Just saw that Market Force picked up a "wings!" client. Guess what - NO FEE!! Just reimbursement. Do all of these companies decide to go to Market Force because they are okay with no fees? I believe this marks the third major client. Very sad.

Howard is always looking for the fees to "juice" things up

I just got home from doing one of those for lunch. I was able to get a $15 fee on top of the $35 reimbursement.

Just wait until there's a bonus... They bonus on a regular schedule for their other fast food shops.

@maverick1 wrote:

Howard is always looking for the fees to "juice" things up

Why not? Is it too much to ask for some kind of pay to do a job for them?

As long as people take them for no fee, they will be offered for no fee. It would be stupid for Markefprce to pay people when they don't have to. That would be a poor business decision. Don't blame market force. Blame people that work for free.

@thunderdeacon wrote:

As long as people take them for no fee, they will be offered for no fee. It would be stupid for Markefprce to pay people when they don't have to. That would be a poor business decision. Don't blame market force. Blame people that work for free.

I doubt that its MF that pays, it's the company. The company obviously like MF cause MF is all good with it. Why else are these companies jumping from other MSCs to MF?

All the MSC have a presentation for the client. We don't know why/how MF got picked. Maybe their salesperson was more convincing, maybe they had a better Powerpoint presentation, maybe the cost made more sense to the client.

The wings place blows for service. The food is fine, but they think they can bank on the fact they are a huge national chain that relies on broadcasting sporting events and getting lots of business from those events.

I bet the business levels are much slower in the summer since baseball is not the big TV draw it might have been many years ago. The place gets packed for NFL games and college foosball. Same with NBA.

This is probably why their are asking for an MSC to evaluate what is going on. Most people are not looking to go to BWW in general. They need to improve service levels and attention by management.

I've done a couple of these shops. I go on promotional days like bogo wings tuesdays or bogo nuggets on thursdays. I usually come out of pocket (under $10), but I feed multiple people. I am okay with the way the shop is currently designed. Sure I would love a fee, but I'm not waiting for one. If I can feed 3 people a decent meal for under $10, I''ll jump on that all day every day.

For those shopping for fees, this is NOT the shop for you. There are plenty of chinese food shops that have a $8 fee to do.

I am curious how it is arrived at for no fee. The chicken finger place starts as NO fee as well. But the many men burger starts at $9. Is that the client setting it or is that MF realizing they struggle to fill the many men burger, so they start at $9? the chicken goes from $0 to $3 to $5 to $7 to $10, to make an offer.

I disagree with this theory that you must have a fee. If I can do an easy report and get $35 reimbursed at a restaurant I actually want to eat at I would rather do that and have a desired meal for a zero price than take a fast food hamburger or whatever worth a few dollars that many confess to throwing away and get a fee of $5.
Yes there are many shopping for dollars period and i understand the need for the money first but others of us are shopping more for reimbursements. So being reimbursed $35, while not a high end restaurant, is more acceptable to me than the majority of $12 reimbursements with a tiny fee that will not even pay for the gas to get there. I love to get fees but I would sacrifice the fee if on balance I got more out of the reimbursement.

Advertising and Marketing drive this economy. We are providing a service. I think we deserve to be paid for that, and be reimbursed for our expenses.

come on, lighten up...you do you

@sandyf wrote:

I disagree with this theory that you must have a fee. If I can do an easy report and get $35 reimbursed at a restaurant I actually want to eat at I would rather do that and have a desired meal for a zero price than take a fast food hamburger or whatever worth a few dollars that many confess to throwing away and get a fee of $5.
Yes there are many shopping for dollars period and i understand the need for the money first but others of us are shopping more for reimbursements. So being reimbursed $35, while not a high end restaurant, is more acceptable to me than the majority of $12 reimbursements with a tiny fee that will not even pay for the gas to get there. I love to get fees but I would sacrifice the fee if on balance I got more out of the reimbursement.

I kind of agree with you. I eat at the $35/50 reimbursement place on my own dime. But the report was easy, so getting paid enough to even partial cover my/our meal works.

I won't go to the burger place on my own dime. I think it's way overpriced. I do like the food though, so I do them with a bonus all the time, but not at base price.

There are no chicken finger places in my area. But when I lived where they were, there was a cult like following of the restaurant. I believe thats why they can get away with paying so little.

And I believe the steakhouse you, and definitely I'm talking about, is with a different MSC than the burger and chicken shops.

@sandyf wrote:

I disagree with this theory that you must have a fee. If I can do an easy report and get $35 reimbursed at a restaurant I actually want to eat at I would rather do that and have a desired meal for a zero price than take a fast food hamburger or whatever worth a few dollars that many confess to throwing away and get a fee of $5.
Yes there are many shopping for dollars period and i understand the need for the money first but others of us are shopping more for reimbursements. So being reimbursed $35, while not a high end restaurant, is more acceptable to me than the majority of $12 reimbursements with a tiny fee that will not even pay for the gas to get there. I love to get fees but I would sacrifice the fee if on balance I got more out of the reimbursement.

And I disagree with your disagreement...

Whether it's how to invest your money, how to select a college path, or how to select mystery shops, it all comes down to ROI (Return On Investment).

For mystery shopping, which I consider very low risk, by the way, I maximize my ROI by waiting to select shops with the highest fees and reimbursements. There are opportunity costs to consider as well.

I guess it's my education that gives me such an advantage. Of course, I also selected the proper college courses that allowed me to maximize my earning potential over a shortened number of years compared to most individuals and retired early. Which enabled me to deploy mystery shopping just enough to enable even more savings.

I am not contracted with this MSC; they terminated me 15 yrs. ago.

The old adage, in my opinion, applies to this thread: Whatever floats one's boat.

@maverick1 you sure do like to flex that college degree and early retirement! Kudos, good for you! My husband and I also followed similar paths. I will take the $35/$50 reimbusement shops all day long if its a place that I like to eat. The decisions an IC make are independent of their college degree or retirment status. I agree with @shopperbob and his school of thought: whatever floats your boat!

@maverick1 wrote:

@sandyf wrote:

I disagree with this theory that you must have a fee. If I can do an easy report and get $35 reimbursed at a restaurant I actually want to eat at I would rather do that and have a desired meal for a zero price than take a fast food hamburger or whatever worth a few dollars that many confess to throwing away and get a fee of $5.
Yes there are many shopping for dollars period and i understand the need for the money first but others of us are shopping more for reimbursements. So being reimbursed $35, while not a high end restaurant, is more acceptable to me than the majority of $12 reimbursements with a tiny fee that will not even pay for the gas to get there. I love to get fees but I would sacrifice the fee if on balance I got more out of the reimbursement.

And I disagree with your disagreement...

Whether it's how to invest your money, how to select a college path, or how to select mystery shops, it all comes down to ROI (Return On Investment).

For mystery shopping, which I consider very low risk, by the way, I maximize my ROI by waiting to select shops with the highest fees and reimbursements. There are opportunity costs to consider as well.

I guess it's my education that gives me such an advantage. Of course, I also selected the proper college courses that allowed me to maximize my earning potential over a shortened number of years compared to most individuals and retired early. Which enabled me to deploy mystery shopping just enough to enable even more savings.

Hey Maverick, I have three graduate degrees (JD/MBA/masters in physics education). None of that matters here. You know what has given me the "advantage" for selecting mystery shopping assignments? Being raised by depression era grandparents. I am careful with what I spend and $50 for dinner is not something I would typically do. I am happy to walk out of the steak place for $5 out of pocket and write the report on the drive home.

@shopperbob wrote:

I am not contracted with this MSC; they terminated me 15 yrs. ago.

The old adage, in my opinion, applies to this thread: Whatever floats one's boat.

Yes! "Whatever floats one's boat."

...and recently it was Venetian water floating our gondola. Venice was fantastic in early April before the seasonal crowds.

I'm glad you didn't use the other expression; "Whatever blows your skirt up."

@Niner wrote:

Hey Maverick, I have three graduate degrees (JD/MBA/masters in physics education). None of that matters here. You know what has given me the "advantage" for selecting mystery shopping assignments? Being raised by depression era grandparents. I am careful with what I spend and $50 for dinner is not something I would typically do. I am happy to walk out of the steak place for $5 out of pocket and write the report on the drive home.

My parents were simply paycheck-to-paycheck my entire childhood. I still shop with poverty mindset, it doesn't go away.

So, MSing restaurants is cheap to free entertainment for me and a release from my own (unwarranted) concern about whether an appetizer or dessert is "worth it". After all, it's required! Cocktails at the bar before dinner? Yes, please!

Does this make me uneducated? A clown? I guess it must because I keep reading that here. But, I am a happy clown so pass the face paint.

Those who don't trot out their finances or their education or their accomplishments at every chance they get? they don't have to, they know what they got lol.....they're secure with that.
Our grandfather used to say that empty barrels make the most noise. lol.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/18/2025 02:51PM by BarefootBliss.

It's so simple if you don't want a shop don't do it. People will do shops for reimb only they just want to go out and get a meal and they don't need/want the fee. TBH this board is so full of the same people complaining over no fees, low fees, not enough reimb. etc. I simply don't get it. For some this is just a hobby or a "let's go grab dinner and we can get the meal for almost free once reimbursed". Stop complaining!

Are we now having what Id call a pissing contest?

Lets get back on point.

I assume no correlation between what the client pays the MSC, and what the MSC pays the IC/MS. Get as much as you can from the client and pay as little as possible to us.

@Iluv2shopUSA wrote:

It's so simple if you don't want a shop don't do it. People will do shops for reimb only they just want to go out and get a meal and they don't need/want the fee. TBH this board is so full of the same people complaining over no fees, low fees, not enough reimb. etc. I simply don't get it. For some this is just a hobby or a "let's go grab dinner and we can get the meal for almost free once reimbursed". Stop complaining!

Well this board is for brining up issues so if you don’t like it I’d suggest not reading the posts. I was never critical of anyone doing these shops for reimbursement only. I’ve done it myself. But I’m pointing out that at least three companies that used to pay fees switched to MF and now they are not. More importantly, whether this is a hobby or not (it is for me as well) we still do work for them and we should get some kind of pay. I don’t think it’s too much to ask.

I believe I began seeing MF having no fees after they began losing many of their main clients. If I remember right, all the jobs began with at least $5.

@jgardn0
I assume no correlation between what the client pays the MSC, and what the MSC pays the IC/MS. Get as much as you can from the client and pay as little as possible to us.[/quote wrote:

Are you jusst getting this now?

@BarefootBliss wrote:

Those who don't trot out their finances or their education or their accomplishments at every chance they get? they don't have to, they know what they got lol.....they're secure with that.
Our grandfather used to say that empty barrels make the most noise. lol.

One of my grandfather's quotes' was, "Ah, don't talk so dumb." And you're right, you need to feel secure where you are or improve yourself. My mother raised three children all on her own "secretary salary" and I recall her saying she strives for an increase to "laborers pay." I wore hand-me-down clothes.

There was one winter where mom didn't have the money to pay for replacing a broken furnace. She didn't want to go into debt. We slept with extra blankets and a small electric resistance heater that winter until she could save for the furnace. I learned how to work on cars because mom didn't have money to get routine maintenance done. It was a scarce mentality and I'm sure mom could have received government assistance because she was too proud for handouts. As I left the nest and learned more about finances, I helped mom invest her modest pension payout.

I've worked for my college education. It wasn't handed to me. I taught myself how to invest in the stock market. I taught myself about auto and home repairs, I learned about the FIRE movement. I shop for discounts using, among other things, the Slickdeals forum. I also learned about mystery shopping and making offers for higher fees.

As my kindergarten teacher used to say, "if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!"

So in conclusion, if you are happy with no fee, and feel secure with that, clap your hands. Meanwhile, I'm striving for better.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/19/2025 08:50AM by maverick1.

Keep striving! Meanwhile, I’ll continue to enjoy a nice meal at TXR and bring home a fresh bag of rolls and cinnamon butter for the next day. The rolls keep me fat and sassy. I can eat and dream about striving for better — one day.

quote=maverick1]

@BarefootBliss wrote:

Those who don't trot out their finances or their education or their accomplishments at every chance they get? they don't have to, they know what they got lol.....they're secure with that.
Our grandfather used to say that empty barrels make the most noise. lol.

One of my grandfather's quotes' was, "Ah, don't talk so dumb." And you're right, you need to feel secure where you are or improve yourself. My mother raised three children all on her own "secretary salary" and I recall her saying she strives for an increase to "laborers pay." I wore hand-me-down clothes.

There was one winter where mom didn't have the money to pay for replacing a broken furnace. She didn't want to go into debt. We slept with extra blankets and a small electric resistance heater that winter until she could save for the furnace. I learned how to work on cars because mom didn't have money to get routine maintenance done. It was a scarce mentality and I'm sure mom could have received government assistance because she was too proud for handouts. As I left the nest and learned more about finances, I helped mom invest her modest pension payout.

I've worked for my college education. It wasn't handed to me. I taught myself how to invest in the stock market. I taught myself about auto and home repairs, I learned about the FIRE movement. I shop for discounts using, among other things, the Slickdeals forum. I also learned about mystery shopping and making offers for higher fees.

As my kindergarten teacher used to say, "if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!"

So in conclusion, if you are happy with no fee, and feel secure with that, clap your hands. Meanwhile, I'm striving for better.[/quote]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/19/2025 11:03AM by gigishopper.

@gigishopper wrote:

Keep striving! Meanwhile, I’ll continue to enjoy a nice meal at TXR and bring home a fresh bag of rolls and cinnamon butter for the next day. The rolls keep me fat and sassy. I can eat and dream about striving for better — one day.

quote=maverick1]

@BarefootBliss wrote:

Those who don't trot out their finances or their education or their accomplishments at every chance they get? they don't have to, they know what they got lol.....they're secure with that.
Our grandfather used to say that empty barrels make the most noise. lol.

One of my grandfather's quotes' was, "Ah, don't talk so dumb." And you're right, you need to feel secure where you are or improve yourself. My mother raised three children all on her own "secretary salary" and I recall her saying she strives for an increase to "laborers pay." I wore hand-me-down clothes.

There was one winter where mom didn't have the money to pay for replacing a broken furnace. She didn't want to go into debt. We slept with extra blankets and a small electric resistance heater that winter until she could save for the furnace. I learned how to work on cars because mom didn't have money to get routine maintenance done. It was a scarce mentality and I'm sure mom could have received government assistance because she was too proud for handouts. As I left the nest and learned more about finances, I helped mom invest her modest pension payout.

I've worked for my college education. It wasn't handed to me. I taught myself how to invest in the stock market. I taught myself about auto and home repairs, I learned about the FIRE movement. I shop for discounts using, among other things, the Slickdeals forum. I also learned about mystery shopping and making offers for higher fees.

As my kindergarten teacher used to say, "if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!"

So in conclusion, if you are happy with no fee, and feel secure with that, clap your hands. Meanwhile, I'm striving for better.

[/quote]

Ah, "dreamers"...per search engine; "Many prominent figures have spoken about Dreamers, advocating for their protection and a pathway to citizenship. These include President Obama, Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, and Senator Dick Durbin."

Of course we found out these folks were notorious, habitual liars.

You ok?

@maverick1 wrote:

@gigishopper wrote:

Keep striving! Meanwhile, I’ll continue to enjoy a nice meal at TXR and bring home a fresh bag of rolls and cinnamon butter for the next day. The rolls keep me fat and sassy. I can eat and dream about striving for better — one day.

quote=maverick1]

@BarefootBliss wrote:

Those who don't trot out their finances or their education or their accomplishments at every chance they get? they don't have to, they know what they got lol.....they're secure with that.
Our grandfather used to say that empty barrels make the most noise. lol.

One of my grandfather's quotes' was, "Ah, don't talk so dumb." And you're right, you need to feel secure where you are or improve yourself. My mother raised three children all on her own "secretary salary" and I recall her saying she strives for an increase to "laborers pay." I wore hand-me-down clothes.

There was one winter where mom didn't have the money to pay for replacing a broken furnace. She didn't want to go into debt. We slept with extra blankets and a small electric resistance heater that winter until she could save for the furnace. I learned how to work on cars because mom didn't have money to get routine maintenance done. It was a scarce mentality and I'm sure mom could have received government assistance because she was too proud for handouts. As I left the nest and learned more about finances, I helped mom invest her modest pension payout.

I've worked for my college education. It wasn't handed to me. I taught myself how to invest in the stock market. I taught myself about auto and home repairs, I learned about the FIRE movement. I shop for discounts using, among other things, the Slickdeals forum. I also learned about mystery shopping and making offers for higher fees.

As my kindergarten teacher used to say, "if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!"

So in conclusion, if you are happy with no fee, and feel secure with that, clap your hands. Meanwhile, I'm striving for better.

Ah, "dreamers"...per search engine; "Many prominent figures have spoken about Dreamers, advocating for their protection and a pathway to citizenship. These include President Obama, Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, and Senator Dick Durbin."

Of course we found out these folks were notorious, habitual liars.[/quote]

@gigishopper wrote:

You ok?

@maverick1 wrote:

@gigishopper wrote:

Keep striving! Meanwhile, I’ll continue to enjoy a nice meal at TXR and bring home a fresh bag of rolls and cinnamon butter for the next day. The rolls keep me fat and sassy. I can eat and dream about striving for better — one day.

quote=maverick1]

@BarefootBliss wrote:

Those who don't trot out their finances or their education or their accomplishments at every chance they get? they don't have to, they know what they got lol.....they're secure with that.
Our grandfather used to say that empty barrels make the most noise. lol.

One of my grandfather's quotes' was, "Ah, don't talk so dumb." And you're right, you need to feel secure where you are or improve yourself. My mother raised three children all on her own "secretary salary" and I recall her saying she strives for an increase to "laborers pay." I wore hand-me-down clothes.

There was one winter where mom didn't have the money to pay for replacing a broken furnace. She didn't want to go into debt. We slept with extra blankets and a small electric resistance heater that winter until she could save for the furnace. I learned how to work on cars because mom didn't have money to get routine maintenance done. It was a scarce mentality and I'm sure mom could have received government assistance because she was too proud for handouts. As I left the nest and learned more about finances, I helped mom invest her modest pension payout.

I've worked for my college education. It wasn't handed to me. I taught myself how to invest in the stock market. I taught myself about auto and home repairs, I learned about the FIRE movement. I shop for discounts using, among other things, the Slickdeals forum. I also learned about mystery shopping and making offers for higher fees.

As my kindergarten teacher used to say, "if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!"

So in conclusion, if you are happy with no fee, and feel secure with that, clap your hands. Meanwhile, I'm striving for better.

Ah, "dreamers"...per search engine; "Many prominent figures have spoken about Dreamers, advocating for their protection and a pathway to citizenship. These include President Obama, Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, and Senator Dick Durbin."

Of course we found out these folks were notorious, habitual liars.

[/quote]

I’m not sure when this post about market force turned into one about politics and what you grandparents used to say but please start your own thread with all of this nonsense.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/19/2025 06:48PM by HowardJuice23.