I often seen assignments posted for shoppers to go into a shop and purchase an item only to have to return it later that day! Do people actually take these jobs on? I love jobs where I not only get paid but I also get something to keep. Even if its only a £3 grocery shop reimbursement on top of the payment fee, I often group several together and I purchase the basics my family needs like bread, milk and vegetables or sometimes use it to purchase a few goodies/treats.
I also love the DB&B assignments, I don't get paid any extra but I do get to go and enjoy a night away with my hubby or sometimes even my family and its paid for by the company. We have recently had 3 nights away in the past 6 weeks and in total we spent £24.00 of our own money which paid for additional drinks in the hotel bar. One hotel bill was £469.00 and at that hotel we only had to buy one round of drinks from our own pocket because we wanted them. These assignments are great and its very easy to complete the report as they are mostly tick boxes!
So what assignments do you like taking on and which would you not consider?

My all-time worst assignment may have been shopping trailer park homes for a certain client when they were video shopped several years ago. The professionalism was good at some locations, and very, very bad at others. I stopped altogether, and vowed never to do them again (due to the level of aggravation) no matter how much money was offered.

Shopping Hyundai sales is up there on my do not shop again list as well. The sales professionals that I've encountered are beyond ridiculous when it comes to aggressive sales techniques.

My favorite shops are apartments and car dealerships.

The one I don't ever want to do again is the big box store where you have to walk around a store for a long period with a very large item waiting for someone to ask if you need a cart. You also have to ask an employee about an item and be walked to that area. Meanwhile, you are to remember every single employee you saw, their names, their descriptions, what department they were in, etc. And, don't forget to interact with the cashier and check the bathroom. They couldn't pay me enough to do this shop again.

I have done the same mobile home manufacturer sales shop and hated them. But two other kinds were even worse for me. One was a chain of locations of a for-profit college that I knew to be a total rip-off once I had done about 3 of them. I had committed to about 5 more and force-marched myself to do those. The other was a certain chain of new and used auto dealerships in NJ and NYC. The high pressure sales pitches included a lot of insults that only women are likely to encounter when looking at cars ("We will talk about the engine when you bring your husband in, sweetie," was one of the milder ones.). But the real kicker was the one that ended with the salesman screaming at me, "Well, if you did not come in ready to make a deal today why did you waste me [freaking} time?" I was glad that those were all video. The best are when I find really knowledgeable and concerned financial advisers, super pleasant and helpful valet parking folks (they do exist, and in abundance), and an entire hotel staff that is worthy of a 5 star hotel at a place that has 3-4 stars mainly because of size and lack of certain amenities.

Finally, in a league of their own were the rent-to-own appliance and furniture shops. I did a route of about 30 of them, back when I had to take any shops I could get. When it comes to usury those outfits are right up there with the payday loan folks. If the client for those had been some sort of public or not-for-profit watchdog doing investigations, I would gladly do them again. But since it was the parent company checking up on sales techniques that were dirty, at best, I needed a lot of long, hot showers to feel clean again.

I have a tie between two worst ever shops. One was for a small...tiny tiny golf/sporting goods chain and a mini golf amusement park. The sporting goods shop was a bear because the editor was so nasty. She said things like, "I guess you don't understand the concept.....", and "You were in there 35 minutes, what else did you do?". Just abusive. I finished my shop, got paid and blocked emails from that MSC. The other shop at a mini golf park was bad because the report was so L - O - N - G.

The purchase and return shop I posted about from CFA is one of the worst. No one needs to buy a ridiculously large and expensive item to validate shipping and communication.

The large Swedish housewares company was awful too. I prefer the large box store AK/LA/MI didn't care for any day over this one.

Even though the reports are ridiculously long, cruise shops are the best. Best was that we have been able to evaluate several different cruise lines and found our favorite. We've been on many cruises now with that company on our own dime.

When I'm flying anyway, SQM's airline shops are great. 50% off a ticket for an hour's reporting time (or less).

Apartment shops are the worst. Between driving, phone calls, the tour, and the reports, they take hours and hours -- for the same pay as a few postal shops.

If the location and money is right I will take purchase/return shops. I use the time in between to complete another nearby shop or just get some steps in.

My worst shop was for a new to me company that did grocery shops. It seems most people love those shops. I applied again and again and always lost out and someone else got them. I finally spotted one about 10 miles south of me that was just sitting on the boards and grabbed it just to get my foot in the door. Well...it turned out to be probably the first store of a large grocery chain. It was about 3x the size of a 7/11 and had a long laundry list of items I needed to find and price. There were about 4 aisles and only 2 employees in the store. They did not even carry 80% of the things on the list but I needed to scout every where in the store for every item before crossing it off my list. I ran into the one floor employee many multiples of times. The cheese list was the worst with about 10 unusual cheeses on the list and they had a cooler with a jumble of cheese packages with names I did not recognize. After about 3 hours in the store I went home. I bought some expensive cheese because the cashier helped me find it. Then I started on the report. How much was the 10 oz package of this or that? Well they did not have 10 oz but they had 9.5 oz and 11 oz. I went crazy at home and found some prices that were not exact. I have never done another grocer.
On the favorite shops side it is the high end clothing store out of New York that allowed me to purchase an item up to $350. There were three physical stores nearby me so for about a year I improved my wardrobe almost monthly from their clearance rack of formerly $700+ items and then other shoppers found that assignment and it became too difficult to grab first. The report was pretty easy too. I think of them every time I dress up.

My worst shop was SeeLevelHX Car Negotiations shops. Such a waste of time for $75 pay that takes two dealership visits and hard negotiating to get what some dealers can't even given you in printed form cause their system does not allow it.

My Favorite was when I could do age compliance shops for cigs or alcohol. 5 minute shops that paid good to great with a 5 minute report.
Current faves are Regal Theatres although not currently being done, Texas Roadhouse, Cell Phone shops easy and quick, and Best Buy Tv shops.

Just say "no" to Ikea.

I never got paid for IKEA. I did it in September, got a 9/10, so the report was accrpted. They will not pay me. Beware. That was my worst experience because it took hours, and I did not get paid.

I would LOVE to do a cruise shop! I didn't even know those existed.

@iShop123 wrote:

Even though the reports are ridiculously long, cruise shops are the best. Best was that we have been able to evaluate several different cruise lines and found our favorite. We've been on many cruises now with that company on our own dime.

When I'm flying anyway, SQM's airline shops are great. 50% off a ticket for an hour's reporting time (or less).

Apartment shops are the worst. Between driving, phone calls, the tour, and the reports, they take hours and hours -- for the same pay as a few postal shops.

You'll get paid in January. Start chasing your payment then.

@Niner wrote:

I never got paid for IKEA. I did it in September, got a 9/10, so the report was accrpted. They will not pay me. Beware. That was my worst experience because it took hours, and I did not get paid.

My absolute best shop ever was the tax shop where I found my Tax Dude. The shop fee was $85. The fee to have the taxes done was taken out of my refund AND they were fully reimbursed by the MSC. The actual shop was applying for a rapid refund, which I'm always wary of. By the time I did my taxes, that service was no longer offered.

I hope I get the same shop again next year.

The worst assignment was a blinds shop. It was just BORING.

IKEA with the current company. Also, a golf course major USGA tournament shop where I had to schelp all over the course, check many, many food venues, take photos of tee boxes and greens, where I was admonished by the course marshalls, and make a purchase in the very expensive shop. That tee shirt is sooo soft still. Also had to ride the shuttle and report on entrance and exiting, wait on line for hours and do a lot of other nonsense for two days. I was worn out and never saw another like it posted again. I also dropped my VERY important list of notes somewhere on the course and had to backtrack. I found it, believe it or not, sitting on the top of a trash can. I was happy about that because it contained many timings etc that I needed and did not want to do over.

Oh and one of the best are the golf course shops where I am actually paid to play a full round, plus food and snacks.

Best one: back in the day when I first started, I did the 'glasses in an hour' place. The MSC actually covered the full price of glasses, and a small fee.
Worst: Customer intercept for a 5 question sampling at a gas station early in the am of a foggy misty day. It was heavily bonused and paid by the hour but still wasn't worth it. I've never done a customer intercept again!

Worst: Ikea (both store ad MSC) computer where they come to your house (and never fix anything and charge you more than the allowance). Some car dealerships,.
Best: Most restaurants I do, or I won't do them. Hollywood Bowl, Mandalay Bay hotel, Kroger shops, assisted living homes and certain banks all work. When I'm able to get a hotel in Chicago at the time I'm going and hasn't happened in 5 years. My very best was NSS and the great upscale retail stores they gave me in Beverly Hills, paid me well and gave me four (2 in one store, 2 in another one blk. from each other). I really miss them.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2018 05:20PM by Irene_L.A..

You shopped the Hollywood Bowl?

Yes, it comes around now and then...drive to the bus and take that in......good reimbursement, nice job.

I'll list the best, since I don't dwell on the worst shops. I just don't do them again.

6 hours notice for a route of jobs in Puerto Rico. No reports. I texted the raw data to the scheduler who filled them out for me.

Casino shop where I won over the max I could keep $1199 and then lost enough (finally on slots to get down to under $1199).

Cruise shops. Just me, one other shopper and the MSC staff did these. Only evaluated the casino. Paid for 2 people (kids went free). Airfare paid. Super easy reports. I chose the cruises myself.

Point of sale evaluations. I got a spreadsheet of locations to choose from. I just went in and bought stuff. I kept the stuff. Only evaluated the sale.

Major league sporting events. All expenses paid (mileage, airfare, hotels, rental cars). VIP access and suites. Too much food and drink to possibly consume by myself.

Disneyland. Every two weeks for over a decade.

Mailing shops (not the current company or client). Fed Ex, DHL and UPS. Full reimbursement.

Those are the biggies. I am still on my free $5 worth of gas at every station within 50 miles of home, work and every travel location I'll be at every quarter like white on rice. I don't even need a bonus.

I was just looking at one of the tax shops. What do you call your self employment/hobby income when you're shopping the tax preparer? Sales Consultant?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/22/2018 02:07AM by LW.

Bank Shops are my favorite
Update..just did my first tax prep shop. That's my new favorite



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/2019 02:02AM by LW.

Best? By far, the three day, two night assignment in Bora Bora. The 1,576 square foot, overwater one bedroom bungalow suite, overlooking Mount Otemanu, was the most highly sought bungalow in the five-star resort. The food was amazing, the weather - perfect, the staff - thoughtful, gracious and attentive, and the property was just like what you see in all the iconic photographs. It's going to take a lot to top this one for me.

I have yet to have a "worst" shop, or at least can't think of one. Don't get me wrong, there have been quite a few mediocre shops, though.

The grocery store that Kinesis does is my worse. The "store" was actually in an old house with like 4 short aisles - that's how small it is. One of the questions is if you evaluated the restroom, and then a couple of questions asking about the cleanliness of said restroom. There was no restroom so I answered n/a. There was no room for comments after the section to explain there was no restroom. I got a 7/10 because I didn't evaluate the restroom (that wasn't there). I got paid so I didn't care about the score but there were way too many questions to answer about a store that was 4 aisles. And everything was expensive so it wasn't worth the reimbursement/time I put into it.

Best was hotel shops for Regal (hope to do more and branch out to other companies), fine dining from Customer Impact for places I probably wouldn't dine at otherwise, and regal movie theaters because it was something my mom and I could do together. These weren't the highest paying but I liked the experience.

Tax Dude was very very thorough. I had 2 1099s with no documentation. He went online to pull the info for the companies.

One was for Harland Clark and the other was for Ardent. Ardent's D&B description said "mystery shopping services." I nearly fainted.

@LW wrote:

I was just looking at one of the tax shops. What do you call your self employment/hobby income when you're shopping the tax preparer? Sales Consultant?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/20/2019 10:02AM by HonnyBrown.

I want to do a Casino but don't know how to play poker and you have to sit at the table for 10 minutes or so...any suggestions may help.....still an uncomfortable situation.

The best was when I was able to do both a Legoland amusement park shop and Legoland hotel shop for the weekend of my son’s birthday. Unfortunately my husband was stuck at work that whole weekend & unable to take a day off, so I took my mom and my son took his best friend. The park and hotel were all decorated for the holidays and so festive. I was reimbursed the cost of the park tickets, lunch and dinner, store purchases, game tickets, ride photos and hotel cost which included a free buffet breakfast for all of us, plus a decent fee for both shops. We all had so much fun and have some great memories, as the kids had a blast all day at the park and were kept busy at the hotel by a magic show, scavenger hunt, pajama party in one of the ballrooms, and disco party in the elevator. I was able to complete the reports that night at the hotel while the boys watched the Lego Movie in their pirate bunk beds.

I loved the Regal theater shops, Planet Beauty, and Farrell’s restaurant shops. I still love the Big Lots & Aldi (bonused though), gas station, Panda Express, gym visit (both with & without the workout) and Charo Chicken shops.

The worst ones I don’t dwell on, I just never to do them again.