I have trolled most of my MSC and the fee hovers between $8-$12.
This is for the fast food shops, debit cards, pharmacy or the oil. Is anyone doing these shops for these paltry fees?

Since the shops are disappearing without many being bonused, the only conclusion is that shoppers are doing them for the stated fees. Remember, only a small minority of total shoppers are on this forum,

Yes, there are people doing them at that rate, and there are others who do not even leave the house for less than $15.

Yes, because where I live, if I don't take them for that fee, someone else takes them. So it is that fee or no fee. Which is better? Very few things get bonused in my area. There are a few shops that are about 30 to 40 miles away that get bonused but if I don't catch them within 5 or 10 minutes of that notification, its gone.

...are you calling us a small minority? I feel triggered!

@myst4au wrote:

Since the shops are disappearing without many being bonused, the only conclusion is that shoppers are doing them for the stated fees. Remember, only a small minority of total shoppers are on this forum,

I'm in So. Calif. Most of the bonus shops I see are in No Calif or out in the desert area.

I'm not taking them. I don't know if they get taken or not. Staying home more works for me.

@Datagirl wrote:

Yes, because where I live, if I don't take them for that fee, someone else takes them. So it is that fee or no fee. Which is better? Very few things get bonused in my area. There are a few shops that are about 30 to 40 miles away that get bonused but if I don't catch them within 5 or 10 minutes of that notification, its gone.

You're new here. It has been discussed before and noted just above your post, only you can decide what is best for you. Apparently you feel it is worth doing the shop at the base pay, others don't.

I think the point that big_sky_thunder was trying to make, and I could be wrong, is that most longer term shoppers believe that the starting fees for shops are unrealistically low for the work that is required.

I think the consensus here, and again I could be wrong, is that if shoppers would just wait, the starting base pay would go up or be bonused. But the people on this forum are just a small percentage of all shoppers the MSCs use.

However, as long as shoppers take the shops at low rates, the MSCs have no reason to increase the base pay offered.

I agree with thunder. If the job is not in any of the three categories I have established for me to work, I sit. In addition, I agree with rosie's position concerning an MSC paying when no need exists.

I don't go out of my way to do them, but if a shop is on my way and I have spare time, I will do it. There was one time where I did a "simple" cosmetics shop for a low fee. There was so much back and forth with the editor that I really regretted not waiting for it to bonus.

It's the full-time shopper vs the casual shopper dilemma. The people who try to do this full-time for a living will always be unhappy with those that do this for fun or just as a hobby on the side.

Yes, I would like to see fees higher as well. But I realize some people will look at some shops as a "discount" from paying for stuff. Take Panda Express for example. $8/$8 starting. Someone who shops full time wants more $ than that to do the job. The person who is doing this casually is saying "heck, I can get a free meal and net $5 in pay instead of paying $10 for a meal at a fast food place." Those people are going to take the shops because their goal is not to make a full-time living doing this work.

I have finally come to peace over this issue. I'm not a full-time shopper, but I like to make as much as I possibly can doing shops. So instead of getting mad at it (wasted energy on something that is not going to change over my level of anger), I just breathe and be grateful that I am in a position where I do not depend on this income.

I took an $8/$8 panda this week in an area I don't frequent only because I had a dr. appt down the street and could get the meal and still make a few dollars and get a tax write-off on the miles for doing an online order which takes relatively NO effort. Yeah, I'm not gonna get rich doing it, but the report is easy enough. Now the person who shops full-time in that region is pissed seeing potentially a shop they might want go for "base price." So @Datagirl has a point. If she wants to make $ and all the shops get taken at base pay, then she has to do the same or miss out on making money.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/02/2023 07:50AM by hbbigdaddy.

There are rarely any shops in my area that gets bonuses. Yes I will do the Wawa's in my area as it is a free lunch and not out of my way. There is only one red lobster and 1 Texas Roadhouse in my area. They don't last 5 minutes once they are up to select.

I learned early on that I was my main competition. I started passing on certain types of shops for a cycle or two to see how high they would go. This benefited me greatly and my fees went way up. That being said, sometimes the lesson is they don't go higher, and you have to get them at base rate. This is mostly true in big cities, where some full-time shoppers have made an art of taking clusters of shops for base rates where they can still make a good hourly rate.

I an in a big city and rarely see bonuses inside the main area. Usually I have to go out into the more rural areas, which means more driving time. It becomes a pay/time question. I can do 2 base gas stations on the way to work in an hour and get $28 plus add gas to my tank, or drive 40 minutes one way, spend the same hour and drive home 40 minutes, netting $60 for 2.5 hours, or $24/hr and break even on gas.

Honestly, I'm pretty happy at $28/hr plus gas.

I develop good relationships with schedulers and get bonuses. Sometimes, not always, the shops I do don't hit the boards.

@HonnyBrown wrote:

I develop good relationships with schedulers and get bonuses. Sometimes, not always, the shops I do don't hit the boards.

Relationships make the world go round! Good for you.

Glad you don't shop where I do. I've go enough "casual", "hobby" shoppers near me that won't let most of the shops get bonused to reasonable amounts. My sister told me her friend's wife does it as a hobby. My sister doesn't understand how that hurts both her friend's wife and me.

But I still do okay. I'd like to do better.

I think what shoppers need to realize about some of these shops that you consider low pay or a measly $8.00 is that it probably only took you 10-15 minutes to earn that $8.00 so when you sit back and look at the big picture, you received $8.00 for a shop that also earned you a free meal or cost you mere cents, plus you made $8.00 for a whole 15 minutes of your time. Try to earn that sitting in an office somewhere. $8.00 plus 8.00 plus 8.00 and so on, it starts to add up. Try to look at the positive instead of complaining about how low the pay is or that you are not getting a bonus. Be thankful that there are jobs out there that pay you to eat a free meal.

@luvtwoscrap wrote:

I think what shoppers need to realize about some of these shops that you consider low pay or a measly $8.00 is that it probably only took you 10-15 minutes to earn that $8.00 so when you sit back and look at the big picture, you received $8.00 for a shop that also earned you a free meal or cost you mere cents, plus you made $8.00 for a whole 15 minutes of your time. Try to earn that sitting in an office somewhere. $8.00 plus 8.00 plus 8.00 and so on, it starts to add up. Try to look at the positive instead of complaining about how low the pay is or that you are not getting a bonus. Be thankful that there are jobs out there that pay you to eat a free meal.

What you need to realize is that I started my car. Burned a gallon of gas to get to and from the shop at somewhere from a minimum of $5-20 roundtrip.

Then there was the 10 minutes I took to read the guidelines.
The 10 minutes I took to drive to the location.
The 10 minutes it took to wait in line.
The 10 minutes it took to order.
The 10 minutes it took to get my order.
Another 10 minutes to drive home.
And the 10 minutes it took me to report on my shop.

If that's how it happened, then I just made much less than $8 for an hour of my time. Even if you figure in the reimbursement, I've made less than minimum wage.

You need to sit back and really look at the big picture.

Also, I don't get where your "$8.00 plus 8.00 plus 8.00" comes from. For me it's usually $8 plus $8 on the boards.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/2023 02:54AM by wrosie.

luvtwoscrap,

Also, paragraphs/page breaks/easier to read thoughts, are helpful here.

And in any more complicated shops you might hope to complete in the future. Many people won't read a block of letters, For your future posts,

Did you see how I did that?

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/2023 03:07AM by wrosie.

lovestwoscrap states--.......is that it probably only took you 10-15 minutes to earn that $8.00.

Bob shares--On 04/01/23, I begin my 21st continual year of shopping and I KNOW I have never had an assignment where my total time was as brief as 15 minutes.

lovestwoscrap adds--........also earned you a free meal or cost you mere cents.

Bob comments--I am guessing I have completed 700 dining jobs, with none being free; it was necessary for me to perform a service. Said service was in lieu of cash and definitely was non-monetary remuneration.

Common misconception is that its a free meal. You are trading your labor and time for that meal. It is not free.

That being said, I do calculate an hourly rate for myself and take shops that hit that number for me.

@luvtwoscrap wrote:

I think what shoppers need to realize about some of these shops that you consider low pay or a measly $8.00 is that it probably only took you 10-15 minutes to earn that $8.00 so when you sit back and look at the big picture, you received $8.00 for a shop that also earned you a free meal or cost you mere cents, plus you made $8.00 for a whole 15 minutes of your time. Try to earn that sitting in an office somewhere. $8.00 plus 8.00 plus 8.00 and so on, it starts to add up. Try to look at the positive instead of complaining about how low the pay is or that you are not getting a bonus. Be thankful that there are jobs out there that pay you to eat a free meal.

Again? You remind me of that mom from socal.

Wow! Just Wow.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/2023 01:05AM by NM1962.

Do they have Circle K in Ohio? Easily done in under 15.

NM1962 inquiries and states--Do they have Circle K in Ohio? Easily done in under 15.

Bob opines--I would guesstimate I have completed 12 Circle Ks over the yrs. Last summer, the shopping business for me was very good, except for July. My total jobs for that month numbered four; all Circle Ks @ $20+$6 and within a distance of 1 1/2 to 4 miles from my house. Considering prep, drive, shop and report, my average time was at least 35 mins. per shop.

The Panda Express online shops can be done in under 15 minutes. Now if you pick one that takes 10 minutes to drive to...then of course the 15 minute threshold will be exceeded.

There are some shops (not many) that can be done in under 15 min. Another is the WELLS FARGO phone complaint shops that pay $25, involve not leaving the house. That is 15 minutes or less (provided you get thru on the first couple of phone attempts).

@luvtwoscrap wrote:

I think what shoppers need to realize about some of these shops that you consider low pay or a measly $8.00 is that it probably only took you 10-15 minutes to earn that $8.00 so when you sit back and look at the big picture, you received $8.00 for a shop that also earned you a free meal or cost you mere cents, plus you made $8.00 for a whole 15 minutes of your time. Try to earn that sitting in an office somewhere. $8.00 plus 8.00 plus 8.00 and so on, it starts to add up. Try to look at the positive instead of complaining about how low the pay is or that you are not getting a bonus. Be thankful that there are jobs out there that pay you to eat a free meal.

At $8 or less than $8, because that extra money that you put towards your food because it's not fully reimbursed, comes out of that $8, for every 15 minutes still leaves another $8 and then some for an hour worth of pay that I would have made if I was working at my previous hourly paid job. $8 × 4 = $32.

Not to mention that you're not even considering the time it took you to find the jobs, drive to the job, conduct the job, and fill out the report. 15 minutes at the location is just the tip of the iceberg of the time you actually spend on each job. Nor are you considering your expenses such as gasoline, printer paper, ink, internet access, cell phone service, and all of the other things you have to purchase to do this kind of work, that you wouldn't have to purchase if you worked for somebody else. And you wouldn't necessarily buy 4 meals inside of an hour, even Chinese food doesn’t digest and leave you feeling hungry again that fast.

@Morledzep wrote:

@luvtwoscrap wrote:

I think what shoppers need to realize about some of these shops that you consider low pay or a measly $8.00 is that it probably only took you 10-15 minutes to earn that $8.00 so when you sit back and look at the big picture, you received $8.00 for a shop that also earned you a free meal or cost you mere cents, plus you made $8.00 for a whole 15 minutes of your time. Try to earn that sitting in an office somewhere. $8.00 plus 8.00 plus 8.00 and so on, it starts to add up. Try to look at the positive instead of complaining about how low the pay is or that you are not getting a bonus. Be thankful that there are jobs out there that pay you to eat a free meal.

At $8 or less than $8, because that extra money that you put towards your food because it's not fully reimbursed, comes out of that $8, for every 15 minutes still leaves another $8 and then some for an hour worth of pay that I would have made if I was working at my previous hourly paid job. $8 × 4 = $32.

Not to mention that you're not even considering the time it took you to find the jobs, drive to the job, conduct the job, and fill out the report. 15 minutes at the location is just the tip of the iceberg of the time you actually spend on each job. Nor are you considering your expenses such as gasoline, printer paper, ink, internet access, cell phone service, and all of the other things you have to purchase to do this kind of work, that you wouldn't have to purchase if you worked for somebody else. And you wouldn't necessarily buy 4 meals inside of an hour, even Chinese food doesn’t digest and leave you feeling hungry again that fast.

I don't know about you, but I'm 100% sure I would still have home internet even if I didn't mystery shop. I would also have the EXACT same cell phone & plan that I have now. I don't print guidelines unless it's a leave behind form. So my only true added expense is gasoline, and the amount of that used is going to vary widely! There are residential homes (not mine) that are within walking distance of the nearest Panda Express. If I happened to live there vs the distance it takes you to get to one that's NOT a concern of the MSC.
Everyone wants to go on and on about the drive to/ from.... My husband has over an hour commute each way to/ from work, but some of his colleagues do not. Should he be paid more??? Nope!
Amazon structures their pay by job/ level. He's an L7. He gets paid the same as any other L7 no matter how far they have to commute.

As independent contractors WE can decide if a job is a good fit for our business model. Please don't attempt to shame or persuade someone else with regards to that decision. (That was a general request to many on here that do that, not speaking directly to Morledzep on that one)

I do a straight ms at gas stations. The shop itself takes 5-7 minutes. But it's 45 miles away, and the stupid, badly structured report takes an HOUR, because they want 3 full sentences for each question. And questions pop up that aren't in the guidelines or the printed out questionnaire I took with me. Imagine my dismay to discover after completing the shop they wanted the name and description of every employee who was not wearing a mask! There was no hint in the guidelines or questionnaire of that question. There were a dozen employees, none were masked. I was (insert your own rude expression)!

The scheduler does not understand why I won't repeat the shop for $7 plus $5 reimbursement.

In all fairness, it was only 2 blocks from another shop I was completing. But I wouldn't do it again even if I was at that station to get gas! I'm not kidding!

Egad.

10 min to select a shop? I usually do it with 3 clicks. 30 seconds.
Read the guidelines? Maybe 10 min the first time, but the twentieth time? A minute to look for any changes.
Drive time? I don't go out of my way for an $8 shop, but when I am driving within a block, 1 minute so sure.
Location time, 15 minutes to order and eat a bowl at Panda, but I was going to stop and eat somewhere anyway, so I'm only counting 5 minutes of evaluating the line and taking my initial picture of the food. After that I'm eating and relaxing.
Report? Again, maybe the first time it takes a bit, but most of this level of shop is pick boxes. Three comments sections with just a few lines needed. Ten minutes, tops, usually less.
Total time investment: under 20 minutes with report submitted. $24/hr ideal rate, but easily $16. Not great, but certainly not the worst pay I've seen, and that isn't even counting reimbursement and no more hangry as I continue my day.