Any shop that has a substantial probability of going sideways. Like for instance, the bank complaint shops, or the money transfer shops, or any shop that I can't walk through in my head, figure out where it could go wrong, and come up with a ready response in case it does.

Money transfer shops. That was one and done.

Any shop that Cirrus has. I don't like chasing payment.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/2021 11:14AM by HonnyBrown.

Doesn't the MSC guarantee the refunds?

@BuffaloNY101 wrote:

Yes second that. I tried the wire money transfer job. I did not get my refund and was given the same mtcn number I received when sending money not a new one as promised. Wasted 2 plus hours trying to get my $25 back. $20 send and transfer fee of $5. I mean shop paid $30 so I made $5 after all said and done. My $25 lost in space.

@BuffaloNY101 wrote:

@callinectes wrote:

The wire money and then cancel the wire jobs

Yes second that. I tried the wire money transfer job. I did not get my refund and was given the same mtcn number I received when sending money not a new one as promised. Wasted 2 plus hours trying to get my $25 back. $20 send and transfer fee of $5. I mean shop paid $30 so I made $5 after all said and done. My $25 lost in space.

Did you call the client? Your refund MTCN should be different. And the number is on one of those 8-foot-long receipts you get.

@HonnyBrown wrote:

Monry transfer shops. That was one and done.

Any shop that Cirrus has. I don't like chasing payment.

The BARE transfer shops, I have a weird relationship with, I did a big ol' cluster of them from roughly March until May and got some nice bonuses along the way. Each time I did them I said "This is the last one" but always got lured back. Even did a few at the 11th hour when a scheduler contacted me in "desperation mode" and met my price. But haven't done one since spring, I may have met my limit. They are tiring.

The ridiculously long receipts that the client wants you to photograph every inch of are a turn-off, especially since the backs of these receipts look practically identical from stem to stern.
The other thing is, the client wants you to fake-wire to either Brazil, Guatemala or Panama if my memory is correct. I almost always use Brazil but one time, for some reason, I tried to use Panama. And then found out that they needed the middle name of my fake "recipient" because that's apparently how they do it in Panama, gotta have the recipient's middle name. I was so taken aback that I couldn't conjure up a middle name immediately without looking obvious, so I told the clerk I'd leave the counter to call the "recipient" to get that information. Got it done but it added several minutes to the shop.

Some of these are done in the most prominent supermarket chain in my area, those are generally acceptably easy. Some are done in mom-and-pop neighborhood groceries or tobacco shops, YIKES. In one of those I got a tiny receipt and when I submitted the receipt photos I explained it, but got the 3rd degree from the scheduler as to the effect that the client wouldn't be happy with this abbreviated paperwork and would want to know why there weren't more photos, I explained that sorry, I can't invent paper. That's what they gave me. Shop got approved but ...

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2021 09:40AM by KokoBWare.

Testing Center audits. That was a horrible experience. So time-consuming and setting a person up to be dishonest? No way for $30.

@callinectes wrote:

Revealed gas stations
Retail shops where I have to tie-up a commission-based employee's valuable time
The wire money and then cancel the wire jobs

I really like the gas stations with audits, except for the two that have recently added so much work that it is no longer worth the time for money paid.

@HonnyBrown wrote:

Monry transfer shops. That was one and done.

Any shop that Cirrus has. I don't like chasing payment.

I NEVER have to chase payment in NV.

@KarenMSW wrote:

Any shop where I have to write any more than a few sentences for the entire report in narrative. I'd rather just take my pictures, write my cryptic notes, and check boxes.

Ugh. I prefer the shops with real narratives from the few MSCs which value both a shopper's observations and subjective analysis. Those that you mention are just boring to me. That said, for the right money, I do even boring shops and for the wrong money, I don't do any shops.

I will not shop:

Industries which I find immoral such as pawn stores, nude clubs, tobacco, gun shops, and churches;
Those which seek unethical behavior from employees (money transfers, fake urine, bribes, etc.);
For a few MSCs which are owned by people I believe not to be professional;
For schedulers who lie (such as saying that reimbursement is pay);
Charity shops (i.e. reimbursement only shops);
Places (such as eat-in restaurants) which require one to unmask.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2021 05:44PM by Rousseau.

One man's trash is another man's treasure. It seems to me that some of these 10 foot pole shops are someone else's do it all the time shops. Anyway, here's a few of mine:
-Cirrus Apartment shops..... I don't like writing narratives
-Car Negotiations....... Time consuming and narrative reporting
-Money Transfer ...... never have and never will... Seems like too much trouble and for what?
-In person bank complaint shops.... Did that once... The scenario (lie) was I never opened the account. Staff produced a copy of the check I used to open the account! I think I turned red, white, and peed in my pants...
-Easy $3 phone call shops... or $3 anything shops..... What the h***........ These are worse than reimbursement shops (which I will do if it's something I really want or need.... like an oil change)

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2021 08:59AM by 1forum1.

Anything from trend source. Too little $, and nitpicking editors.

Deleted

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2021 08:17PM by Barry C.

"Schedulers from another nation who is not familiar with the area that I am in, ie. a shop in New Orleans must be close to me because I might be in New York....dah"
Ha Ha Barry C. New York and New Orleans must be close to each other since they both start with New.

Those sorts of shop requests are not even on my pole no matter how long it is. My neighborhood to many schedulers that are in this country is anything in California even tho it is about 800 miles from stem to stern.
I get offers of a $5 bonus for a shop that will take me 12 hours to drive to or a route of shops in northern cal where no two shops are closer than 40 miles apart all for a $10 pay each with a $5 bonus.
Even in my own town of Los Angeles my ten foot pole includes most shops as the pay is $8-12 with a 45 minute drive and park time aside from the report and shopping time.

The hotel shop with that much discussed infamous MSC where the scheduler berates the shopper.

@Maryanne J wrote:

Anything from trend source. Too little $, and nitpicking editors.

I don't have any trouble with them with their ink project or their grocery store project. I agree that their inspections are a pain in the guidelines are contradictive to the questions and the editors don't seem to read either or your answers.

I refuse to do the employment verifications though because the app almost never works and it's a waste of time for everybody involved.

No more bank complaint shops.

Hoping it's changed with COVID, but the mattress shop where the manager was expected to get on the bed with you was a hard pass after doing one.

Never is a long time, but I hope I am never so desperate that I apply for a cell phone shop. I've suffered through enough sales presentations for several lifetimes.

I tend to avoid reimbursement-only restaurants, though I might still do TXRH as I can get lots of leftovers for the max. Obviously I liked them better when they were flat fee.

I recently did a couple of the yellow/heart truck stops because they were on a route and I had some time to kill. I would avoid those as a standalone assignment, but might do it again if the above circumstances were in play.

Timeshare shops.

@AZwolfman wrote:

Timeshare shops.

See I've done a bunch of these and I love it! But maybe years ago because I got my start doing telesales for timeshares I think it's almost like a game!

What???

@CoolMusic wrote:

Hoping it's changed with COVID, but the mattress shop where the manager was expected to get on the bed with you was a hard pass after doing one.

@AZwolfman wrote:

Timeshare shops.

I loved those in the past when there was a fee, travel allowance, and a $100 gift card. Right now, I'll do them if it's a location I'd like to visit.

Oh I have a new one that, like a fool, I completed today. It was the office supply store with an intense check up of ink, toner, printers, computers and other miscellani. Yikes I feel like I did when I started MSing 20 years ago and I tried everything to see what it was like, but knew very little about what was expected. I was in the store for 1 1/2 hours for a whopping $14. I've done the regular office supplies check ups off and on and thought it would be similar but I should have known with a starting fee of $14, they would be asking a lot. I was assigned the shop, so I completed it, but never again. I had 5 easy peasy of my regular types to do and thought I could just add on this shop since I would be in the area. Finished all 5 in less than 2 hours...and saved the worst for last. I haven't entered the shop yet so I can add on another hour or so for entering it because of all those little model numbers for the out of stock inventory and multiple photo uploads. OMG, not my cup of tea. If I am anywhere for 1 1/2 hours it better be paying close to triple figures. Live and learn. But I do like the company...just they are cheapo.

I've just added one. I do a lot of bank inquiry shops, never at base price and usually bonused at around $10 over. There's one I used to do years ago but which disappeared off the boards during the pandemic. They've just re-appeared. Base is $15--won't touch. But at $20, I figured I'd give one a try since it's near home and I had to be in the immediate area anyway. They used to take maybe 20 minutes in-branch and another half-hour or so for the report.

Well, what a waste of time. I was there less than a half-hour, which was fine. But the report? It was as long, detailed, and time-consuming as an account-opening shop. It was ridiculous. I usually spend less than an hour for a $25 inquiry. I must have spent at least an hour on the report itself if not longer. They've added Covid questions and a narrative about them, and I'm sure they've added more questions--with no increase in the fee!

On my 10-ft. pole from now on.

No purchase and return shops, pot shops and anything that requires busting someone like underage tobacco purchases or alcohol purchases. Oh and no shops where I have to wait more than 30 days for payment.

@KokoBWare wrote:

Also gas station "mystery shop followed by a revealed audit." Pick one, MSCs. I don't like playing "gotcha."

These were among the first shops I did. I haven't done very many since but the company that had them (MF) marked me inactive for not taking anything for a while. Can't say I miss them.

I usually enjoy gas stations shops, don't know why but I find them relatively easy and kind of fun. But I recently signed up for one (dual-named brand) for which, after getting the assignment, I discovered the guidelines were 70 PAGES long and the accompanying OSA guidelines were an ADDITIONAL 30 PAGES! Ridiculous. I sent a polite cancellation message back to the scheduler stating that after reviewing the guidelines I felt this shop unfortunately was beyond my abilities. (And it will remain thus, LOL.)

Car negotiation shops. I tried one and got overwhelmed. Never again

@Izzy wrote:

I usually enjoy gas stations shops, don't know why but I find them relatively easy and kind of fun. But I recently signed up for one (dual-named brand) for which, after getting the assignment, I discovered the guidelines were 70 PAGES long and the accompanying OSA guidelines were an ADDITIONAL 30 PAGES! Ridiculous. I sent a polite cancellation message back to the scheduler stating that after reviewing the guidelines I felt this shop unfortunately was beyond my abilities. (And it will remain thus, LOL.)

The shop is not really that bad. But, it is clear that the program manager who developed the guidelines does not know how to write concisely. The shops need to be significantly bonused just to offset the costs of printing the guidelines.

@BirdyC wrote:

I've just added one. I do a lot of bank inquiry shops, never at base price and usually bonused at around $10 over. There's one I used to do years ago but which disappeared off the boards during the pandemic. They've just re-appeared. Base is $15--won't touch. But at $20, I figured I'd give one a try since it's near home and I had to be in the immediate area anyway. They used to take maybe 20 minutes in-branch and another half-hour or so for the report.

Well, what a waste of time. I was there less than a half-hour, which was fine. But the report? It was as long, detailed, and time-consuming as an account-opening shop. It was ridiculous. I usually spend less than an hour for a $25 inquiry. I must have spent at least an hour on the report itself if not longer. They've added Covid questions and a narrative about them, and I'm sure they've added more questions--with no increase in the fee!

On my 10-ft. pole from now on.

This sounds like my last two from ATHpower. Love the company and loved working for them years ago but wow the amount of detail they wanted in the CC shops was out of control for $20. Also, almost all of the info that they were looking for was literally right online. This is what was given to me by the banker, straight from online. It seems like a total waste for the client to ask these questions. Isn't there a better way of gauging their knowledge?

I am doing 2 online purchase and return lingerie shops and am nervous about it. I sent my items back and nowhere in the account profile does it show a return was initiated or tracking to say they've received it. Its been 10 days. Since these are also companiss that try to suck you into memberships, I'm extra distrusting. I wouldnt risk this again if offered.