Just a head's up, 2 new tasks have been added to the shipping shops:

1. Mandatory to upload a screenshot showing the location hours. They also want this photo to be geotagged which is silly since its a screenshot of a website. This MSC continues not to know how to use ISS correctly, sigh.

2. Now you must confirm that you completed the shop, what the package weighs and sign your name on a statement saying you read the guidelines. Yes, for every location you complete.

Picture a massive eye roll, that's my face right now. They are ridiculous.

Ain't nobody got time for that!

Oy and i was going to take one for tomorrow. Now I have second thoughts on that.

I just did a completely unrelated shop that is reported through ISS and it also had a new question promising I had read the guidelines. Maybe ISS is promoting that? I did not have to sign, just mark a bubble.

Another MSC always thanks me in comments that I followed the guidelines. This makes me think there are Jamokes out there who do shops without reading what needs to be done.

As the pay gets lower and lower, the quality of work received as a whole decreases. I have no doubt that the mystery shopping company in question is having issues with shops done incorrectly or poorly. They took a project that used to pay quite a bit more with another mystery shopping company. They're trying to get the same work done and pay very little considering the amount of work.

These questions are a feeble attempt to try to increase the quality of the work received without increasing the pay. It's saddens me that shoppers take these shops and reward the company for their behavior.

However, we can complain and moan and complain and all of that. As long as people continue to take the shops, nothing will change. From what I see, however, quite a few of these shops just don't get done. It's possible that they have a new contract that does not require 100% completion. It might not even require anything close to 100% completion, because I know they're not getting anywhere near that.

Wow, the details of #1 is ridiculous.
All that for a lovely five bucks! I miss doing these shops, been over a year, but not with this MSC!

This MSC definitely employs the Arab/camel philosophy of business and they seem to be successful with that model. Until and/or unless there are no more shoppers willing and/or needing to accept the work, they do not have any incentive to change.

I did one of these with the new MSC a few months ago. I have no incentive to do any more, especially with these new requirements. I miss them with the old MSC!

For me it is an issue with reimbursement,.Living on one edge of the continent I cannot mail to friends/family without going over the reimbursement. There have been numerous price increases in postage since the last time they upped the reimbursement. If I could get my mailings reimbursed completely I would be more likely to take jobs even with a slightly lower pay. I do not want out of pocket expense for these shops. The shop no longer has value in it for both the reimbursement shoppers who really want to mail something and the fee shoppers who want to earn more than $5.

You nailed it. This MSC is getting what they paid for, and not liking that they are getting ground chuck when they dreamed of filet.

@thunderdeacon wrote:

As the pay gets lower and lower, the quality of work received as a whole decreases. I have no doubt that the mystery shopping company in question is having issues with shops done incorrectly or poorly. They took a project that used to pay quite a bit more with another mystery shopping company. They're trying to get the same work done and pay very little considering the amount of work.

These questions are a feeble attempt to try to increase the quality of the work received without increasing the pay. It's saddens me that shoppers take these shops and reward the company for their behavior.

However, we can complain and moan and complain and all of that. As long as people continue to take the shops, nothing will change. From what I see, however, quite a few of these shops just don't get done. It's possible that they have a new contract that does not require 100% completion. It might not even require anything close to 100% completion, because I know they're not getting anywhere near that.

The survey also had an error in it last time I did one. You had to select that the clerk offered Priority, even if they didn't. It wouldn't let you submit the survey without selecting it. They are trying to use ground more now for short distances to cut fuel costs, so they are not offering it like they used to.

@mjt9598 wrote:

The survey also had an error in it last time I did one. You had to select that the clerk offered Priority, even if they didn't. It wouldn't let you submit the survey without selecting it. They are trying to use ground more now for short distances to cut fuel costs, so they are not offering it like they used to.

I guess at some point they have to "offer" it if that's what you are required to choose? I'd think knowing what is being recommended would be more important.

Many times, they will just give me ground, which I see on the screen, and have to say that I want Priority, but they did not offer it. They never offered anything.
quote=Deedeezthoughts]

@mjt9598 wrote:

The survey also had an error in it last time I did one. You had to select that the clerk offered Priority, even if they didn't. It wouldn't let you submit the survey without selecting it. They are trying to use ground more now for short distances to cut fuel costs, so they are not offering it like they used to.

I guess at some point they have to "offer" it if that's what you are required to choose? I'd think knowing what is being recommended would be more important.[/quote]

Oh, that used to happen a lot when I did these for the previous msc. There was a way to record it so it was clear what had happened. One clerk actually took it so far that they'd labeled and tossed the box in a sorting bin before giving me a price. I had to ask what they'd just done and complain that I'd wanted to send it priority, make them dig it out, redo the label, and pray it didn't go in the trash bin next.

If they have taken the option away to give this type of feedback, that tells you something about their priorities. I doubt such a change is an error.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/06/2025 03:32PM by Deedeezthoughts.

These shipping shops are not worth doing for $5 or even with the bonus $5. The MSC doesn't cover the full shipping expense and they promote it to us as 'consider it a discount on shipping your package.' I prefer to see it as it is - a partially reimbursed shipping task with crappy pay. I guess when you add the fee, it would cover the shipping charge, but when that happens you are working for free.

That is a bold move by them to ask for more work on a substandard paying assignment. If you're lucky there won't be a line, but why wait 20-30 minutes for service from a teller for a shop like this? I would rather print the label at home and hand it to the postal carrier and save the time of driving to the post office, waiting in line, performing the shop, and then the reporting time. Seems like a big time waster.

They have had some on a uni campus and those are worse because you typically can't park on campus. So you are walking much further than a traditional one. I remember back in the day they would close 30 minutes for lunch.

I don't sell stuff on Ebay or Etsy, but don't those people get discounted rates on shipping? I would think that it is a small pool of people that would be interested in a shop like this. Of course, I have been wrong before.

Best thing smart shoppers can do is not sign up for these shops and the MSC will have to raise the fee.

They called me today offering $10 pay and $15 reimbursement for hazmat. Exactly what the website currently indicates for the bonused rate. I said I would do it for $25 pay plus reimbursement. They said they will note this. Should I hold my breath? (sarcasm font on that) I'm consistent in my response but they continue to call and I let it go to voicemail most times but I was feeling feisty.

That's exactly correct. Yet another thing this MSC doesn't seem to understand. Sigh.

@Deedeezthoughts wrote:

@mjt9598 wrote:

The survey also had an error in it last time I did one. You had to select that the clerk offered Priority, even if they didn't. It wouldn't let you submit the survey without selecting it. They are trying to use ground more now for short distances to cut fuel costs, so they are not offering it like they used to.

I guess at some point they have to "offer" it if that's what you are required to choose? I'd think knowing what is being recommended would be more important.

Yes, I have had the same thing and had to insist that they void it and send it Priority, which wound up taking 30 minutes to get the manager to void the transaction at a grocery store post office location.

@Deedeezthoughts wrote:

Oh, that used to happen a lot when I did these for the previous msc. There was a way to record it so it was clear what had happened. One clerk actually took it so far that they'd labeled and tossed the box in a sorting bin before giving me a price. I had to ask what they'd just done and complain that I'd wanted to send it priority, make them dig it out, redo the label, and pray it didn't go in the trash bin next.

If they have taken the option away to give this type of feedback, that tells you something about their priorities. I doubt such a change is an error.

I've had them offer $30 for very hard to fill locations.

@Deedeezthoughts wrote:

They called me today offering $10 pay and $15 reimbursement for hazmat. Exactly what the website currently indicates for the bonused rate. I said I would do it for $25 pay plus reimbursement. They said they will note this. Should I hold my breath? (sarcasm font on that) I'm consistent in my response but they continue to call and I let it go to voicemail most times but I was feeling feisty.