Intellishop getting stingy?

It seems like their postings are expiring at lower rates than usual. Instead of maxing out at $25 on the final day they're disappearing at $16 and $18 AND no breakfast.

Whatever. I'm not working for free.

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Folks, in a free market form of commerce, supply and demand rule. When the number of shoppers exceeds the work, fees drop and the reverse is true. A quick example: In July, Intelli-shop paid me $140 to complete an assignment. The client's requirements were a male, motorcycle licensed, willing to drive 50 miles round and able to shop Tues. through Fri. during the day. The pool was quite shallow, so I was paid my fee. On the flip side, a very popular sub house only has a $10 reimbursement with zero fee; that is an ocean.

As Broken Record Bob would say, any manager of an MSC who pays any contractor more than necessary, should be terminated for cause.
It is not just Intelli-shop, I had some come through this morning that I know were for less than they were being paid the last time I saw them. I was all excited when they popped up, but I passed when I saw the new pay rate. The pay drops are on going.

How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg?
"Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg."
-- Abraham Lincoln


Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/2022 05:52PM by GinnyLynn.
@joanna81 wrote:

Maybe other shoppers are grabbing them at the lower rates?

No I mean they’re expiring on the board for the two weeks and then coming back at the base rate. Really weird. Are they more concerned with getting the bare minimum done? Probably.

Do they have to get 80% done every cycle?

50%?

Seems foolish to skimp on $5 or $10 to not get it done.
I haven't noticed this in Mass/RI. I wonder if it's regional, based on number of shoppers in an area?
From what I have seen, and from what I have gathered from speaking with other shoppers and schedulers, these are on two-week cycle. There's a certain percentage that they have to get done every 2 weeks. Then, after a month or two, they try their best to get a location done if it has not been done in several cycles. There are a bunch on the board for $25 today. That might go down tomorrow. I'm not sure where we are in the cycle. I've seen them as high as $37 on the board.
Wow! $37?

That would be the easiest quickest shop ever for the money. Except for the Mobee juice buy for $20 in 5 minutes.

@thunderdeacon wrote:

From what I have seen, and from what I have gathered from speaking with other shoppers and schedulers, these are on two-week cycle. There's a certain percentage that they have to get done every 2 weeks. Then, after a month or two, they try their best to get a location done if it has not been done in several cycles. There are a bunch on the board for $25 today. That might go down tomorrow. I'm not sure where we are in the cycle. I've seen them as high as $37 on the board.
$30-$37 fees are not particularly common. I only see them occasionally for significantly remote locations.

The issue for me is that I can't eat much of the food due to dietary restrictions. I can't eat the tacos or fries, and I am limited to the grilled chicken sandwich. If I buy the cheapest burger combo, I can't eat any of it. So I generally end up needing to deduct about $7 from the fee to get its true value to me. Also, when doing a route, after the second or third location in one day, there is no more value in the food.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/12/2022 04:46PM by thunderdeacon.
The food isn't important. If you are grabbing $30 locations and can net $20 each, the food is irrelevant. I don't go there for the food. I go because of the $ I can make. I usually net around $14-15 and there are quite a few in my area, so I don't mind doing them. I don't have to get out of the car and can do 4 or 5 locations in less than 1 hour (driving). Of course I am not counting the entry time for the reports.

I just saw some homeless guy the other day and handed him the whole bag after taking the required pictures. He probably thought he won the lottery for that day.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/12/2022 05:15PM by hbbigdaddy.
@Tanischri87 wrote:

Wow! $37?

That would be the easiest quickest shop ever for the money. Except for the Mobee juice buy for $20 in 5 minutes.

Hardly. I've had quite a few $50.00-$100.00 shops with three minute interactions.
This might be true if all the locations are close to home and there is no significant traffic. If travel is involved, $20 profit isn't enough to make the trip worth it for me.


@hbbigdaddy wrote:

The food isn't important. If you are grabbing $30 locations and can net $20 each, the food is irrelevant. I don't go there for the food. I go because of the $ I can make. I usually net around $14-15 and there are quite a few in my area, so I don't mind doing them. I don't have to get out of the car and can do 4 or 5 locations in less than 1 hour (driving). Of course I am not counting the entry time for the reports.

I just saw some homeless guy the other day and handed him the whole bag after taking the required pictures. He probably thought he won the lottery for that day.
@Rousseau wrote:

@Tanischri87 wrote:

Wow! $37?

That would be the easiest quickest shop ever for the money. Except for the Mobee juice buy for $20 in 5 minutes.

Hardly. I've had quite a few $50.00-$100.00 shops with three minute interactions.

I took one for a different MSC today that was for a dumpster quote and it paid $50 for less than 10 minutes worth of work. I'll happily take those all day long!
the prices at this quick service "clown" restaurant have risen in most of the country....the small combo for the cheapest burger is now, for example, $9.29 in several parts of the country. Add tacos to that, (when the site is making them!), and usually the cost is around $12.00.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/13/2022 03:26PM by salisburync.
first time i have heard of a 2 week cycle. usually they are monthly or quarterly

shopping north west PA and south west ny
@hbbigdaddy wrote:

The food isn't important. If you are grabbing $30 locations and can net $20 each, the food is irrelevant.
I just saw some homeless guy the other day and handed him the whole bag after taking the required pictures.
My sentiment exactly. I generally give all fast food shop products to someone I assume is homeless.

A Dad shopping the Ark-LA-Tex and beyond.
@foodluvr wrote:

@Rousseau wrote:

@Tanischri87 wrote:

Wow! $37?

That would be the easiest quickest shop ever for the money. Except for the Mobee juice buy for $20 in 5 minutes.

Hardly. I've had quite a few $50.00-$100.00 shops with three minute interactions.

I took one for a different MSC today that was for a dumpster quote and it paid $50 for less than 10 minutes worth of work. I'll happily take those all day long!

I think my best was a 76 de-brand with its previous MSC. I had completed a regular shop at the station the prior month. It had two pumps and was fully de-branded. Less than ten minutes on site, $200.00. And it only took me about three miles out of my way from where I was going anyway.
I'm definitely hustling too hard. I'm out here making $7 profit at places after traveling! Sheesh. Are these companies in the top 20?

@foodluvr wrote:

@Rousseau wrote:

@Tanischri87 wrote:

Wow! $37?

That would be the easiest quickest shop ever for the money. Except for the Mobee juice buy for $20 in 5 minutes.

Hardly. I've had quite a few $50.00-$100.00 shops with three minute interactions.

I took one for a different MSC today that was for a dumpster quote and it paid $50 for less than 10 minutes worth of work. I'll happily take those all day long!
Tanischri87,

15 yrs. ago, I discovered what worked for me as a shopper; that after failing for over 4 1/2 yrs. As an example, in July I only grossed $82, but Aug. was $768 and this month stands at $387. I have three situations where I am willing to work and July was barren for me.
Intellishop posted a new shop for a west coast headquartered taco chain. $12 reimbursement. NO pay. Sure enough out of the California postings (363 shops) so far 85 of them have been taken so far. I have not checked the other states, but it was easy enough to see how many posted and how many scheduled. That's 23% acceptance rate at NO pay.

That means people are whoring themselves out for free FAST food. Pictures are involved It's not a hard shop, but why be so quick to jump on these? Wait a few days and let them add some $ for a shop fee. This is why Intellishop and other MSC post for no fee. There are plenty of clowns willing to do it.

The only way I would do this shop for NO fee is if they reimbursed $40 and I could feed multiple people. I'm worth MORE than a free FAST food meal.

This scenario too is "you can only get the combo IF IT IS SUGGESTED. I wonder what the "upsell percentage will be?" 100% compliance? Can the client really believe that it was suggested EVERY TIME based on the premise they are starting from?
@hbbigdaddy wrote:

Intellishop posted a new shop for a west coast headquartered taco chain. $12 reimbursement. NO pay.

If I had a taste for fast-food tacos (or any other restaurant product), I would rather pay out of my own pocket and not write a report than be paid squat and have to tailor my life around a shopping window and write a report following. I am not in business as a charity.
@hbbigdaddy wrote:

Intellishop posted a new shop for a west coast headquartered taco chain. $12 reimbursement. NO pay. Sure enough out of the California postings (363 shops) so far 85 of them have been taken so far. I have not checked the other states, but it was easy enough to see how many posted and how many scheduled. That's 23% acceptance rate at NO pay.

That means people are whoring themselves out for free FAST food. Pictures are involved It's not a hard shop, but why be so quick to jump on these? Wait a few days and let them add some $ for a shop fee. This is why Intellishop and other MSC post for no fee. There are plenty of clowns willing to do it.

The only way I would do this shop for NO fee is if they reimbursed $40 and I could feed multiple people. I'm worth MORE than a free FAST food meal.

This scenario too is "you can only get the combo IF IT IS SUGGESTED. I wonder what the "upsell percentage will be?" 100% compliance? Can the client really believe that it was suggested EVERY TIME based on the premise they are starting from?

I used to take these because we had one across the street from my office and it was my regular lunch spot. And I liked the item that was being offered at the time. That location has been closed for a couple years now so I don't go into this chain too frequently. I normally don't take reimbursement only shops, but if I was going to pay out of pocket anyway I don't mind doing a quick report and getting my lunch reimbursed.
It looks like disgusting food, to boot!

No choices, strict ordering, no pay. Lol. Ok!

Even $10 pay and $12 reimbursement is too low to automatically accept these. But you ran the numbers -many did!

@hbbigdaddy wrote:

Intellishop posted a new shop for a west coast headquartered taco chain. $12 reimbursement. NO pay. Sure enough out of the California postings (363 shops) so far 85 of them have been taken so far. I have not checked the other states, but it was easy enough to see how many posted and how many scheduled. That's 23% acceptance rate at NO pay.

That means people are whoring themselves out for free FAST food. Pictures are involved It's not a hard shop, but why be so quick to jump on these? Wait a few days and let them add some $ for a shop fee. This is why Intellishop and other MSC post for no fee. There are plenty of clowns willing to do it.

The only way I would do this shop for NO fee is if they reimbursed $40 and I could feed multiple people. I'm worth MORE than a free FAST food meal.

This scenario too is "you can only get the combo IF IT IS SUGGESTED. I wonder what the "upsell percentage will be?" 100% compliance? Can the client really believe that it was suggested EVERY TIME based on the premise they are starting from?
They aren’t moving too fast now.

The fast Mexican shops with a Torta requirement are still posted at $0

I made an offer -I guess it was unreasonable. It was about the cost of the reimbursement. Seems fair?
@Tanischri87 wrote:

I'm definitely hustling too hard. I'm out here making $7 profit at places after traveling! Sheesh. Are these companies in the top 20?

@foodluvr wrote:

@Rousseau wrote:

@Tanischri87 wrote:

Wow! $37?

That would be the easiest quickest shop ever for the money. Except for the Mobee juice buy for $20 in 5 minutes.

Hardly. I've had quite a few $50.00-$100.00 shops with three minute interactions.

I took one for a different MSC today that was for a dumpster quote and it paid $50 for less than 10 minutes worth of work. I'll happily take those all day long!

No, definitely not a top 20 company but one that has been discussed here before. They're small and boutique, but they're great to work with.

This is one reason why it's important to sign up for as many companies as possible. I've been signed up for them for years. Did one shop six or seven years ago and then got tagged for this one. I've done three of them already and I don't think I've been on the phone more than 20 minutes total.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/17/2022 04:59PM by foodluvr.
I did a base pay shop for intelli-shop last night. But it was the cheapest gasoline between me and home, and I wasn't going to make it home without gas. So why not?
A lot of these are not going to get done without some sort of payment. Just keep an eye on the job board. They will slowly add a payment. I saw them at $25 in addition to the reimbursement as they got closer to their due date. I know at least one of the clients is on a 2 month cycle, so it is going to be zero pay for a little while. It's amazing that people pick these up without pay. They have no freedom to choose what food item they want, and they cannot make changes. And they have to add photos and answer questions and narratives. All of this just to get some cheap, unhealthy food.
I see the first payment update being $5 with the reimbursement (this is my guess). I haven't looked at CA recently, but they had nearly 25% filled at NO pay within the first 48 hours. I wonder how many more got picked up since then for NO pay. Hard to know the true math now as some people might have "made offers" that got accepted even if it was only $5.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/17/2022 07:57PM by hbbigdaddy.
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