Shell changing companies?

I went on the other day and there were lots of shell shops open starting January 1, 2019, but now they are all gone is shell changing companies?

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I see the same thing. Most of the shell shops disappeared from the board. Still some left but it is strange.

Are these the shops that went to an app?

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/27/2019 09:17PM by Shop-et-al.

An app? Which app?

Don't think they went to an app. Last quarter the Shell shops disappeared quickly, before I could self-assign any. So this time I was able to grab some. In my area all gas station shops from this MSC disappear quickly, except Gulf night shops.

I have 1 for next month and there are still some on the board.

Maybe people are just hungry for work, since December and January tend to be slower months.

I see that too. I'm skeptical someone took them all this soon, but it is possible, I suppose..

Most in my area were taken, but there are still a few left.

@LIJake wrote:

Don't think they went to an app. Last quarter the Shell shops disappeared quickly, before I could self-assign any. So this time I was able to grab some. In my area all gas station shops from this MSC disappear quickly, except Gulf night shops.

My 18 year old cleaned up with those Gulf night shops this quarter. Apparently he was the only one willing to do them around here.

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Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.

This time of year those night gulf audits get my its too damn cold fee of $100 added to whatever I would normally do them for usually no less than $40 normally so $140 starting and up from there depending on location. I stupidly took 2 at $60 each. Luckily one was closed during hours they should have been open. I did see a few Shell when searching around Pittsburgh, PA on that MSCs board.

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

Shell and Chevron are all but gone in my town. Replaced by a company called Speedway which does not offer top tier gas. I'm avoiding those stations like the plague and as far as I know they are not being shopped.

Just completed a night time gulf for $150. It was 70 miles round trip and 90 minutes drive time round trip. Spent 45 minutes on site, making sure take extra pics so took little longer than normal and about 30 minutes for report. Total time spent 2 hours and 45 minutes. Pay $153 ($2 gas plus $1 inside drink purchase) minus $20 realistic expenses gas and wear and tear on car equals $133 or $48.36 per hour. Not bad

I did this to show new and unexperienced gas station shoppers how you can make money on these shops.

Note: This was all highway driving and the station was located in an rural type safe area.

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

Is Shell changing companies? Not likely, but I can hope!

they were posted today with the same company.

______________________________________________________________________
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.

It's my opinion that many of those shops may have been posted in January in error. I now see those same shops posted as February shops. It's as if they were removed from January only to be added for shops to be performed in February.
OTOH, I still see January shops and I also have shops due in January.
Who knows? It certainly seems that the same MSC has them.

One last comment; I note that the MSC wants the shopper to note if there are "healthy" food choices available. The "lubricant" questions are also there. Without the additional $0.50, I might add.

Wouldn't it be nice if the MSC would increase the pay rate?

There are January and February shops listed in my area. I think the lubricant question just refers to which ones they sell and are not the four lubricant questions from last period.

Oddly, a scheduler called today looking to assign me some which is weird because they usually don't start calling until later in the month or quarter. Same MSC.

@French Farmer wrote:

It's my opinion that many of those shops may have been posted in January in error. I now see those same shops posted as February shops. It's as if they were removed from January only to be added for shops to be performed in February.

I was thinking the same thing

I can definitely confirm that Shell is with the same company. I counted more than 70 of them on the job board for January in my city this morning.

For the seasoned shoppers out there, how long does it take you to do these Shell shops? I'm using the MSC's app, which is super clunky in my opinion cuz it wont let me jump to specific questions. I've never done gas stations before but most of them are taking a little over an hour. I think the MSC wants them done in under an hour. Not sure how thats possible when some of the stations I've done have 16 fueling locations and every one of them had an infraction or two. Plus not to mention its 20degs out. I made the rookie mistake of signing up for a bunch of them and after doing the first one, I dreaded doing the others but got em all done. For the amount of work/pictures/time required, imo they are not worth the $12.50, 2 gals of gas & $2 C-store. There are still more in my area but I dont know how I could get them done faster to make them worth my time.

@Walters Mom wrote:

For the seasoned shoppers out there, how long does it take you to do these Shell shops? I'm using the MSC's app, which is super clunky in my opinion cuz it wont let me jump to specific questions. I've never done gas stations before but most of them are taking a little over an hour. I think the MSC wants them done in under an hour. Not sure how thats possible when some of the stations I've done have 16 fueling locations and every one of them had an infraction or two. Plus not to mention its 20degs out. I made the rookie mistake of signing up for a bunch of them and after doing the first one, I dreaded doing the others but got em all done. For the amount of work/pictures/time required, imo they are not worth the $12.50, 2 gals of gas & $2 C-store. There are still more in my area but I dont know how I could get them done faster to make them worth my time.

I know what pictures I have to take. I go do the purchases, then take 3-4 pictures per pump with my camera and everything else that is needed, write on a piece of a paper x number of pumps, what mistake per pump, store, as cliff notes, and then fill the reports at home while watching tv or doing something else. It takes me 20 min or less per gas station stop. I do not have time to waste with clunky apps and it is too cold. Plus, I do not know if there is traffic that would delay me so I prefer not to spend a lot of time doing the reports on the road.

That's a good idea. After 10 of them, I know what to look for and I wouldn't have to fight the app. It keeps crashing and locking up. I can't believe that the Marathon & Circle K in my area pay $7 for what seems like a vary similar shop thru a different MSC.

Are we not allowed to ask which MSC you are referring to?

@chauna1 wrote:

Are we not allowed to ask which MSC you are referring to?

Thanks for asking. The client has been named, so the MSC cannot be named. It's one or the other.

Forum rules prohibit naming both the client and the MSC in the same thread. So the minute someone names the client the MSC name is off limits. And once the MSC is named in a thread, the client name is off limits in the same thread.,

Out of an abundance of caution I generally avoid naming either unless it is essential to the conversation to invoke one or the other. That leaves the flexibility for others (or me) to name either later in the thread if a compelling reason to do so materializes.

So I guess technically you can ask and you haven't broken any rules. But if others answer you they are breaking forum rules. So in essence you would be specifically asking others to break the forum rules.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/14/2020 08:38AM by JustForFun.

@Walters Mom wrote:

That's a good idea. After 10 of them, I know what to look for and I wouldn't have to fight the app. It keeps crashing and locking up. I can't believe that the Marathon & Circle K in my area pay $7 for what seems like a vary similar shop thru a different MSC.

Those two are much easier. You only need one pump pic, not all pumps. And I find Marathons in my area are on point. Hardly ever having infractions, which makes it easier, too. One type of Circle K shop is super-simple. But I still refuse to do them at base rate.

There are a ton of BPs in my area that haven't been scooped up yet & they pay $19. I was thinking about trying one since they pay more than Shell and I already have a vest just need to get a name tag. Do they ever offer these jobs in the spring or summer? I need to get a pair of cheap gloves & cut the tips off so I can work my phone.

@Walters Mom wrote:

There are a ton of BPs in my area that haven't been scooped up yet & they pay $19. I was thinking about trying one since they pay more than Shell and I already have a vest just need to get a name tag. Do they ever offer these jobs in the spring or summer? I need to get a pair of cheap gloves & cut the tips off so I can work my phone.

Where are you located, general area? First make sure you pass the qualification test, you will find the link in the guidelines when you click on one of the shops at presto. In the northeast the dark audits started at $10, went 15, then $20, and now they are on make your offer. The regular BP that you are talking go for $60+. If they have not been taken at $19, it means they will go higher before they reach a level acceptable for the shoppers in that market.

@Walters Mom wrote:

For the seasoned shoppers out there, how long does it take you to do these Shell shops? I'm using the MSC's app, which is super clunky in my opinion cuz it wont let me jump to specific questions. I've never done gas stations before but most of them are taking a little over an hour. I think the MSC wants them done in under an hour. Not sure how thats possible when some of the stations I've done have 16 fueling locations and every one of them had an infraction or two. Plus not to mention its 20degs out. I made the rookie mistake of signing up for a bunch of them and after doing the first one, I dreaded doing the others but got em all done. For the amount of work/pictures/time required, imo they are not worth the $12.50, 2 gals of gas & $2 C-store. There are still more in my area but I dont know how I could get them done faster to make them worth my time.

Sometimes it takes me as little as 10 minutes to take ~30 pictures and complete. Usually takes me about 15 minutes.

Ditch the app and just take pictures with your phone. Make a checklist of all the pictures you're supposed to take and cross off the list after every photo. Try to memorize all the rules concerning which photos for which sites.

KateH - I'm in NE Indiana.

Jbrz123 - Thanks for the tip, I will try your method for the last 2 Shell's that I have and take it as a personal challenge to get all the pictures in under 30mins.

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