Okay, I get that a lot of MSCs require you to have done a few basic / low paying shops before offering the better paying shops. But not all - I've only been doing this for 3 months now, but in that time I've had the opportunity to take on some pretty sweet shops as a newbie, and have even been offered bonuses and mileage by MSCs before I've even done my first shop with them (and without asking).

Even though I'm new, I'm treating this as a business and being very aware of my overall hourly rate, taking into account travel time, shop time, report time, reimbursement and mileage.

So there are some MSCs that are currently only offering me low paying shops that aren't worth my while. But I'd be willing to do those shops for a couple of months if it meant getting access to the "better" shops that they have available. The problem is that I don't know which companies are "hiding" shops from me, and which just only have those low paying shops available in my area.

If this isn't against the ICAs and the rules of the forum, can I ask which MSCs make you pay your dues before making the better shops available on their job boards?

Thanks!

I had the same thought. I am new, too. I know A Closer Look slowly unveils more shops. It's also hard to tell because a company may have better shops, but not in your area.

Perhaps it would be more useful to recast the question to be, "Which MSCs only have low paying shops, no matter how experienced you are?" That way, as you move up the food chain at companies that will provide better opportunites over time, you will know which MSCs to place lower on your list or abandon altogether. I could be wrong, but it is my impression that most of the MSCs named as good for new shoppers are ones where there is not much room for upward mobility. But, there is always an exception to the rule, so Bare is both a good company for newbies and a place where good shoppers can work their way up to better shops.

I think that if you read many threads for major MSCs here, you will begin to see a pattern. But it will be somewhat different from each region, since company A may be short of shoppers in Georgia and swamped with talent in NYC, and so only do bonuses in GA.

Most video shopping companies will want to see the shopper providing excellent video and written work, as well as buying their own equipment, before offering bonuses or potentially lucrative routes.

The logic of recommending the mass market companies is just that. They have shops all over the country because of the clients whom they serve. These are good companies to learn with because it is anticipated that as you do your first shops and get the hang of shopping, you are likely to make mistakes and some may even be egregious that they get you terminated. The mass market companies also have the characteristic that while they pay low, they do pay more promptly than many and they are reliable in their payments.

That being said, there are some companies and situations where a brand new shopper can snag a well paying job. These tend to be focused on much more narrow markets. Unless you are in my backyard or Walesmaven's you likely would not see the same offers even if we were new-to-the-company as well.

Another aspect of this is that no responsible company is going to assign to an unknown shopper a job with a significant non-refundable out of pocket expense. It would be great to go do that upscale steakhouse with a $150 reimbursement!! If the shopper screws up and the shop must be rejected, the shopper will not be reimbursed the $150. In this day and age of forums and social media it would take about 30 seconds for that shopper to be announcing to the world that they were scammed. Far better for the company to see a pattern of thorough and client acceptable work before assigning them such a shop, both for shopper protection and for company protection.

There is a no-out-of-pocket company I have seen expanding their reach for more shoppers in more locations. Yes, they will pay mileage and yes there are frequent bonuses and yes the shop pay is good and yes the visit part of the shop is pretty quick and easy. The report expectations far exceed those of similar shops in the industry for detail and they provide examples for the shopper to understand that. But you will also note from the announcement detail that there are a number of things that MUST occur or you will not be paid--not fee, not bonus, not mileage, not a consolation fee. It does not matter whether the omission was beyond shopper control, if it did not happen you get $0. I have gotten caught on a couple of these where there was not a darn thing I could do about it, but I continue doing them because the pay from the other shops adequately compensates me for the reports lost.

Hi,
I am a newby. Just did one shop.

Welcome, johnda! Congratulations on your first shop. Hope you had fun and it's the start of many more! Happy shopping!