What do you call the things you are paid with?
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I certainly don't call it free.
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 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 consider swag to be free, promotional stuff that’s given to me, like a pen or a water bottle. Not something I purchased. I don’t do shops that require me to purchase something I don’t need, so I just call it “groceries”, “gas”, “batteries” or whatever it actually is.
Free is the word by used by MSCs to devalue our time. How is an oil change free if it is required to evaluate the business and the assignment is for reimbursement only? How is a reimbursement only meal free when a shopper spends an hour to write up a report.
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 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.
Fine, then what do you call the stuff you get paid with.
If you want a generic name for it, I suppose you could call it a “required purchase”. Or maybe a “reimbursable purchase”.
Loot@thecrwth wrote:
Fine, then what do you call the stuff you get paid with.
Reimbursed expenses.
I got some "swag" from a nutritional company I work for...they sent me T-shirts and stuff to give away to customers at my demos. This is free stuff, as the customers do not have to do any work to get it.
I got some "swag" from a nutritional company I work for...they sent me T-shirts and stuff to give away to customers at my demos. This is free stuff, as the customers do not have to do any work to get it.
Reimbursements or money for work done.....samples from my cosmetics jobs are free, as in not having to work for it, differs with the company. I can go into any cosmetics counter and pick up a couple samples for free, not have to do a job.....very little free stuff.....
Live consciously....
It seems the general consensus is most forum members consider mystery shopping a business instead of a hobby or a way to occupy our time.
Whenever you find ads for mystery shoppers they often exclaim how you can shop or eat for free as if there is no difference between this and how you go about your normal day. Reimbursements are necessary because we cannot evaluate aspects of the service without a purchase.
Companies almost always consider the purchase to be an added value for the shopper when often it is nothing more than a PITA to get a receipt for POV. Sometimes the reimbursements do add value although whether they do and whether it is equivalent to the value placed on it by the client and MSC is not always the same. A good example would be the now defunct McDonald's shops. Shoppers were required to purchase two meals, but also complete the shop alone. Unless the shopper lived or worked nearby and had someone to take the food to on completing the shop, the value was only in one of those meals.
Whenever you find ads for mystery shoppers they often exclaim how you can shop or eat for free as if there is no difference between this and how you go about your normal day. Reimbursements are necessary because we cannot evaluate aspects of the service without a purchase.
Companies almost always consider the purchase to be an added value for the shopper when often it is nothing more than a PITA to get a receipt for POV. Sometimes the reimbursements do add value although whether they do and whether it is equivalent to the value placed on it by the client and MSC is not always the same. A good example would be the now defunct McDonald's shops. Shoppers were required to purchase two meals, but also complete the shop alone. Unless the shopper lived or worked nearby and had someone to take the food to on completing the shop, the value was only in one of those meals.
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 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.
It is the cost of doing business, which I expect to be reimbursed for. If I don't get reimbursed for one reason or another, it is a loss unless I would've spent the money for that same thing anyway. Even then, it would be a loss of my time completing the report.
There is an MSC I do a lot of work for, and a requirement for their big box along with taking pictures of outside, so address is shown, inside merchandise, you have to purchase something for one dollar, problem being, water or coke cost 1.79 and candy is 2.50, then waiting in line, and being reimbursed for one dollar.....I have complained to no avail. I'm in the mall often, so don't mind doing it, but hate the one dollar purchase...seems to be nickel and dimeing you to death.
Live consciously....
I asked the main question to see if
1) There was a term out there already.
2) I wanted an easier way to discuss the value of a shop. So I could say shop A pays $10, plus $3 in swag or loot. Sometimes that loot is worthless. There is a shop out there now that pays just $18...in chocolate...probably the most useless swag I've seen yet, especially since I'm diabetic.
1) There was a term out there already.
2) I wanted an easier way to discuss the value of a shop. So I could say shop A pays $10, plus $3 in swag or loot. Sometimes that loot is worthless. There is a shop out there now that pays just $18...in chocolate...probably the most useless swag I've seen yet, especially since I'm diabetic.
I've seen exactly what you are saying and it seems most people write $10 fee/$3 reimbursement. Sometimes I just write, $10/$3.
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 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.
@Irene_L.A. It can be a pain to purchase something with only a $1 or $2 reimbursement. In those cases, I keep a list of items I know I will need/use. Such as batteries, hand sanitizer, pens, compressed air, screen wipes... Turns the small reimbursement into a rebate of sorts.
@TroyHawkins....financially not worth it, as I get batteries at the .99 cent store, same brand, as well as pens and all you mentioned. Batteries at the big box are about 6.99 and I need many for my house, so it's a one dollar loss for me. I am a very good shopper for myself.
Live consciously....
I got swag from Comic-Con. Still amazed at what people on feebay will pay for it.@JASFLALMT wrote:
Reimbursed expenses.
I got some "swag" from a nutritional company I work for...they sent me T-shirts and stuff to give away to customers at my demos. This is free stuff, as the customers do not have to do any work to get it.
"Let me offer you my definition of social justice: I keep what I earn and you keep what you earn. Do you disagree? Well then tell me how much of what I earn belongs to you - and why?” ~Walter Williams
If you get something of value from an assignments, it's technically defined as "Compensation in kind" or "Payment in kind" by the IRS....so the oil change would be an in kind payment.
SWAG is an acronym for Stuff We All Get and usually refers to items that are given out promotionally.
SWAG is an acronym for Stuff We All Get and usually refers to items that are given out promotionally.
Yeah, lots of people will disagree with the "compensation in kind" statement above. If you have to make a purchase in order to properly complete a shop, that is tax deductible. Not trying to start an argument and don't wish to debate it, you do you and I will continue to do things the way that I do.
It would have been easier to say this in the first post.@thecrwth wrote:
I asked the main question to see if
1) There was a term out there already.
2) I wanted an easier way to discuss the value of a shop. So I could say shop A pays $10, plus $3 in swag or loot. Sometimes that loot is worthless. There is a shop out there now that pays just $18...in chocolate...probably the most useless swag I've seen yet, especially since I'm diabetic.
The term is simply reimbursement.
$10 fee, $25 reimbursement.
Chocolate is perfectly acceptable to me. Even if I was diabetic I could give it as a gift. It still would not be swag or loot since it's still a reimbursable expense.
@SteveSoCal wrote:
If you get something of value from an assignments, it's technically defined as "Compensation in kind" or "Payment in kind" by the IRS....so the oil change would be an in kind payment.
SWAG is an acronym for Stuff We All Get and usually refers to items that are given out promotionally.
I have wondered this ever since I began shopping. The board consensus seems to be that reimbursements are not taxed as income (whether direct or in-kind), but I have wondered what the official IRS ruling on this would be? I certainly hope they don't choose my return to rule on it...lol!
"We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl -- year after year..."
I think that "You get what you pay for." applies to mystery shopping. I wonder if the companies that hire the MSCs know how little most of them pay the shoppers. I don't think that people who are happy to work for so little are as skilled as people who value themselves.
@msimon-2000 wrote:
The board consensus seems to be that reimbursements are not taxed as income (whether direct or in-kind), but I have wondered what the official IRS ruling on this would be?
I think that's a good reason to support MSCs that pay a decent fee in addition to reimbursements. The argument for making the reimbursement a taxable in-kind benefit would be the fact that any payments received may not be unable to support an individual.
My argument against in-kind income is simply we cannot perform certain evaluations, such as an oil change, without actually getting an oil change. It is not the same as someone babysitting your kids for the afternoon and you buying them an oil change in return.
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 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.
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