@rothers27 wrote:
I've been secret shopping for about 10 years. I'm super educated, very available, have an impeccable record, and have never ever been offered a shop that has paid more than 20 bucks, and that was like once. The bonused shops go FAST. In my experience, people don't contact you requesting you to do a shop. It's posted online, you reply, and only one person gets it. Most likely A LOT of people, all of whom have relationships with the scheduler, request it. One person gets it. IMO, there are shoppers who will go the extra mile for a scheduler, so they help each other out. But I think it's rare and IMO, not a good use of time. I'm not going to put energy into building a relationship with some unknown random person in order to be prized the bonused shop. That's me.
Also, the theme I've noticed is that the people who brag about making money, make it through bonused shops. Bonused shops are also rare, bonused at about $5, and nothing to be too proud of. Again, IMO.
Reality folks. It's biting you.
@Flyy1220 wrote:
Sometimes I see certain jobs flying off the board for base prices and know that the person can't possibly be making $5/hour. I have family members who do Uber, DoorDash, InstaCart, and a medicine drop off gig. They maximum make $20/hour without expenses. DoorDash pays $4 an order? My Mom once drove 120 miles out of state for Uber and made $90. Using the $0.58/mile rule she lost money traveling back home and not being paid for it. I try to tell my relatives this information, sometimes they listen sometimes they don't. Some people need money and the prospect of instant money is bigger than the money they might be losing on the back end when there car breaks down.
@shopper8 wrote:
As far as bonuses, I have gotten many bonuses. If the MSC wants shops done in the city, I always tell them I will shop 3 with bonuses, I will not go into the city for one shop regardless of the bonus. Fortunately I have a husband who drives me to the door of the shop, usually banking. $30 to $40 per shop including the bonus. I do think it is about where you live and how experienced you are. I worked the circuits at the airport for 12 years too. I would never do one or two shops at the airport, most of the time it would be 12 to 17 shops. 4 to 5 hours at airport and the same at home for reports.
@rothers27 wrote:
I don't see how anyone could possibly live off of mystery shopping as the sole source of income, and frankly, I don't believe anyone would be able to pay for health insurance, car, rent, food, utilities, gas etc., on shopping money. With the average shop pay about 10 bucks, you'd have to do 100 shops a week to make 50K a year. And give up any type of life and forgo sleep. You'd go bat @#$%& crazy.
@rothers27 wrote:
@shopper8 wrote:
As far as bonuses, I have gotten many bonuses. If the MSC wants shops done in the city, I always tell them I will shop 3 with bonuses, I will not go into the city for one shop regardless of the bonus. Fortunately I have a husband who drives me to the door of the shop, usually banking. $30 to $40 per shop including the bonus. I do think it is about where you live and how experienced you are. I worked the circuits at the airport for 12 years too. I would never do one or two shops at the airport, most of the time it would be 12 to 17 shops. 4 to 5 hours at airport and the same at home for reports.
How were you ever able to figure out 17 shops at the airport? I can never get assigned to one, and I always try when I'm actually flying out of the airport. I don't even need a ride.
I think few of us take shops that average $10 except as fillers for better paying ones. Even a 15-minute postal shop (that's including reporting time) pays more than that.@rothers27 wrote:
With the average shop pay about 10 bucks, you'd have to do 100 shops a week to make 50K a year.
@iShop123 wrote:
I think few of us take shops that average $10 except as fillers for better paying ones. Even a 15-minute postal shop (that's including reporting time) pays more than that.@rothers27 wrote:
With the average shop pay about 10 bucks, you'd have to do 100 shops a week to make 50K a year.
I don't shop full time, but know that I could easily do $50k if I needed to.
I'm not Bob, but why should people be paid more than they are worth? If it's worth it to me to take an hour-long job for $5, I have determined my worth. Maybe there is more than financial consideration in that, but again I'm determining my own value.@Flyy1220 wrote:
Bob - I guess you don't think there should be a federal minimum wage then?
There was a great tip here awhile back about turning Amazon packages inside out, so my "supplies" are tape from the Dollar Store whenever I'm there anyway, or their 2/$1 padded envelopes for which I'm reimbursed. I've been sending myself spaghetti that I'd be buying and eating anyway. When it's the padded envelope, it's about 30 seconds to put it in and seal it, and another 30 seconds to address it. Yes, it includes all of that; doesn't include the driving, but I'm usually able to plug in another shop between postal visits.@Shop-et-al wrote:
Does the post office shop example of fifteen minutes include time for obtaining supplies, sent items, storing receipt for same, wrapping and addressing the package, parking, feeding a meter, walking, and/or standing in line?
@rothers27 wrote:
How were you ever able to figure out 17 shops at the airport? I can never get assigned to one, and I always try when I'm actually flying out of the airport. I don't even need a ride.
You might try going the padded envelope route. It really does take less than a minute to put a box of spaghetti in there, pull the tape, and seal it.@Shop-et-al wrote:
It took more than fifteen minutes to make a "new" box and pack it properly