Hoodwinked by MSC - Hint: !n+elli-$h0p

An unnamed MSC likes to tease shoppers by not disclosing the guidelines to the entire shop until the shop is accepted. I recently accepted what I thought would be an easy $5 phone shop. After I accepted and confirmed, it turns out that I was actually doing three shops for $5! and writing three separate reports. If by any chance, the scheduler who crafted that crafty recruiting email reads this - Please don't do stuff like that again.

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Same thing happened to me! So unfair and unrealistic.

One phone shop for $5 may be unrealistic depending on the time spent to do and if I could get more of the exact same phone shops. 3 for $5 total kiss my ass.

Shopping Western NY, Northeast and Central PA, and parts of Ohio and West Virginia. Have car will travel anywhere if the monies right.

I finally snapped my twig, recently told them where to go and have ceased interacting with them. They've been royal horse's patooties to me for far too long and I say "enough".

Her Serene Majesty, Cettie - Goat Queen of Zoltar, Sublime Empress of Her Caprine Domain

@Cettie wrote:

I finally snapped my twig, recently told them where to go and have ceased interacting with them. They've been royal horse's patooties to me for far too long and I say "enough".

Couldn't agree more...after a few years of jobs, they screwed me royally, de-activated myself and out to tell whoever will listen, they are Not a stand up company. For those that say they NEVER had a problem, not to worry, your day will come.

Live consciously....

I recently did a phone shop for 5.00. Never in my life.... I called 3-4 times a day, pulled almost every trick out of my bag. At the end of day 5 I just wanted to write that short report and call it good, since my target never answered the phone. OH, no I had to spend one more day on it. I was requested to call back on Monday at least three times and then let the editor know what happened. Well my target still didn't answer the phone on Monday either. I finally got the shop down. But I told the editor and the company this is unrealistic to call so many times and then to get paid 5.00.

Mod note: Post removed as it breached the Forum guideline which states, "Do not reveal the clients of mystery shopping companies". Additionally, it is usually an ICA violation to name both the MSC and client.

As a suggestion, if possible, in the future, I would cancel the shop after you realized you were duped.

$5.00 for three shops. Oh, my gosh. You are a glutton for punishment. I will still do shops for them. They have not hit my highest aggravation level yet. Never would I take a $5.00 shop, OOPS, yes I did,.. a phone shop and I just got paid. Regret that you got slammed in a bad way.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/23/2017 05:36AM by gbarnes.

I know exactly what you're talking about with said org., pay close attention to the posting and then the guidelines, plus any comments that may be there.

I know I am a little off point, with your complaint, but in addition with same org., something all of us MSCs really need to look out for is our total annual earnings. It is not based on when you did your shop, it's on when you were paid. Last year, even though I kept a close eye on the threshold, I was issued a 1099, which put me over. As a result, I had to include a Schedule C, which by itself cost $200, and I had to pay taxes on that full amount. In other words, what happened to my profitability?

It would be very simple to let their shoppers know they are getting close. However, as long as they're getting their shops completed, they could care less if you go over.
Any comments? Pun intended.

This industry does not care if you go over. It it not their responsibility to see to it that you go over. You are running a business. Keep track on your own. Some of you in this business seem to think it is not your responsibility to be mindful to run this as a business. Hmm. what were you thinking when you started to do mystery shopping, oh so long ago? You are a self-employed 1099 person. The IRS could not care either. Report your earnings. Put on your big boy or big girl pants and take care of your business. Enough said.

@sweaton5 wrote:

I know I am a little off point, with your complaint, but in addition with same org., something all of us MSCs really need to look out for is our total annual earnings. It is not based on when you did your shop, it's on when you were paid. Last year, even though I kept a close eye on the threshold, I was issued a 1099, which put me over. As a result, I had to include a Schedule C, which by itself cost $200, and I had to pay taxes on that full amount. In other words, what happened to my profitability?

It would be very simple to let their shoppers know they are getting close. However, as long as they're getting their shops completed, they could care less if you go over.
Any comments? Pun intended.

I'm confused. I'm guessing that you mean you went over the $600 earning threshold with a company so you were issued a 1099. And then you say because you were issued a 1099 you had to include Schedule C and pay taxes on the full amount. It shouldn't make a difference whether you get a 1099 or not. If you have mystery shopping earnings you owe taxes on the full amount that you earned from each company, regardless of how much it was and whether or not you got 1099s.

Everything you earn is taxable. What difference does the threshold make?

Not paying taxes and not reporting income is a time-honored tradition with Americans. And, in fact, it is a way of life with illegal immigrants....the gray economy is booming....so you really think that woman selling oranges by the sack out of the back of her truck, or at the swap meet, is paying taxes? Hahahahahahaha!

Hilarious. They just rejected the shop. lol. They said I "led" the conversation. With a phone rep that struggled with English, hard not to.

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Hoodwinked by MSC - Hint: !n+elli-$h0p

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