Shipping Shops Update

For anyone not in the FB group where updates about the return of shipping shops is being discussed, here are the latest updates as of Friday:

1. Shops should post this week (granted they also said that last week!)
2. Shops will be on the ISS Platform
3. Shop Category on ISS will be Retail

So if you use ISS and have a decent ranking for the Retail Badge, you can set up text alerts when new Retail shops are posted.

If you aren't signed up for ISS, you can do that here:

[www.isecretshop.com]

Good luck!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/03/2024 12:26AM by Cassiespark.

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Thank you! I've been refreshing the MSC platform relentlessly because I'm not a Facebooker. I glean info here on the forum and your "heads up" is super-helpful for people like me!

This is huge for me. I also am not a FBer.

They're not with IPSOS anymore?

Thank you so much for letting us know! I really appreciate it.

So is the new MSC that nude name company ..????

Mostly I'm curious to know if the fees and reimbursements have changed!

The pay might be a little different. But the reimbursements should always be neutral...

I have no badges at all from ISS. I have a lifetime total earnings of $40 and that was from so long ago I dont even remember what job it was. I have been checking the website and the majority of the jobs in my area are price checks with one or two job recruitment jobs that sound like a lot of hoops to even land. On the bright side I have done hundreds of post office jobs. I am not interested in either. Do you think they even care or will I be limited for not having worked much for them in the past. I am sure they have no idea that I am an experienced postal shopper.

Thanks for the update..much appreciated

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

Mark Twain

Unfortunately no.... But the bright side there is a new MSC to take it's place soon.

I've tried to find the facebook group people are referring to for these shops. Are you able to share the name of that group?

I hope they raise the reimbursement because when I mail a 2 pound package to the east coast from Oregon, the cost is $18.05 and reimbursement was only $14. The reimbursement used to be enough to cover the cost but postage rates went up and the reimbursement didn't.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/2024 02:48AM by jentheshopper72.

Yeah... The postage rates went up crazy this year, and last year too. Maybe next time when you ship a package, keep the weight below 2 pounds to cover your reimbursement. As well, mail the package to a shorter distance.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/2024 03:16AM by Donte69.

@Donte69 wrote:

Yeah... The postage rates went up crazy this year, and last year too. Maybe next time when you ship a package, keep the weight below 2 pounds to cover your reimbursement. As well, mail the package to a shorter distance.

Hummm.....looks like we have a 2-year lurker who suddenly decided to make their first post in THIS thread, out of all the shipping shop threads on this subject. Based on their posts, it appears it is a mystery person from the naked company.

So, Mr. or Ms. Mystery person....why don't you come out and say that the pay will be a few dollars less, rather than, "The pay might be a little different..." Because that's what you really mean.

And, instead of telling someone to keep their package weight below two-pounds or ship a shorter distance, tell your client to up the reimbursement.

Whaaaaaaaaaatever ServiceASSward...

Unless someone has verifiable inside knowledge, I'll keep believing that the fees and reimbursements are set by the MSCs. The most recent MSC had clearly stated in their job descriptions what THEY pay and what THEY reimburse. They calculated that only zone 5 would be covered by their reimbursement and limited it to that, so tough cookies for the shopper who wants to ship farther.

I imagine that the client negotiates the price per location to include the shoppers' costs, then the MSC is free to divvy up that amount among all that need to get paid as they see fit. Starting with CEOs' 85% or so, of course.

That's my theory and I'm sticking with it until I see contracts that say otherwise. I'm sure I won't.

In actuality the reimbursement was for under 2 lbs. I think the poster who wrote that probably meant to say almost 2 lbs. I send coast to coast and the reimbursement for under 2 lbs has been under the actual cost for several years already. For those of you who do not live on a coast, esp if it is near to a north or south border, you have many more choices of where you can ship for full reimbursement.
Looking forward to seeing the new shops.

Zone 6 under 2lb went over reimbursement for me about 6 months ago. Maybe longer.

@Donte69 wrote:

Whaaaaaaaaaatever ServiceASSward...

I was 50/50 regarding SA’s suspicion, but you just solidified it.

@sestrahelena wrote:

Unless someone has verifiable inside knowledge, I'll keep believing that the fees and reimbursements are set by the MSCs. The most recent MSC had clearly stated in their job descriptions what THEY pay and what THEY reimburse. They calculated that only zone 5 would be covered by their reimbursement and limited it to that, so tough cookies for the shopper who wants to ship farther.

I imagine that the client negotiates the price per location to include the shoppers' costs, then the MSC is free to divvy up that amount among all that need to get paid as they see fit. Starting with CEOs' 85% or so, of course.

That's my theory and I'm sticking with it until I see contracts that say otherwise. I'm sure I won't.

If anyone cares enough, you can get all the details of the contract with USPS and the MSC through a FOIA request. “All” government contracts can be provided to the public through the proper channels.

@sestrahelena wrote:

Zone 6 under 2lb went over reimbursement for me about 6 months ago. Maybe longer.

I just see it as supplementing my online marketplace sales. The customer pays me for shipping (sometimes at a reduced rate) and I get reimbursed (partially) for shipping via the MSC.

I got around the PO Box thing by just covering the addresses.

Be careful about using the addresses that are PO boxes by covering them. My city has special zip codes for POs. For example, 87107 is a real zip code. 87197 is the PO box zip code for that area. So the 0 is replaced with 9. No other address types are assigned the zip code with a 9.

@Donte69 wrote:

Yeah... The postage rates went up crazy this year, and last year too. Maybe next time when you ship a package, keep the weight below 2 pounds to cover your reimbursement. As well, mail the package to a shorter distance.

It was under 2 pounds. I stated a 2 pound package because the post office charges the 2 pound rate for 1 pound 1 ounce up to 2 pounds. I could mail a shorter distance but the reimbursement only covers shipping for most of the western US from Oregon. The reimbursement could be raised to cover a 2 pound package to anywhere in the US like it did years ago.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/01/2024 03:41AM by jentheshopper72.

Assuming they are self-assign, you'll be limited to assigning yourself 2 jobs at a time until you build up your reputation ranking on ISS. As it increases, the number of shops you can self-assign also increases. You build up your ranking by successfully completing projects, but they don't describe their rating system (they say its proprietary). There is a note that you can take some courses to increase your reputation rank here: [issprep.com]

Its all a pretty wonky setup, especially for the many of us who have completed hundreds of post office jobs, but we'll just have to wait and see how it transpires I guess.

@sandyf wrote:

I have no badges at all from ISS. I have a lifetime total earnings of $40 and that was from so long ago I dont even remember what job it was. I have been checking the website and the majority of the jobs in my area are price checks with one or two job recruitment jobs that sound like a lot of hoops to even land. On the bright side I have done hundreds of post office jobs. I am not interested in either. Do you think they even care or will I be limited for not having worked much for them in the past. I am sure they have no idea that I am an experienced postal shopper.

I have a shipping partner in CA, and I'm in AL, The last two packages I sent to her were over reimbursement. My packages are usually 1 lb. 8 or 9 oz. They only go over 2 lbs. when I'm sending stuff to my kids or family in another state.

@Donte69 wrote:

Whaaaaaaaaaatever ServiceASSward...

All you need to worry about is paying a decent fee and reimbursing the full amount.

The group is called "Mystery Shopping / Secret Shopping - Shopper, Scheduler & Editor Connect!". The thread on this shipping shops is dated 4/18, you'll need to scroll down to find it. The most recent comment was a few days ago.

@jentheshopper72 wrote:

I've tried to find the facebook group people are referring to for these shops. Are you able to share the name of that group?

Thanks for your insight. What is the new pay fee? Thanks for letting us know the reimbursement remains at $14.

@Donte69 wrote:

The pay might be a little different. But the reimbursements should always be neutral...

FYI this is a snippet from when the shipping shops changed MSC. I presume that the same two MSC's are involved, just that the contract has been subcontracted. NOTE: I took out the MSC to be in compliance with the rules here.

This week we received the unexpected news that (prior MSC) will not be renewing
our contract to handle their USPS client fieldwork for the coming year
(which would have otherwise had a start date of 10/1/15).

Do not read so much, look about you and think of what you see there.
Richard Feynman-- letter to Ashok Arora, 4 January 1967, published in Perfectly Reasonable Deviations from the Beaten Track (2005) p. 230

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