@hbbigdaddy wrote:
@Notme2021.....you make some valid points like the FICA tax. But some points are not as valid like having a car and phone is something most people already have that are NOT shoppers. So you being a shopper didn't require you to go get a vehicle or a phone. As far as time spent looking for shops, last time I checked both Panda, JITB and others are sent to you, so it involves no search other than to click/accept a location that you want. Yes, not all shops are that spoon-fed like that.
Mystery shopping does not require people to work certain hours. You take the work you want to take and ignore the opportunities you feel are not worth the effort. There are enough shops to do that don't require monetary outlay (apartment shops, storage facilities, phone calls, etc) so those that have capital issues and cannot front money still have opportunities.
I'm always going to WANT the most $ I can get for as little effort as possible on my end. But I don't also think that I'm deserving of some terrific wage for something that most people can do. My teenage daughter could do shops (if an MSC would allow someone under 18 to signup). So let's not pretend this is a highly-skilled position. Just like most of us could walk into a grocery store and do those jobs with very little training, those grocery store workers could do mystery shopping with very little training as well. BTW, I'm not picking on grocery workers, I'm only pointing out that these are not what is considered "skilled labor."
@hbbigdaddy wrote:
I don't live my life around shops. I make shops fit into things I'm doing. Yes, some people are trying to make this a full-time job. I am not leaving my house to do any shop. I grab shops because I will already be there (same shopping center) or because I have a time gap to fill between events where I'm already outside of the house. There are plenty of shops I refuse that I feel are not paid worthy of the effort to do the assignment, but Panda is not one of them. It has to be the simplest food shop i am aware of.
I get that people doing this as a FT job need more money. But you still are avoiding the issue of "skills." I'm sorry if your children are incapable of getting a name of an employee at a retail/fast food establishment and documenting the time they entered/exited and what might have been said or if they were upsold something on a meal. There are jobs/professions that require real skills. Mystery shopping is not one of them. "Experience and common sense" are not needed for many of the mystery shops available.
As far as "living" wage, that is debatable. Most people live BEYOND their means regardless of their income. I have a rental house. I see the renters. They sometimes have nicer cars and the latest Iphones. I'm not going to go down the path of "living" wage. If America was so terrible, we wouldn't have so many people fighting to get across our borders for the opportunities some here don't want or want to complain about.
The best part about mystery shopping is that so many different people can do it and do it the way they want and best suits their life. There is nothing preventing a felon, a disabled person, a rich person, a poor person, any skin color or gender identity from completing a mystery shop. This is an opportunity that really does NOT discriminate unless it's a shop looking for specific target (which is a very small percentage of shops).
The report takes a lot more than 4 minutes, especially since you have to write 2 narratives and include a redundant comment for every negative answer. That said, I leave the Pandas on the board because of the so-called reimbursement which is more like a subsidy than a reimbursement.@hbbigdaddy wrote:
I can see the argument from both sides here. Yes, the reimbursement should be $10. The pay of $8 doesn't bother me. I do online or drive-thru. 2 pics is super easy and the report is a breeze. I don't think I've ever had an experience that lasted more than 4 minutes and that includes placing the order on the app.
@whosear wrote:
One could order a bowl and stay below the $8 reimbursement in my area. But I like the plate. I consider both fee and reimbursement to be reimbursement on food shops so I get the full amount of the reimbursement and don't have to figure out what to order to stay at or under the reimbursement amount. btw...these shops are now bonused in my area.
@AZwolfman wrote:
The report takes a lot more than 4 minutes, especially since you have to write 2 narratives and include a redundant comment for every negative answer. That said, I leave the Pandas on the board because of the so-called reimbursement which is more like a subsidy than a reimbursement.@hbbigdaddy wrote:
I can see the argument from both sides here. Yes, the reimbursement should be $10. The pay of $8 doesn't bother me. I do online or drive-thru. 2 pics is super easy and the report is a breeze. I don't think I've ever had an experience that lasted more than 4 minutes and that includes placing the order on the app.
@AZwolfman wrote:
Yay! The reimbursement has finally been increased. Now if they would just eliminate the 2-month rotation requirement.
@sandyf wrote:
A couple or three meals from a one item bowl? Wow. No wonder I cannot lose weight . I always eat the whole thing in one setting.
@thunderdeacon wrote:
I am a 6' 1" 225 lb male, 39 years old.
I get vegetables as my side item, and a bowl doesn't come close to filling me up.
@sandyf wrote:
A couple or three meals from a one item bowl? Wow. No wonder I cannot lose weight . I always eat the whole thing in one setting.
And that, big daddy, is unfortunately the reason I do not move back to Arizona. After calling Arizona home for 15 years, I followed the money to Las Vegas. Mystery shopping pays better here than in AZ or CA, but I still shop routes in AZ and CA whenever the routes pay enough. I would never do a shop for less than $10, and there are very few I would take for only $10. Mystery shopping is my only job.@hbbigdaddy wrote:
I still see the $8 reimburse on the most recent postings in California. I did not check Arizona (assuming that is what AZ is for).
@AZwolfman wrote:
Yay! The reimbursement has finally been increased. Now if they would just eliminate the 2-month rotation requirement.
@sandyf wrote:
Finally took a Panda shop. The ones in my area never get to a bonus so I decided to take one and see how food is. Probably have to go out of pocket a bit with the $8 reimbursement but it is walking distance. However I cannot pass the test even tho I am pretty sure all my answers are correct. The test guidelines say they will tell you which you got wrong. Anyone know how to get to see what you got wrong. I started out getting 90 and after 3 passes now I am getting 80. Its for the online report.
@sandyf wrote:
I cannot pass the test even tho I am pretty sure all my answers are correct. The test guidelines say they will tell you which you got wrong. Anyone know how to get to see what you got wrong. I started out getting 90 and after 3 passes now I am getting 80. Its for the online report.
@sandyf wrote:
Finally took a Panda shop. The ones in my area never get to a bonus so I decided to take one and see how food is. Probably have to go out of pocket a bit with the $8 reimbursement but it is walking distance. However I cannot pass the test even tho I am pretty sure all my answers are correct. The test guidelines say they will tell you which you got wrong. Anyone know how to get to see what you got wrong. I started out getting 90 and after 3 passes now I am getting 80. Its for the online report.