account and can close it 2 weeks later.

Scenario 6:
*Gas station shop with average length report
*$7.00 fee
*Take some photos and inspect some stuff onsite.

Scenario 7:
*Bank visit shop with average length report
*$15 fee
*No account opening, but just an inquiry and test of their customer service.

.....You get the picture. I'm guessing no one would do something like Scenario 6 unless they were already heading out for the day in that direction and/or bundling several shops together, since doing it just as a single shop seems a loss of time and gas money for just $7.00 (less than min. wage!!).

But, at the same time, I'm wondering what people feel are just ridiculous wages that they'd never accept, but that others might actually accept? Definitely feel free to share your own hypothetical scenarios.

One thing I keep in mind too is that it takes time to read the instructions for shop reports that are new or have changed. And time is money as they say!

Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2017 01:59PM by shoptastic.

For me it depends on the msc too. I won't do shops for Maritz, I find their software antiquated and am still confused about the whole invoice-thing. It also depends on if I like the food being offered at the restaurant. I've done apartment shops and won't do them again. I've also done the bank account shop for $50 and it was too much work for the pay. It's difficult to gauge what an "average length report" is, since msc have different formats and requirements.

Are you, by chance, planning to write a book or some such thing, based on answers to your many, many detailed questions? I ask because this has happened before, with similar, multiple questions per day, with no upfront reveal about the poster's intentions, and forum members were not pleased, to put it lightly.

@walesmaven wrote:

Are you, by chance, planning to write a book or some such thing, based on answers to your many, many detailed questions? I ask because this has happened before, with similar, multiple questions per day, with no upfront reveal about the poster's intentions, and forum members were not pleased, to put it lightly.

What?!

lol I'm definitely not a writer! And there's a book written on mystery shopping with forum members' input???

@Phoebe70 wrote:

For me it depends on the msc too. I won't do shops for Maritz, I find their software antiquated and am still confused about the whole invoice-thing. It also depends on if I like the food being offered at the restaurant. I've done apartment shops and won't do them again. I've also done the bank account shop for $50 and it was too much work for the pay. It's difficult to gauge what an "average length report" is, since msc have different formats and requirements.

One thing I've realized about higher paying shops is that the reports can be so long and time-consuming that the pay turns out to be the same or less than a shorter job with lower pay.

@walesmaven wrote:

many, many detailed questions?

I'll make this my last question. Don't want to upset anyone.

I do have a lot of empty time on my hands, as a result of continued physical recovery. I'm often set up at home for long periods. It's nice to just go online for chat for me sometimes and I want to learn more about ms-ing, since I'm new to it. Didn't mean to overload anyone. But I appreciate everyone's input, because it's making me more wise as a shopper.

@walesmaven wrote:

Are you, by chance, planning to write a book or some such thing, based on answers to your many, many detailed questions? I ask because this has happened before, with similar, multiple questions per day, with no upfront reveal about the poster's intentions, and forum members were not pleased, to put it lightly.

I was wondering the same thing but I kept my mouth shut. Otherwise I would be accused of being mean to a newbie. I have directed the OP to the New Members section of the forum because many of her questions have already been addressed in depth.

OP, with all these questions and forum posts, when do you find the time to actually MS and write the reports? Just wondering.

EDITED: I made this post before reading the OP's response to walesmaven about PT and spending a lot of time at home. This is the perfect time to read the New Members section and get yourself organized. You have already received lots of great tips and there is a lot more if you choose to read the threads.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2017 02:21PM by Sybil2.

BTW, I would not perform any of the shops at those prices in the OP's first post except for Scenario 7 if the location was within walking or biking distance for me.

No shop is a sucker shop if it actually fills a need of the shopper. It's just that some shops, like the Ikea shop, may be feeding the needs of masochists, IMHO.

Given the wide variety of forum members, all with different agendas, this is not a question that has a definite answer. What one person happily shops another will not consider, and it sometimes does not have anything to do with the actual payment/reimbursement. This is the first time I've seen so many payment questions in one post, but the issue of "how much is enough" has been discussed many, many times, and it's always clear that there is no agreement. OP, as you read more of the older posts on the forum, you will see the discussions on each of the questions you asked, and it will be clearer that there is no agreement.

I was a forum member here for several years before making my first post, and there's a lot more to be learned by reading, even posts that are a few years old, than by asking questions to start discussions.

I'm with Sybil on this one. I wouldn't do a single one of those shops at the given prices. Not even #7!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2017 04:42PM by ceasesmith.

Scenarios 1/2 would be worth it for me depending on the restaraunt. Since no MSC's have been named yet, if those were like five guys/roadhouse I would do them, though I would obviously ask for a bonus/try to get a higher price rather than just picking them off the board.

Maybe I would do 3, it would really depend on if I had other stores in the area. If i was doing a few shops in a mall and it was in the same mall, I'd probably take it.

An apartment shop for 35 is kind of low, I wouldn't do one for below 50 (unless this $35 apartment is 1/2 the work of an EPMS shop.

For a bank shop $50 is a bit low, not because of the work but because of the oppurtunity cost. A lot of times banks will have $100-300 sign up bonuses if you haven't had an account with them in a year, so unless I was getting a $100-200 fee and the shop had a <6 months rotation I wouldn't do it.

Scenario 6 is for suckers. I'll either take out my phone camera or write a short report for $7, not both, and no reimbursement? I'd laugh at the scheduler if one called me and asked me to take that.

Scenario 7 it would really depend for me, maybe I'd do it, maybe not, depends on the bank and MSC.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2017 05:32PM by JohnieQ.

I believe there are "sucker" wages and some shops just make no financial or practical sense to complete. But my sucker wage could be someone else's convenience shop and vice versa.

I often take "sucker" wage shops simply because I get a few bags of groceries that I need for free.
Or I'll take a $6 fast food shop only to get my lunch on the house. I try to arrange shops that will benefit my lifestyle and my needs, be it groceries, a free car wash, or a free lunch or dinner.

Also, if I have a $150 credit card opening shop, and next door to the bank is a Gas station audit paying $5, why not do the $5 sucker job.

We all have our unique formula for deciding what to do and not do.

No need to stop posting! For your reading pleasure, though, you may want to use the "search" feature to find tons of posts related to your questions before asking some questions that have been asked frequently. If you search, for instance, "boycott," or "10 foot pole" or "low fee" you will find reams of replies, most of which will be insights related to this particular post. You will also find many posters who feel that calling on shoppers to never take low fee or even reimbursement only shops is really not recognizing that we all have different needs and goals. Criticizing fellow shoppers who do not share one's own goals really is not a very positive way of contributing to the forum. I might say that I am fortunate enough not to have to consider doing shop x, but I decline to demean those who do take that shop. (I am NOT suggesting the the OP said anything against shoppers who would take some of the shops listed, but it is a harsh to characterize them as "suckers."

@jlovesnyc wrote:

I often take "sucker" wage shops simply because I get a few bags of groceries that I need for free. Or I'll take a $6 fast food shop only to get my lunch on the house. I try to arrange shops that will benefit my lifestyle and my needs, be it groceries, a free car wash, or a free lunch or dinner.

You are NOT getting groceries for FREE. You are NOT getting your lunch "on the house." You are NOT getting a FREE car wash. You are being reimbursed for your drive time, your time performing the shop and your time in writing and submitting the report. I do not consider my time to be free; my time is actually quite valuable.

I think that low fees for newbies is the best way to start shopping. The more you learn the better you will be at writing narratives and learn what each MSC wants from you. If a shop is close to my home and I can do three at $10, $14.50 and $20, reports are quick and easy, I am happy with that. I usually make up the difference with bonused shops and higher paying shops throughout the month. I always think if I worked at minimum wage, how many hours would I have to work for $50.

If minimum wage is good enough for you then ny all means. I know few people who can survive on minimum wage.

First starting you are eager for shops. After you are seasoned, it takes about $15.00 to even get me out the door unless simple ff, $10.00 fee min. It is sad to see those same detailed shops on the board over and over for $8-$10. No go.

@sbobgal wrote:

First starting you are eager for shops. After you are seasoned, it takes about $15.00 to even get me out the door unless simple ff, $10.00 fee min. It is sad to see those same detailed shops on the board over and over for $8-$10. No go.

I didn't realize I could request a higher wage, sbobgal, until three weeks ago. You could say that I "didn't know any better."

I am a bit wiser now not so much with asking for a higher wage - I have yet to try that and am very nervous about it - but in terms of shop selection. I'm also wiser in terms combing through a survey (I REALLY wish many companies would show it to you FIRST before you can accept a job, so you'd know what you're getting into) to see how much work would be required. Because I noticed that a high paying job might really be minimum wage or lower once I factor in how long it takes to read/master the instructions, drive there and back (incl. gas & car wear and tear), time at location, and the hours it takes to write a long narrative report. I used to just see a big fee and think WOW! Now, I'll think more carefully about what it breaks down into. I might still take the shop at minimum wage, because it's the best available at that moment. But I now understand more of the real value of the shop than before.

Had I not found this forum, I'd never have thought of emailing a scheduler for a possible pay raise on a shop. Yup. I WAS (and am? ) sometimes that "sucker" shopper some people talk about. I did do a lot fast food shops that I now realize were less than minimum wage.

@walesmaven wrote:

No need to stop posting! For your reading pleasure, though, you may want to use the "search" feature to find tons of posts related to your questions before asking some questions that have been asked frequently. If you search, for instance, "boycott," or "10 foot pole" or "low fee" you will find reams of replies, most of which will be insights related to this particular post. You will also find many posters who feel that calling on shoppers to never take low fee or even reimbursement only shops is really not recognizing that we all have different needs and goals. Criticizing fellow shoppers who do not share one's own goals really is not a very positive way of contributing to the forum. I might say that I am fortunate enough not to have to consider doing shop x, but I decline to demean those who do take that shop. (I am NOT suggesting the the OP said anything against shoppers who would take some of the shops listed, but it is a harsh to characterize them as "suckers."

It's okay, wales. The timing is about right for me to do some studying anyways. I'm applying for an online job that needs some studying on my part and I need to take care of so many other things for my settlement coming up in a couple of months (the opposing insurance company has been "bugging" me a bit to settle too and I think he's a little nervous lol ). I did enjoy learning from others and will continue to be a member here in the future. I'll probably just take off a few months and come back to read more and ask less questions!!!

I'm sorry if I annoyed anyone, though! Looking back, I did ask too many things that were answered in different locations. One tiny thing is that sometimes they were off-handed comments and not full discussion, so when I'd search for something it'd show a long thread on topic A and the relevant comment on topic B might have just been a short post and I was curious in a more detailed way.

But that's not important for now, since I'm going to need time away anyways. Thank you everyone for your help and may your upcoming months of shopping be good to you!!!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2017 11:03PM by shoptastic.

Thinking post, OP and quite entertaining. We all do Ms for different reasons. I would only do #2 if I were at work or shopping in the vicinity. Noooo, never to any of the others.

None are sucker prices. I perform 1 and 2 all the time



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/17/2017 08:30PM by isaiah58.

Shoptastic, everyone has a different value system that determines what shops we will--or will not--conduct. I am perfectly willing to conduct a zero-fee, reimbursement-only assignment if I can combine that location with other nearby assignments. There is no way I would even remotely consider even the simplest of fast-food shops on the north side of Orlando, even if it carried an absurdly high bonus of $100.00; the traffic and road construction conditions are nightmarish, at best, and it is simply not worth it TO ME. The next shopper, however, may be thrilled to score that particular shop. Everyone has the luxury to decide for themselves what is "worth it" to them.

The only "sucker" prices are reimbursement only restaurant shops. I won't do them, not even if I'm in the same parking lot for another shop.

I will do the $7 gas station shops as long as I don't have to reveal myself, and if I'm in the neighborhood or I have to drive directly past the station in question while I'm out.

I'm not a fan of bank shops, I've always felt uncomfortable in banks, it has nothing to do with the pay. I recently signed up for some because the pay was good, but got sidelined by car problems and my son getting a regular job (only one vehicle between the two of us) and I think the MSC took me out of the running for the bank shops because I couldn't get to them. The car is fixed, and my son isn't working, again.. So I probably would do them now simply because I need the money. But I don't seek them out.

I like grocery shops because the reports are simple and $9 or $14 worth of free groceries will feed the two of us for a week if I do two or three stores, and the money goes directly back into my account in less than 2 weeks. Because I make all of my dogs' food I still end up paying for groceries, but I don't have to buy that meat at the expensive store.

I like doing the USPS shops, they pay well for the time involved. I send the boxes to my sons in other parts of the state, those boxes come back about once a month so I get to reuse them over and over. The Hazmat shops I send the boxes to my mother half way across the country, I don't get those boxes back..lol.

I didn't mind doing apartment shops before we moved. But the apartment shops don't pay as well here, most pay $10 less than the ones I used to do in CA. And the rotation on the apartment shops is very long (for good reason), so you run out of apartments to shop if you do too many all at once. And the reports are LONG and tedious. If they paid the same or better here I would do them here too.

I do some shops simply because I enjoy doing them and they don't cost me anything except gas to get to them. Those are few and far between, but I grab as many as I can when I can. Lately I go out on a route of 5+ shops once or twice a week, usually for over $100, I do my fun shops on Fridays, sometimes for as little as $9, and the grocery shops on the weekends. Next week I'm taking a day trip into the next state for a $300 payday. I will probably stay home the rest of that week and only do the USPS shops I've committed to and my grocery shops to fill out the rest of the week.

I agree with what most other shoppers have replied to your scenarios. I've been shopping for several years and work for a variety of companies. I stick to 5 types of shops that interest me. I will occasionally take a highly bonused shop outside my comfort zone. It's not a sucker wage if you're buying something you'd buy anyway.

Not certain i believe your answer. The mystery shopping industry always wants to know what we will shop for, price wise. I will never shop for anything below $25.00. Lately, the shops have been low balled. A phone shop for $4.00 is ridiculous. Anytime I have to get in the car and put gas in the car it has to pay me a minimum of $20.00.

@gbarnes wrote:

Not certain i believe your answer. The mystery shopping industry always wants to know what we will shop for, price wise. I will never shop for anything below $25.00. Lately, the shops have been low balled. A phone shop for $4.00 is ridiculous. Anytime I have to get in the car and put gas in the car it has to pay me a minimum of $20.00.

It has to be around that value for me too, unless it's literally just right across the street and/or there is some non-monetary value to it like with food and grocery supplies, etc.

I've seen apartment shops that require in-person and phone recordings go for less than $25 for some companies (I think it was two different companies). I couldn't believe my eyes and let out a laugh, having gone through lots of pain to complete those!

It probably took one hour just to read through and master the instructions for the apt. shops I did. At $7.50 minimum wage, it's already $15 to read and master the instructions AND drive (with my own gas money and car wear and tear) to the location and spend 30 minutes there and drive back - all of which would be at least another hour. That's two hours already.

If you include the phone call, that's more time too. And the narratives and surveys are SUPER long.

To top it off, you have to do follow-up work after the shop too if the leasing agents contact you. To me, $25 for a phone and in-person "typical" apt. shop was quite ridiculous.

I don't know how true this is, but something that came to mind when thinking about apt. shops is that the shopper should in theory have a lot of leverage and bargaining power, right?

If you can only shop an apartment community once a year at most, then that means it's probably hard to find shoppers. But I might be wrong on this. You never know how big the pool is.

But, when you factor in that many people swear they'd never do an apartment shop, b/c of all the work and how tedious it can be and that people can't re-shop a location more than once a year usually, then it seems decently logical to think that maybe the shopper has more negotiation power in fees in those scenarios.

Contrast that do a popular fast-food shop that might get tons of shoppers doing them on the way to/from work.

Maybe, I'm wrong, but shouldn't apartment shops be closer to $75-$100? I see them as work-heavy as bank shops, which can pay $100. But with banks, you can open and close accounts more frequently than you can reshop a same apt. community.

Who on Earth would do a standard apt. shop for $25 or less?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/2017 09:12AM by shoptastic.

Of the list, I consider the gas station shop with pictures for $7 to be the worst of the options!!!