I’m the original poster and I’m happy to report I got paid (Amazon gift cards) for my two shops. These two shops included a chain pizza place and an upscale deli that’s attached to a nice Italian restaurant. I’m probably going to go back and pick up the shop that is now posted at the restaurant itself. I’ll just stand there and wait for a carry out item. I looked at their menu online and saw some to-go soup was like $6.50 so that would be perfect. Even better, it’s directly on my way home from work.

From reading these comments a big thing I’m seeing is that the receipt can be the biggest trouble part of this shop and most likely where issues are going to crop up. For this reason, I’m going to avoid the real mom and pop small shops. Or, if you can’t get the right receipt, spell it out in a large number of words in your narrative as to why you did not get the exact receipt that was required.

Also, it seems like you want to be very careful in your narrative and not give them any reason to reject you in the first place. I think I’m going to take an index card and make myself a little note on the bullet points I need to hit in the narrative.

I have posted in this forum before on using talk to text where you just basically dictate into your smart phone. I do this all the time and it totally saves on typing and I feel like I can talk forever and I don’t feel like gosh I’m sick of typing. Sometimes, more words are better even if you’re just being redundant lol.

Thanks, everyone for all the great responses on this post!

Oh, and one more question – does anyone know if there is a rotation for doing these shops? I see the same ones posted over and over and I would love to repeat the ones I’ve done that worked out well.

The thing that irks me is that the limit the reimbursement to $8. But when the shop only sells high end items, like wine, then the instruction states to buy items up to $20, yet they would still only reimburse $8. Not sure what the logic is here. I would not touch these shops unless I was already planning to buy wine on my own accord.

The guidelines are not realistic. I don’t live in a big city, and none of the nail salons have anything less than $25, some $30.
Nevermind the room for error. They’re not grading these for a week or so later. Then you get a time-sensitive response requiring new photos or proof of visa debit card (or the tag from granny’s underwear). And how many times does the receipt price, not match the shelf price?? They’re trained to reject first. It’s russian roulette, with 5 out of 6 chambers loaded.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/27/2023 09:27PM by cocksureness.

Has anyone purchased an item in quantity on a transaction? Like a priced $3 candy bar, but 2 of them, equalling $6? If so, was the report accepted? I try to spend just under reimbursement to maximize my take but sometimes there are only items over the amount or way under. Instructions say "an item" I think, but I wondered if "times two" would be rejected.

My new trick: open the camera before walking up to the counter. act like I'm voice texting "hey do you want anything from XYZ store?" Snap the pic when I'm talking, or right after, when I "send" the text.
My galaxy takes a picture when I push the volume up button, so it makes it very unnoticeable.
Anyways, hope that maybe helps.

@injus5injus5 wrote:

I have tons of these available for me. Mostly Pizza places. I am hesitant because the only items $8 and below are garlic knots or fries. I dont know how worth it it would be to run around town eating 500 garlic knots all day.

Also the awkward photo as previously mentioned. Most counter people are staring at you the whole time. Would feel weird to try to snap a photo during the whole interaction.

And putting in an order of garlic knots and leaving, then coming back in, oh yea I forgot, I want more garlic knots. lol IDK seems alittle too weird to me.

Concerning the awkward photo, my new trick: open the camera before walking up to the counter. act like I'm voice texting "hey do you want anything from XYZ store?" Snap the pic when I'm talking.
My galaxy takes a picture when I push the volume button, so it makes it very unnoticeable.
Anyways, hope that maybe helps.
Also helps when I return for the second purchase of the same item.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/07/2024 04:23AM by Shopper_Dude.

For nail salons: once, not as a shop, the employee just cleaned, cut, and quickly filed my toenails for about six dollars before tip. Would this little service ever satisfy the purchase portion of this shop?

@Shop-et-al wrote:

For nail salons: once, not as a shop, the employee just cleaned, cut, and quickly filed my toenails for about six dollars before tip. Would this little service ever satisfy the purchase portion of this shop?

The problem is they’re Reject trigger happy. If there was a menu price or physical tag price for the item, it might get accepted. If there’s no proof (fluid definition) of price, and other things have prices, forget it. In any / every case, be prepared (7-10 days later) to fight with the editor to get it accepted.

Ie: One of my shops was perfect. Item had price tag $4.99, several signs in store showing 3% surcharge, receipts showing the 3% difference. Everything they were looking for…. but nooooo, still sent it back. Now didn’t like that the card receipt listed ‘other card’ . They wanted it to say ‘Visa debit card’. In the end, I provided bank statement screenshot.. still not accepted for 4 days.
Good luck to anyone doing any of these shops. The editors / graders are off the chain!

I got declined one of these at a smoke shop because the receipt did not have Visa or debit on it. They told me to email a screenshot of my debit so I did, and they still declined it. I was out $4 but got a couple of lighters.
I have been doing the bar shops around here- I go in and order a beer, then my wife joins me and I buy her one and pay cash. Those have been working out, and hey, free beer!

Check who the reviewer is. I saw a pattern on my rejected reports and it's the same reviewer.

They refer to themselves as editors. In my case , it was more than one… atleast 3 were happy to reject. That’s how I concluded that they’re trained to do so. It’s like Ipsos hired the Antifa busload for this round.
Anyone else notice the shops were removed? hmmm

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/01/2024 06:02PM by cocksureness.

oh boy, you are right, they have been removed. Guess they are gearing up for the next latest and greatest version of these. I can't wait to see what they come up with next!

@cocksureness @mcjover Great points. Seems like certain over zealous editors all too eager to reject shops have ruined these jobs or at least made shoppers shy from pulling the trigger due to the risk of being out $10-$15 on purchases for each shop plus the extra work involved. Upper management at the MSP must be confused why they can't fill these.

I noticed that those pins had an end date of Dec 31, but would've bet money that it would roll over to a Jan date given how many were left. No way they came close to reaching quota. Unless that was a hard deadline due to the calendar year, or quarter's end, you'd expect these will return soon. If it was a hard deadline, then why didn't we see any increase in the fee towards the end of the run? The last two cycles had longer than usual gaps in between start and end dates.

@meanviking although it is "only lighters", you still didn't get paid for the lighters or the job. Would you have gone to that store to get the lighters? Look at the time it took to claim the pin, drive to the store, shop time, report time, and gas. In hindsight, you might've done something else or just chill. I am not picking on you, I am mad for you that you didn't get paid because your proved it. How can we be expected to control how a store's receipt read? You showed that it was a debit purchase by showing your bank statement. If they are going to reject shops because the store receipt prints a way that is not to the editor's liking, then why would anyone do these shops?

This is precisely why I came on the forum. What they did to me (a quite seasoned shopper) was wrong on all levels. I wanted to warn everyone to try to save them from losing $$ and sanity.
I haven’t done a shop since, and won’t. Finding out day after day that so many others are robbed by these crooks really pisses me off. The communist robots will not stop their mistreatment, unless you / we make a stand. Don’t accept any of it… don’t put up with the abuse. Thankyou Momomomo for seeing things for what they are. And right.. it’s not “ free beer” .. infact it’s losing your freedom.

@sestrahelena wrote:

Has anyone purchased an item in quantity on a transaction? Like a priced $3 candy bar, but 2 of them, equalling $6? If so, was the report accepted? I try to spend just under reimbursement to maximize my take but sometimes there are only items over the amount or way under. Instructions say "an item" I think, but I wondered if "times two" would be rejected.

I did so on a shop this round and got a warning, but it was accepted. Based on that I won't do it again; not worth the risk.

In pizza places you can get a slice of pizza, or a bottle of soda.

The email i got with the rejection says, "reason provided by the reviewer" so i used reviewer, lol. I have other shops with issues or need clarifications but other editors respond. They gave me a chance to correct the issue.
This 1 editor doesn't respond to my emails and all the report she reviewed/edited were all rejected. She reviewed 1 report on Christmas day and received an email requiring revision. I was out of town to visit family and by the time i checked my email on the 26th, the report has already been auto rejected. There's another one that needed a screenshot of my bank receipt that i couldn't upload to the report. I emailed it to her right away, auto rejected because she didnt correct it on her end. Other editors are responsive and forgiving.

This mean in every 2 rejected shops, i need to do at least 3 more shops to compensate the out of pocket expenses not including gas, and of course time and effort. At least 5 shops just to break even, it's at least 2 hrs wasted depending on distance and wait in the store. If not for this particular editor, i dont know if we're allowed to say the name, first and last starts with M, it's fun and easy shop.

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2024 05:40AM by mcjover.

I didn't see what happened to @whataboutpromblaine on page 1. wow

I know the guidelines are the guidelines, but does anyone know why the initial requirement is that you buy something that has a price tag unless there is nothing with a price or nothing with a price under the initial reimbursement? When I've done regular shopping, the shelf doesn't always match the price on the receipt and it has nothing to do with the method of payment.

The guidelines also said shops would not be returned for blurry photos and thus would be declined. What other shop does this MSP offer that has a similar policy? I am sure if we sent in a blurry receipt for a fast food shop they have, the editor would kick it back and ask you to send in a clear photo. For some reason, it is not the case with this shop.

The fee for this job is nowhere near being commensurate with the risk

Curious...if you had a shop rejected under this program, did the location reappear on the map? If not, wondering if they are just using the data provided and not paying shoppers for it.

The guidelines are as illogical as the reviewers. This is the 4th or 5th run of these, and they still can’t get it right. My guess, for the price tag desire, is to have a known base price to show a difference (or not). Ofcourse this is not a realistic requirement, (for the above mentioned reasons and more).
The (foreign) bank / corporation that is paying for these shops has likely withheld payment.. for ill results. Thus the emphasis to reject the ones that aren’t perfectly depicting that a Visa debit card caused a $4.99 product to cost $5.14.
Inturn, Ipsos has joined the CCP, and willingly robs the shopper. If the guidelines stated that item must have a tag (matching receipt price), noone would sign up. Noone that has ever been to a convenience store.
They are recklessly wacking shoppers.. by changing/ adding requirements, after the fact.
I shared these points of reason, with the “lead editor”, and I see they did not improve, their team nor the guidelines.
The risk is very high. Likely higher than buying 2 scratch off tickets instead. Atleast you wouldn’t have to wait 10 days to find out.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2024 05:12PM by cocksureness.

@Cassiespark wrote:

Curious...if you had a shop rejected under this program, did the location reappear on the map? If not, wondering if they are just using the data provided and not paying shoppers for it.

Yes, the convenience store that had no shelf tags, the one where the chief editor consulted the project manager.. and concluded that I should have purchased the stale pack of Pall Mall cigarettes.. as the counter picture showed a price above them. That shop got relisted. And days later, still up.

I dont have an issue with these shops getting approved for me. Following the guidelines to a T. I had one rejected because i mistakely used my Mastercard instead of my Visa and didnt notice until a couple hours later. One was rejected because i "forgot" to chose an item with a shelf price. I had one shop give me a handwritten reciept for the debit card purchase and the cash purchase & it was approved.

If your doing one at the nail salon, and they dont sell individual items, just services, you can get an eye brow waxing for about $10. I havent done one of those, but if they are still up when i need an eye brow wax in a month or so, ill probably do that. Cuz with the nail salon, it says in the guidelines you dont do the cash purchase, just the debit card purchase.

I usually just purchase the cheapest item available at the food trucks / restaurants... usually a drink or fries To-Go. If a sit down restaurant, always have to ask for the menu so i can take a picture of the price. & then just order a side of fries or drink... they probably think i am weird. Lol.

My main job is delivery driving, so these are nice to do in between my deliverings. It really helps my income for the day.

How does it help your income for the day? They don’t ( reject ) accept for 7-10 days later.

@cocksureness wrote:

How does it help your income for the day? They don’t ( reject ) accept for 7-10 days later.

It "helps my income for the day" because its money i make that day. I give myself a daily goal as to what i want to make each day.

I have done a few nail salons, getting a service. One was accepted, but they reimbursed me $8 for the service, which I paid $20. After I appealed, they adjusted the pay. It happened with the second nail salon, and they only paid $8 and did not accept the appeal. The third one is still awaiting the approval. It seems to me that it all depends on the editor with these shops.

I'm glad to see you are having success with this program. I'm curious how you are handling the sit down restaurants you mention? Do you order the fries or drink, consume them, then pay for those with Debit, then order something else and pay for it with cash? Any tips on how to explain this to the server? And no tip to the server?

Thanks!

@Serendipitousmoments wrote:

I dont have an issue with these shops getting approved for me. Following the guidelines to a T. I had one rejected because i mistakely used my Mastercard instead of my Visa and didnt notice until a couple hours later. One was rejected because i "forgot" to chose an item with a shelf price. I had one shop give me a handwritten reciept for the debit card purchase and the cash purchase & it was approved.

If your doing one at the nail salon, and they dont sell individual items, just services, you can get an eye brow waxing for about $10. I havent done one of those, but if they are still up when i need an eye brow wax in a month or so, ill probably do that. Cuz with the nail salon, it says in the guidelines you dont do the cash purchase, just the debit card purchase.

I usually just purchase the cheapest item available at the food trucks / restaurants... usually a drink or fries To-Go. If a sit down restaurant, always have to ask for the menu so i can take a picture of the price. & then just order a side of fries or drink... they probably think i am weird. Lol.

My main job is delivery driving, so these are nice to do in between my deliverings. It really helps my income for the day.

Does anyone know if you can filter these out of the presto app? I have done them in previous rounds but I am not interested and they are clogging up my map on presto. I don't know if you can filter them out.

You can't filter them out but you can filter to see one specific project at a time. In the filter box type in a keyword of the project title such as, "lighting" or "Walgreens." It will show only locations in that project group. All these years and I just learned that this week. But I had not used Presto much in the past, either.