Corporate Research Int.
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Flash Wrote:
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> And it takes only one shopper willing to do it for
> $3 'because I am there anyway' to keep the
> competition high in the neighborhood for who will
> grab for the lowest possible price.
Unfortunately so. There used to be a shopper in my neighborhood who did ALL the shops around here as part of the route right at the beginning of each month. All I would ever get were some shops he would miss or do wrong and they'd show up again later in the month. Thankfully, since December, he is either wised up or gone from the area. The shops stay up long enough to get to around $12-$15. That's the ripe price for me to grab them.
As for doing a $3 shop just 'because I am there anyway'. This shop is not worth it. Taking all the pictures, going to the restroom, walking around the store looking for unpriced merchandise, formatting and uploading the pictures, filling out the form. That takes time! No matter what some people want to convince themselves, they are spending more time on that shop than it is worth. I wish those people would wake up and realize they are giving it away for free.
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> And it takes only one shopper willing to do it for
> $3 'because I am there anyway' to keep the
> competition high in the neighborhood for who will
> grab for the lowest possible price.
Unfortunately so. There used to be a shopper in my neighborhood who did ALL the shops around here as part of the route right at the beginning of each month. All I would ever get were some shops he would miss or do wrong and they'd show up again later in the month. Thankfully, since December, he is either wised up or gone from the area. The shops stay up long enough to get to around $12-$15. That's the ripe price for me to grab them.
As for doing a $3 shop just 'because I am there anyway'. This shop is not worth it. Taking all the pictures, going to the restroom, walking around the store looking for unpriced merchandise, formatting and uploading the pictures, filling out the form. That takes time! No matter what some people want to convince themselves, they are spending more time on that shop than it is worth. I wish those people would wake up and realize they are giving it away for free.
Dee says
> So you are going to drive 120 miles to get $1 worth of gas? Two hours of time, > reporting time, time at station...Even for $25 that is not worth it to me > > > > personally.
May not be for you Dee, but I just finished 8 shops and it was worth it to me to get another $25. Also, I don't take two hours to report one shop. I will do all of them in 2-3 hours. Anyway, my needs and yours are not the same so I don't expect you to understand my logic. I don't understand yours, so we are even. I do what makes my needle move. And I'll drive 30 miles for a $25 shop anytime. Any you have that you don't want, send them my way. I'll do them.
> So you are going to drive 120 miles to get $1 worth of gas? Two hours of time, > reporting time, time at station...Even for $25 that is not worth it to me > > > > personally.
May not be for you Dee, but I just finished 8 shops and it was worth it to me to get another $25. Also, I don't take two hours to report one shop. I will do all of them in 2-3 hours. Anyway, my needs and yours are not the same so I don't expect you to understand my logic. I don't understand yours, so we are even. I do what makes my needle move. And I'll drive 30 miles for a $25 shop anytime. Any you have that you don't want, send them my way. I'll do them.
Flash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And it takes only one shopper willing to do it for
> $3 'because I am there anyway' to keep the
> competition high in the neighborhood for who will
> grab for the lowest possible price.
After I posted that, I was waiting for a reply like this. Again, I took two of those gas shops "because I was already there anyways" and to see what the reports were like. What all was asked and what all needed to be observed. Now before I do anymore, I am waiting for the fees to go up.
-------------------------------------------------------
> And it takes only one shopper willing to do it for
> $3 'because I am there anyway' to keep the
> competition high in the neighborhood for who will
> grab for the lowest possible price.
After I posted that, I was waiting for a reply like this. Again, I took two of those gas shops "because I was already there anyways" and to see what the reports were like. What all was asked and what all needed to be observed. Now before I do anymore, I am waiting for the fees to go up.
Emdisco Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dee says
>
> > So you are going to drive 120 miles to get $1
> worth of gas? Two hours of time, > reporting time,
> time at station...Even for $25 that is not worth
> it to me > > > > personally.
>
> May not be for you Dee, but I just finished 8
> shops and it was worth it to me to get another
> $25. Also, I don't take two hours to report one
> shop. I will do all of them in 2-3 hours. Anyway,
> my needs and yours are not the same so I don't
> expect you to understand my logic. I don't
> understand yours, so we are even. I do what makes
> my needle move. And I'll drive 30 miles for a $25
> shop anytime. Any you have that you don't want,
> send them my way. I'll do them.
That read 2 hours COMMA (travel time not reporting time)
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dee says
>
> > So you are going to drive 120 miles to get $1
> worth of gas? Two hours of time, > reporting time,
> time at station...Even for $25 that is not worth
> it to me > > > > personally.
>
> May not be for you Dee, but I just finished 8
> shops and it was worth it to me to get another
> $25. Also, I don't take two hours to report one
> shop. I will do all of them in 2-3 hours. Anyway,
> my needs and yours are not the same so I don't
> expect you to understand my logic. I don't
> understand yours, so we are even. I do what makes
> my needle move. And I'll drive 30 miles for a $25
> shop anytime. Any you have that you don't want,
> send them my way. I'll do them.
That read 2 hours COMMA (travel time not reporting time)
**********************************************************************
“Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a colored pencil long enough to draw on the ceiling."
~Gilbert K. Chesterton
“Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a colored pencil long enough to draw on the ceiling."
~Gilbert K. Chesterton
lisams901 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Flash Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > And it takes only one shopper willing to do it
> for
> > $3 'because I am there anyway' to keep the
> > competition high in the neighborhood for who
> will
> > grab for the lowest possible price.
>
> After I posted that, I was waiting for a reply
> like this. Again, I took two of those gas shops
> "because I was already there anyways" and to see
> what the reports were like. What all was asked and
> what all needed to be observed. Now before I do
> anymore, I am waiting for the fees to go up.
On the way to do one of the shops today, I stopped at the wrong station. Got out, went into the restroom and took the pictures, came out and bought the gas. On the way to the car, looked at the receipt and saw that it was the wrong location. When plotting out my route, I had seen this shop that was on the same road between me and the shop the was paying $25, but I wouldn't consider it because it was paying $4. Once I pumped the gas, I got in my car and kept driving to my original location about 3-4 mile further up the road. Turns out that the $25 shop was rebranded a month or two back. Sweet!
-------------------------------------------------------
> Flash Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > And it takes only one shopper willing to do it
> for
> > $3 'because I am there anyway' to keep the
> > competition high in the neighborhood for who
> will
> > grab for the lowest possible price.
>
> After I posted that, I was waiting for a reply
> like this. Again, I took two of those gas shops
> "because I was already there anyways" and to see
> what the reports were like. What all was asked and
> what all needed to be observed. Now before I do
> anymore, I am waiting for the fees to go up.
On the way to do one of the shops today, I stopped at the wrong station. Got out, went into the restroom and took the pictures, came out and bought the gas. On the way to the car, looked at the receipt and saw that it was the wrong location. When plotting out my route, I had seen this shop that was on the same road between me and the shop the was paying $25, but I wouldn't consider it because it was paying $4. Once I pumped the gas, I got in my car and kept driving to my original location about 3-4 mile further up the road. Turns out that the $25 shop was rebranded a month or two back. Sweet!
I am not sure I get your drift.
So you added $4? I still would not do it. It was only $4. I feel that my hourly rate is what I work to increase. YMMV, and obviously does. In the end, this would not be something I would do. But you live in a more rural area than I. I really mainly shop within 3 miles of my home, unless I feel like taking a pretty cruise to look at the huge waves on the north shore of Oahu, or have a route set up of shops in a 10 mile radius fom my home. So to me, it all seems so not likely for me to do. Again, YMMV and obviously does.
So you added $4? I still would not do it. It was only $4. I feel that my hourly rate is what I work to increase. YMMV, and obviously does. In the end, this would not be something I would do. But you live in a more rural area than I. I really mainly shop within 3 miles of my home, unless I feel like taking a pretty cruise to look at the huge waves on the north shore of Oahu, or have a route set up of shops in a 10 mile radius fom my home. So to me, it all seems so not likely for me to do. Again, YMMV and obviously does.
**********************************************************************
“Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a colored pencil long enough to draw on the ceiling."
~Gilbert K. Chesterton
“Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a colored pencil long enough to draw on the ceiling."
~Gilbert K. Chesterton
You didn't get my drift. Although I had taken the restroom pictures and bought the gas, I still would not do that shop, WHY? Beacuase it paid only $4. I had not added it at the time and even though I had done half of the shop,I still would not add it to my basket and it is still available for $4. More power to them. You live on an island, I live in a state thats 500 miles wide and 225 deep at it longest point. I live about in the geographical center of it. A fifty mile drive in either directions puts me in a demographic area that could be 50,000 or 2,000,000 more people. I frequently set up routes of over a hour away from my home area, which is rural but the MSTAT is about 2,000,000 people. So I don't limit myself to this one area. If the pay is right, then I am off. I sweep for most of the companies I work with is a 75 mile radius from my home zip.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/25/2010 02:23PM by Emdisco.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/25/2010 02:23PM by Emdisco.
dee shops Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I really mainly shop within 3 miles of my home, unless I feel like
> taking a pretty cruise to look at the huge waves
> on the north shore of Oahu, or have a route set up
> of shops in a 10 mile radius fom my home.
I think that factor is what makes the difference between what jobs shoppers will accept. I am now signed with close to 200 companies and with all those, I have found four business within 3 miles of my home that are shopped. One is a bank that you can only shop once a year, Blockbuster and McD's that both have a 60 day rotation, and then a gas station that I think gets audites 4 times a year. As you can see if I only shopped 3 miles from my house, I would never get paid.
Even 10 miles for me would not be a route. It is at least 20 miles in every direction to get to the next largest city so a 10 mile shop route would leave me in the middle of farm country.
Right now I am moving and NEED the extra money from shopping. With the few shopping options in my direct area, in order to make a profitable route in other cities, I do usually need to take jobs that others consider to be low paying.
-------------------------------------------------------
> I really mainly shop within 3 miles of my home, unless I feel like
> taking a pretty cruise to look at the huge waves
> on the north shore of Oahu, or have a route set up
> of shops in a 10 mile radius fom my home.
I think that factor is what makes the difference between what jobs shoppers will accept. I am now signed with close to 200 companies and with all those, I have found four business within 3 miles of my home that are shopped. One is a bank that you can only shop once a year, Blockbuster and McD's that both have a 60 day rotation, and then a gas station that I think gets audites 4 times a year. As you can see if I only shopped 3 miles from my house, I would never get paid.
Even 10 miles for me would not be a route. It is at least 20 miles in every direction to get to the next largest city so a 10 mile shop route would leave me in the middle of farm country.
Right now I am moving and NEED the extra money from shopping. With the few shopping options in my direct area, in order to make a profitable route in other cities, I do usually need to take jobs that others consider to be low paying.
If you need money - Expand your horizon (And your search area). I have found groups of shops some distance away that pay well. I try to line up about 8 and hit the road for a couple of hours.
Shopping Bama and parts of Georgia.
I'm still learning 24/7.
I'm still learning 24/7.
mrcomputer101 Wrote:
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> If you need money - Expand your horizon (And your
> search area). I have found groups of shops some
> distance away that pay well. I try to line up
> about 8 and hit the road for a couple of hours.
That is exactly what I do. I usually a 100 mile radius and line up 10-15 shops for Saturday. And that is why I will sometimes take a lower paying gas shop here or there. If I am driving right by it, and I most likely would be stopping there for gas, the extra $5 to $10 can pay for some of my gas.
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you need money - Expand your horizon (And your
> search area). I have found groups of shops some
> distance away that pay well. I try to line up
> about 8 and hit the road for a couple of hours.
That is exactly what I do. I usually a 100 mile radius and line up 10-15 shops for Saturday. And that is why I will sometimes take a lower paying gas shop here or there. If I am driving right by it, and I most likely would be stopping there for gas, the extra $5 to $10 can pay for some of my gas.
They keep bringing prices DOWN. They used to start gas shops at $5 then $4.. NOW they are $3. It is not worth my time. I can do a $15 dollar shop the right way with another company. I will take my time and make sure everything is up to par. $3 dollar shop will get you my $3 type of work....
I'm happy to report that I have persevered in my personal battle with CoRI and they have agreed to reimburse me for the tip on my January shop, but sad to report they have also amended the instructions for all future burger-loving shoppers, stating that the tip will not be reimbursed.
A shallow victory for me. :^(
So, the only way to perform this no-commission shop without being out any cash is to stiff the server on their tip. I guess I am supposed to stop for gas on the way back to make up for the $3 tip I feel obligated to leave.
Nice to see that the staff of their clients receive the same respect that we shoppers do....
A shallow victory for me. :^(
So, the only way to perform this no-commission shop without being out any cash is to stiff the server on their tip. I guess I am supposed to stop for gas on the way back to make up for the $3 tip I feel obligated to leave.
Nice to see that the staff of their clients receive the same respect that we shoppers do....
Steve, let me suggest you take a $4 phone shop to make up the tip since the pay is better than the $3 gas and requires no pictures. You can do the shop while waiting for your order 
SteveSoCal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm happy to report that I have persevered in my
> personal battle with CoRI and they have agreed to
> reimburse me for the tip on my January shop, but
> sad to report they have also amended the
> instructions for all future burger-loving
> shoppers, stating that the tip will not be
> reimbursed.
>
> A shallow victory for me. :^(
>
> So, the only way to perform this no-commission
> shop without being out any cash is to stiff the
> server on their tip. I guess I am supposed to
> stop for gas on the way back to make up for the $3
> tip I feel obligated to leave.
>
> Nice to see that the staff of their clients
> receive the same respect that we shoppers do....
Glad you got your money. I had to laugh out loud about the gas comment. :-)
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm happy to report that I have persevered in my
> personal battle with CoRI and they have agreed to
> reimburse me for the tip on my January shop, but
> sad to report they have also amended the
> instructions for all future burger-loving
> shoppers, stating that the tip will not be
> reimbursed.
>
> A shallow victory for me. :^(
>
> So, the only way to perform this no-commission
> shop without being out any cash is to stiff the
> server on their tip. I guess I am supposed to
> stop for gas on the way back to make up for the $3
> tip I feel obligated to leave.
>
> Nice to see that the staff of their clients
> receive the same respect that we shoppers do....
Glad you got your money. I had to laugh out loud about the gas comment. :-)
**********************************************************************
“Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a colored pencil long enough to draw on the ceiling."
~Gilbert K. Chesterton
“Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a colored pencil long enough to draw on the ceiling."
~Gilbert K. Chesterton
I could also charge my guest for their lunch, I guess, since I have to do all the work anyway and you get extra reimbursement when you bring a guest!
...or could take this as another opportunity to feed the homeless, but I could only stomach that for the carry-out shop, I think. I would also have to debrief the person I gave the burger to on how they felt about the food quality and flavor in order to stay within the ethics of the shop.
...or could take this as another opportunity to feed the homeless, but I could only stomach that for the carry-out shop, I think. I would also have to debrief the person I gave the burger to on how they felt about the food quality and flavor in order to stay within the ethics of the shop.
Plastic knife and neatly cut yourself a small piece, have a fry and then pass along to the homeless.
The fee increases are ludicrous, but if you wait it out a while, there can be some pretty good money in there. I've done two shops for them in the recent past, one that had inched its way up to $21 and the other $32. There was no time wait for the return after the purchase; I went in immediately and told them my kid pitched a fit and didn't want the product anymore. And, despite posts in the past, I've been paid for both of them, with an average payout of 15 days. So, it's worth it once in a while to watch those "commission increase" emails, even if for the laugh of it all!
I just notice my first payment has a $.60 payment processing fee. Is this usual/normal procedure? I did not think Paypal do this?
No, CRI charges a "processing fee." Chintzy, yes. Another reason to only take the high paying shops.
I've never been charged a 'processing fee' by CoRI. Is this only on PayPal accounts?
Hi there. It must be. I recall "agreeing" to it when I signed my ICA. I remember it saying something about applying to Paypal payments.
PayPal charges them for making payments (PayPal always charges someone; when I sell on eBay, PayPal charges me a fee). The first time I saw that CoRI passed that fee along to me, I changed my payment option to have them deposit directly into my bank account. No other company which pays me via PayPal passes their service fee on to me. In my view, it is a normal expense of doing business.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2010 02:06AM by myst4au.
Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2010 02:06AM by myst4au.
myst4au Wrote:
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> PayPal charges them for making payments (PayPal
> always charges someone; when I sell on PayPal,
> they charge me a fee). The first time I saw that
> CoRI passed that fee along to me, I changed my
> payment option to ha e them deposit directly into
> my bank account. No other company which pays me
> via PayPal passes their service fee on to me. In
> my view, it is a normal expense of doing business.
Yes, Paypal charges me when I sell stuffs, but I never pass the charge to my customer. I think I might do direct deposit instead of Paypal. The charges will pile up quickly if I started taking more jobs from them.
-------------------------------------------------------
> PayPal charges them for making payments (PayPal
> always charges someone; when I sell on PayPal,
> they charge me a fee). The first time I saw that
> CoRI passed that fee along to me, I changed my
> payment option to ha e them deposit directly into
> my bank account. No other company which pays me
> via PayPal passes their service fee on to me. In
> my view, it is a normal expense of doing business.
Yes, Paypal charges me when I sell stuffs, but I never pass the charge to my customer. I think I might do direct deposit instead of Paypal. The charges will pile up quickly if I started taking more jobs from them.
IMO, direct deposit is so much safer than PayPal anyways. I only use Paypal for MSPs that only pay that way.
Paypal charges all commercial accounts a fee for receiving money. They do not charge the sender, they charge the receiver. The other MSC's all pay the fee for us when they pay, but CoRI does not. They make you pay you own fee. I didn't care much for that when I first signed up for CoRi, but I had been using Paypal since 2000, so I just went withit. I'm happy I left it that way. It works really well for me.
I like that Paypal emails you when you get a payment, so it's easy to keep track of reimbursements. This month, I received a notice directly from CoRI when my direct deposit went through, so that's just as good.
I have had D/D with CoRI for many years and never had a problem with it, so I'd recommend it as an option for anyone using Paypal with them.
As much as I am disappointed by their fees, I have to admit that CoRI's pay schedule is on the nose, and true to their word, they included my missing tip from December in the recent payment to me. I'm not about to run out and do a $3 shop for them, but I'll take an occasional shirt or burger when it's convenient.
I have had D/D with CoRI for many years and never had a problem with it, so I'd recommend it as an option for anyone using Paypal with them.
As much as I am disappointed by their fees, I have to admit that CoRI's pay schedule is on the nose, and true to their word, they included my missing tip from December in the recent payment to me. I'm not about to run out and do a $3 shop for them, but I'll take an occasional shirt or burger when it's convenient.
Certainly direct deposit works for me, whether I get a separate notice or not. Virtually every bank has on line banking these days so you can check your account and see the deposit sometimes hours after it is sent. And in doing bank shops, I find that most have free checking and free savings. Sometimes the free checking has a minimum balance requirement to avoid fees, but increasingly I am noting they aren't even requiring that. And no matter how bad your credit is you can generally get a free savings account. This can cut down on the check cashing fees that I know some shoppers pay because they don't have a bank relationship for whatever reasons.
Question about this company, as I am new to them, and have only done one shop for them...I see several Exxon/Mobil shops available in my area, with commissions starting at $0 (yep, nada, zip, zero zilch!), and none above $5. They also state in their instructions that they do not reimburse for gas purchased at Full-Service-Only locations (does not apply to me, as I don't live in NJ . What they DO NOT state is whether or not they reimburse for gas AT ALL on Self-Serve locations. Does anyone know the answer to this from experience? Because in their training video, they say they will cover reimbursements later...and then never bother to go back and revisit the topic. I just can't imagine why anyone would do a gas shop for such a low fee (and yes, I understand the best strategy is to wait for fees to rise, but they still don't seem to go above $4 here) if it didn't reimburse the purchase...
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/2010 02:08PM by CouponFansDotCom.
. What they DO NOT state is whether or not they reimburse for gas AT ALL on Self-Serve locations. Does anyone know the answer to this from experience? Because in their training video, they say they will cover reimbursements later...and then never bother to go back and revisit the topic. I just can't imagine why anyone would do a gas shop for such a low fee (and yes, I understand the best strategy is to wait for fees to rise, but they still don't seem to go above $4 here) if it didn't reimburse the purchase...Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/2010 02:08PM by CouponFansDotCom.
$1 Gas and $1 inside purchase. Plus, the $3 or $4 shopper pay. Not worth it. I just picked up one that went to $10. Its on my way to a bank shop today...
Shopping Bama and parts of Georgia.
I'm still learning 24/7.
I'm still learning 24/7.
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