Market Force - Lo Ball Payment

Yay!!!!

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 Market Force (All Companies)

More About Payment

The payment for the retail store with the cafe is up to a big $5. And a couple are now available that I did not see last week. Perhaps someone had taken them and dumped them when they realized what they paid? I also see one that does not have reimbursement. It's a store with a restaurant (something new they were trying) so I guess there is no cafe there. Too bad they don't pay to eat at the restaurant.

If I call and ask, am I likely to get them to increase it to the $9 I got paid last month? I wouldn't necessarily mind doing one this week since I will be right next door for pizza shop and MF will reimburse me for the parking that the other shop won't.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/05/2018 05:01AM by MisterBill.

Never hurts to ask.

So has anyone figured out a guideline of what you can ask for when the "make an offer" flag is on a shop? I just got one of their burger shops that's normally $6. It was listed at $10 and I offered $15 and it was accepted within minutes. I wonder if I should have asked for $20.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2018 07:01PM by MisterBill.

I'm not sure anyone knows what a good offer is. Sometimes a few dollars above the opening bid doesn't even get accepted.

It's hard to know. I think they must pre-program an acceptable range to auto-accept and auto-reject, and then a human reviews everything else. I've had offers as little as $3 more be rejected immediately, while offers of only $2 more take many hours to get accepted. It's always easy to second guess yourself that you could have got more.

When I had submitted offers previously it was at night and I did not get approved until the next day, so they were definitely reviewed, as was this one. I'm doing well today, just got $40 approved for a bank shop from Maritz that I didn't think they would give me based on my recent experience with them.

Today was originally the last day for the MF shop, they added an extra day when they put the "make an offer" option up.

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2018 07:11PM by MisterBill.

I was offered ten for a burger shop and asked for 20, I was approved for 18. Not too bad.

Was that by phone or using the online request? If I knew they would make a counter-offer I would have gone higher.

It was by phone, They offered a grocery store shop that was nearby and I asked or another 18 but they did not bite.
So I just did the one.

Good to know. I'll try calling next time.

I offered $10 extra for a shop and it was accepted immediately. Then I found out it was a $$$$ purchase and return the next day....A whole 'nother shop with driving over there and finding parking etc another day...If I had known that upfront I would have offered $40 more at least. I cancelled it.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/21/2018 04:21AM by sandyf.

Yes, I asked for extra to do one of the cell phone audit shops and it was approved. When I looked at the form and realized what was involved I also dropped it.

@JASFLALMT, or others if you would like to chime in, I have a question for you. In a nutshell, it is this: To what degree are newcomers welcome to participate in forum chats?

I am a relatively new shopper (almost one year now), and new to this forum. I appreciate what I am learning, and participate if I believe I have useful insights. However, recognizing my low seniority position, I am doing more listening than speaking in order to learn. As a long-time academic, I've been part of communities not so different from those of long-time shoppers here, and understand the value of hearing from veterans who really have seen it all!

It's a new experience, then, to feel like the rookie as I come into this community of folks I would love to learn from. I'm 50+ and find that learning now is quicker than it was when I was in my 20s and 30s. Therefore, I would very much like to get integrated into this community of professionals, but am a bit nervous about whether there is an in-group and an out-group.

What advice do you have for us new kids, who are not so new age-wise?

I appreciate any and all feedback. Thanks!

All newcomers are quite welcome! IMO, reading, posting, and exchanging ideas are the best ways to learn, no matter where you are. Please feel free to post and ask questions. We were all new once.

@Endora
I attribute a lot of my success as a shopper to my engagement in conversation on this forum with more experienced shoppers. Express your thoughts. Ask questions. And, when you are pushed by an experienced, successful shopper, work to understand *why* the shopper disagrees with you or pushes you. My goal was to maximize my income. I am convinced that I am earning about three times as much now as I would otherwise be earning if I had not had such exchanges.

Was a wrong a few times? No. I was wrong many times. But, I took the time to learn and.... let's just say that I am very pleased with my earnings .

Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.

Timing is very important for many shops. Go when there are few customers. Most cell phones, when they open. Lunch shops, go after 1pm.

1spicy1, are you back again? I forget your old ID.

BTW one thing I would suggest is that you post messages in appropriate topics, don't just step into an ongoing discussion about a specific topic and ask a random question.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/21/2018 05:41AM by MisterBill.

Got it, Bill. i was interested in discussion on the previous screen for this topic, where mention was made of a clique. I didn't consider that this might be seen as random since I followed up on the same idea.

I like Market force.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/21/2018 05:45AM by Shoppersouthwest.

Endora, good point. This forum doesn't have a way of quoting text or linking posts to replies, so it can seem like a random comment when you're actually referring to something a screen or two back.

@Endora
I've never considered there to be a "clique" here. However, there are a number of very experienced, successful shoppers who frequent the forum. As a part of them all having lots of experience and financial success, they tend to agree far more frequently on questions regarding shopping strategies than they disagree. Likewise, there are a handful of issues (such as falsifying reports) about which they will all emphatically agree - and let the shopper who suggests it is a viable way to mystery shop know that it is inappropriate and unethical.

I have no idea if I am considered to be part of this "clique" or not. But, I have never met anybody on this forum in person nor have I even exchanged any contact information. If you have a question, I'll answer it honestly in accordance with my experience. I've been doing this for about 2 1/2 years.

Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.

Yes it does.

@MisterBill wrote:

Endora, good point. This forum doesn't have a way of quoting text or linking posts to replies, so it can seem like a random comment when you're actually referring to something a screen or two back.

Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.

The reference to a clique happens when an individual poster encourages other forum members to do something dishonest, unethical, or otherwise in violation of forum rules and MSC guidelines. The rest of us don't agree with it, and then the poster who encourages it gets disgruntled and accuses the rest of us of being in a clique.

And there's the quote button. It works just fine.

@JASFLALMT wrote:

You know, I did some thinking today about being a part of a clique. I'd say the forum as a whole is a clique of shoppers who band together to discuss their experiences and those who are outsiders are those who lie and do whatever it takes to just get paid, ethics flying out the window.

John, you are right, you are an outsider here. The other 99% or so of us have our differences and disagreements from time to time, but overall we are together as a whole--what makes us a clique is our combined honesty and work ethics as we try to perform out assignments to the best of our ability without cheating or lying to the clients and the MSCs.

Everyone has their own way of doing shops. Some are very conservative, others much more liberal. Find what works for you.

I wasn't trying to rehash any arguments, but I stand by my statement that lying on your shop times is unethical. Conservative and liberal vs. ethical and unethical...not a proper comparison at all.

@JASFLALMT wrote:

And there's the quote button. It works just fine.

You're right. But there's also a reply link on the left which I obviously gravitate towards.

Ah, yes. I do use that feature most of the time as well, but then I ran into forum members who would edit their posts--and then my reply would make less (or no) sense.

I just did the Chinese restaurant and was surprised that the form has changed slightly and it is now even faster and easier to report. Among other things they dropped the short narratives that were required before. I did spend 87 cents more than the reimbursement as I got egg rolls with my two entrée items. If I'm in the area I will still pick these up.

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login

Market Force - Lo Ball Payment

Create an Account or Log In

Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies

Mystery Shopper Magazine