With the rise of gas prices, many mystery shoppers have begun to doubt whether or not it is worth it for them to continue.
The answer to that question is not always easy, and requires some personal reflection.
Why Mystery Shop At All?
Some people mystery shop just for the pleasure of it. For example, my sister in Chicago. She sometimes mystery shops at luxurious restaurants. She has also mystery shopped at a high-end grocery store, replete with valet parking. She finds pleasure in fine food, and mystery shopping gives her more opportunities to fulfill that pleasure.
Then, there are practical reasons to mystery shop. You can get a free eye exam, money for groceries, or even money for gas–if you’re lucky.
I once received an email from a mystery shopper who was putting away the money earned so that she could take her grandchildren to Disney World. For her, mystery shopping was worth it.
But what about the time spent and the money made?
Sure, you can have dreams of putting aside money earned from mystery shopping towards a vacation–but is mystery shopping really the best option for you?
If you’re doing it purely for the money, I would say no. But isn’t that true of any endeavor?
Some mystery shoppers simply have a passion for good customer service–they truly believe in the value of their work.
Others love getting out of the house and meeting new people.
But it still comes back to whether or not you make enough money for your time. Earning below minimum wage is never worth it.
That’s why it is so important to keep a close eye on the time you spend mystery shopping. Things can get out of hand between searching for assignments, applying to companies, driving to the store, filling out reports, tracking/accounting your earnings and deductible expenses.
I can’t tell you if mystery shopping is worth it for you.
If you are getting started, I can tell you that you will need to commit time and money before you start seeing an income. That is the price to pay for one of the most flexible jobs in the world.
YES, flexible. That is also one of the benefits of mystery shopping. You can work as much or as little as you want–you are in control of your schedule.
I could go on…but I want to hear from you…
What kind of mystery shopping do you do? What about what you DON’T do?
I will no longer make a special trip to mystery shop. I believe that shoppers should be able to set their own dates and times, to blend in with their personal schedule of appointments, etc.
I have declined a lot in the last month because it is not worth it with the price of gasoline, I actually did one that I comitted to and did not make anything because the shopper fee remains the same.
I will do shops in a circle to save on gas. I try to set them up in a row or all together in the same area.
I cut down on taking a lot of shops that I used to do that paid low. I now wait until they are bonused. I am still surprised that there are many companies out there who pay
$5.00 – $10.00 for shops. Gosh! Gas here in Mystic, CT is
now $4.48 a gallon.
I too do not usually make a special trip to do a job. I try and combine errends and any jobs I have scheduled ffor the same day. I also carpool with a friend who may have jobs in the same area, saves gas and we have fun. One other tip. I no longer take my own car for any jobs less then 10 miles away, I can take our local transit and it only costs me $2.00 round trip. when was the last time You got gas for $2.00?
I have stopped taking jobs as well. The shop fees are never enough to pay for the gas. I might consider it if I could schedule many shops in one day, but I haven’t had that opportunity.
I agree with Ruth that we should be able to set our own dates & times. I think another problem is that there are so many different companies. Most of us have profiles with dozens of different shopping companies, and the dates for shops rarely, if ever, overlap. I think if there were just a few companies offering mystery shopping services, it’d be easier to schedule more than one shop, and therefore make it more worthwhile to actually accept a shop.
I am lucky to live in a 5 mile radius of 3 malls. I get lots of jobs at the malls. Once a shop is more than 5 miles, I will not accept the job. If I do accept any jobs that are the most 10 miles away, I will make sure I can schedule another one on the way to makle it worth it, otherwise I do not even bother to spend my time or gas.
I have always tryed to concerve on gas but now many shops are just not worth what they pay enev with the food reimbursed.
I still do as many shops as I can do….the trick is to bulk them together on the same trip. You have to be creative and persistant about looking for jobs in the same general area. YOu have to buy groceries, right? Well, why not get a little something toward your purchase? I believe it is still worth it to mystery shop….you just have to work a little harder to find them. Lots of companies are willing to offer bonuses if you ask!
If I could get more interesting shops, I’d be more then happy to do as many as I could but the pickings are not near as often as I think they should be
I always ask if there is any reimbursement for mileage or gas or if the scheduler can offer a higher rate of payment. I will not travel far unless I get one of the above. I also set a $15 minimum for most jobs, unless the locale is a place I travel to frequently, like a local shopping center.
I have backed out of mystery shopping for a while now… All of my shops paid very little and were very stressful to finish… For the most part doing the shop itself was okay, but when it came time to submit- the info online is really hard to do! They would promise me it would be simple and it never was. On one there are so many words you are allowed to type and every time I’d make a mistake and erase it it would consider the erased words as typed words! Thats crazy! I’d put 4-5 hours or more into a shop with preparing my kids, packing up, driving, doing the shop and coming home and submitting the information- all to get $15!!!!! I have not made money with mystery shopping like people claim to! And all the email offers I get are very little also. I havn’t seen a big paying mystery shop yet!!!!
I had to quit, the ones I was being offered just didn’t pay enough for the gas. I loved doing the shops but I needed the money that is why I got into it in the first place.
I’m just like the others that has answered. I have cut way back on my MS and have turned to merchandising in my local area or I wait until the end of the month until the shops are bonused. I too wish the MS companies would not put date restrictions on their shops or at least give a two weeks time period. This would allow the shopper to bundle the shops and would make a 30 miles drive actually worthwhile.
I do not accept any more of the out of town shops unless I am traveling there because of the gas costs and do not want more miles on my 2 1/2 years old car. Hopefully some of the companies will pay more for our evaluations.
I only shop at near shops and restaurants. Usually within 2.5 miles away. I live in a widespread area with many stores and restaurants. Although gas prices still rising, I may just walk to my shops. I also use several companies to choose my shops from.
I try to do as many shops I can do, but they hardly have any in my town for me to do. One thing that helps me with the gas is I own a motorcycle so that makes it easier on driving. The gas situation is awful, I can’t go into other towns like I use to. Like other people I do them in bulks and I go agree wish they wouldn’t give u such a time frame. Good luck Mystery Shopping everyone
I have not stopped all together, but I do like several other are doing, bundling them.
I do merchandising, so if I am going to drive by a store that needs to be done, why not stop and do it. Sure the pay may not be the best, but that $10.00 for my gas tank is worth it, seeing as I am driving right by the place anyway.
Do I think that we should be able to choose our days? I am on the fence on that one. Most of the companies that I work MS for do give a bit of a leeway on day. Some will give me a week or 5 days to complete the job. This works for me, because maybe I don’t feel like getting out of the house on Monday. Or I know that on Thursday I am to do resets in the area. So I am just as busy as I want to be. Working, making some extra cash, and meeting people. Three things that I enjoy.
I have not cut back on my MS. I bulk all my shops together and make a day out of it. I recently went on vacation and traveled through 11 states. I picked up MANY shops and was able to write off the mileage. I have found that if you become frinds with your schedulers they will work with you on the due date (most of the schedulers).
I have always route shopped, meaning I get several shops all on the same day. I am signed up with over 50 companies, and have an email account just for mystery shopping. The reason I started route shopping was for child care reasons, I have an 18-month-old who I don’t like to take with me. My friend and I watch each other’s kids once a week so we can run errands, my errands just happen to have income attached. If you do it this way, you can definitely make money. Also, my husband and I haven’t paid full price for a date in a long time because of the shops that I do. Sure, we might have to drive a little farther, but what’s 15 miles, or 1 gallon of gas, when I’m getting $60 for our dinner? Personally, I’ll keep doing mystery shops no matter the price of gas. It’s fun, and I make good money doing it.
I live in a rural area and the shops have always been low for this area. I used to be able to bundle shops but now when I try to do that the dates end up being changed and I am in the hole. The reimbusement for meals remain the same but the meal cost has gone up so the meal is not fully covered. OOPS is the hole again. I have stopped calling anyone, they have to call me offer a bonus before I go now. I wish it was different. I do enjoy mystery shopping.
Well, it seems we’re all on the same page on this topic. Perhaps companies will have to start paying more to entice us to get out and do these shops. Who wants to work for nothing?
I do not do any more because and it is not worth my gas anymore
I agree with the majority on here. Gas is a major factor and the only time I perform shops is when I can get a bunch together, with bonus, then drive my husband’s company car. (His company pays for the gas, insurance, etc.) This is the only way to make any money and that’s the reason I do it, this is a job not a career.
Los Angeles: 20 mile round trip @ 20 mpg is $4.60 out of pocket. Travel time 30 minutes round trip. Rarely as little as 1/2 hour to do the shop, minimum 1/2 hour to report it. If the shop pays $12, that’s $7.40 for 1 1/2 hours. Less than $5/hr. If it paid $16 it would be about $7.00/hr.
There are few shops that can be coordinated in my location, they are usually more than 10 miles apart.
The Feds allow 58 cents/mile for vehicle use. Even at 40 cents/mile the 20 mile round trip would expense at $8.00
Definitely not. I’ve been doing Firkin Pubs and they reimburse 40$, which does not even come close to the price over priced one appetizer, two entrees, one beverage and a desert, plus one bar drink and tips. I’ve done it for fun but not any more. Oh I forgot two bus tickets as well. I’ve asked the scheduler to ask for increased pay but the company will not comply. We as mystery shoppers should make a stance and no longer do these shops as they stand.
I thoroughly enjoy mystery shopping. However, like everyone else, gas prices has stopped me from taking on many out-of-town shops. Since reading this email from Jacob, I looked over my calendar from January til now. On any given month, I’ve made from $200-$350 from my mystery shopping. As of this email, I’ve made $65 for this month (July)!! One company I work with will let me do 3-4 of the same stores in a day. Most others won’t, so I am, basically, working mostly with them right now. I feel that the mystery shops company’s should raise the commission. Afterall, they will give you a “bonus” for the end-of-month shops that they REALLY need completed.
I have filled out so many forms with different companies, I HAVE NOT GOTTEN A REPLY FROM ANY OF THEM. I am experienced shopper.What do i do now?
Jerri Pitre–jp12312002@yahoo.com
I think that these companies that we shop for should raise their
fees for doing the mystery shops. By the time you figure in the
cost of gas,electricity (computer) and printer ink to print instructions, we really do not make anything on those low paying shops. I have stopped accepting those shops also.
I have stopped shopping completely. The price of gas does not make it worth my time. I have had to find other avenues to make money. I was shopping exclusively for 2 years. Now I am Merchandising during the week and doing Demo’s on the weekend. They need to start paying more for the shops. If they can offer bonuses, they can pay more up front to post the shop.
I, too, have stopped doing alot of shops. If I can’t get 4 in a close area, I don’t do them. I live in a rural area where the nearest town is 9 miles away. The farthest I go now is 20 miles and that has to have 4 shops that pay reasonable. I am committed to a certain company for merchandising for my permanent jobs, but I usually have 2 or 3 close or at the same place. I wait for bonuses, but I have turned some down cause of the distance and gas. I would still be losing. I started this for extra cash, but with gas as it is I just don’t make much if any sometimes.
I am doing about the same amount of shops, however, I am choosing ones that I can do by riding public transportation, group with others, or that are on my way home from aother shop or job. I have turned down a few that require more than 5 miles of driving and that you may be obligated to go back if for some reason the shop can’t be completed, i.e. person you need to see doesn’t show up, place is closed unexpectedly, too busy, or whatever. I will decline on some that I use to do because I thought they were low paying then and they definitely don’t provide any income now witht he price of gas.
I ask the scheduler right away if they will give an extra gas bonus of at least $7.00 to perform the shop. Most of them will say we will keep you in mind if the other shopper does not perform the shop and then I will get the extra money in a bonus. It works pretty well.
i am selective on the mystery shops i do. if i need eyeglasses or soemone i know is buying them soon. i do those and make a tonne in returns in that regard. and I usually choose fast food if we are going to eat out anyway, or I like to do the gas bar shops, sometimes with a car wash. it reimburses and so i dont spend anything gas wise doing the shop if one thinks of it that way. it is all mad money,,
if i have too many, i do them in relation to my travels and make a circle towards home.
I have also slowed down in accepting mystery shopping and merchandising jobs, with the price of fuel it just doesn’t pay to go out the door to make $ 10.00. These mystery shopping companies need to charge the advertiser a surcharge for fuel.
Since the price of gas here in Florida has reached the $4.00 mark and over, I choose which shops to do, and if possible block two together in one area. With the reimbursement so small for some companies, I just ignore them.
I still do shops but I dont’ travel as far anymore. The companies are disappointing with their attitudes towards our situation with the price of gas. Shops are going for $8 and $10, not worth it..
It sounds like most everyone is on the same page. Our cost of living is too high to let over paid and less worked office dewellers decide what we are worth. My time is valuable. I am only doing demo jobs now, they are simple, guaranteed, and profitable. I will occasionally do an MS, if I am going to be there anyway, but for the most part my time is worth more than the “KID MONEY” they so graciously pay. LOL
I agree with so much that you all say. I really don’t know why I mystery shop – - I have a full-time job that pays $20 an hour. I work my 40 hrs. in 4 days so I do have Fridays to do other activities or shops. A few weeks ago I decided to quit mystery shopping cold turkey after a hectic day of traveling around doing gas shops (with photos), then losing two of them because I had trouble with the speed of my old home computer when entering shops (to a different time zone). I slacked off for a couple of weeks, but the e-mails kept coming and I eventually let myself be lured back into it! I am more selective because of high gas prices, trying to choose shops in the town where I work, live or have other business that is necessary. I’m experimenting with casino shops, but my trip one-way is at least 50 miles, so this won’t last long either! Good luck everyone!
I have only been doing MSing for about 3 months now and I truly enjoy it. However, I live in a very rural area and the good offers are very slim in my hometown. Therefore, because of the gas prices, like most of you, I have had to really analyze any of the jobs that I accept. The jobs that pay $5 and expect you to drive 30 -40 miles one way and then do 1-2 hours of paperwork when you get home are crazy. I would be paying them to let me work! The gas prices are killing us all. I cannot afford to drive that far and only be paid $5-$15 with gas prices being $4.15 gal. I just got a call today from a scheduler that needed a job done ASAP in an area that is about 40 minutes from me. When I told her that I would need to have more $$ for the gas, I did not get the job. I did not ask for that much more $$ at all. So that is my point, I know I am new at this, but I have to put gas in my car to do these jobs and I am not getting ANY extra $$ for it. So if it continues this way, I am not sure if I will be able to keep doing something that I thought I had found that I not only really love doing but, I also believe in the outcome of the work!
I try to do as many shops together to save money on gas. Here it is $147.9 a litre. I think that these companies should up their rates!!!
I do not mystery shop much anymore. I find the fee isn’t worth the time I spend doing the shop and then the endless paperwork. I do merchandising now and like it a lot more. I find I can make my own schedule that way.
Marilyn
Oh yes, I also agree that the companies need to wake up and pay more when the shops are first posted. Come on now . . . why would anyone expect you to visit a gas station/c-store, take 4-6 pics (that you must name an download) and spend at least $1 in the store and $1 (yeah) on gas – - all for the grand shop fee of $4!!! If they can up the ante to $50 on the last day of the month, then they can do better on the first day. : )
Wow…I only just started. I did my first shop yesterday. It was in my home town, and not far from where I live. I too, have been considering how far I will go to do a shop. Especially if they only pay $10.00. By the time to travel, shop, and report, you really don’t make much money. Then, throw in the fuel and actually, you’d better enjoy what you’re doing because you’re doing it for FREE!!! Hmmm, maybe we all should re-think this.
I really try to plan my day so that I can do several shops that I close together. I have declined a number of shops because of the distance and cost of gas. Fees need to be increased so that mystery shopping becomes viable again.
No argument here from what has already been said. I simply will not take a low paying shop unless I can schedule two or three others on the same day. What really makes me laugh are the companies (and oh how I would like to list them) who have reduced their fees but expect the same or even more work than they did prior to the fee reductions. I have withdrawn my name from a couple of these companies. Makes me sad because I like many of you enjoy mystery shopping, but hate the disrespect and worthless fees.
I’ve all but given up mystery shopping in favor of merchandising.
The returns are not sufficient to justify not only the trip and the time there but the time to complete the report and then wait up to 2 months for a check.
On the way where I am now, I quit doing purchase return shops (double trip) and reimbursement for food only. One of these companies on the surface looks good by reimbursing a fairly high amount but the report is so long and ridiculous that I won’t even consider them anymore.
Mystery shopping was once rather enjoyable and while not lucrative, it did help when I was unemployed. Now, I think the net return is more negative than positive.
I leave in a small rural area. I certainly will not do very many anymore. Most of the ones that are here you have to drive for them and their fees have not went up. The companies will have to increase their fees or stop the mystery shopping.
I have pretty much quit mystery shopping due to the rise in fuel costs. Unfortunately, it has become no longer profitable for me to continue to work in this business. Most shops I am ever offered are at least 20+ miles away. None of the MS companies I get offers from have raised their commissions to compensate for the rising cost of fuel. With the economy in a slump, and seemingly getting worse, I highly doubt they will start.
The disrespect we get at times is probably another topic and I bet we could fill up a lot of pages. One thing I had to consider, beside the gas, was the amount of form printing I had to do for just one shop. I would have 4 shops with 28 page guides and questions for each shop. Since I was always at the copy shop or at the “we gotta buy ink counter” I decided to try short cuts and not do the 28 page thing. It backfied and I missed stuff. So I dropped them. I have not found the serious merchandising yet which I would like to do anyway. All I have found so far is the 60 mile round trip for $8 on their time frame which always got in the way of other scheduled events.
In general I have found that mystery shopping doesn’t provide one with actual cash. If you add the rising price of gas, I believe that mystery shopping is a complete waste of time and effort and an actual expense!!
I think that the schedulers should offer a combined list of available jobs by zip code area. This would allow shoppers to set up a route. Everytime I try to do that I end up with just one job and feel committed to doing something that actually costs me money.
Secondly, I feel they should not use our money!!! We should be paid within 2 weeks as long as we accept Paypal. Thirdly, the scheduler can see the mileage from our zip to the location and can offer a gas bonus of $4.00 per mile. The fourth thing they can do is substantially reduce the redundant questions on the survey.
I have had to become very selective. Several of the companies are considerate of the fuel-travel situation and only call me when the commission is elevated due to their client’s need to the performed and
the company has a possible “travel allowance”. I live in rural Arkansas and other than the few shopping locations in town, the nearest larger location is at least 28 miles (one way) away. Unless I have another reason to go in that direction, time and expense involved for a shop usually does not pay me anything. When a Sonic purchase costs over the %5.00 re-imbursement and the commission is $6.00; you figure it out. And we do not calculate in: time to download the forms, travel, shop, report. Also the office supplies of paper, ink, printer/computer cost.
I have pretty much stopped signing up for shops because the pay does not cover the costs. It is sad. Even my merchandising work is beginning to cost me more than what it should; all because of the price of gas.
What will we do?
I still do a few shops each month, but I don’t go out of my way to do them. When the price of gas went up, I reassessed my views on MS. I don’t do purchase and return shops, reimbursements (last one took 3 months to pay), shops where I have to take a million pictures and make $3, or shops that require you to write an essay and/or count words.
I am also offered shops that are 40 to 50 miles away–with no additional gas money. Do they really think I want a pizza that bad? Who are they kidding?
I also agree that if companies can pay large sums at the end of the month, they can pay decent amounts at the beginning of the month–maybe then the shops would be taken. What a game. The price of gas has made me picky. I love the shops I do and am not stressed. I’ll find another way to make money.
Good Morning America did a feature on Mystery Shopping last week as part of their way to earn extra income segment. Trying to work and watch at the same I only got bits and pieces. They had an expert that said it was a 5 billion dollar industry with 2 million of us running around. She said you would not get rich but it was a good way to earn extra money. Did anyone else see it? If there that much money in it we realy are getting the shaft.
I also have had to cut back on what I chose to do and I will not work for the small amounts anymore either. I bundle what I have to do and work around my schedule and ask schedulers for help when I can.
I also do some mystery shops but my biggest thing now is merchandising, I have had office max’s now and dollar store on aa weekly/biweekly and then I do some demo’s.But yes gas prices are terrificly outragous and most of these companys need to increase there rates. I still love what I do.
Sounds like working in sweat shops – bad working conditions – I have been debating on joining the mystery shoppers but after reading all of these comments I think I will not be doing this.
I strongly feel that the mystery shopping companies should either pay a little bit more money for the shops or reimburse a limit for gas to make some of shops that do not pay well worth while.
In only manage to do some assignments in the same area for now. Of course something I will get out of the way but will ask for gas compensation to the compagnies. Most of the time they agree to it. The worst on that it I was doing mystery shop with a company that did have Gas Station mystery shopping and they just lost that contract. Between you and I if you do more than two assignmant in the same area try to get paid for gas from both compagnies
I have basically quit taking any jobs…I live in a rural area and the closest mid-size town is well over a half-hour away! It’s unfortunate, but most of the companies continue to pay paltry fees. I have had several companies’ schedulers call me with work, but most aren’t offering any gas allowances or bonuses, and it’s just not worth my time or effort to shop anymore.
I love MS also, but the pay is way to small for the amount of time I spend doing the shops. Now that fuel has risen I lose money leaving my home. So I will look for something else.
I spoke to one scheduler and their company will not offer bonuses until the end of the month. The way that it was explained to me, if the jobs are not taken at the beginning of the month when the fees are low, there will be less money available to bonus shops at the end of the month. I don’t believe that MS companies can give mush leeway on the shop dates because they have to fulfill their commitment to their client to have the jobs submitted, edited and delivered to the client as promised. I have only been mystery shopping for a little over 2 years and I have seen companies move from one MS company to another MS company. Yes, the pay on some jobs can be awful and insulting. I have taken some of those jobs to get my foot in the door with a company. I figured that I would not have a track record, if I did not start someplace. I received a call from a scheduler today to take a job that is quite a distance away. The scheduler told me that a lot of shoppers drop jobs. I did not accept the job, but I think that it will still be there. Now I will poke around to see if I can find other shops in the area to make it worth my while. So far this month I have shopped to the tune of $900+. My goal for this month is maybe $1,500. Tomorrow I have 3 shops scheduled that will put $120 in my pocket. They are a distance away, but I think that it is worth it. I have used MS money to pay bills. In my opinion it pays to shop smarter and not harder. I now have an almost full tank of gas from performing gas shops. So far this year I have made over $7,000 very part time. I bundle jobs together and I have a goal of making $60 daily. I agree that some forms are horrendous and challenging. If the forms really pluck my nerves, I will not do that shop again for a while. One has to check their motives when accepting and completing shops.
I’m still shopping, shopping, shopping. I bunch shops together to save on gas. There are many companies to shop with, but they don’t all email you when shops are available. Once you get in to some companies with good shops you do remember who they are especially if they don’t email you with available shops, you do remember to go in on their website to see what’s available. Most the companies I shop for usually have windows of when you can complete the shop, not just one day, but several days for you to choose from. And dinner shops, heck, I’m wasting gas to go out to eat anyway, I might as well do a mystery shop and get 2 dinners and drinks free, if not free at least I will get to eat out for a fraction of the regular price. A better discount than using a coupon and the forms online are not hard to complete and do not take much time. Plus, mystery shopping breaks up my week. I work from home 30 hours a week, so mystery shopping does get me out of the house, doing something different to break up the monotany. When I first started mystery shopping, it was a year in June, all my shops were low paying shops, but I’ve since found a few companies that pay decent wages for their mystery shops. And, like others said, sometimes you have to tell the schedulers you can only do the shops if they add in a bonus. I still do more than one shop a day even if there are bonuses. Now of course, every month is not a good month, so mystery shopping is not an income you can depend on, but it sure is something majority of us can do for some extra money, discounted meals, free snacks, etc… and a tax right off at the end of the year. Remember, your an independent contractor for each mystery company, you are entitled to claim it as a business rightoff and it could very well be used as a loss in most cases, you just have to know what your doing and how your doing it, but your tax advisor can help you out with that.
I have not stopped mystery shopping, because it gives me some time away from my kids and sometimes pays for a “date” with my husband, which we get very few of because he is in the military. I enjoy mystery shopping and hey I can deduct my mileage on my taxes! Also think about it this way as well, would a normal paying job give you money for gas? Nope! Yes some people can get paid up to $20 an hour depending on their job, but what job would pay you $50-$60 to go out to eat? Only mystery shopping jobs, and you know now days with the economy going down down, lots of companies are NOT hiring new people. Especially people like me; a military spouse, even if I do have the qualifications because they are “afraid” that I will leave if my husband gets deployed or worse hurt or killed from a deployment. SOOOOOO you all can complain about the gas prices, but its not going to change things they’ve been rising for years, heck I remember when gas was under a dollar! There are better things to do other than worry that you are getting the bad end of a deal.
I just started MS a few months ago. The shops they send for me are so far away. I agree that they should do these by zip code.
I will do a mystery shop if it pays well and is close to home or OI get my meal and can sometiomes take family and have tehm eat free as well.
I will not do those that pay low and will try to stay within 10-15 miles from home.
It’s just worth the while to do a shop for less than $10.00.
I plan my trips more in clusters in the same places to compensate as well. I need to do three or four in the same general vicinity to be profitable. So my day is better planned, more efficient, and more work than it used to be. It’s not as much fun anymore, out of neceessity.
Yes it would be great to be a mystery shopper i would enjoy it alot
I began mystery shopping one year ago, and have learned A LOT since then! I will no longer accept measly paying shops or ones with ridiculously long reports, and I now know which scheduling companies have miserable customer service skills of their own. Sure, the gas crisis is a constant concern, which is why I now work less days/week and only work along a route which often includes up to 10 shops each day. The amount of time needed to set up a string of shops or to complete some reports is often tiresome, but for supplemental income where I am my own boss and choose when to work, there is still the opportunity to make money with careful planning. Good luck to you all!
I am now limiting my shops. I especially like to do those at the grocery next to the dept. store I work at,for time. I often do 2 after work , then go home with free food., cook a meal then record the shops. I believe most of the shops are too low in pay.
I have been shopping for about five years. There were days when it was profitable, now I am starting to do a study to see what I actually make. Yes, it is free food, but is it food I really want? Sometimes… The grocery shops are my favorites. I also have stopped doing shops for companies that have reduced fees or have taken business from another company by cutting the fees. I wait for bonus money too. Several companies have recently merged and the fees are getting even worse. One of the merger is the merchandising company. The merchandising company has recently started putting two jobs together at a single location. I loved the explanation “We are concerned for your gas costs. If you get two jobs at the same time you will save gas.” Here is the scoop. Each shop is limited to one hour (rarely takes that long) and pays 6.00 flat. That starts at below minimum wage if the entire hour is used. Now they combine two six dollar shops and raise the fee to 8.00 to save us gas money. Is it me or did I just lose 4.00? I rarely use a full gallon of gas to do one merchandise job. They already pay terrible and now it is worse. I am feeling less than valued at this point.
BTW, meals are not a write off against income. They are considered reimbursed expenses. You can only actually write off the excess you spend over what you are paid back. Be careful with this one – an audit is really costly.
I used to do some of those stupid little $4 plus $2 reimbursement gas shops when I needed gas for the lawn mower or the weedeater. Not anymore… With a one gallon gas can taking right at $4 to fill, I basically would be doing the report and the pictures in exchange for a gallon of gas. I’d rather buy a goat to graze the backyard down – then I could make goat cheese… I was making pretty good money when I lived near a large city, but now that I’m living in a town with only about 20,000 people it’s hard to find any jobs that are close. I had been doing mostly the gas shops and a few fast food shops, but I’m probably going to be looking for other things to do for my “pocket money”. Maybe I’ll start selling homemade doggie bisquits at the local farmer’s market…
I agree with Linda about them $4 and 5 dollar gas shops with pics. I am sure that most of us know the company. I do many of gas shops for 3 different companys with triple the money and less pics and shorter summarys. If the company only lets you do 5 at a time and thier 8-10 in a certain area I will tell the schuler that I need to do all of them in that area to make it worth my time. 90% of them will work with you and assign all of them to you.
If people would stop doing FOUR AND FIVE DOLLAR GAS SHOPS then they will raise their prices.
Like a pizza shop that gives you a free pizza and you have a whole bunch of pic. to take and you got to flip it, stand it up on end turn it up side down and take all the pics, by the time I was finish mauling it even my DOG would not eat it.
Response to the military wife….Sure, you can claim mileage, gas and other expenses on ur taxes. HOWEVER, if you didn’t know, you MUST make $500-$600 for at least ONE single company during the year to receive a 1099. I, too, have not stopped MS; I thoroughly enjoy it. I have, however, stopped going my 50 mile radius as often. We, as consumers, can (and do) bicker amoungst each other about the raising gas/food prices. We, as a whole, need to write our congress and senators. With the election upcoming, start thinking about WHO will help elevate this high prices. In the meantime, as consumers, we all have to go somewhere and buy something. No matter how much it cost.
Hi,
I am Janet in Tulsa. I work parttime as a courier besides Mystery Shopping. I have been shopping for about 21/2 years. I don’t do as many shops as I used to. It is just extra money for me, but I would like to make as much as possible. I can get plenty of jobs, but most are $10-15. I would like to know what kinds of jobs the one girl is doing where she can make $900 a month. If I worked full time doing MS, I would not make that much. I used to shop 2-3 per day before and after my regular job, but I have come down on that, partly because of gas and partly because of other things going on. I do try to get jobs on the way to work or on the way home. I don’t do anything that is over 10 or 15 miles away. I just agree with everyone else that we have to complain to the MS companies and if enough of us do, they might have to pay mileage. I have only worked for one company who paid mileage.
I do feel that the restaurants are usually worth shopping, as well as banks. For those who do merchandising, how much do you usually make? I see offers all of the time, but haven’t tried any.
I have not done any mystery shopping since Feb. this year. To make it where I live I have to drive an hour for a days worth of shops and the shops paid very little. I also was tired of the hassle of online reporting as many of the companies would ask the same questions over and over and then the editors will email me and for more of the same I wrote in the report online. Just not worth the head ache for 5 to 10 dollars a shop. Since the gas has gone up there would be no way to make any income from it.
I do not veer far off of my route to work while doing a mystery shop. Especially modest paying jobs. I’ve noticed one company actually reduced the fee for shops I routinely did with them. No beef here because I chose the shops that work for me.
I have had to become more pickey as to the jobs I accept. I am at the point of being able to get the reports done more quickly now, however, most companies don’t want to pay much. I am sorry, but I live in a more rural area, and it is a distance of at least 10 miles to the nearest city to do my shops. If I can get three or four shops that pay fairly well, I will get them done in one shot if they are close together. I don’t know how much the companies make on the shops we do, but if they can raise the fee to almost double towards the end of the month, then they should be able to offer a bit more to begain with. I also combine shops with errands. My shops have really droped in the past three months. My husband is complaining quite loudly about the gas I am using for shopping. Gloria E. Morgan
I am now choosing more of my shops according to getting something that I really need or was planning to buy anyway and the location of the shop is where I would go. Also, I agree with everyone who talks about waiting 2-3 months for a payment. We should get interest! Some of the restaurant shops where you have to put up about $100.00 for the meal and you don’t get a return for 2-3 months is very costly. Most of us that are mystery shopping don’t have the extra money or we wouldn’t be doing it. Also, some of the reports make you end up spending 4 or 5 hours on the shops for a measly 10 – 20 dollars. I have spent at least 3 hours on paperwork and 1 – 2 hours doing the actual spartment shop for a whopping $20.00. Not anymore. I need more than that per hour.
I have been msing for 2 yrs. I always made it a point to not do shops more than 15 miles from my home. When I shop on my lunch break, I do shops closse to my full time job. I average $200-300 per month. Gas prices have just made me more selective about distance traveled and minimum fee. I don’t accept shops less than $10 either. Tomorrow during my lunch break I’ll travel 5 miles, spend $3(reimbursed) on a drink and get paid $22. The report consists of 23 simple questions. All I can say is ask for bonuses, gas allowances and be selective. I agree with others that say WE SHOULD NOT TAKE THOSE $4-$5 SHOPS.
Most shops are way underpaid. I recently had my first rejected shop because I went about $1.50 under the required minimum purchase amount. I explained it was impossible to get that amount with being discovered. But this particular pool company and the scheduler (likely the same one with the crummy gas shops) was not understanding. That experience has pretty much turned me off altogether on mystery shopping. I have been doing it for a year and it’s not much fun anymore. More power to you if you are actually making money and having a good time with it!
I am no longer an active mystery shopper due to the rising cost of gas. There are rarely any shops offered on my side of town (other than fast food) and I have to drive 30 minutes one way to do any decent shops. It would be awesome if I was able to schedule a lot of shops on the same day then at least I would be making a little bit of money instead spending all my commission plus some on gas.
I still do the shops. I can make enough usually to make it worth it but I do have to make a day out of it. Some high paying jobs make up the gas money used and sometimes if it is over 30 miles if I ask for a little extra from each shop 3-5$ it more than pays for the gas. My mother and daughter ride with and it gets mom out of the house and my daughter loves to “work” with me.
I sometimes wait for the pay to increase for the further shops but I have built up a rep now for taking the further shops and am asked by several of the companies to take a bunch of the out of town shops and make a day out of it. I have been given as high as $100 for 2 days worth of cellular shops…on top of the pay of $10 per shop for 10 min in each store and a beautiful drive on a nice summer day….well worth asking for gas reimbursement. Worse they can say is no…
I pick up shops while traveling in my normal everyday rountine. I have to go out for lunch while I’m at work so I pick up lunch shops. I like doing revealed audits because they seem to pay a little more but I usually wait until the lower paying shops are bonused.
I still Mystery shop because I enjoy doing it. I am selective of where and when I go.. I plan my trips and scedule several shope close together. I don’t go to towns I would not otherwise be going to.
Is mystery shopping worth it? No it don’t pay near as good as my other job, but I do get a lot of satisfaction.
Thanks for your responses. I agree with many of you. I too am in a more rural location. I will only do shops nearby, bonused, bunched, or within the framework of other plans. I absolutely will not do a shop that requires extensive commentary that pays a pittance. It truly shows that others are not willing either, when I see the shop not filled for over a month, and the scheduler is begging someone to take it, with special recognition first, and then a small bonus, a little more, and a little more. Finally, it gets to where someone might take it at the top bonus level, but even then, it wouldn’t leave me more than maybe ten dollars for three hours work. Who can work for, and find satisfaction in that? If many of these shops started out at a reasonable pay level, they would be filled sooner, and there would be fewer headaches for all involved. Also, details are valuable, so pay for them!!! Why in the world would I want to write a report that takes two hours, and get paid a pauper’s wage? I am grateful I have a great paying full time job in an industry that still needs many fresh recruits. The rest of us are getting old. My line of work puts me in close contact with my customers, and I am interested in using what I learn about the customer/client relationship with our business, in order to serve them better. A great deal of money is spent on understanding that relationship in my industry. Companies may have to work harder to gain and keep customers coming back as money gets tighter for everyone. Will they spend it on their shopper’s input? I don’t know. Maybe this industry is going to land on hard times, or there will need to be some unique leadership to keep it going. I hope tha latter, rather than the former. I would like to continue to offer valuable insight. Thanks for hearing me out!
I have turned down serveral shop because the price of gas. I feel ve that shoppers should be able to set their own dates and times, to blend in with their personal schedule. I plan all my errands so I get them all done in one day and I make a complete circle.
Hi Janet,
I have done 76 shops so far this month. Investment, gas stations, drug stores, movie theaters, airports, real estate, candy audit, ice cream, health club. If I do the math, it averages out to about $12/shop.
I have found that mystery shopping is barely worth the time spent on gas or reporting time.I used to do numerous steakhouses and lunches,among other assignments but I found that by the time you come home and spend 2-4 hours reporting and answering the same questions worded 3 different ways, your meal isn’t worth the time or hassle.
Merchandising is definately my way of income now. You still have choice of assignments with 90% less reporting but you have to be good with public relations.
Folks lets get real. Gas will not get cheaper so we need to work smarter. I do three routes a week each about 350 miles long. My cost averages $5.00 per shop and I get paid $12.00. I do about 300 shops a month and I am really not complaining getting paid $2100.00 each month, doing what I like to do and than write off the mileage at 58 cents per mile. By the way it takes about twohundred hours so 10 bucks per hour is not fantastic but pays the rent. Oh and one more thing, I have not paid for groceries in over two years, not one red cent.
Hence, the more of youu that quit, the better for me because I just find mor work.
I am now changing over to driving a SMART Car from August and this car will reduced my weekly petrol cost condsiderably. I am now also requesting more mileage money to cover some of the price rises. Any shop that pay under $15.00 are really not worth my time and energy to complete them.
Still taking as many as I can handle. I have breakfast tomorrow, lunch covered, hair cut, grocery store, storage facility, and think one more. Just have to double up so gas is not such an issue. Now the breakfast at the casino will be the problem hopefully it is nice to me. Not so tonight. Have 4 shops at the casino this week alone.
I live on island. gas jere is 5.04gal ferry is 48.00
Time fir just to go to mainland to d shop is3 hours, resh t o get there, then must do at least 4 to break even. But then there is paperwork or online to do and send. I lose money to do them. Not worth it. They need to make it right pay more so you can do it. At this rate the trainers and office folk better get the cars gased up for they will be the only shoppers ut there. Wake up ms companies, don’t they get prices have gone up on most things needed to do the shops? Just not worth the pay.
I still do as many shops as I can as long as I can schedule a lot of them within the same area to make it worth my while. I have been forced, however, to turn down some shops because the distance I would have to drive would cost more than what I would actually have made completing the shop.
I agree with you Michael. The more that quit the more for me to accept. Hope to get up to that 300 a month WOW. Grocery shops who has time to cook. We have eaten out every night this week and think Saturday maybe the only day this week without at least one dining shop. But do have a grocery shop tomorrow so can at least get milk. In between the breakfast and lunch shops so won’t need dinner again. Hum what leftovers are in the refrigerator.
I used to take a lot of shops both far and near, but with the rise in gas, I tend not to take them as often as I did. Some of the shops pay too low. Some don’t pay at all, they just reimberse you for going and buying something. I think that at least you should get something for your time. I think that the pay needs to be increased in order to continue to have successful shops.
I agree with everyone about the price of gas. Some shops are not worth the time and gas to do them and come up for air with them. I try and bundle shops to,but it dont always work out that way. i still shops around my area, and pnly if imgoing to some wheres to make it worth my while.
Thank you Michael,
The more people that drop out the better it is for those of us that stick around. I don’t remember the day of the broadcast, but I did receive a post approx. 2 weeks ago for a TV show, Good Morning America on WABC. I passed on the assignment, but the show highlighted Mystery Shopping. You can also go to the WABC website and just key in Mystery Shopping in the search area.
I’ve cut way back on MSing and no longer take jobs that are even across town. That’s 10 miles one way and with gasoline at almost 4.50 a gallon and going higher, it’s just not worth the trouble. Especially when the forms take so much time.
One online company I do service work for had the audacity to cut the rates they pay for my printing documents about 6 months ago. Thank goodness there are schedulers that know my work and will call me first with whatever they have I might be able to handle or I’d be in trouble. They do call me first, especially for their out of the area jobs but they’re quick to add extra for the distance. I’ve worked with them for 5 years and they’re a significant part of my total income.
I do a lot more merchandising shops, they pay a little better and if the customer likes your reports the company tends to work more with you. I received an e-mail asking me if I would do more of the merchandising shops for this customer. They sent me a list of locations and I picked the ones close to each other and told them how much I would charge for the first hour or less for each shop.
The next day I received an e-mail that my offer was accepted.
When I first started in February 2008 I was taking all Mystery shops.
Some of these shops only paid $3 – $5, I do not do any of these any more even if they are near where I am going. The paperwork needed makes it to costly and time consuming. Bank or Credit union shops work nicely and fast food ones if I am going to be shopping for the day. A lot of the paperwork you need to print, you can save and use again if you are doing the same shop more than once. You just have to read and make sure there are no changes. I also do online survey’s, If you have your own company, (contractor) you can enroll with Xompany Survey sites. They pay within a week anywhere from @10 – $25 per survey.
I began to loose grips with MS even before the rise in gas prices. Most shops offerred me swap out payments (shop a bar/rest. I made the payments and they swap out a minimum of what I paid out…therefore I didn’t make nothing. Or I’ll get an offer for shops payine only 6 or 8 dollars. My youngsters would laugh at me if they knew I had nothing better to do with my time than that.
Don’t get me wrong if you have the time and nothing much else to do…or you can afford the gas than I can see nothing against it. I just lost the thrill also because of our failing economy I’m needing to make some very serious money…No more time for petty shops and that rich husband hasn’t came along yet!(lol)…Jan was a great motivator though, I wonder has he consider other things also.
About all I can say to all of this is…Ditto. I only take shops now for things I would spend money on anyway, oil changes, eye glasses, dinner out so I can see my friends at a discount, etc. I can’t and won’t take any that pay less than $15 unless I am going to be in that area anyway.
I would say mystery shop is great, if the shop are in the city , you live in but if you have to travel beyond the city , you live , then you will not make any money unless you are one of the lucky people who can predict the future to buy a hybrid car that uses hydrogan and electric.
I have cut down on the number of mystery shops I do. I have always made a route with my shops daily. There are several mystery shop companies that will help with this. I always negotiate to get a better price for my fee. It does not always work, but it doesn’t hurt to try.
Shopping is hard on me. I do it part-time. The gas has had an immpact on my shopping. I find myself loosing interest. With the price of gas, it is just not worth it. Why would I do a $10 shop and have to put $10 worth of gas in the car? I am strictly in it for the money, believe me. If I can’t make a profit, I need to find a new part-time business. ezlife.ambitenergy.biz.
Hi everyone… I have cut down to almost no shops due to gas prices. Don’t these company’s know we need a increase in pay? I am sure they are making enough money to up our rate. I guess they don’t care which makes me not want to be in this business at all. We do a good service for these company’s and we are not appreciated.
I have had my ups and downs with some companies. I do 400 shops a month and my issue is with editors who do not comprehend what we do. I have had shops rejected as they claim it is the wrong shop. They do not leave their names so they cannot be contacted to correct the problem and the shop is rejected. When I complained vociferously, I got delisted. I will not travel, spend time and not get paid when I have no redress on the actions of some editor. If anyone is interested in what company NOT to shop for, write me and I will advise you but not on the open net. I really do not like them but will not openly villify them although they deserve it.
Bruce
I applaud you doing 400 shops a month. Who do you shop with?
I also have had the same problem you have. I think we are not as appreciated as shoppers as we should be. I think we are hard workers who do a great service for these customers. The company’s are making alot of money and we who are doing all the work, are not getting what we deserve
I’m taking on far fewer shops than I did last year. I see a disturbing trend: Lower fees and higher gas prices. That’s just not the way to make MS Shoppers want to take assignments. So, I have a spreadsheet that analyzes the pay for a particular job and how much the gas would cost. It allows me to turn down shops where the out of pocket (gas) expenses exceed a certain percentage of the shop fee. As a result, I’ve gone from doing up to eight shops a day to doing about one shop a day. I am extremely selective of what shops to take. It would be a lot better if I could “group” shops, but I’m finding out that it has become more difficult to do so because of the short notification period associated with many shops.
My wife and I have limited our shops to grocery stores and restaurants, lately. We are about a half hour from any of the areas that have mystery shopping, so we’re not too crazy about making the trip just for that. Mystery shopping has done for us what we were looking for, which was to be able to get jobs that allow us to go out for a nice dinner, and be reimbursed for it by writing about the experience. We will probably continue with these types of shops, because good food and great service are things that we love, and we’re going to go out for dinner anyway.
Yes. It is worth my time. Because I am going to use gas even if I drive to check my mail. I always pick shops that on on my errand run. Or When My husband and I go out of town. I love that extra cash coming in. And I love using gas to go to the bank with all my checks. It’s still worth it to me. LM
Dear Mr. Jans Iv’d rec’d your request to join your services, however, I’vd was to believe your company charges a fee to start your services, I maybe wrong, but if thats true, thats the reason for not saying anything sooner, however if your compant doesn’t charge any fees to start with your compant except for the interview, I would be happy to talk to you. Iv’d worked for Martiz for that last 6 to 8 yrs. So I’m have a little knowledge on this area. I would look forward in talking to you or one of your staff on the phone, so my tel is 317-5017706 day cell. look forward to a poss call.
thanks
fred edstrom jr
doglover351@aol.com
I have been shopping less due to the fact that some of the payments do not make it worth my while. If the payment is fair, I will shop it.
I am not doing as many as I was before the price of gas went sky high. I do still do some but if I can’t do 3 or 4 a day then I don’t bother with it. The companies should offer more of an insentive, after all their making much more than their paying out.
Trying to manipulate the shops to coincide to a route is sort of impossible.
When the increase of gas persitted I knew it was a short lived job opportunity that was not going to be finacially benefical to me.
The time accrued on line to submit the reports and the shop itself and the added gas expense is slavery without a time clock and loads of coffee breaks!
I do them in bulk most of the time .Plus what I drive is a desil I have been paying over $4.00 a gallon for sometime now . But I still do very well .I don’t use a lot of fuel on the trips so that helps. I still lkie doing them but will most likely back off once it reaches 5.00 a gallon . I think thats about .20 cents away now .I think its a shame that it is really hurting us shoppers this way .
Remember Your mileage is a write off on your taxes!!!
I am grateful for the opportunity to work, I have always said that 2 dollars an hour is better than 0 dollars an hour. Just don’t add up your admin time, or you will be very disapointed.
YEAH–UNFORTUNETLY, I QUIT DOING MYSTERY SHOPPING A WHILE BACK BECAUSE IT JUST WASN’T PAYING ENOUGH.
Seems that no matter how many of us refuse to take shops that pay under $10.00 and require a lot of time on the computer filling in the forms, with Internet advertising they’re finding lots of people to do shops for little money. The newbies don’t know any better and they’re just happy that they found something that gives them an excuse to be on the computer.
They’re new, might not do a good shop but they’re learning. We were all there at one time. Once they are experienced and realize how little they actually make, they’re part of our group and won’t take the piddly little shops. So, as our ranks swell, there will always be newbies coming in at the bottom and our best bet is to look to bigger and better paying jobs/shops/companies.
After reviewing all these posts, one thing stands out: those of you who are blessed to live in urban areas have many MS choices and options, without anywhere near the concern for travel and gas expenses that us rural dwellers have. I think most of us who have to travel more than 10-15 miles to the nearest (even small sized) town are finding that the time/reward ratio is well into the negative numbers, and getting deeper in negative territory all the time. FYI, I got ‘dinged’ recently at a company and removed from their database (after faithfully doing shops for them for over 2 years!) because I happened to inquire about those ‘reduced’ fees!!! Y’know what, if MS would just start a movement to write to these companies that offer next to nothing and intelligently explain their perspectives, maybe things would change? Truly, everyone needs to stop working for negative money!!
After reading all of these comments, I am very surprised that some of the commenters even qualified to be a mystery shopper. On all of the reports that I have filled out, proper grammar and correct spelling is a must. Although, I must say it did make for some interesting reading this evening.
As far as the mystery shopping goes, I do agree that it would be nice to choose our own time of day as to when some of the shops need to be completed. But most of all, I would like to have more than 12 hours to submit the report. I work 2nd shift and if I do a shop on my way to work, it is not always possible to submit the reports in that time frame.
I have not stopped shopping. The distance I will go is greatly reduced. I generally will schedule several in the same area and do them in the same outing. To do any more than a few miles away, there have to be several, and very high pay!
We all seem to be paddling the same leaky boat when it comes to Mystery Shopping. As much as I enjoy it, I have dropped many of the lower-paying shops, unless I can bundle them together in a mall or circuit. The frustration occurs when I’m forced to choose a two-day window and then can’t find anything else in that town, or area. At that point, one must choose between cancellation, which doesn’t make one popular with schedulers, or losing time and money. And…may I ask you all a question: do you have trouble saying NO to insistent and persuasive schedulers? Some of them are so nice, and I hate to disappoint them, but as soon as you accept a shop, SOME of them turn to the whip.
I’ve also stopped doing grocery shops, unless it’s very high-end stores. It’s not worth the amount of time I have to spend, to make five dollars and be reimbursed for 9 dollars’ worth of groceries at a store that is 10 miles away. I can save that much with careful shopping close to home, and quite frankly, although I’m a very conscientious shopper, I’ve run up against a couple of editors who are complete maniacs when it comes to grocery shops. It’s simply not worth it to spend half an hour driving to the shop, an hour (at least) doing the shop, a half hour driving home, then an hour or two writing the report. The food I have to buy to feed my family quickly while I write those reports costs more than the food I could have prepared for them with a little more time on my hands. All of these are personal reasons, of course, but I have just this past week decided to stop taking shops I don’t enjoy. If I need something, want to have a nice lunch or a lovely night in a luxury hotel, then GREAT! Otherwise, I will do shops for schedulers I know are fair, but I’ve stopped answering my phone when I’m drowsy and likely to let someone talk me into something to “help them out.” Because it rarely helps ME out!
I am going to the MSPA Convention in Pittsburgh tonight and this weekend. It should be an interesting experience to meet schedulers in person. If there is anything good to report, I’ll let everyone know.
I have cut back on shops that are out of my immediate area, too. Between the cost of fuel and the long wait for reimbursement, it is not worth it. I mostly accept the lunch and dinner shops in my area, but I have noticed that they are not as readily available.
And I refuse to take the $4 shop fee/$2 reimburse with 4 photos for months now. They are not worth the time and effort. By the end of the month I am getting that phone call that the fee is $10-$12. I can easily say “No thanks” and have made the comment that they should post the shops at that price in the first place. Then you have to spend an hour or two doing their “training” for these low paying shops.
Since I work full-time, mystery shopping is not my career, but I do enjoy doing MS, so I will continue, but only doing shops that are worth it.
If we all stop taking those low-paying jobs (and I have noticed that they are not being filled), then maybe the companies will get the message and increase the pay.
Mystery Shopping is not longer worth it for me. I agree with the comments above. It was a fun job, but I want to get paid to MS, not pay them to MS. Sometimes, I will accept an assignment if it is in close radius to where I live or in the direction of where I plan to go anyway. This way, it is not a GREATER lost if they decide not to pay you because of some unforeseen circumstance that did not turn out correct.
I am very disappointed in the comment about proper grammer and the writing og reports. That we even qualify for shoppers. SAD
I pray the MS companies are reading these blogs. There are similar issues being discussed everywhere. They have to stop talking down to shoppers, reducing the fees and adding work after you take a shop. This will make good shoppers move on and fill the industry with people who really don’t care about the industry or the clients.
Someone suggested there be fewer companies. Unfortunately that is how the fees get lowered. No competition. As evidenced by the recent merger by SnC, CRI, SMI, & SGM. They are lowering fees drastically for shops the four companies had established and buying clients from other companies at lower fees. More is not always better.
I have a rich history in field sales. Often sales companies out quoata or reduce commissions when reps start to make good money. This cleans out the company of high paying reps. Keeps the expenses for corporate low but they risk reducing sales. The concept is that they can get “hungry” young reps for cheaper. They will be hit and run sales reps but that doesn’t hurt corporate in the short term as long as they sell. MS seems to be looking at us in a similar way – looking to newbies to take low paying jobs.
MS companies need to be careful. Many sales forces have been totally undone and companies have gone under because they let their experienced reps down in favor of a cheaper solution only to lose revenue in the end.
Silver certified, 5 year MS shopper
I have been “shopping” for 2 years. I too have cut back due to the cost of gas. I can’t believe company’s still only offer $5.00 a shop. I won’t do it! I bargain or gamble and wait for a commission to go up. I like the flexibility of not being on a “work” schedule. I make my own schedule but if these company’s don’t soon offer a “raise” they are going to lose good shoppers. Why should I shop for Exxon/Mobile for $4.00 when they are making record breaking profits. You’ve got to be kidding me!!
Exxon/Mobile only pays $4 for a shop? Wow. Our of their Billions in profits they won’t pay more than that? I’m surprised, not shocked but quite surprised.
People, it is not Exxon who is paying a low rate it is the MS company. Who knows what they are getting from Exxon to conduct these shops. They used to be done at another company who paid considerably more. Notice this MS company pays VERY low. Another blog has indicated that they go to the Client and undercut the bid against the company they are using to get the shops then pass them off on us at a low rate.
Watch them too if you get the shop with a big bonus. They have been known to find things wrong with the shop so you don’t get paid – see MSPA blog. I have done over 200 shops – not the $4 ones -for them over the years and have had two, both with large bonuses not be paid because the receipt was not readable. Not my fault that the ink was low, but they used the shop because it was not relisted. BEWARE
Very good information, Kathy, and a good heads up for those of us that haven’t done much MSing.
I too have cut way back on my shops. Gas prices are really cutting into the pleasure I get from doing a shop. Live a rual area, so I need to travel 20 plus miles to get to any shop.
The companies that want the shops done should be coughing up more since the shops are so important to them
Fellow shoppers! Who is it we can go to with this problem? Is there some sort of representative who could do it?
If anyone knows if there is such a person for us Mystery Shoppers… please post it here.
This is affecting out income. It seems it is always the people who do the most work, get paid the least and get the smallest Thank You.
June,
I think our best recourse comes from those who are going to the MSPA convention coming up. I cannot go this time, but I did see a post from Pittsburg Shopper about this.
The companies and loads of shoppers will all be there.
Anyone going – please speak up for those of us who cannot.
I would only like the eating ones in Omaha Nebraska to Mystery Shop
Hey, I pledge, I will not take any shops that pays less than 6.00 for the next 30 days. If all of us, on here and I know its got to be around 5,000 now get together and pledge the same just for 30 days that before the end of the month these shops will double and some triple so these companys can meet their deadline.
Anyone care to join me.
I have stopped taking shops that are not in my area. They do not pay enough to pay for the gas. Shopping companies need to upgatde their fees. I like to shop,but the time spent is not worth it, with all the reports to write and all you get 10.00.
Some shoppers have indicated they are doing surveys. Is it worth it to take them seriously? I looked at them again and remembered why I did not fool with it before. Is there a survey forum anywhere? If I do them I would like to know information about them.
I use to do survey but never recieved a dine or even points for gifts I quess you have to know the right ones
I do not think I could make a living doing mystery shopping. I do it for the enjoyment. I do a lot of casual dining. It gives me the opportunity to eat for free. I have to eat don’t I? A lot of shops here are not paying enough to pay for my gas and time. I will pick them up if I am going to be in the area or want to do something fun. I shop mainly for fun at this point. I spend way more time doing reports and wasting gas so I really don’t make any money when you factor in a per hour rate. I try to pick up apartment shops because they are the most profitable. Unfortunately, it is hard to find shops I can group together on the same day in the same area. However, sometimes shopping is better than sitting at home doing nothing. I keep thinking about the reason I started shopping. I wanted to be able to give shops unbiased feedback so they can assess their services.
I will not do shops that it takes a lot of gas to get there. I have not excepted some shops because the pay is too low and I mean like $5.00 that is not even minimum wage I do not know how they can ask you to do it and offer that kind of pay it is not right. I truly have not been doing too many shops since the gas has jumped so high we have other things to buy besides gas and bills to pay so it is not worth it to Mystery Shop if you do not gain anything at all no one wants to work for free and believe me most of the shops that come my way pay nothing for gas. I Mystery Shop because I really love doing it but I also want to enjoy it while I am doing it, it motivates you more and more but not for what these companies are paying.
I have been MSing since January 2008. I enjoy it because I have learned some retail terminology, (POG–it very time consuming, Reset) etc. It’s fun. However, I don’t like to charge a purchase then take it back just to measure customer service. I will work with demo’s from now on besides the two companies I work with on a regular basis and pay within 3 weeks of my completing the report.
I purchased a gold membership in Shadow Shopper in an attempt to get some great shops..No such luck! They won’t refund the money either. I don’t even get any job offer from them. Does anyone know what’s up with them?
Like most others shoppers there is now so little profit in it that I loose money on it. I can’t afford to loose money or just break even. Thank you for the opportunity to give some feedback to you
From the MSPA Conference – July 18-20, 2008
The owners of several of the MS companies did a panel discussion on the last day taking Q&A from the shoppers. They all had the same answer. The contracts were signed with the companies at the beginning of the year for set prices for shops. This was done before the cost of gas went over $4 a gallon. They all stated that nothing could be done at this time as they are all under contract. They did remind us that the IRS deduction for mileage went to fifty eight and a half cents per mile. And they all agreed that no one should accept the $4 and $5 shops.
Whoo hoo!!! The MS companies are in our corner after all? They’re just bound by contract. This I can understand. They’re advising us not to take the $4 & 5 shops, so they can put pressure to increase the contracts at negotiation come the new year. It’s a simple matter of “if you don’t increase the pay, you won’t get the work done, at least by anyone that knows how to do it”. Yeah!
Thank you Pittsburgh Shopper!
I have never accepted a shop for $5 – even when gas was cheaper. It has never been worth my time.
I gave up MS completely. Not worth it for any reason. Companies do not pay enough to make something I once really enjoyed worth my time and effort. I was never in it for the money but I am certainly not in it to loose money. Too bad. Companies need to wake up and stop taking advantage of MS shoppers. That’s all I have to say.
Maybe Jacob can send all these posts we are writing to the MS company’s for them to see. If they see that we are not going to be taken advantage of quite so quickly… they will up their payments. I read that the contracts were signed long ago and I understand. But I am sure they are buying gas and their grocery bill is higher just like our’s is. I believe they should ,and could, up their payment anyway. There is no law saying they have to stick with the payment they agreed upon months ago.
I also understand that the mystery shopping companies have contracts. But all that does is tell how much money the mystery shopping company is charging the client. An agreement between the two, for a fee, for services provided by the mystery shopping company for the client. But, that has nothing to do with reimbursing us for gas. They can reimburse or up shopper fees if they want to. They would just have to take a cut for themselves. Maybe the editor or scheduler would be paid a little less, in order to pay us more. So, I don’t take the excuse of signed contracts. We are not dummies. I,personally, have two college degrees. If mystery shopping is so valuable for the client, then they can show it by raising shopper pay. I, myself, pledge not to take any shop under $10. The only exception will possibly be phone shops.
I also understand that new shoppers have to take what they can get to get started. That, to me, should be the only exception for taking pay under $10.
Janet in Tulsa
The assignments offered by most MS companies pay between $5.00 and $7.00. At those rates, doing these assignments are not worth the effort, unless, you live within a few blocks of the assignment. Particularly, the “audit” assignments which require counting gift cards. Considering the time, gas, wear and tear on your auto; time to complete the assignment; the time spent doing the report’ and the use of your PC and FAX to send the receipts you lose instead of earn money–it is senseless to do these assignments.
I will not accept any $5 assignments. I havn’t since after I got started.
I can honestly can say that I really enjoyed the mystery shops that I did during the Christmas season. Even paying up front for my purchases and get a nice reimbursement for my time and paying for a good portion of my Christmas presents was a nice savings.
Other than those shops the money that these shops cost me was like shopping with a good coupon. I can save that with using coupons. SO Its not really beneficial for the pay that they offer unless its atleast $15 or more.
The MS companies may be under contract, however, one company had the same pay scale last year and did not get it changed. Gas cost and food cost was on the rise then. The $6 shop, with ff, when the price of food items going up four times this year and the reimbursement staying the same puts us in the hole also. If I do one on my way home I am in the hole at least $.50 with the cost of food and $1.00 to $1.50 with tip and that is if I get the cheapest meal I can. If I get anything costing more the hole gets deeper. I may make $4.50 most of the time less than that. I fell off their A list when I said sometihing about being called 5 times in an hour wanting my schedule changed. So now they very seldom call and when they do they do not offer much of a bonus. So I do not do the $6 any more. Besides that my mode of transportion does not suit them so they do not call much but they still advertise a lot.
I use to do the mystery shops all the time in between my loads. I am a truck driver. But, even then I wasn’t doing it for the money. I would choose to do the audits because they paid more and it was worth my time. I am not hurting for money, but I have quit doing them because the pay just remained the same. I use to go out of my way to do them, but I won’t anymore. I had signed up with almost 20 companies and they all email em every day, but until they bump up the pay to actually cover the cost of the meals, I won’t do them. Now, when I go out to eat anywhere now. I feel strongly about the customer service. I have gone on the websites of the place I have ate at and let them know how they are doing. I don’t get paid for it, but they should know. I have had a couple of bad experiences also, I let them know. Sometimes they have sent me gift cards to “buy” business back, to give them another chance. But, whether they are doing good or bad, I let them know. I am already there, on the company’s website it only takes 10 minutes to let them know how they are doing. Once in a while if I am bored, I will take the shops that are in truck stops on the days that I am doing loads. I won’t do them like I use to. My mother in law was doing them and the gas got to high and now she won’t even think about doing them.
I will not even go across the street for a $5.00 shop, the report to file it is not worth it.
I am very interested in being a mystery shopper at Wal-Mart in Roanoke Alabama, I a stay at home mom and i have plenty of time to do whatever it is i need to do.I am through and always available, so if you would help me get started, I will do the best i can,I love to shop,so i will be waiting on your responce..
Sincerely,
Sonya Howell
I’ve always done mystery shopping for pleasure, and choose locations that are several blocks away from me. I particularly love doing fine dining restaurants. It’s a great excuse to enjoy a good meal with my family and not feel guilty about spending too much!
I agree mystery shopping is a pleasure. I have not had a full time job since spring of 2006. I love the fine dining and movie shops. I incorporate shopping with traveling so can claim mileage off taxes. In the rare times that I am lucky enough to get hotel shops that makes iteven better. Or if near casinos I normally get free rooms there and can plan mystery shops accordingly.
I have really been enjoying the casino shops the last few months. To paid they do no cover the gambling. LOL but $50 fee does help.
Anybody have trouble with Orillo paying them for assignments?