I know we can't name names here, so I'll keep it as general as possible.

I am being offered a mystery shop in Canada at a national gas station chain.

I will be compensated for purchasing $3 USD worth of gas, and paid $5 for my report.

Is this suppose to be a joke, and I missed it? I mean who buys $3 worth of gas? Doesn't that scream, "Hi, I am a mystery shopper, I hope everything is perfect."

$5 for the report, that doesn't even touch min wage.

I know why companies make these offers, but all it does it make me hit decline.

No joke. BUT, you buy $3 gas in Canadian funds and get reimbursed in US funds, so you've made an additional .75 with the exchange rate. You have to reveal after you've bought the gas, so yeah, they know you're the mystery shopper anyway. The nice thing is the shops only take 15 minutes, if that, including reporting time. I don't know about where you live, but mininum wage here is a lot less than $20 an hour. And, incidentally, since we are IC, mininum wage doesn't apply to us, so I'm always confused (and, frankly, annoyed) by mystery shoppers who act as if that has any bearing on anything. If the job isn't worth it to you, don't take it. There are plenty of others who find the compensation (and other perks of being an IC) totally worth it.

Yes, the comp plans for some of these companies are abysmal. I just swipe them to the left because they are ridiculous. If no one takes the crap, they sometimes offer a bonus.

There is a mystery shop that is always offered to me which included $2 of gasoline. That is less than one gallon of gas! And you need to use a credit or debit card! And to top it off, in NJ (and Oregon), the law requires full service. I personally will not ask an attendant for $2 of gas, which is less than a gallon. I get funny looks and comments when I ask for $5 of gas.

They put them out there in hopes that people will take them. You gotta look at it from the view of the mystery shopping company. They're going to try to get the most money they can. So they're going to post the shops at the beginning of an audit period at the absolute cheapest they can. If people take them, great for them. And some will. I'd argue the only smart ones are the ones whom pick them up cause it's literally either on their way somewhere or part of a group of shops. I haven't grouped my shops in a long time because I haven't used mystery shopping as a major job in awhile. But years ago I used to group shops and do them in sets. Not just one type of shops but all different that were near each other and I was very strategic in my route. If I could make $5 plus $3 reimbursement for gas in 10-15 min on my way to another shop....why not? Otherwise its just being taken by new shoppers that don't know any better and the reports will be abysmal. I'm sure the editors hate it!! The longer into the period as the shops get dwindled down they start to offer bonuses that start to make more sense to do the shop on its own. Can't really be mad at the MSC here they're just trying to get the most they can for the shop, if people are taking them then its hard to argue their method is wrong.....

I don't mind doing gas station mystery shops for a pittance, because the in-store portion takes less than five minutes and the report is ridiculously easy. I sometimes bring a can for a small gas purchase. In the summer I can use it for the lawn mower. In the winter I can dump it into my car when I get back home.

I do a PetroCanada shop for $10C reimbursement and $2C fee. But I always buy $20 worth. That is the least I will buy.

I am usually at the site less than 10 minutes
and the report takes less than 10 minutes. It is just a check list. So, $12 for 20 minutes.

I only do it if I am passing by.

The one that I think is most absurd is the gas station, c-store mystery shop with the revealed audit. You must make a purchase at the pump for $3 then a small purchase inside. After the mystery portion, you get to do a revealed audit. All of this for $5 - SMH.

As far as minimum wage not affecting us because we are ICs, yes, you are correct.

However, I can calculate my net and the driving time -- and believe me, I don't hesitate to tell a scheduler "That's less than minimum wage, and I don't work for minimum wage".

I AIM for about 2.5X minimum wage (which is $10 an hour where I live, so I aim for $25 an hour, net, after expenses).

I know shoppers who do much, much better than that, and others who complain "I can't make any money at all mystery shopping". A friend did 4 shops yesterday for $375. Much, much better than my $25 an hour! Actually, with reimbursements, her total was somewhere north of $400. Out here in the sticks, that's equivalent to a 40 hour week at a minimum wage job. And there are no jobs here. Not too shabby for one 8 hour day.

First of all, I would never do a shop for only $3. But since your concern is merely that pumping only $3 worth of gas will make you stand out as a mystery shopper, why not just pump the $3 worth of gas into an approved portable gas container. You could be taking a gallon of gas home to put in your lawn mower, or you could be taking it to a stranded motorist who ran out of gas. You could always pump the gas into your car and comment that you thought it would take more, but your gas gauge was not working. The possible loss of a $3 is not worth the worry, and the client is probably ecstatic that you agreed to do the job for $3.

AZwolfman's suggestion will work well in those non-self serve states! It would look less suspicious to the attendant if it seems like you need it for a mower, snowblower or someone else.

Adding: I still wait for bonuses, though and don't mind driving farther to get them in a route.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/01/2020 12:50AM by sestrahelena.

I think there are only 3 states that are not self-serve. I had been mystery shopping for 11 years before I found myself in one of them. I was surprised to see the attendant appear and grab the pump nozzle as I got out of my car to pump gas.

I think it's only NJ now that is no self-serve. I believe Oregon changed last year.

I would suggest that, if you are in need of purchasing gas anyhow and expecting to drive past the particular gas station, it might make sense for you to just fill your tank at that location and do the shop. ($5 + $3 reimbursement for an extra few minutes of work beyond making the gas stop you were needing anyhow isn't a bad deal.). No, I would not go out of my way for it. Plus, if MSC's find folks who find this deal worthwhile, they have more money to spend on people like me who will drive deep into the sticks for that heavily bonused gas station that nobody else will go after.....

Minimum wage has a big effect on me. My minimum wage that I need to live here is guided by the state minimum wage. While I personally require a heck of a lot more than my state's minimum wage to pay all my bills I do not expect mystery shopping to fill that bill. But I can still use the amt the state considers the minimum to live here as a guideline of what I would agree to earn/get reimbursed for. When another shopper expresses that the shop pays below minimum wage I do not think they are saying that it is illegal to advertise those shops. To me they are saying it is unconscionable.

There is one particular gas station I do in the US. It doesn't pay well, but 3 pay for my fuel for 400 miles & they only take 15 minutes a pop including submission. And that's why I do them.

I need gas anyways and would be paying at least $3 to fill the gas tank. If the station is near where I'm going, I will happily take it for $3 gas + $5 payment. The report usually only takes about 5 minutes and the time at the station isn't long.

Additionally - I assume you don't know many poor people or people living paycheck to paycheck. Putting only a few dollars of gas in your car isn't uncommon for folks like that.

I doubt the MSC cares if we think we're supposed to make money. That's why we need to care and why we need to decide if the shop is worth the investment of time or not.

I think the amount offered for many shops is unconscionable. So I just don't do them. One hopes that over time, enough people won't do them so that the fees will be raised. But I've been doing this for six years, and I haven't seen that happen very much. Which is unfortunate. I don't see the COL going down any, so that shop that paid $12 six years ago and is still paying $12 is probably more like an $8 shop today.

Interesting thread. Instead of ms-ing and merching, I have been searching other areas' available assignments. if you drive half a mile to the little gas shop in a town as small as mine, you are doing well and the gas shop might the only one you will do for some time due to lack of nearby shopped places. If you live in a large city or one with suburbs, you can probably shop for fuel as often as you need it and eat at least two meals a day as mystery shops; this will get you to and through all the other shops you might do there. If you travel, you can do better than that. Everyone is unique!

@OldDog wrote:

I know why companies make these offers, but all it does it make me hit decline.

Who takes these shops?

I have to believe it's desperation in a lot of cases.

Notwithstanding those who can make these shops worthwhile for themselves, I am guessing a certain amount of people HAVE to take whatever they can to make ends meet with monthly bills. And, if their credit cards are maxed out and it's between, say, a pay day lender charging 400% interest and doing a bunch of $5 shops, then they might be willing to work for less than min. wage or even take a LOSS just for the cash (maybe the loss is better than going to a loan shark or something).

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/2020 07:54PM by shoptastic.

@Shop-et-al wrote:

Interesting thread. Instead of ms-ing and merching, I have been searching other areas' available assignments. if you drive half a mile to the little gas shop in a town as small as mine, you are doing well and the gas shop might the only one you will do for some time due to lack of nearby shopped places. If you live in a large city or one with suburbs, you can probably shop for fuel as often as you need it and eat at least two meals a day as mystery shops; this will get you to and through all the other shops you might do there. If you travel, you can do better than that. Everyone is unique!

Not in in my mid-sized city, shopetal.

The gas station shops, unfortunately, don't line up with nice meal shops.

Albeit, I HIGHLY suspect there is a SUPER SHOPPER in my area, who hooks up with the regional schedulers and gets all the prime shops ahead of time. I used to see lots good grocery, gas, and food shops you could do in route.

I seat there on job posting day (I jot down and have printed out which days shops come out) and feel like 2019 was the year ALL the good shops in good locations were GONE oftentimes. This was within immediate posting (if those locations were even posted at all). The only thing left were the crappy orphan shops that didn't offer enough bonus for me to do them.

So, yeah, even in a "big" area, you can have problems routing sometimes - whether due to shop locations and/or the presence of greater shopper competition.

shoptastic rhetorically inquires and then opines--Who takes these shops?

I have to believe it's desperation in a lot of cases.

Bob replies--I agree with shop's assessment of the situation. I personally know two folks in this business for whom the "shoe fits." In addition, baring a shopper who is masochistically oriented, working for either a pittance or an actual loss is far from desirable.

I have to buy gas anyway and if it's on my way, I will do them if they get increased a bit. I did one yesterday for $10 plus $10 reimbursement. Sadly, my in-store purchase was a new discovery that is going to add a lot of calories to my 2020 - Kar's peanuts with chocolate pieces....

I just saw Shell but done for the regional franchisee that owns many gas stations, for a different MS, $1 for gas and $4 payment, and they ask photos of the stations, but not each pump. NO.

There is always new shoppers that have to start at the bottom. I didn't get to have my pick of the SUPER fun shops until I paid my dues with gas stations when I started
Someone will always take them. Everyone has different opinions on what their time is worth. Everyone has different mystery shopping goals/routes.
Some of the emails make me smile at the low pay!

@myst4au wrote:

There is a mystery shop that is always offered to me which included $2 of gasoline. That is less than one gallon of gas! And you need to use a credit or debit card! And to top it off, in NJ (and Oregon), the law requires full service. I personally will not ask an attendant for $2 of gas, which is less than a gallon. I get funny looks and comments when I ask for $5 of gas.

For the states that require some else to pump it instead of you carry a small gas can that takes a gallon or less but tell them that you only want $2 of gas for your lawnmower, leaf blower, snowblower, or a small generator. Depending on what season it is.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/2020 07:32PM by 2stepps.

I agree, offers like that are a joke!

If they can find someone to do them for 1 dollar, the fee will never go up. Stop accepting ridiculously low offers. For all of our sake.

@HoomanShopper wrote:

And, incidentally, since we are IC, mininum wage doesn't apply to us, so I'm always confused (and, frankly, annoyed) by mystery shoppers who act as if that has any bearing on anything. .

I can't speak for other mystery shoppers, but I use it as a way to measure my value as an IC.I don't know about you, but I've done mystery shopping for a long time. I am way beyond entry level employee status. You want my experience, you want my skills, make it worth my while. $3 in gas, and $5 for a report isn't worth it.

Let's be candid here, we think mininum wage, we think Wal-Mart, we think McDonald's, we think entry level jobs where 0 experience is required.

How many people here look in the mirror, and see a greenhorn who is still struggling to do the job?

I'm not sure I get the minimum wage comments here. In my situation, I am usually passing by a gas station anyways. If it takes me on the long end 10 minutes at the shop and 5 minutes input I'm at 15 minutes. At $8, the hourly rate for that is $32 an hour, which is well over minimum wage in my area.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/2020 09:45PM by nixkit.