Low Paying Jobs

Why do shoppers accept a shop for $4.00 in December for January?? Knowing that when January comes around, the company will raise the pay to $10.00 or MORE??

Are some shoppers that HUNGRY??

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I know what you mean...I keep seeing shoppers take 5.00 jobs that are paid way too low. If they would wait it would go up. I guess I personally would feel cheated if I did it for 5.00 and saw that someone in another city is doing the exact same thing for 20.00. Some people might be desperate. I figure I know what I am worth and what my time is worth and unless it is a 2-5 minute job then it isn't for me.

I agree. When I fist started I did take a couple of jobs that were low paying just to get my foot in the door. I no longer have to do it. Im now at a point where I can really pick and choose.

Okay now, BITE ME!!, Us babies have to start some where, I still consider my self in that baby stage. I feel IF I have the time, the more little jobs I pick up the more experience I will have in different area's . If you pick 4-5 quick and easy shops right in your area. There are some fun things out there IF your bored. Better than nothing and it gets your feet wet. Raining or not. So for all those new shoppers. Baby steps are OKAY.

I also agree with Bob. When I first started I tried a few lower paying assignments to get my foot in the door. Now it has been two years later and I can make more choices. A few companies call me on the phone to ask how much would I accept to take on an assignment. Once you get a full picture of the shopping industry and waste a good bit of paper and fuel; things will get better and with careful planning you can make some money.

I know what you mean about low paying jobs. I have 10 dollar generals down where I live and I got them for 10.00 apiece. And I got a email recently that since they feel it doesn't take much time to do them then they lowered the rate to 6.00 per shop. And wanted to know if I still wanted them and I told them that I wasn't interested. I did the same shops every 3 weeks and I had them automatically. So I am going to see what they do when they can't find someone to do them. They are in the most remote area in Kansas, Texas and Colorado.

sonic--yOU GET AROUND 12.00 FOR THE SHOP. yOU HAVE TO BUY A complete MEAL, WHICH COST 6-7$, THEN YOUR GAS,PAPERWORK,FAXES ETC... nOT WORTH IT, THAT IS WHY THERE ARE SO MANY OF THEM!!!

Same thing here......I look at what it pays...if only $5.00, i delete it...
I figure it cost me more than that just to think about it.

I've done alot of shops for $5.00, but they were in 5 to 10 miles of my home. And my check for the month of December was over $100.00 so thoes little $5.00 shops do add up. Plus once you do them once, you have down to a science and it takes little of 15 minutes. If it's not to far of a drive, or if you headed that way go I don't mind the $5.00 shops. And could you provide me with the company that does Dollar General...we have several in are area also..and does anyone do Wal-mart and Walgreens?

what about the shops that pay you 14.00 but you have to spend atleast 10 of it at the job...you just worked for 4.00...that means you drove to the shop, did the shop and went online for the paper work and got paid 4.00......well who paid for the gas for that job, cause you lost your butt on that one....there have been many job postings like that ....so does it pay to do the small jobs when you factor in your time and your gas...not...

I did a couple of shops at Wal-Mart through National Retail Group.

I have been mystery shopping since July '06. I have not taken a job paying less than $10 because it really isn't worth the time, work,or gas. I also do not take jobs that require a meal purchase that is reimbursed and I end up with $4. The gas/convenience store shops are not worth it for the work they want- several photos uploaded, a long training/exam before you get assigned and then they only pay $4-$5!! I do mostly bank shops, which are quick,easy and pay $10-$28. One of my first shops was for a series of 4 luxury car dealerships. The total pay was $140. I agree, if you refuse the low paying jobs, wait until the end of the month - the schedulers will call you. Many times they will offer an increased fee if you take the assignment to help them out. In Dec. I did a shop for a large retailer and it paid $15. The same job at the beginning of Jan.'07 was paying $5. I received an email this week for the same retailer now offering me $15 to do the shop by the end of this month. I am averaging $200-$300 per month doing this part time. I also try to schedule assignments during my hour lunch break so this way I can accept more assignments in a wider area.

just got a email...the job pays 20.00, but you have to spend 50.00 and can't take the purchase back...your now out 30.00 and the time it took you to do the shop and go online to fill out the report and the gas you used...total your in the hole close to 70.00....yea love those kind of jobs...send me more so i can go in the hole further....i did this secret shopper thing to make money...to date in the last 4 months...27.00 in the black.....time to get a real job to fill in till my other full time job comes back into play...love seasonal self employment

I have been shopping since May. I took a lot of low paying jobs for the experience and they were plentiful. I don't do many of them anymore. Just remember that when a schedualar is in a bind..he/she will remember who helped them out when they have good assingments.

I only accept $5.00 jobs if I know I'm going to be at the same mall completing other assignments for another company (and if I feel like taking them on). But lately, I haven't been taking them on as much.

I think the pay is a manner of opinion. I will take anything on jobs, i will sometimes bunch jobs together and take a road trip and do them all.

There is nothing wrong with the low paying jobs, everyone needs to start somewhere. I do both low pating and higher paying jobs, I have done a few $5.00 jobs and a few $75.00 jobs, most jobs that I take are between $15.00 and $25.00. I enjoy the change of pace and get the chance to work with a company that I didn't work with before. I will comtinue to do both high and low paying jobs, for the month of March I have made a lillte over $1000.00 and I still have a few days left in the month to see if I can make a little more.

Mike

Agree with so many of the comments above.
I had signed up with many companies and heard nothing for months. Then I got an email looking for shoppers for pizza delivery shops in my area. No payment, just re-imbursement. I was excited to get a ‘shop’ so I agreed. As well as the report several photos were required so after the first pizza shop I reckoned that I needed some compensation/pay as well. The company has called me several times since to do more pizza shops. Now they are paying me up to $20 for the shop I did once for ‘free’ and I have been able to get the shops changed from delivery to carry-out as I’m not in the delivery area. I’m getting a little tired of eating pizza though

I am still new to mystery shopping so will continue to do shops with low pay particularly if I have not done that type of shop before – it’s good experience. Also with a mystery shopping company I have not worked with before I believe, it is beneficial to do smaller low paying jobs to ensure that you can do it, get the report in on time and accepted and get paid. Learn how the process with the company works as there can be differences between them.

But as I increase my knowledge, I will asses the cost/value of the shops on offer.

When I first started MS last July, I took any job that I could get. I started shopping to supplement our family income. My husband wasn't working the seasonal overtime we were used to in the construction business and needed to pay our mortgage and $170/week daycare bill.

I've done most of my MS with Corporate Research. I liked them because they paid by direct deposit and about every two weeks. Their shops usually start at $4 or $5. I did hold off accepting some once I realized the commission would get much higher, but then when I would go to accept them knowing when the commission was getting to a point worth my while, someone else would have already taken them. So, I'm out that extra income I had been getting because I waited TOO long.

Everyone has their own reasons for MS, mainly as extra income for their budget from what I've seen, in whatever their life style or needs are. I've seen posting where people do it for fun and the extra food or money is a bonus. If people take these jobs at lower commission, it may be they are in a situation they NEED the money, and maybe, being new, they aren't aware the shop fee increase. Whatever the reason, hopefully these posting will inform everyone the fees can increase if they wait it out a little to make it more worth their time.

I still take the low paying ones even after a year of shopping. But if I can do several in one day it all adds up. One company I work with pays $7.00 and $6.00 reimbusment. I only have to spend about $2.50 at each shop but still get the $6.00 so I figure that goes toward gas. My check from them has never been less then $650.00 a month so those low paying ones really do pay off in the end if you get enough of them.I only have to be in each store about five to ten minutes so that is still pretty good pay per hour. I don't usually take the low paying ones if there is only one shop for that company in a month unless I happen to be going to the same town the same day and want to add to my schedule to make my trip worth while.

I have taken low paying jobs because I want to get used to the company and let them get to know me and my work. I have started getting some higher paying jobs. Nothing real great yet, but at least with the low paying job, if I really goof it up for some reason, (like not really knowing what they wanted and the company never thoroughly explained it to me) I use that as a training job, because I was not paid for it. I sure did learn from it tho

Like the others said, if there are three or more that I can do together in a day, then the jobs do pay...Gloria E. Morgan

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