Where I live min wage is $12.00 an hour.

I received a "great" offer to do a mystery shop, the pay . . . $4.

Yup, $4. While min wage is $12.

Sometimes you need to laugh since these offers have got to be a joke.

I was asked if I could drive 175 miles to do a car shop for $15. No, thanks, really you can keep that one! Oh, and that was with a bonus!

If the shop takes less than 15 min than you are being paid more than min wage...
I completed a route of shops not too long ago that were very close together. I was doing about 6-7 per hour (report done on an app as I did the shop).
Yes, the shops I did were paying a much higher rate BUT if they only paid $4 I would have still been making well over $20 an hour.
Don't always dismiss the low paying shops

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@PeachTree wrote:

That's impressive, 6 - 7 shops per hour. 6 shops an hour = 10 minutes each including drive-time and report time. Impressive indeed. Gas stations? No. Fast food? No. I wonder what kind of shops that could have been.

I've discussed them in another thread not that long ago. They were for Discover, and paid $14 each. It was a very profitable day.

I must say I've had some outrageous offers. Can't blame them for trying I guess....

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/2018 08:32PM by Canuck.

Yep. The trick is keep the driving/time down.

$4 and $14 are very different numbers. Seven $4 shops in an hour is kind of "meh." Seven $14 in an hour is a really good hour.

That said, at least in the city, it is awful hard to do seven shops in an hour. Any traveling will kill that... that means finding 7 shops within two minutes of one-another on foot. Perhaps in a mall? This suggests different clients and MSC's. I can't see this happening that frequently.

I find those little shops useful when I am basically already at a location and I can drop in. And, at that, only if I already know the guidelines. Otherwise, I just can't justify them.

@luckygirl0100 wrote:

If the shop takes less than 15 min than you are being paid more than min wage...
I completed a route of shops not too long ago that were very close together. I was doing about 6-7 per hour (report done on an app as I did the shop).
Yes, the shops I did were paying a much higher rate BUT if they only paid $4 I would have still been making well over $20 an hour.
Don't always dismiss the low paying shops

I'll agree, if you can bang a few together at a decent rate it makes it worth your while, but when its a one off for $4, and you know it'll take 30-45 minutes (commute + report) hard sales pitch.

I was assigned a shop recently... the scheduler called me to go over it and assured me it was an "easy and quick" shop. I had to evaluate just a few things. Given the payment, which was quite low, I believed the scheduler. After I was assigned the shop, I logged on to review the guidelines. All 25 pages... For a shop that only reimburses me for a small purchase... less than $10. I have only done one shop for this company and everyone has been very nice, but I feel misled about this shop. I will follow through because I said I would, but I won't be working with them again unless I can access the guidelines before committing to the shop. I would have laughed at the offer, if I had known.... ugh

I just had 5 shops at the Vegas airport well bonused and decent fee (25+25) with one job taking 10 minutes. Turned out they built another wing at airport, had to take a tram there, section was huge, like a mall with tons of shops@restaurants...once I got there it was fine with no driving, so a nice days pay was had, plus got there early, played the loose slots and won about 60 bucks on four dollars, then relaxed, did a couple reports and all was well. Might be something said for airport jobs.

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I won't leave my house for less than $20 a shop and it must be really close, otherwise it is just not worth it !

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/16/2018 03:01PM by txguitar.

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Must have been the credit card test shops...

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Tomato? But I don't get it.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/2018 11:02AM by sestrahelena.

Same store different projects:

MSC 1- 1 overall pic, simple report, reimbursed soda purchase, self assign , $10.

MSC 2- mystery, reveal, 6+ photos, critical-eye inspection, apply and wait, $3 gas reimbursement, $4 pay.

MSC 1's shops were filled the same day they posted, within minutes! MSC 2's shops still linger on the board a week later.

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My favorite is the one where you are to put a coupon app on your phone and go into a store to see if they take the coupon. 5 dollar reimbursement no pay. I CLICKED DELETE

I had a Trendsource scheduler text me yesterday on a desperately required cell phone shop in my area. Pay was $6, with $2 PAD. I asked her if there was a bonus due to how desperate she was, of which she replied "I can approve up to $1."

Basically, I'm getting anywhere between $8.01-$9.00 for a desperately needed end of month shop.

Geeeeeeez!

@Eric in Tampa wrote:

I had a Trendsource scheduler text me yesterday on a desperately required cell phone shop in my area. Pay was $6, with $2 PAD. I asked her if there was a bonus due to how desperate she was, of which she replied "I can approve up to $1."

Basically, I'm getting anywhere between $8.01-$9.00 for a desperately needed end of month shop.

Geeeeeeez!

Hopefully, you didn't take it. That is why these companies are ripping us off because some take it.

It is now the 27th of the month! I just saw an email listing 15-20 shops in my general area from 2 clients for the msc that does not offer any pay, just reimbursement. There is not any mention of even a small bonus. Either they are not really in a jam to get these shops done or they are delusional thinking these jobs will suddenly be taken after they sat on the boards for 27 days already.

I did a 50$ kiosk 2 months ago, and now see it for 30.00, prices seem to be getting lower, however, I have three easy jobs 14.00 each in my town tomorrow, hardly any driving, that works. I got an email (here goes a d00zy), 10.00 for a San Francisco airport job (food only)...this is 400 miles by car, an hour air, parking at airport, really, oh let me grab it before someone else does.....right. MSC says, well it's in California (like CA is small). I did get offered a 3.00 bonus for a Home depot, please show me the money!!!

I get calls all the time asking me to do a buy and return shoe store for $10. Every time, I tell them no thank you. This last time, I said $50. She then said $15. The rep quickly got off of the phone with me.

This is the downside of shopping. There are shoppers who are getting nails done, haircut, lunch, etc. So they are in the area and have time to return or do a purchase only shop. What gets me, is the short story you have to write for these shops. I did 2 of these kinds (8 years ago) and NEVER again. My time is worth more and my self respect is higher, not to do these "CRAP" shops ! If only people would not take them for the low fee or the $10 or more "off" you get on your purchase. If you keep whatever it was or have a choice to keep it. Mainly women do these shops, and are also addicted to clothing, shoes, etc. They also have money to blow on stuff !

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

I did a 50$ kiosk 2 months ago, and now see it for 30.00, prices seem to be getting lower, however, I have three easy jobs 14.00 each in my town tomorrow, hardly any driving, that works. I got an email (here goes a d00zy), 10.00 for a San Francisco airport job (food only)...this is 400 miles by car, an hour air, parking at airport, really, oh let me grab it before someone else does.....right. MSC says, well it's in California (like CA is small). I did get offered a 3.00 bonus for a Home depot, please show me the money!!!

I think I speak for a majority of Canadian mystery shoppers, we have the same problem. The scheduler has zero knowledge of geography.

There is another way to look at the low shop fees..... If folks take my favorite gas station shops at the starting payment of $6, the MSC has more ability to pay me $100 bonuses for the ones that are well out of town. If Joe Blow wants to do them at the low rate (perhaps because the gas station is the one he visits anyhow and he needs gas), he can have it. I'll reap the rewards later.

There are, of course, some shops that pay so little that I can't understand how anybody would want to do it. I have two thoughts. 1) In Seattle (where I live), the minimum wage is now $16/hr. However, in other areas, the minimum is only $7.25/hr. (the federal standard). If the MSC sets it's prices based on the areas that follow the federal minimum wage, folks in Seattle will feel underpaid. 2) Often folks will pick up a "new to them" shop and only find out after accepting it what sort of work is involved. They grit their teeth and do the shop as a one time thing. I have done this more than a few times. I do it far less now than I did when I first started.

I did a couple of super cheap shops this weekend. I knew they were not work-intensive and had a funny hole in my route that did not leave time to do anything but wait. However, the "shop" was right next to me. Instead of sitting and doing nothing, I earned my $7 before going to my next stop.