Mercantile Systems (for Hotel shops)

Closer Look (for Hotel and Restaurant shops)


.......

Give it up already.

rardon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mercantile Systems (for Hotel shops)
>
> Closer Look (for Hotel and Restaurant shops)
>
>
> .......


Your list is incorrect. I have been paid a shoppers fee by both of those companies on top of the food and lodging reimbursement.

I have also been paid a shopper's fee by both of the above companies.

No list will be accurate - seems to me that most MSC's that handle dining, lodging and event shops, offer some at reimbursement only and some with varying degrees of pay, ranging from a pittance to generous. Those that have no pay will often get bonused, so even they offer pay if nobody wants to do them for free.

Seems like the most helpful assignments for this recurring theme would be a generously paying shop for axe-grinding.

rardon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mercantile Systems (for Hotel shops)
>
> Closer Look (for Hotel and Restaurant shops)
>
>
> .......
I know this might sound like a crazy idea, but if you don't like no fee shops, don't do them! I do casual and fine dining shops often when there is no fee, and love them. I feel reimbursement for a great meal at a nice restaurant is pretty darn good.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/2013 08:22PM by cpburt.

The OP just has an ax to grind because he really wanted to do those particular hotel shops but he wanted to get paid more than just reimbursement.

Hasn't this horse been dead for a couple of weeks now already?

Forget it. Depending on the client and the circumstances, I have gotten fees for those shops from those companies.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/17/2013 02:29PM by CAscotch.

Hah! Poor rardon! So much free time on his hands because no company wants him to do any shops...

I have to say my absolute favorite shop of all time paid be no fee and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I got an experience worth that had about $300 in value and was immeasurable in the cool mom factor with regard to spending time with my college age kids. My kids and I all hope for the opportunity to do it again.

$0 does not mean that there is no value in the shop. We need to look at our interest in the reimbursement and other ways we could make it happen on our own dime.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/2013 11:04PM by Shelly.

I totally agree with Shelly

A better thread would be a list of companies that do routinely pay a fee plus reimbursement. Be positive and support those companies.

National Shopping Service (pizza photo shops), these have been bonused in the past on occasion but typically are reimbursement only.

These shops are great if the reimbursement is worth something to do (don't have to pay for hotel on vacation, don't have to pay to eat, etc.).
You avoid an expense you would have paid and don't have to pay taxes on it since it is all reimbursement.

Please don't let the government hear that people are getting value out of these or they will decide to change the tax laws!

Reimbursement only shops are not always the same as no fee shops.

If the expense is one that I would have made on my own dime, I equate it to fee, money in my pocket. A penny saved is a penny earned.

lbw1000 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> These shops are great if the reimbursement is
> worth something to do (don't have to pay for hotel
> on vacation, don't have to pay to eat, etc.).
> You avoid an expense you would have paid and don't
> have to pay taxes on it since it is all
> reimbursement.
>
> Please don't let the government hear that people
> are getting value out of these or they will decide
> to change the tax laws!


I think we are still subject to FICA and Medicare on the Gross. Am I correct on this belief?

Oh, for Pete's sake. Another lame whine and moan by the OP! Enough. Go find a MSC that will pay you the kingly fee of $300 or more per shop you seem to believe you so richly deserve.

David,
You are not liable for FICA and Medicare tazes on the gross becasue you deduct the cost you paid if you report the reimbursement.

BTW, as for the value of reimbursement only shops: I have not paid for an oil change, tire rotation or wheel balancing since September 2005, when I began shopping. Last year I bagged (pun intended) over $400 worth of free groceries, with reports that took about 10 minutes each. I also saved $140 on hair care last year. And, my reimbursement only hotel shops "bought" me 14 nights of free hotels for my vacation, due to the rewards club points earned doing the shops, not to mention quite a lot of excellent food and beverages while doing the shops.

I do not do the hotel shops that are famous for long reports, btw. My reports, except for check-out, are all entered before I leave the hotel, and I still have had time for a relaxing stay, often with a marvelous view. (The US Capitol at night; Baltimore Harbor; air craft carrier shooting practice take-offs and landings at sea off of Newport News, Manhattan Skyline, etc.)

MMMM Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> rardon Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Mercantile Systems (for Hotel shops)
> >
> > Closer Look (for Hotel and Restaurant shops)
> >
> >
> > .......
>
>
> Your list is incorrect. I have been paid a
> shoppers fee by both of those companies on top of
> the food and lodging reimbursement.


I can also show you where they offer other shops for $0 payment to the shopper.

bgriffin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Give it up already.


Why should I? People should know!!!!!

Mysterydave Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hah! Poor rardon! So much free time on his hands
> because no company wants him to do any shops...


Thanks for your support (dripping with sarcasm). It might come the day that you need some peer support as well. You want to work for free? Be my guest... I ain't stopping ya'.

Amazing...the lack of support that has been demonstrated on this string...is the sole reason why some Mystery Shop companies take advantage of Independent Contractors and simply pay $0 as a fee for their work. Sorry for you...if you consider your labor worthless.

Anyhow...you can reach your own conclusions on this one. I don't really care.

Well, I think the list needs be about shops that offer no fee in that case. There are certainly hotel and dining shops with both of the companies mentioned that do pay a fee.

I believe there's a Lego shop that offers no fee and gets grabbed up like hotcakes. I also will sometimes take a dry-cleaning shop with no fee from another MSC. That is a report that takes me less than 15 minutes to complete and I have never once received a question on a report or waited more than 7 days for my reimbursement in years of doing the assignment.

You just have to understand that sometimes the barter offered has a much higher value than any potential fee and there will always be shoppers to take those assignments. My bread & butter in MSing is hotels and dining, so I'm hesitant to take a no-fee shop for those. I see the dry-cleaning shop like most route shoppers would see a free hotel stay. It takes little of my time, is not out of my way and I would have paid my hard-eaned $$ for the service anyway.

Am I undervaluing myself by taking the free shop in that case? I set my value meter at $50 per hour including reimbursements so I get twice my expected value from that shop.

rardon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> bgriffin Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Give it up already.
>
>
> Why should I? People should know!!!!!


People can know when they look at a shop and see the fees (or lack thereof). We're not morons. Logic tells you if someone can write enough to fill out a shop report they can also read enough to tell what the pay on a shop is.

Also, you've blown up the whole forum for a week now with this same thing over and over. If nobody knew before, they did by the time you created this now quite redundant thread.

Everyone sees the fee/reimbursement before they take the shop. How is your list letting anyone know anything?

It's pretty unlikely I'll ever do a hotel shop without a fee unless the hotel was sitting exactly somewhere I needed to stay. (Actually, I did one that only reimbursed half the cost because it was right on the highway as I traveled)
But, how are you letting me know anything?


rardon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> bgriffin Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Give it up already.
>
>
> Why should I? People should know!!!!!

Only if OP is willing to add GOOD part of $0 shop, like Steve said dry-cleaning shop: less than 15 mins report & quick pay...kinda thingy. Seems less likely to happen, tho.


prince Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Everyone sees the fee/reimbursement before they
> take the shop. How is your list letting anyone
> know anything?
>
> --------------------------------------------------

@rardon I wanted to chime in on this thread only because after reading your previous threads over the last couple of weeks on the same topic, I truly do not think that you see the difference between shops that offer fees and those that offer reimbursement strictly. So I'll offer you my recent experience:

I accepted a restaurant shop a month ago that offered a $40 reimbursement on a meal that would cover 2 people. I had the choice of evaluating the service within the restaurant from the hostess, to the server's presentation, etc. The bill came to about $47 and change for dinner with my spouse, and the experience of seeing very good customer service was enlightening considering that this was my first time to this type of restaurant. I was reimbursed the $40 from the MSC a month later, meaning that I really only spent $7 out of my pocket for a very good experience.

Due to that experience, I have since returned to that same restaurant 4 more times for dinner, none of which were for a mystery shopping evaluation. Fast forward a couple weeks afterward, I did a different type of restaurant in another city for both a fee + reimbursement. The fee was exceptionally higher, and the reimbursement only covered up to $25. This was for a lunch evaluation. My bill came to $23 and change, all of which the MSC reimbursed me the full cost of the meal $23 + the fee.

Based on my experiences with both of these restaurants, I can tell you that if I had the choice to do both evaluations again, I would choose both without excluding one of the other. Why? Two things, really. First, I place a high value on things that I really like. In one case, I wasn't paid a fee, yet was introduced to a very upscale restaurant that I enjoyed with my spouse. I like this place so much that I've returned a few more times after the evaluation had concluded.

The second thing is due to my choice of accepting such an assignment or not. While it is always a desirable notion to have a fee associated with a reimbursement, that is not always the case. I was fortunate with restaurant #2 that it had both elements, yet it was my choice in accepting the reimbursement of restaurant #1.

I understand that you are quite disapointed in your prior experience with this type of shopping scenario. However, just keep in mind that while there is monetary value in choosing an assignment with a fee associated with a reimbursement, there is also a more intrinsic value in those assignments that do not have fees. This can be with any type of restaurant, hotel, retail scenario that the MSC designs to fit their client's needs. This is not in no way, shape or form, a way to take advantage of shoppers.

My key words within this post are value, and choice. I truly, truly hope that you are to really see the difference given between the types of shop scenarios that are associated with fees + reimbursements, and reimbursements w/o fees. Either which way, there is both monetary and intrinsic value associated with both.

Well done Eric!