@AZwolfman wrote:
I work for cash. Reimbursement only shops are for part-timers who do not mystery shop to pay their bills and who have extra time on their hands. Cash pays my bills. The electric company will not accept a junk food burger as payment for my electric bill. If there is a shop, an oil change or grocery store for example, that has products or services I need, I will do them only if I get paid a wage. Otherwise, they would no be worth the time.
@kimmiemae wrote:
Texas Roadhouse comes to mind as an easy report and the reimbursement for dinner at the bar saves me from cooking.
@AZwolfman wrote:
I work for cash. Reimbursement only shops are for part-timers who do not mystery shop to pay their bills and who have extra time on their hands. Cash pays my bills. The electric company will not accept a junk food burger as payment for my electric bill. If there is a shop, an oil change or grocery store for example, that has products or services I need, I will do them only if I get paid a wage. Otherwise, they would no be worth the time.
@bgriffin wrote:
This is simply not true. I am a full time professional mystery shopper and I often do reimbursement only shops for things I want or need. Mostly things I want. For instance I have done 2 mystery shops recently that had $100 reimbursement with no fee. This was for a product that I would absolutely never spend $100 on but I was very interested in the product. The shops took about 30 minutes each including visit and report. Not only did I get a product I would never consider spending that amount of money on but I also learned some interesting things. This shop shows up quarterly and I love the product so I will absolutely be doing more of them in the future.
@Tarantado wrote:
4. Gift cards that could be purchased at a lower rate. For example, purchasing Chili's $25 gift cards for $20, of a 25% discount. The shops are reimbursement only, but the shops are easy enough that I could be blacked out drunk to complete the shop and turn in the shop within 15-20 minutes.
@Tarantado wrote:
@AZwolfman wrote:
I work for cash. Reimbursement only shops are for part-timers who do not mystery shop to pay their bills and who have extra time on their hands. Cash pays my bills. The electric company will not accept a junk food burger as payment for my electric bill. If there is a shop, an oil change or grocery store for example, that has products or services I need, I will do them only if I get paid a wage. Otherwise, they would no be worth the time.
Why not do both? The $100 fee shops I use to pay bills, while the $100 reimbursement only dinner covered enough meal for 2 for 2-3 meals I didn't have to spend my money for, but rather my time and gas expenses to travel there. In exchange, no meal prep, money saved from ingredients, etc.
@AZwolfman wrote:
...because while I am writing a lengthy fine dining restaurant report for free, I could be out doing shops that pay me real money since there are, on any given day, many more paying shops than I could ever have time to do.
@Rousseau wrote:
IMO, reimbursement shops are not for professional shoppers.
Lol what? I take on many, many reimbursement only shops and I'd consider myself a bit of a professional in this business.@Rousseau wrote:
I have only done one reimbursement shop in my life. It was to open the door with a particular MSC. No, I only do highly bonused shops for them. IMO, reimbursement shops are not for professional shoppers.
I would rather spend my cash for products and services I need and not write a fee-fee report than to write a fee-free report and get the purchase reimbursed.
@shopsuey wrote:
I've done almost $2000 worth of the food ordering takeout/delivery shops. I don't value them at exact price (maybe $10/assignment), since I'd never order food that often, but I also have only had to cook once in the last three months. I think my grocery bill for the same amount of time has been less than $100. They will have to pry this shop out of my cold, dead hands.
@Junebaby wrote:
That's the great thing about mystery shopping. You cannot put it in a box. There is a place for everyone whether it's reimbursement only, fee only, or a little of both. To each it's own. What works for one person does not necessarily work for the next. Take what you need from it and leave the rest for someone else who can use and value it. And that's all I got to say about that.
@tlin wrote:
Although I do take reimbursement only dining shops as it keeps my restaurant budget low, I've also taken them while traveling for work and on a per diem. I picked up an Arby's shop on Sunday with a reimbursement of $4. Normally I would never bother, but I was driving home from a client site, on per diem, needed to stop for something to eat anyway and it was an easy drive thru shop right at an exit.
@bgriffin wrote:
I do not consider it unethical at all and don't understand why someone would.
@sarahshopper wrote:
I would do it for something I didn't want if I knew I could sell it quickly. I did a high-end leather goods shop and got reimbursed $225 for a wallet. I knew this company's reports were not all that hard so I took it. I listed it on Ebay as soon as the report was approved.