What is the most you would lay out for a shop? What is the most you have lost?

Niner · 2019-05-02T21:19:45+00:00

We follow a model where we have to cover expenses and then hope we do a good enough job to get reimbursed. At first, I was nervous taking a $300 dining shop. I could afford that, but would never spend that much on one dinner (maybe ten or more combined!). The job paid, but it was nerve wracking. All of those similar jobs have paid, thankfully. I was listening to a podcast about a woman who took a 25k cruise. First of all, you need a 25k credit line. How many shoppers have that? Then, you will spend much of that time writing about it and not truly enjoying it. Imagine that doesn't get accepted? Now you are out 25k and did not enjoy the cruise. How could people take these risks?!? The most I have lost was around $28. I did not take a picture that I needed. I filled out the entire report and took the other 8-10 pictures, but I missed one. The report took at least an hour. That was $28, not thousands that you could lose out on a cruise or a hotel. How much of a risk will you take? What is the most you have lost?

What is the most you would lay out for a shop? What is the most you have lost?

May 04, 2019 08:00AM

A cash advance on a credit card is NEVER a good idea! The interest accrues daily, and that balance is paid after purchases and balance transfers.

@sandyf wrote:

I have never paid interest so I don't worry about it. It probably goes up and down and the only reason I saw that was because I opened the envelope right before reading the post and the slip of paper telling of a new interest rate fluttered out. Perhaps this is the cash advance rate. I notice those are higher. Not even worth it to me to keep track and call them every time they hike it.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton

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May 04, 2019 12:38PM

My largest layout for a project was about $18,000, The MSC pays every 2 weeks, and also offers advances if needed. There's the typical wait of 45- 60 days for another MSC where I have up to $2000, and that's for 2-3 night trips with hotel, airfare, etc.
I had 1 shop rejected from a MSC where I completed over 5000 reports, and it was for a gas station when a photo got corrupted and couldn't be used. Loss of less than $20 including reimbursement. .
Thankfully I didn't get hurt by any of the MSC shutdown/ bankruptcies.

Philadelphia Based, covering Eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland

May 04, 2019 06:12PM

The most I had on the line was about $6000 for a cruise about a decade ago. I was so paranoid about not getting paid back that I had a difficult time on the cruise. It was only my 4th or 5th shop for them at the time, and I thought the charges would be reversed like on my previous hotel shops. It wasn't, it was a competitor shop, which wasn't disclosed before I requested the assignment all the way up until I got back and submitted the report. I'll have a hard time doing that again, even with all the experience I've had since then.

Shopping the South Jersey Shore

May 04, 2019 06:15PM

I've put down a little over $10,000.00 for a two night resort assignment.

I recently "lost" $100.00 because I misplaced a gift card to a restaurant I was to visit, and I wasn't going to screw the MSC at the end of the month when it was my mistake. Shelled out my own money for some fancy pizza. Still haven't found the gift card. When I find it, it will be like finding free pizza!

May 05, 2019 02:25AM

I'm curious about this, was it just one tiny error, like one missed photo out of dozens, or something and they didn't reimburse you at all? I feel like for something that pricey they should atleast say give you 50% if it was just a small miss and you put hours into it.

May 05, 2019 02:34AM

thanks, that's really good advice. I am new to this, and I realize how serious they take it - I too would think a description of someone so distinct would be good enough. Also someone posted about arriving a few minutes early and then not getting reimbursed, good leasons.

May 05, 2019 02:53PM

Last week I put out $178 for a meal. I think that is likely the most I have put out. I was checking, checking, checking until it was accepted.
Obviously I won't be doing any cruises or high end resorts!

When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.
Alexander Den Heijer

May 06, 2019 04:59AM

Most I have put out probably around $500 Casino shop with hotel.
Most lost probably $300 casino shop with hotel (Different one) due to becoming ill on shop and having to cancel while on shop due to not being able to meet requirements. Yeah I could have sucked it up and fought through to complete but extra time required to spend was not worth the gain so I ate expenses some literally.

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

May 06, 2019 12:28PM

@SteveSoCal wrote:

I took a cruise that was around $32K but they gifted us the tickets, and I only had to front the extra expenses.

Most for one resort shop was about $14k...but I have had over $20k in expenses on my card on many occasions.

I had a 1-night stay at a hotel go belly-up and was out $700 once. That was enough to scare me into making sure it never happened again.

I must live in the wrong state/market, even when I look at SoCal shops I never seen these types or more than two nights anywhere. :-)

May 06, 2019 04:23PM

I lost about $100 from pizza shops when a mystery shop company went out of business. I also lost about $50 on a lunch because there was no manager presence, and I forgot to ask the host for the name.

May 06, 2019 07:51PM

@kessdarln wrote:

I must live in the wrong state/market, even when I look at SoCal shops I never seen these types or more than two nights anywhere.

Most of the really expensive properties are out of the country...or at least in Hawaii

My most expensive hotel stays have been (in order):

1.The Maldives
2.Bora Bora
3.Los Cabos
4.Paris
5.Tokyo
6.Hawaii
7.New York
8.California

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What is the most you would lay out for a shop? What is the most you have lost?

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