Trendsource - Please Don't Insult My Intelligence!

I was appalled when I received an email for the latest shop from Trendsource. The shop requires you to spend 20-25 minutes in the store and 10-15 minutes for input. Now, count traveling time of at least 20 minutes, ink and paper used to print out Guidelines and I would be working for far less than the minimum wage. Geesh!

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

I know. How companies continue to get shoppers to take these jobs is beyond my obviously limited comprehension!

Sometimes I think people fail to really think about how much time, energy, and actual expenses are involved with doing a shop. If you're going to be right next door to the place anyway, or you can get a free lunch while you're doing a route, that's one thing. But to make a special trip somewhere for some of the shops I've seen come up?

Not.

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.

I've received a "pretty please" phone call from them with *NO* bonus offered. I know how their app works and how to find shops on the job board. Why call me and not make it any more worth my while??

Doing what I can to enhance the life of my family! I LOVE what I do

I sent in for a $7 shop with them this week and asked for a PAD of only the toll to get there. I got a curt email saying there was no PAD for this shop. Well, then, explain to me why I would complete a shop that would cost me $6 in toll in order to earn only $7 in payment (and there is no other way to get there than the toll route). I sent back a curt email stating that.

@challa wrote:

I sent in for a $7 shop with them this week and asked for a PAD of only the toll to get there. I got a curt email saying there was no PAD for this shop. Well, then, explain to me why I would complete a shop that would cost me $6 in toll in order to earn only $7 in payment (and there is no other way to get there than the toll route). I sent back a curt email stating that.

This surprises me! I've sent in several pad requests. Most of the time they are ignored, sometimes they are accepted, occasionally they'll just put me as the back up. I've never gotten a negative response though. A lot of times my "reason for PAD request" is simply because the work is too much for the base fee.

I have always found the schedulers easy to work with around PAD requests. Often, their hands are tied on the amount of PAD that can be authorized. They may not be able to approve a $6 PAD on a single job but if you can pick up two jobs, they may be able to approve $3 PAD on the two jobs even if one is close to you. If you can get them on the phone or email saying you will do a bunch as a route, they can usually get your relatively low PAD/job approved right then.

The risk is that when you put in the two PAD requests on the website, someone else picks up one or more of the jobs while your request is being reviewed. I got burned on something like this, requesting a bunch of near and far grocery shops with PAD spread out among them. I thought no one would pick any of these up as they are on a relatively under-shopped side of town. I was wrong - all but one got picked up and I ended up driving way the heck out of town for the one job.

I've received PAD requests of a few dollars when they send out emails stating these will be approved. Even though I may not live far, they say they will honor it for others so I feel I should be eligible too. It's worked so far, but we are talking $2-$3 maybe. Nothing worth getting excited over.

Doing what I can to enhance the life of my family! I LOVE what I do

I do inspections for them and I often get emails that say "Name your price!" When I do, I never hear back.

I did a few the first week i was shopping but since then, I've learned to negotiate.

I applied for a self-assigned parking shop. Afterward, I wondered why in the world I would do the shop for $8.00. I cancelled the shop and told them why. They asked if I would do it for $12.00 and I agreed. I think if more of us would negotiate, not only with TF, but all the MSC's perhaps they would get the hint.

@Lorrie68 wrote:

I applied for a self-assigned parking shop. Afterward, I wondered why in the world I would do the shop for $8.00. I cancelled the shop and told them why. They asked if I would do it for $12.00 and I agreed. I think if more of us would negotiate, not only with TF, but all the MSC's perhaps they would get the hint.

absolutely...the worst that can happen is that they say, NO.

I'm not a fan of Trendsource, but the reality is, they are not making anyone accept their low paying shops. So basically shoppers should determine if it's worth it.

If shoppers keep on accepting low wages, Trendsource and others like them ,will continue to offer low payment for shops.

So the ball is in the shoppers court.

It's true! I no longer request any shops without at least a $10 PAD (minus the front end shops because those were super easy). I do get them accepted every once in a while. Of course when they call me, my requests tend to be a bit higher... I'll typically take any shop at base rate the first time but after that I get to determine how much the shop is worth to me. No hard feelings to them if they don't want to pay that much and I hope they aren't offended by all of my PAD requests. It's just business.

@d111055 wrote:

I'm not a fan of Trendsource, but the reality is, they are not making anyone accept their low paying shops. So basically shoppers should determine if it's worth it.

If shoppers keep on accepting low wages, Trendsource and others like them ,will continue to offer low payment for shops.

So the ball is in the shoppers court.

absolutely spot on...the reason why they continue to offer these ridiculous fees is because............They can.

wayyy toooo many shoppers are willing to prostitute themselves for the low-hanging fruit.

$7.00 to spend 25 minutes in a busy store + 15 minutes to write a report. And those figures are probably fudged to reflect fewer minutes than are actually required to complete these assignments.

Really, Trendsource???

I think it's a nice way to get your feet wet, but for the more seasoned shopper, no thank you very much.

You weren't supposed to name THAT price.

In the past, I've gotten reasonable PADs from them to make some shops worthwhile (pricing audit ones in particular were very well 'padded'). I've usually put PADs on shops with them due to distance or whatever, but don't hear back so I was surprised to get a personal email about the $6 pad for the toll bridge. I would have divided the PAD but they don't ever have 2 shops in the same route of the toll. I've now got 4 in that limbo state of waiting for PAD approval on that same toll bridge. I'll see if I get any of them.

Trendsource wants you to take a picture of your plate of food, the interior of the restaurant, and the outside of the restaurant. I did so and the manager shouted at me. I told him the food was very good and that I enjoyed the meal. I got into my car and left the parking lot. The manager did scare me though. This shop paid for the meal for one person and gave you $7.00. I feel like I am afraid to go back to that restaurant because they might shout at me again.

@LSUFan wrote:

Trendsource wants you to take a picture of your plate of food, the interior of the restaurant, and the outside of the restaurant. I did so and the manager shouted at me. I told him the food was very good and that I enjoyed the meal. I got into my car and left the parking lot. The manager did scare me though. This shop paid for the meal for one person and gave you $7.00. I feel like I am afraid to go back to that restaurant because they might shout at me again.

Sorry to hear you had problems with the photo. I've done numerous shops for this chain with TrendSource at all the locations in my city, and I've had no problems with the photos. Maybe it's the way I take the photos. I use my cell phone to take all pictures. I don't "linger" over the photos - I snap them and move on. I take several in case one doesn't turn out. I snap the outside photo on the way in. I snap the inside photo after getting my food. I select a table at a far corner of the dining area, from which I can take the inside picture. A couple of the restaurants have individual dining areas, and I walk to the door of the dining room to snap the photo. I put the receipt on the table and photograph it. I photograph the plate of food. I e-mail all the photos to myself and enjoy my lunch. No one has ever commented or asked me questions about my photos - if anyone has even noticed, I haven't noticed them noticing. If asked, I would say I am texting my son a photo of where/what I am eating or the photo is for my Facebook page. I love these shops. Although they don't pay well, I get a quick buffet lunch and I take a To-Go drink with me. Although TrendSource has other $7 shops I wouldn't consider, the $7 plus buffet and drink is worth it to me.

I went into this business for several reasons. One was to save money. I do certain jobs for companies that pay low and do four, five or six of them on the same day and close to each other. For me, I look at it like I am getting free groceries for doing the job. I just dump my shoppers' pay in with the grocery purchase and walk out of each store with a meal for a day.

I just don't work for them.

I like TrendSource because I can do it on my phone. Most months I do a fast food shop that I request a $2 pad. It is in a downtown office building and I have to pay parking. The building also happens to be where my best friend works so once a month I have lunch with her, get my parking and lunch paid for and make $5. No I am not doing it to make a living.

@ceasesmith wrote:

I know. How companies continue to get shoppers to take these jobs is beyond my obviously limited comprehension!

When you are hungry or a newbie you do anything and then you found you stepped in it and it cost you money,

You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want ..Zig Zigler

Regarding the problem of them only assigning one shop or less than you requested, can you just say in your email that you're offering to do the jobs as a route and you want all of them or none?

Shopping Boston and North Shore MA

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/2015 05:43PM by RESO.

Trendsource is in my opinion the worst of all of the companies I have located. They just pay horribly

Just curious... I have been shopping for the for a while and it has worked out well for me. HOWEVER, other than Medical and On-site building audits the only other audits I have seen are for grocery store shops. I have done several of these and have not had any issues with the. They have been fair on the PAD and have offered it up front. What other types of location do they offer?

I make bank shopping for TS. I do grocery stores and inspections, with a few audits thrown in. For an inspection, I won't get in my car for less than $8 PAD if the site is more than 20 miles from me. I've asked for $17 in PAD (in essence doubling my pay) for inspections that were more than 50 miles away (and I fit one or two other MS gigs in along the way). It also helps if you remind them how inaccurate their distance estimate is when you're making the PAD request.

As for the grocery shops, wait until Wednesday before you consider taking one. When they call, let them know that Wednesday might work but you aren't sure you can squeeze them in, but Thursday might be better. If they call Thursday, they're going to offer PAD, and depending on the situation, it might be a "name your price" deal. If you're brave, hold off until Friday. If they call you Friday, they'll pay pretty much what you ask for.

It's really supply and demand. They have a supply of work that needs done. Demand what it will take for you to do it. :-)

Shopping the Ohio Valley and all around the tri-state area (Pittsburgh, PA; Parkersburg, WV and Columbus, OH.)

I have requested PAD for several TS shops but never seem to get it. TS just extends the due date or removes the shops completely.

Some days you just have to create your own sunshine.

@CJT wrote:

I went into this business for several reasons. One was to save money. I do certain jobs for companies that pay low and do four, five or six of them on the same day and close to each other. For me, I look at it like I am getting free groceries for doing the job. I just dump my shoppers' pay in with the grocery purchase and walk out of each store with a meal for a day.

That is exactly what I do too. Plus I am a couponer so I win win no matter what!!

I will do the grocery ones as I need to shop anyways.

shopping in Placer, Yuba, Nevada and Sacramento Counties in Northern California.

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