Has anyone done the HP paper and ink shops?

I did one today, never again. Not worth the $7.25 they pay. I've noticed they never have a bonus for these shops.

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@johnb974 wrote:

I did one today, never again. Not worth the $7.25 they pay. I've noticed they never have a bonus for these shops.

Once you do the location a couple of times it's not bad. I can usually get in and out in about 10 minutes.

I just did one today. It wasn't nearly s bad as they were a couple of years ago. When they first came out they wanted the numbers off of the book and list all the slots that were missing ink and paper. Now they just want you to take pictures.

And you should try not to check in. Buy anything for the $1.25.

@KateH wrote:

And you should try not to check in. Buy anything for the $1.25.

Exactly! Even if it's a little bit over a $1.25 you're better off getting a little extra for the purchase.

At the Big Box electronics store, there is nothing to buy for anything close to $1.25. You are not permitted to buy a gift card.

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

@myst4au wrote:

At the Big Box electronics store, there is nothing to buy for anything close to $1.25. You are not permitted to buy a gift card.

You can buy a drink or snack. I usually get batteries though as I usually need them.

The majority of HP shops they offer are revealed. I am not doing such shop especially for such low pay.

Shopping Eastern Pennsylvania since 2009

@gene wrote:

The majority of HP shops they offer are revealed. I am not doing such shop especially for such low pay.

The only ones I ever reveal for are Office Depot. The others you can take pictures and get out and no one's going to say anything.

really?
just log on and discovered revealed shop in Walmart and Staples

Shopping Eastern Pennsylvania since 2009

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/2021 09:33PM by gene.

Staples has mailing boxes for $.49 each if you buy 5 or more. Great time to stock up on boxes for mailing shops for a little over the small reimbursement.

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The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..

Mark Twain

Why should check in be avoided?

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

Do they pay any faster if you use the app to check in? I know of one site that does.

No.

@johnb974 wrote:

Do they pay any faster if you use the app to check in? I know of one site that does.

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

@HonnyBrown wrote:

Why should check in be avoided?

Some of the shops state to do the purchase/reimbursement only if you can not check in. I do not have time to remember which one is which. I always buy something, even if it is a 0.99 travel size cream or boxes to use for USPS shops. I only do check in for shops like the cell phone stores they had, where there is nothing to buy.

@HonnyBrown wrote:

Why should check in be avoided?

I prefer to maximize my payout and get the reimbursement even if it's only $1.25.

I buy ink for my Epson printer. I think its hilarious they ask what it is that is purchased, and the receipt shows the brand.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/22/2021 10:24PM by Aquiest.

what shops are you talking about

All of the HP shops have low pay.

I ignored the caution that these shops rarely are assigned with PAD and applied for one with PAD.

@Swilli wrote:

All of the HP shops have low pay.

Bach is not noise, Madam. (Robert, in Two's Company)

@Shop-et-al wrote:

I ignored the caution that these shops rarely are assigned with PAD and applied for one with PAD.

Hope you get it, SEA, they are stingy with them!

I'm not doing anymore of these shops. At some stores the ink asile is a mess. Missing inks, mixed with other brands....you have to sort them out. Not worth it.

@myst4au wrote:

At the Big Box electronics store, there is nothing to buy for anything close to $1.25. You are not permitted to buy a gift card.

Look in the front where they have the soda and snacks. I think granola bars were $1 or so last time I looked.

I did one of these at Target once where I had to record all the different inks, and it was terrible. I did one recently at Staples where you just had to ask for a recommendation, and that one was much better. I had also agreed to do one at Rite Aid since the scheduler needed end of the month help, but when I saw the instructions, I told the her to forget it.

@MisterBill wrote:

I did one of these at Target once where I had to record all the different inks, and it was terrible. I did one recently at Staples where you just had to ask for a recommendation, and that one was much better. I had also agreed to do one at Rite Aid since the scheduler needed end of the month help, but when I saw the instructions, I told the her to forget it.

I skip the discount retailers (Walmart/Target) for the HP photo shops (the ones where you count and photograph). I snatch up the drug store and big box shops as I can do them in 5 minutes or less.

For the ink mystery shop involving a recommendation I grab any of them that I can. You show up, wait for 3 minutes, find an associate, ask some questions and are out in 5.

I use the HP ink shops as fillers on routes. The drug store "count and photograph" are generally quick and easy and I snap them up. The "ask some questions" shops are also easy to do. I will generally do the big box "count and photograph" as well. I have never done a revealed shop, and don't plan on doing them. I previously had to "reveal" myself to a manager in the largest retailer in the US and it took 30 minutes for the manager to arrive, and then they wanted IDs, vendor documents, etc. No thanks.

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

They never do them at CVS though! That would be worth it.

The paper and ink shops are much easier than they were just a few months ago. I do them and get boxes, pens or tape. They are easy. Just a few photos now.

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The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..

Mark Twain

As myst4au said, they might be easy to do at locations other than the big box retailer and the large office supply location. I've done both of these bad boys. The first wasn't too bad but I didn't have to reveal or ask for a manager but I did get a bunch of funny looks as I took pictures of the inks that were locked up. The office retailer took much too long for the pay offered. I wouldn't touch it even with PAD.

I think there are a few different types of these. The "Office Supplies Audit" is the easy and quick one. I do it at the office supply retail store and it's fast.

Then there was the other one. I did one of the more involved types that included way too much for the low fee. Won't be doing that again. It took a ridiculous amount of time with a crazy amount of info needed. I believe they have cleaned it up a bit, but I still won't do it. I stick to the easy in and out ones.

*****************************************************************************
The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..

Mark Twain

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