Getting frustrated signing up with new MSCs only to find they have nothing in my area

I completely understand why MSCs won't reveal their available jobs to someone who hasn't signed up yet, but I'm starting to dislike applying to companies, most of whom want my SSN, only to find out there are no jobs in my area right now (especially as I'm in the 4th largest city in the U.S.). I've wasted a lot of time filling out profiles for companies from whom I've never been able to apply for an assignment.

I saw on a recent thread that some people have signed up for 75-100 companies. I'm signed up for about 50, including the top ones listed here, of course. I'm find it hard to find new companies with work in my area, and I know there are businesses that I've love to shop but I haven't been able to locate their companies. Any advice? I've been doing this for four years and I've done a lot of research, but lately I seem to be hitting a brick wall.

Create an Account or Log In

Membership is free. Simply choose your username, type in your email address, and choose a password. You immediately get full access to the forum.

When you are sitting at home with nothing to do, sign up for some more MSCs. That is my advice.

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

They may not have anything today, but they may have something in the future. By signing up for more and more companies (as myst stated), you will avoid the mad rush later. Just be patient.

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

It cost nothing to sign up. I would advise sign up with all Major MSC (check the list), when you have time the reputable smaller MSC. You just never know. I can remember signing up for a company that was not in my area, and a couple years later (yes years) picked up a $250 assignment, a one off in my area, seems I was the only one in the area in their database. Plus it great when you travel and you are already in a company's database.

A Dad shopping the Ark-LA-Tex and beyond.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/2021 09:59PM by ShoppingDad.

From 2003 until 2008, I did not do any work for Quest for Best. In the following two years, I completed 297 shops. Since then, though, only three. The moral of the situation is that one never knows what tomorrow will bring.

I have dozen of them without any jobs in my area. Signed with them a while ago and still 0 shops.

Shopping Eastern Pennsylvania since 2009

Oh, good grief. Check the job board here. Most companies put the state or area right in the job posting. Check presto-instamaps; they show SASSIE shops. They currently show almost 1,000 shops in your area, with many more than the 15 biggest (signed up with ath Power, are you? Reality Based Group? etc., etc., etc.)

There are other job-aggregating sites; maybe some other shoppers will list some.

These places will give you the company names of the MSCs that have shops in your area.

@ceasesmith wrote:

Oh, good grief.

I do check the job board here. Yes, I'm signed up with ath Power and RBG. I check out every company mentioned in every thread that I read here.

I do thank you for the suggestion of checking presto-instamaps. That's exactly the kind of information I was hoping for when I made my post.

But your "good grief" was really unnecessary. If my post annoyed you so much, you could have just ignored it.

Ah, but if I ignored it, you wouldn't have received the helpful info.

Sorry. It's end of quarter and end of month, I'm turning down work left and right and taking on more than one person can accomplish.

Believe me, no insult intended -- just terminal exhaustion speaking.

I have stopped registering a long time ago. Nothing ever transpired and I no longer care if they do. I shop for 12 or so companies, some way more often than others. Works for me.

Ceasesmith, thank you. And i shouldn't have been so touchy. I really do appreciate the info.

Check out JobSlinger also. It will tell you all shops within your chosen radius.

@ceasesmith wrote:

Sorry. It's end of quarter and end of month, I'm turning down work left and right and taking on more than one person can accomplish.

Possibly dumb question here but... Last month when we (SASSIE/Presto) did downtime for maintenance, someone posted saying "Don't they know it's the end of the quarter?" Now you're saying August is the end of the quarter. I thought Q3 ends in September. How can every month be the last month in a quarter?

- Colleen (from SASSIE/Presto)

Corporations can choose their own fiscal year. Fiscal years do not have to conform to calendar years.

I am, indeed, doing last of quarter shops.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/30/2021 04:37PM by ceasesmith.

@ceasesmith Thanks for the clarification.

I asked because we've always done our maintenance downtime in the first month of the calendar quarter specifically to avoid end-of-quarter issues. But it sounds like every month is someone's end of quarter so it's unfortunately unavoidable.

As a lark, I signed up for an MSC from outside the US which had no shops in the US. They still seldom do, but when they do, I am more than happy to take their fees. They even use words like, "Please," and "Thank you," in their e-mails.

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login

Getting frustrated signing up with new MSCs only to find they have nothing in my area

Create an Account or Log In

Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies

Mystery Shopper Magazine