More inflation, yet no increase in reimbursements...
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Mav states--More inflation on required shop purchases as item prices rise again, yet no increase in the reimbursement or fees.
Bob agrees
Mav continues--I'm looking directly at you MarketForce, Intouch Insight, and others.
Bob disagrees--It is the responsibility of ICs to refuse work they consider unacceptable. As an example, Intouch had a shop last fall they were unable to fill. When the fee escalated to $60, it fit my category one, money, and I quickly added the work. The drive distance was 9 mls. round, the visit 20 minutes and the report 25 minutes.
I am aware some folks are needy and unable to adopt my approach. I am NOT addressing the following comment to that class of shoppers. NO MSC should pay more to their ICs than necessary to complete the jobs. After all, this IS still business.
Bob agrees
Mav continues--I'm looking directly at you MarketForce, Intouch Insight, and others.
Bob disagrees--It is the responsibility of ICs to refuse work they consider unacceptable. As an example, Intouch had a shop last fall they were unable to fill. When the fee escalated to $60, it fit my category one, money, and I quickly added the work. The drive distance was 9 mls. round, the visit 20 minutes and the report 25 minutes.
I am aware some folks are needy and unable to adopt my approach. I am NOT addressing the following comment to that class of shoppers. NO MSC should pay more to their ICs than necessary to complete the jobs. After all, this IS still business.
Whatever the market will bear. As always and forever.
@shopperbob wrote:
Mav states--More inflation on required shop purchases as item prices rise again, yet no increase in the reimbursement or fees.
Bob agrees
Mav continues--I'm looking directly at you MarketForce, Intouch Insight, and others.
Bob disagrees--It is the responsibility of ICs to refuse work they consider unacceptable. As an example, Intouch had a shop last fall they were unable to fill. When the fee escalated to $60, it fit my category one, money, and I quickly added the work. The drive distance was 9 mls. round, the visit 20 minutes and the report 25 minutes.
I am aware some folks are needy and unable to adopt my approach. I am NOT addressing the following comment to that class of shoppers. NO MSC should pay more to their ICs than necessary to complete the jobs. After all, this IS still business.
In the format of ShopperBob:
Bob states...the obvious.
Mav's point...just pointing out the obvious to the MSCs should they be trolling.
It's crazy that some shops have a specific food item or items you need to evaluate, but the shop has no fee and the reimbursement doesn't cover the mandatory menu item(s). This happened to me at an all day breakfast place as well as a fast food chicken restaurant. You'd think they would assess the reimbursements periodically to make sure the food they want you to buy can be purchased for the amount given.
I also see the same high end steakhouses shops posted with either $100 or $200 reimbursement with no fee. I did one of the steakhouses with a $200 reimbursement, and my date and I still spent $100. Granted, we ordered food we enjoyed, and not the cheapest items on the menu. But it isn't something I'd do on the regular as the shops take me about 75 minutes to enter due to heavy narration.
I also see the same high end steakhouses shops posted with either $100 or $200 reimbursement with no fee. I did one of the steakhouses with a $200 reimbursement, and my date and I still spent $100. Granted, we ordered food we enjoyed, and not the cheapest items on the menu. But it isn't something I'd do on the regular as the shops take me about 75 minutes to enter due to heavy narration.
Our favorite social media star is now marketing MS as a way to lower your living expenses. So further perpetuating this idea that you should be excited to work for fast food and cookies as your compensation, versus doing this to earn income. Sigh. Newbies signing up everywhere for $9 fast food jobs, with visions of 50k/part time dancing in their heads. This isn't going to get better any time soon, folks.
Mav, sometimes when many people are replying, the vertical lines and voluminous repeated posts become confusing for me to follow. I literally am ignorant as to who is posting to whom.
Tiff, it is my opinion the MSCs are well aware they are NOT reimbursing the total of what they require. I have stated on numerous occasions, it is a matter of the Arab and his camel. Until and/or unless shoppers stop accepting work for a pittance, a pittance is all they will be receiving. Many yrs. ago, a bottom paying MSC, Trendsource, solicited phone shoppers for 50 cents. I am guessing there were few takers; they raised the fee to $2.
Tiff, it is my opinion the MSCs are well aware they are NOT reimbursing the total of what they require. I have stated on numerous occasions, it is a matter of the Arab and his camel. Until and/or unless shoppers stop accepting work for a pittance, a pittance is all they will be receiving. Many yrs. ago, a bottom paying MSC, Trendsource, solicited phone shoppers for 50 cents. I am guessing there were few takers; they raised the fee to $2.
@shopperbob wrote:
Mav, sometimes when many people are replying, the vertical lines and voluminous repeated posts become confusing for me to follow. I literally am ignorant as to who is posting to whom.
Tiff, it is my opinion the MSCs are well aware they are NOT reimbursing the total of what they require. I have stated on numerous occasions, it is a matter of the Arab and his camel. Until and/or unless shoppers stop accepting work for a pittance, a pittance is all they will be receiving. Many yrs. ago, a bottom paying MSC, Trendsource, solicited phone shoppers for 50 cents. I am guessing there were few takers; they raised the fee to $2.
...and here Mav thought your Arab and camel reference was going to end with...and the moral to the story is, "keep your camel's nose from going under the tent."
Come on, you guys are smart, you know nothing gets fixed until it breaks.
Update...while my reimbursement didn't go up, I finally received a fee that's more commensurate with the effort. It must have been urgently needed by the MSC because it was approved almost immediately after uploading.
Alta360 raised their grocery store shops from $10 to $25 reimbursement this month. It was almost impossible to hide something on the bottom of the cart without going over the old $10 amount.
I wish they had grocery shops in my area. Love working with them.
@wrosie wrote:
Alta360 raised their grocery store shops from $10 to $25 reimbursement this month. It was almost impossible to hide something on the bottom of the cart without going over the old $10 amount.
@wrosie wrote:
Alta360 raised their grocery store shops from $10 to $25 reimbursement this month. It was almost impossible to hide something on the bottom of the cart without going over the old $10 amount.
True, but I see the shops being taken at base now ($8), when I was regularly doing them for $20-$30 previously. I think they revamped to avoid the constant bonuses, and in the end we are actually getting paid less.
For me I would rather have the higher cash payment with $10 reimbursement than $25 of crazy overpriced Grocery 23/ Cost Axer groceries.
I was hoping they were going to redesign the report, but unfortunately they didn't. I hate doing them--the scenario is cringey, the report isn't user friendly, and the employees are elusive.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/15/2024 01:47PM by bradkcrew.
@shopperbob.... I agree that the MSC is aware of what the reimbursement covers. I would think the business being shopped is in full awareness also. In another post you asked, "Where is the bottom?" I don't know, but the MSC is sure to find it. They are not really that concerned about the cost of anything more than they are concerned about what it cost them. People are mentioning inflation and the cost of things are more today than yesterday. Meanwhile, I have seen one MSC REDUCE their fee to $0 for a Canes shop. How about that for the bottom? So much for the sensitivity about higher cost. I agree shopperBob, only the IC can change that. But alas, this is a saturated business and I am not going to blame everything on newbies. It's the oldies and than newbies.
"Cost Axer" is probably still trying to make up for the losses suffered in the triple coupon days. Remember those? It's all my fault. I had free groceries stocked up for years!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/14/2024 10:32AM by sestrahelena.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/14/2024 10:32AM by sestrahelena.
@sestrahelena wrote:
"Cost Axer" is probably still trying to make up for the losses suffered in the triple coupon days. Remember those? It's all my fault. I had free groceries stocked up for years!
Oh yes...in combination with front page ad loss leaders...and can crazy!
@1forum1 The Cane's shop costs me money if I do it for no fee. You have to get X or Y meal and $11 doesn't cover it. I've gotten asked to do one on the day it was due for $15. But someone must be doing them cuz that was rare.
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