Hi,

I’m new and may consider doing this, but the information I have read raises some questions. In cases where the product cannot be returned does the shopper get reimbursed? Is it possible to get close to full time hours? I would be primarily interested in internet and/or telephone based jobs can you recommend any companies that do these?

Thank you,

Selma

Welcome, soleathem!

In
> cases where the product cannot be returned does
> the shopper get reimbursed?

Generally yes. When you accept a job it often will have a fee stated and a reimbursement maximum. Thus you will see folks sometimes refer to a $3/$5 shop, where $3 is the fee and $5 is the maximum reimbursement. There are likely to be specific item(s) you are to purchase with your $5 so you need to read the instructions and purchase what is required. I usually do $7/$10 groceries, where there is always a specific purchase to be made and sometimes two specific purchases. By 'specific' I mean that I need to purchased sliced something from the deli and I may need to have something repackaged for me in produce, meat, bakery etc. depending on the department being evaluated this month. I am then allowed to purchase other groceries and will be reimbursed up to $10 for my overall purchase. Sometimes the reimbursement is only for the specified item(s), sometimes the reimbursement is up to an amount PROVIDED you purchased the required items in your total. Last night I did a $5/$80 restaurant shop where the requirements were that I pay at least a 15% tip and that we ordered different entrees. We only spent about $77 (including tip), so that is all I will be reimbursed.

Most generally, unless you are doing a P/R (Purchase and Return) shop, you will be reimbursed for your purchase. In a P/R you will not because you will be refunded your money when you do the return portion of the shop.

Then there are "Flat fee" shops, where you are to make specified purchases but your expenditures will not be reimbursed specifically because money for that is included in the flat fee. You still need to make the required purchases.

And generally when you are reimbursed for an item, you are not allowed to return it, though some companies are silent on this aspect of the work.

Overall the value of the fee and the value to you of the reimbursed item make up the overall value of the shop for you. There is, for example, to me personally, no value of reimbursements in a shop where I am reimbursed for purchasing baby items that neither I nor family members have a need for. A grocery shop does have value in the reimbursement, but when I do a $7/$10 I need to think of that as less than a $17 value to me because I normally would not purchase deli meats and the grocery store shopped is higher priced than others available in my market.

Is it possible to get
> close to full time hours?

This totally depends on your market. While you can spend close to full time hours, that does not equate to full time pay. You are paid by the job and if your market has many many chains represented and relatively few shoppers you might be able to earn something close to full time pay. Considering that the average job pays about $15 in fees plus reimbursement, you can easily calculate how many of them you would need to perform in order to reach something that looks like full time pay to you. Most of us do this on a definitely part time basis. This has been the best month for me since 2007 and I have earned pretty close to $1000 in fees and spent around $600 that will be reimbursed. Before I retired I was earning a great deal more than that working in an office environment only 9 to 5. These days I am likely to be up past midnight entering reports

I would be primarily
> interested in internet and/or telephone based jobs
> can you recommend any companies that do these?

These jobs are very spotty. Everybody would love to sit at home and do phone/internet shops and make big bucks, but it isn't going to happen. I do some $3 phone shops through MFI, I'm currently doing a bunch of $5 shops through Harland Clarke, Corporate Research International offers some, Cross Financial offers some, Informa offers some. For anything that pays reasonably you will need to be on the website precisely when they post because the jobs go fast and anybody with unlimited long distance can perform them from anywhere in the country. While from time to time I see an internet shop offered by a regular legitimate shopping company, they tend to be few and far between and many of the "internet shops" you see out on the web are scams to get you to click links and sign up for "free trial memberships" that will cost you dearly if you forget to cancel and leave you vulnerable to endless follow up phone calls even if you do cancel.

Home based work is not "easy money" and anything that purports to be home based easy money should be looked into with great care before ever making any kind of investment of time or money.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/22/2010 05:05PM by Flash.

Thanks for all the detailed information. You have been very helpful.

Flash, it's times like this that I wish we had a "Like" button here! Your informative posts are really appreciated.

Thanks, Flash for describing the business and the nature of the beast. Your words resonate. This month is going to be my highest in both fees and reimbursements in three-plus years of shopping. I've worked dang hard and long hours.

I may not hit these numbers again for another three years. I continually research and try to work smarter, but so much of this biz is out of my control. Timing - being at the computer when jobs post - often, annoyingly, at different times each month. Building a route, starting with a plum or two, adding other shops along the way, and due to circumstances out of my control, my route falls apart and I'm left with scraps and inefficient mileage and time. Scheduling - self-assigning with a window is the cat's meow. It's not always possible. Other times, we're at the mercy of the scheduler. Again, out of our control. The economy is certainly out of our control. Fees and reimbursements take a dive. Clients stop being shopped. We scramble to regroup and learn not to put all our eggs in one basket.

The money is a pittance compared to salary and benefits I earned as a fulltime employee. If anyone is shopping for more than just the fun of it, a healthy amount of luck is needed.

I really need the $100 a week I can make but frankly I would just as soon serve up hotdogs in front of Lowe's 15 hours a weeks for minimum wage.

Shopping is definitely not something everyone will enjoy and find satisfying financially or otherwise. And that is perfectly appropriate. Life would be very boring if we all wanted to do exactly the same things, to say nothing of frustrating because there would be a lot of competition for the same job. Without a difference of opinion there would be no choices, no politics and no horse races

On occasion, I can certainly relate. And, those hotdogs smell pretty good.

On good days though, my shops allow me to buy clothes, groceries, gas, kitchen gadgets, oil changes, car washes and detailing with little or no out of pocket. My shops take me to the zoo, aviary and movies. I get paid to make charitable donations. We get to eat at good, and very good restaurants, again with little or no out of pocket. Not only is a penny saved, a penny earned, my shopping bank account increases monthly.

It can be a love/hate relationship.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/28/2010 03:11AM by Mert.

Yes Mert and Flash I certainly see your points. And I appreciate your input.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/28/2010 03:16AM by ces1948.

Mert Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And, those
> hotdogs smell pretty good.
>
Again differences of opinion :^) I manned the hot dog stand on behalf of a high school service club for way too many years of football games and ran the concession stand for way too many basketball games and subsequently for way too many not-for-profits' events to ever be thrilled with the prospect of a hot dog ever again.


When it comes to cash, shopping in my opinion is much more appropriate for a goal driven activity than as 'employment'. If what I am attempting to do is pay down or pay off my mortgage, credit card debt, student loans or save for a special vacation or a new car, that is something that does not require a set amount of money each month. I hate to call it 'extras', but shopping income should probably be that. . . you can meet the monthly minimum from other sources and shopping can allow you to reduce the loan or add to the savings a little faster. Even if you look hard and diligently for work, there is not enough systematic work out there to count on. In 2010 thus far my monthly fees have ranged from about $140 to $1100. 'Average monthly fee' doesn't help if you have rent and utilities to pay out of your fee income.

Mert is absolutely right that the real benefit is lifestyle and replacement money. I have little choice but to buy groceries, and if some or all of them are reimbursed, I am ahead of the game. If I get nice restaurant dinners reimbursed, that is that many fewer groceries I need to buy. I have little choice but to put gas in my vehicle or get oil changes and if those are reimbursed or partially reimbursed by shops, there is less of the household budget that needs to be spent on them. This year I am averaging about 42% of my overall benefit from mystery shopping being reimbursements, though some months it has been a full 67%. And of course there are a lot of reimbursements that are of questionable 'usefulness'. I normally would wash my own vehicle in the driveway at next to no cost. A car wash shop is sheer indulgence so that rather than stand in the heat washing my vehicle I can watch from AC as it is washed for me. I had been curious to see a nearby place and picked up a boat trip that took the better part of a day to go see it and return. I would never have paid that kind of money of my own for the trip, as going by car would be much more cost effective, but the end result was to have a different experience at no net cost to me. I might do it again by boat, but not on my dime.

Certainly mystery shopping does not have 'benefits' like a standard job does. As self employed folks, we make our own schedules. There are no paid 'sick days', 'vacation days', 'personal days'. If you are not doing jobs today you are not making any money today.

Flash...yes, you are the master of well spoken advice. Giving advice, we can't forget about the time put in researching jobs, tracking paychecks, general "behind the scenes" time put in. You need to be organized and shop smart, that comes with time. I love being my own boss, that works for me, getting to stay home and schedule what I want and don't want is the entrigue. Five years later I feel I have reached a higher level in this business, and am very excited about the new quality of jobs coming to me. I feel I worked for almost free alot of the time. I would tell you if you need to stay home, add to your income and enjoy getting out, go for it. Keep your expectations in check, it is what it is, but it works for many. I just took 5 shops (all the same), so Monday I took a 12.00 job and turned it into $60.00 for about 3 hours of work. This Co. pays quickly, no output but $1.98 which I'll get back. That works for me, it doesn't happen everyday, but nice when it does.