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You are the reason that the IRS wants all of the information on all of the banks so that they can catch the penny anti-tax cheats.

@wrosie wrote:

@boridi wrote:

Seems to me that I get $1 more in income and pay tax on $1 more, so I come out ahead unless my marginal tax rate is >100%

I'm ignoring mileage expenses since they would be the same in either case.

And that assumes you do enough shops for the MSC to get a 1099. Or do you all claim ALL your mystery shopping income even when you don't get a 1099?

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@franbolivar2001 wrote:

Don't work for food 7.50 and $ 5.00 payment! it is kike slavery in the old days.

I guess some people have no clue what they are talking about. I am not a snowflake haven't actually been thru that but You have no idea.

Well, I just did some research by using the Panda Express app. $7.50 won't even cover a bowl at some of the locations in my area.

Well, I did the one that I said I was going to do, just to see how it goes. I went in and ordered, and my bowl was less than $7 total. But my favorite entree has been discontinued according to the girl who took my order. kinda sucks. But I can always get teriyaki chicken instead.. lol I will wait for bonus' for dine in, I probably won't for drive thru because it's quick and the report is short and easy.

@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz wrote:

Well, I just did some research by using the Panda Express app. $7.50 won't even cover a bowl at some of the locations in my area.

I haven't had a lot of luck with Panda Express or Popeye's apps. They add fees that you can't see or change. The only fast food place that I have trouble with them having huge differences in their prices from one location to the next, even in the same city, is Five Guys.

Wow! Thanks for checking. I had no idea a bowl was so expensive.

@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz wrote:

Well, I just did some research by using the Panda Express app. $7.50 won't even cover a bowl at some of the locations in my area.

I just did an app shop. My bowl came to $7.43.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/18/2021 12:19AM by pegleg2000.

If the soda is self serve the restaurant has no idea what you put into the cup...it could be water from the tab that's usually located next to a non-carbonated tap.

@Morledzep wrote:

Yea, this is true, but I carry filtered water with me (minimum of two 34 oz. bottles), I don't like to drink soda fountain drinks. I quit drinking carbonated beverages in 2009, and for a number of years I didn't do dine in fast food shops because they all have a drink requirement.

Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product. Eleanor Roosevelt

Dine in fee is $6; online or drive-thru are $5. FWIW, the bowl for me here in Texas is $6.40 and with tax $6.93.

I checked multiple locations in my area via the app. Except for one location, a bowl costs more than $7.50 with tax. Some cities/counties here have higher sales tax rates than others.

I did one and got my lowest score for any mystery shop ever, a six! (No I don’t care as I’m still getting paid the same.)

Recently, I got Panda on my dime and via drive-thru. I loved what I had! Chicken and something-- Yum! To save a few bucks, we did not order sides or beverages. I do not recall what I paid, but I remember serving sizes.. The small serving of chicken and something came in a box that might have been as large as small extra box of rice from a food delivery. The medium/regular/large (whatever I ordered) was like the typical box of rice that you would have delivered to your home as part of a larger meal. I would not mind completing a Panda shop, but I would need to organize a day around that because of how long it has been since my last Panda gig. It would be like doing a shop for the first time, and all my first time shops are treated like final exams. So much time to prep and so little time for the actual test, I mean gig...

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

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/18/2021 02:07PM by Shop-et-al.

For those of you who do not like to eat as many meat products I just got a Food alert saying Panda now has options for vegans and vegetarian. Before the pandemic they used meat stock even in their seemingly veggie options. So I am going to take a look at their menu next time I walk by and see the prices and offerings now. This vegan option might only be in certain markets. I really loved their tofu and eggplant. Hope they still have that.

Yes, they still have tofu & eggplant but I don't believe all locations serve it.

ETA: [twitter.com]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/18/2021 10:51PM by BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz.

@NinS wrote:

I did one and got my lowest score for any mystery shop ever, a six! (No I don’t care as I’m still getting paid the same.)

NinS, if you're willing to share, I'd be interested to how/whether they justified that score, just for my own learning purposes. (Of course I understand if you'd rather not share!)

An employee told me that no they do not use peanut oil BUT all foods are cooked together even entrees with peanuts.
SO there may be vegan entrees that are cooked alongside the Beef Broccoli.

They’re really easy shops. The price is low. Difficult to see how it’s worth it data wise for Panda. Maybe it’s a freebie offered to Panda to see if they want the contract?

Amyann, happy to share. I got the report back with this comment from the editor: - "Please explain in the overall comments why your food was in a take out container with a bag.

- OverallSatComment: Please provide comments to support your response to your satisfaction with this visit. It is required to have at least three sentences."

I explained the food was served in a takeout container because I wasn't offered any other option, and added a sentence to the overall satisfaction comment field, which wasn't hard since my initial narrative in the other narrative field went well over the character limit. The report was then approved with the six score. Most of the shops I do for this MSC are on their other platforms or are Sassie ones I've done so often that there's almost no chance of an editor sending it back. My impression is the six rating is fairly standard for this MSC if the editor has to send the report back. As my overall score remains 10 and I'll be paid the same this is of no concern to me beyond general bemusement that such an easy shop yielded my lowest score from any MSC ever.

@NinS wrote:

Amyann, happy to share. I got the report back with this comment from the editor: - "Please explain in the overall comments why your food was in a take out container with a bag.

- OverallSatComment: Please provide comments to support your response to your satisfaction with this visit. It is required to have at least three sentences."

I explained the food was served in a takeout container because I wasn't offered any other option, and added a sentence to the overall satisfaction comment field, which wasn't hard since my initial narrative in the other narrative field went well over the character limit. The report was then approved with the six score. Most of the shops I do for this MSC are on their other platforms or are Sassie ones I've done so often that there's almost no chance of an editor sending it back. My impression is the six rating is fairly standard for this MSC if the editor has to send the report back. As my overall score remains 10 and I'll be paid the same this is of no concern to me beyond general bemusement that such an easy shop yielded my lowest score from any MSC ever.

We seem to have an editor in common.. but I also did not specify that they served me in a togo container in my comments. But they never asked me if I wanted to eat there or if my order was togo. They just rang me up and took my money without asking any questions. I cleared it up after when it was returned to me, but they don't change the ratings after they have returned a shop to you.

@NinS wrote:

Amyann, happy to share. I got the report back with this comment from the editor: - "Please explain in the overall comments why your food was in a take out container with a bag.

Yeah, I also received a 6 from a lady named Tina. She asked me the same question:

- The photo uploaded for your food ordered photo was in a take out box and bag. Did you dine in or take out?

I had to explain that every customer was served in a carry-out container.

@bocasman wrote:

@NinS wrote:

Amyann, happy to share. I got the report back with this comment from the editor: - "Please explain in the overall comments why your food was in a take out container with a bag.

Yeah, I also received a 6 from a lady named Tina. She asked me the same question:

- The photo uploaded for your food ordered photo was in a take out box and bag. Did you dine in or take out?

I had to explain that every customer was served in a carry-out container.

I’ve been doing these shops for years and my locations never ask if you want a plate or box. They always default to a box. I prefer this as I always have leftovers to take home. Apparently other customers feel the same as I have ever seen anyone get a meal on a plate.

Pre pandemic I ate at several different locations. I never saw anyone with a plate. They automatically start you on the line with a take home container in hand.
By the way, the word kike is offensive to those of us in that minority.
@franbolivar2001 wrote:

Don't work for food 7.50 and $ 5.00 payment! it is kike slavery in the old days.

Thanks. I was wondering if there was a purchase drink requirement. The reimbursement will cover the meal here.

Do not read so much, look about you and think of what you see there.
Richard Feynman-- letter to Ashok Arora, 4 January 1967, published in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005) p. 230

@whosear wrote:

Thanks. I was wondering if there was a purchase drink requirement. The reimbursement will cover the meal here.

According to the guidelines there is no required drink or side dish purchase.

I reported that offensive word to the moderator. No response. It is possible that they are ignorant of the word, but they could have looked it up. In the worst case, they agree. I suggest that other people report the original post. Unfortunately, that would mean that you and I are going to get reported as well, Sandy! Maybe I should report you, and you can report me?

@sandyf wrote:

By the way, the word kike is offensive to those of us in that minority.
@franbolivar2001 wrote:

Don't work for food 7.50 and $ 5.00 payment! it is kike slavery in the old days.

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

So are you going thru all posts and finding ANY words that MIGHT be offensive. Life is too short.

@myst4au wrote:

I reported that offensive word to the moderator. No response. It is possible that they are ignorant of the word, but they could have looked it up. In the worst case, they agree. I suggest that other people report the original post. Unfortunately, that would mean that you and I are going to get reported as well, Sandy! Maybe I should report you, and you can report me?

@sandyf wrote:

By the way, the word kike is offensive to those of us in that minority.
@franbolivar2001 wrote:

Don't work for food 7.50 and $ 5.00 payment! it is kike slavery in the old days.

@CANADAMOMMY wrote:

So are you going thru all posts and finding ANY words that MIGHT be offensive. Life is too short.

@myst4au wrote:

I reported that offensive word to the moderator. No response. It is possible that they are ignorant of the word, but they could have looked it up. In the worst case, they agree. I suggest that other people report the original post. Unfortunately, that would mean that you and I are going to get reported as well, Sandy! Maybe I should report you, and you can report me?

@sandyf wrote:

By the way, the word kike is offensive to those of us in that minority.
@franbolivar2001 wrote:

Don't work for food 7.50 and $ 5.00 payment! it is kike slavery in the old days.

When I read this the first time I thought it was just a typo and meant to read ”like”. Still think so.

Explain that
like is too short
life is too short

what are you talking about
it is NOT a typo
LIFE IS TOO SHORT SHOUTING YELLING SCREAMING
geeze folks

@kenasch wrote:

@CANADAMOMMY wrote:

So are you going thru all posts and finding ANY words that MIGHT be offensive. Life is too short.

@myst4au wrote:

I reported that offensive word to the moderator. No response. It is possible that they are ignorant of the word, but they could have looked it up. In the worst case, they agree. I suggest that other people report the original post. Unfortunately, that would mean that you and I are going to get reported as well, Sandy! Maybe I should report you, and you can report me?

@sandyf wrote:

By the way, the word kike is offensive to those of us in that minority.
@franbolivar2001 wrote:

Don't work for food 7.50 and $ 5.00 payment! it is kike slavery in the old days.

When I read this the first time I thought it was just a typo and meant to read ”like”. Still think so.

This is what I know: life is too short for meals to drag on and on and on... at table and then with follow-up questions from editors. I want to eat and move along to the next thing. it's why I complete few food shops (along with the fact that exact timings are stressful and bad for my digestion).

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

To me, the K-word is definitely offensive and akin to the N-word for Blacks or the C-word for females. However, the original quote was "Don't work for food 7.50 and $ 5.00 payment! it is [K-wrod] slavery in the old days." I agree with Ken that it was probably a typo for "like."

Even if there had not been a typo, the comparison to slavery was nonsensical and offensive. I don't think that is something to report to the moderators, though.

[Edited to substitute "K-word" for the actual word.]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/2021 07:46AM by BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz.

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