@katiew27 wrote:
I know we're not allowed to name the company & MSC in the same post so being vague. I read a blog the other day that mentioned doing a MS for a certain popular fondue restaurant and wondered if anyone knew if they're still shopped & if so who which company?!
The 1980’s called. They want their fondue set back.
An acquaintance has a small business - non MS related. His overheads are $20,000 a month. He said he can keep the business afloat for 2 or 3 months with no income.
I have never been to a conference. I guess most mystery shoppers never meet other shoppers - so a conference might be the best way for networking.
Even if you are a self-employed hairdresser or mechanic you meet the same people at regular intervals. Full-time mystery shoppers don’t have an opportunity to build relationships with coworkers or clients - it seems a lonely world.
I wouldn’t
@MsJudi wrote:
You can return your book and get your $8 back. Losing $1k in a casino or giving $1k to a scam artist are regrettable mistakes in judgement. Both happen and both are regrettable and neither can be recouped. However, both can be placed in the past and learned from. Moving on
I don’t have a receipt or proof of purchase for the book. Would you go into a shop and hand them a product
@HonnyBrown wrote:
Intentionally purchasing an $8 item that you already own in no way equates to being scammed out of $1,000.
As I mentioned it was a mistake buying the book as I already possessed it. I forgot I already owned it. So, I wasted the money.
@SoCalMama wrote:
No because you don't know how to properly quote. I never wrote that. Try again.
Hmmm... I would kindly suggest that you don’t quote long paragraphs of someone’s comments - then add a little sentence at the bottom. When skimming through comments on an iPhone it makes it difficult to see who is writing what.
Please target what you quote instead of quoting a random mass of
@bgriffin wrote:
I got an editor note from an MSC (I honestly can't remember what company) from someone named Pam. For some reason something about it made me wonder if it was IMSC Pam.
I believe Pam’s new company is called IPOS....
I’ll get my coat.
@MsJudi wrote:
Can you think of it as if you went to a casino..had a bad day...and lost $1000?
A housewife who tries to earn extra cash doing mystery shops then gambles $1000 in a night at a casino - this scenario sounds worse than the original situation.
The OP just made a mistake and lost some money. The other week I paid $8.00 for a book I already have. Mistakes happen. No need to dwel
@SoCalMama wrote:
Members of this forum have been phished. There have been a few extortion attempts. Others have posted
Extortion? Would you care to elaborate?
Ride out the storm, from your words your a survivor.
@Morledzep wrote:
It isn't always, but currently mystery shopping is mine and my son's only source of income. He is a Class B driver that can't seem to catch a break. He's worked in warehouses and as a "yard dog" but nothing seems to stick for long.
Right now, between the two of us we manage to keep the utilities on, and ourselves fe
I suspect the MS companies will have to increase bonuses for certain assignments in certain places. I might be tempted to do an assignment based on the bonus on offer. Otherwise, I’m not planning on scheduling anything at the moment- largely because I’m worried about my guest for restaurant shops flaking.
It seems like a lot of hassle. Also you are likely to get a bunch of questions which they require you to answer ASAP (could be an issue if you are on a long flight back to Europe). Of course you will need to pack your laptop too - something I personally avoid doing on vacation.
@1cent wrote:
The people I have known who told me they were deactivated "for no reason" backed out on jobs on the regular. One person even told the company that they were dumping 15 jobs because they found ones with better pay. I guess I understand because this work can feel so casual. It's still kinda surprising when someone gives me big eyes after I explain that no company is okay with you canc
@1cent wrote:
No company is deactivating on a whim. That kind of claim makes you look bad.
There are plenty of threads on this forum in which posters talk about being deactivated from various MS firms for no apparent good reason. Certain firms are notorious for it. Admittedly, there are a just a few bad eggs.
Research it and you might be surprised.
BTW, I do plenty of things to make myse
@eyelove2shop wrote:
IMO doesn't matter the score. Too many late reports can have a bearing on your overall shopper status. There is always a polite and tactful way to address a discrepancy. Not doing so is doing everyone an injustice.
This is the key point. Some MS firms deactivate on a whim. You need to keep your shopper’s record as clean as possible to avoid potential issues in the future.
@eyelove2shop wrote:
@SteveSoCal wrote:
They have different approval timelines for different clients...and different editorial staff for those. .
Understood, however, if my charges have been reversed and my shop was "Ok for Pay" surely I should have received a grade?
Not complaining as I'd rather the charges drop of my credit card before a shop score but it seems odd...
Coyle editors don’t
The problem is if the OP doesn’t get the issue rectified, next time if she has a genuine issue (her report is late or she cancels) it will be held against her. The slip up by the editor might lead to the OP being blacklisted in the long run.
@89lulalula89 wrote:
Personally, I shoot for $60 an hour. Most of the time that is my pay or higher. But then again I won't usually take a job at the starting rate and I'm willing to do jobs that many others are not.
Impressive. Assuming you get $60 an hour for 8 hours a day and for 5 days a week. And you include the drive time when you go to places nobody else would go to.
@Niner wrote:
I can't imagine some rich housewife doing this for fun or even knowing about this.
OK ‘rich’ wasn’t the right word. I should have said, ‘someone who doesn’t necessarily do it for the money.’
I have done assignments which paid significantly less than what I get from my regular job just to experience something different.
When people do any kind of work, money isn’t the only co
I am sure some rich ‘House spouse’ might do this for fun. If they are bored, it’s gets them out of the house. Not everyone is in this game to maximize their income.
@rothers27 wrote:
I don't see how anyone could possibly live off of mystery shopping as the sole source of income, and frankly, I don't believe anyone would be able to pay for health insurance, car, rent, food, utilities, gas etc., on shopping money. With the average shop pay about 10 bucks, you'd have to do 100 shops a week to make 50K a year. And give up any type of life and forgo sleep. You'd
@JASFLALMT wrote:
You also have to think in terms of geography and the cost of living. I do not need to make $100,000 a year. In my part of the Midwest, the cost of living is fairly low. In California, parts of NY, some beach communities in Florida, the D.C. area, etc. the cost of living is much higher. I also live frugally and when I was younger I saved and invested my money, so I am very co
@JASFLALMT wrote:
Ick. No way I am getting to the airport with my husband in tow any earlier than 1.5 hours before my flight. He is a restless dude. If my home airport was more interesting, I might go earlier when I travel solo...na
Some international airports recommended you get to the airport 3 hours before the flight. By the time you have checked in, gone through immigration, made it to
@Cassandraj wrote:
helpmehelpyou, I booked my first Coyle hotel this morning. I'm excited! It's fun how many aspects of the service you get to evaluate, from valet, to room service.
If you haven’t already done a restaurant report for Coyle try to do one before the hotel one. Only very experienced shoppers should contemplate doing a Coyle Hotel report or at least someone who is used to writing d
@Cassandraj wrote:
that's my mindset. I'm not going to arrive to the airport early, but on a layover where I'm stuck anyway, why not. I think sitting at the gate is extremely boring.
I get the airport 4 hours early. It is quite pleasant to grab and a coffee and something to read and people watch.
@myst4au wrote:
Be careful when doing shops in other countries. There are countries that are very strict about not allowing visitors to work when on a tourist visit. Canada is among the most strict. All of the EU has the same legal restriction. There are people on this Forum who will tell you that they haven't been caught, and at least one who may share a cautionary story about his experience.
@sandyf wrote:
Some people, myself included, have never experienced jet lag.
I remember being on a sightseeing bus tour of Europe. A bunch of the Americans missed the ‘sights’ while having an afternoon nap.