So do we HAVE to have an EIN for Trendsource?

Is it a requirement or simply encouraged? I used to do their grocery stores years ago until they started requiring the EIN. I thought I had read somewhere on the forum that it's not required. I signed up for a shop for this Thursday. If I have to get an EIN I may end up canceling.

Create an Account or Log In

Membership is free. Simply choose your username, type in your email address, and choose a password. You immediately get full access to the forum.

More Discussions About TrendSource / MSI Mystery Shopping (All Companies)

More About Mystery Shopping Taxes

I don't have one...I think it's only to do Bus verifications....and I just don't do them anymore.

Thanks, nanabelle. I used to do bus verifications for them but the pay wasn't worth it.

It is not required. Only for New Shoppers. When they started this crap, the outrage on these forums made them back up a bit...

Shopping Bama and parts of Georgia.
I'm still learning 24/7.

It's no big deal to get an EIN so I went ahead and got one. Won't do their business verifications anymore they just don't pay well enough.

jp. It just depends on your situation as to being a big deal or not...

Shopping Bama and parts of Georgia.
I'm still learning 24/7.

I am hard pressed to figure out what the big deal is with getting an EIN. something done ONLINE in less than five minutes, and keeps you from giving out SSN in this age of identity theft and hacking. As a small business owner, which every self-employed person is, whether Uncle Sam knows about it or not, should have one.

I, for one, am in the process of accessing my MSC profiles and wherever possible putting in my EIN and removing my SSN for just the reasons Delwilliams pointed out above.

I contemplated the pros and cons and sat on the fence for quite awhile, then finally jumped and got my EIN this year, just so I could complete the process of becoming certified or verified or whatever they're calling it. Also did the background check, etc. so I would be eligible for the business verifications.

Ironically, I have still yet to complete the first shop for this MSC.

I still get plenty of email notifications about shops "in my area", some offering distance pay. Each time I've replied, I've taken the time to calculate a driving route, round-trip mileage, actual driving time on the road, and calculated what I believe are very modest rates. Every time, I've either received an email reply that they found another shopper to do the project, or I've heard nothing back at all.

So, for me, I've yet to see any benefit of obtaining my EIN. And it's too early for me to know if having an EIN is going to cause any additional work when submitting my taxes next year.

They offer distance pay, but only if no one else can be found. If someone takes the assignment as offered, they will always get it before you.

An EIN is basic business, and it can help a lot. As for trendsource, since you have to call and set up an appt within 4 hours, I am thinking you need to be pretty local. Particularly since goal is to get it done within two days.

If you are hard pressed to understand, this does not apply to your situation. There are other reasons for not wanting an EIN...

Shopping Bama and parts of Georgia.
I'm still learning 24/7.

My general philosophy about doing anything for one company is to weigh the ultimate value versus the time and/or money spent. For that it doesn't matter if it is 5 minutes and $7 or several days and a few hundred dollars. In my area, Trendsource offers nothing of any value to me until they are in a bind and when that happens they are incredibly flexible

I'm hard pressed to figure out why I should devote any time or energy to fulfilling frivolous requirements that are not really requirements at all.

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.

Delwilliams Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> An EIN is basic business, and it can help a lot.
> As for trendsource, since you have to call and set
> up an appt within 4 hours, I am thinking you need
> to be pretty local. Particularly since goal is to
> get it done within two days.

If you have other specific instances in which having an EIN can help a lot, please share. I've got it, but it's just sitting there, like the last slice of cold pizza that nobody wants.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/2013 11:59PM by tralynnme.

Tralynnme,

It's basically the difference between identifying yourself (social security number) or the business (employer ID number). When you use the EIN of the business, you allow the business to build its own credit and stand alone as a business entity. Whenever you use your SSN, it's tied to you individually, not the business.
Second, I still say with all the hacking going on, it's far safer, particularly since, some MSCs are fly by night operations, and could be gone tomorrow with YOUR information.

FYI, OP, they lost the grocery store contracts last year. They have another one but that involves collecting prices and pays only $4 per 25 prices collected.

- They do still have grocery shops in my area, and competitor shops as well, but they only seem to be in limited areas.

- After thinking about the potential identity theft issues, I'd switched to using my EIN with every MSC that allows it. I have literally had one for over 25 years, ever since I started my first business. It has been inactive/unused for years at a time. I've had to cancel retail sales licenses when they were no longer needed, but you don't do that with an EIN.

If you are applying for an EIN as a single proprietor it is linked to your social security number and can be used for the different single-owner businesses that you have. You don't get a new one for a new business and it doesn't go away when you close a business.
[www.irs.gov]

More IRS Info: [www.irs.gov])

It's required they locked my page down when I didn't provide. Then emailed me when I didn't complete a shop I couldn't see. I just emailed them back and asked if I'd still get paid for the shop. So far, I haven't been paid for my first one.

FURTHER CLARIFICATION: I will be paid for my shop on next payday if I provide an EIN number than.

-Inkling

*~Shopping the Orlando area today, tomorrow the world~*

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/15/2013 10:26PM by inkling_shopper.

I agree what I find annoying is you keep on applying only to find out that somebody has already taken the shop. It's like everyone competing for a single shop.

Gold Certified
Shopping in San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles

They have many (ALL) great grocery shops with one client, of which I am able to get three a month. Ntony, you must be quick, as yes, these shops are in demand...let's remember monies are DD twice a month. I only started
self-assigning after I got my EIN#, this seems different in other areas, but works for me with no problem. Before getting
EIN#, I could never get this clients shop. This has been written about before, and doesn't need to be argued, as it seems
it's not the same in all areas. I do think you need to do a certain amount of work for them before self-assigning.

Live consciously....

I lost the privilege of self assigning when I did not complied right away with this EIN thing and now I

have to always apply for nothing.

Gold Certified
Shopping in San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles

They make it clear you need an EIN#, which is free and not a big deal in my world.

Live consciously....

I do shop for them every few months and don't have an EIN. I don't think it is ironclad and I'm sure I could get better shops with them if I had one. I was a shopper with them long before the requirement so I don't know if that is a factor.

Update: I've done 2 shops since my OP with Trendsource and have not had any issues. I will not sign up for an EIN.

Do you get their upscale grocery, m sure you don't need an EIN# for the Pizza jobs.

Live consciously....

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/28/2013 05:12PM by Irene_L.A..

I do their office supply shops and a revealed roast beef sandwich shop. I wouldn't touch the pizza shops with a 10-foot pole! LOL

HA! I'm just the opposite. I don't do revealed shops so don't do the office supply or the roast beef, but I LOVE the pizza shops. Just wish we could order thin crust. :/

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

I self assigned and do not have an EIN

expect the unexpected

I got an EIN a few weeks ago for them. I guess because I needed to be certified for audits.. Yeah..I passed everything with flying colours too. They said the client wants to know WHO's in their business, since we do a lot of snooping around and I don't blame them really.

they preesed e to get that number, but I compared the shops I did fo them with other companies (which is nost asking for EIN) and desided to drop them from my list...

Shopping Eastern Pennsylvania since 2009

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login

So do we HAVE to have an EIN for Trendsource?

Create an Account or Log In

Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies

Mystery Shopper Magazine