My income has dropped 50%

I am wondering if anyone else is suffering the decrease in offers. My favorite MSC do not offer the same jobs as before.

Was it the fact I turned 67 a month ago? Economy? More shoppers? Whats your opinion?

Lbarlbar in San Gabriel Valley California.

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I think all of the reasons you mentioned are valed, with age being the least and economy the most. We have discussed the increase of shoppers, at the training there were 6 from the Pasadena area, more than ever. The amount of work for the same pay might be causing us to be more select, and therefore take less jobs. I am not busy for the rest of the month, and know in part I just don't want to run around for these 10.00 jobs. Maybe we are getting smarter in saying no, but, I think July has been mainly slower .

Irene_L.A. shopping the Santa Clarita County

Live consciously....

I doubt the issue is age. There are some shops I can't do because of age, but they age out at 27 or 40 or 50, not up in the sixties and seventies. I do think companies cut back on mystery shopping from time to time. I've seen some jobs disappear around here and I don't think they were picked up by another MSC. And of course the economy is just a pit. Everybody is scrapping to get by and more people are turning to mystery shopping. I believe that locally we get teachers and college students doing more shopping in the summer. That's the only way I can explain why some of the jobs are grabbed off the boards so rapidly starting each June.

Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.

seems like june was good for a lot of people... including myself... july is just beginning to pick up... 1 bank, 1 eye exam, 1 car audit, and all in the last week... i dont think i found anything for the first week... perhaps everyone was gearing up for the fall sales boost... with school and then halloween, thanksgiving and christmas...

shopping north west PA and south west ny

I'm really sorry to hear that from all you guys. There are plenty of shops in northern California. But a big reason is because there is a large population that spans from San Francisco to Sacramento. If you are diligent and really get-to-it, you can route.

But I do get frustrated with these 10.00 shops..and I laugh at shops that start at 7-8 bucks. I mean really? I can't help but feel that MSC's put the squeeze on shoppers a bit too much and abuse our "IC status".

Some shops are offered only to a given demographic, or the client may decide "only shoppers between 21-65 for these shops" etc. For some shops (e.g. lingerie) they will say "women only" for obvious reasons. (I have yet to see a "men only" shop.) Sometimes the criteria will be posted in the description; other times the software will filter them out before you can see them. I have also seen shops/audits where they say "you need to be able to pass for 34 or under" or somesuch.

DrSquash Wrote:
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> "you need to be able to pass for 34 or under" or
> somesuch.

--------------

Man I wish I was 23 again. There are a ton of these age verification shops/alcohol shops around where I live and they pay very well. But I'm too old to take them. Oh well. Seems like the cap on them is 24-25. I have seen others that are 28 and up to 30, but the ones that are super easy and pay well(20.00 each) are <24. I guess its a hard demographic to fill for the MFC

2nd the MSC squeeze. There are way too many 7-8 dollar jobs, and some 10.00 jobs on the boards, in PA. even now. Aren't your schedulers asking you to sign up mystery shoppers for a small reward?

SherryS87 Wrote:
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> 2nd the MSC squeeze. There are way too many 7-8
> dollar jobs, and some 10.00 jobs on the boards, in
> PA. even now. Aren't your schedulers asking you
> to sign up mystery shoppers for a small reward?

I do get those emails from about 5 different MFC's. They are usually additional paragraphs at the end of an email that lists shop offers..all my friends think I'm nuts for doing what I do for the low pay, so none would be interested.

I am very curious how MFC and schedulers budgets work. Because essentially its a sales job on their end. So that means they have pressure to fill shops..but its like, where is the money going? There can't be THAT much over head. Its not only that we are the "grunts", I do not think that accurately describes us. In fact, we are high skilled professionals. That is probably the most damning aspect of it all. I could see the dude mowing the grass not making all that much and guys higher in the food chain, like the team foreman etc..making more. We are getting paid to mow grass but we are the foremen too...bleh. its pissing me off thinking about it so I'm going to stop

If I do not get shops, I can always go to the beach and be a beach bum for a day, week or season.

It would be nice to grab a shop or two on the way down the (NJ) Garden State Parkway but I really do not need the gas money, I can use my own money. Amazing! it takes $20 to get to the shore when only a few years ago a $5 bill would do it.

A supermarket shop or a convenience store shop can give a shopper food for the beach. SANDwich anyone? Ain’t it great to be retired? Then in October when I can not be a beach bum I may have to take shops just to keep from going nuts.

^ I am like you, but it appears that many do count this as a supplemental income. Perhaps too many like 'us' are straining their income.

anakin Wrote:
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> ^ I am like you, but it appears that many do count
> this as a supplemental income. Perhaps too many
> like 'us' are straining their income.

It's not the worker, it's the system taking advantage of the working.

So never, ever, ever...think that you, by taking a job are contributing to the poor plight of another...

MSC industry would probably use an argument related to what you are saying "there is high demand, so the labor price goes down".

The only problem with that, is there is no floor set for the labor price in this industry. That needs to change...

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