Greetings from Northeast Florida. I've been doing this for about seven months now as a retirement hobby. I don't expect to make any money at mystery shopping. I pick jobs that require me to get out and engage with people. I have learned that some MSCs are unreasonable with respect to time on site and time to complete reports. I have learned that it's important to stand your ground with schedulers. Go above their head when they screw you over on an assignment or when you are given an unfair "flake". I have learned that some MSCs are eager to sell the client on extensive research detail, while expecting to pay the shopper $12 for a job that winds up taking 3 hours to complete when you do the prep, the shop and the report. Intell-shop has some particularly obnoxious shops at a home store that require multiple complex interactions with an extensive report. For $12. You have to build up credibility at the beginning. That means taking some pizza delivery order shops for no pay except a free pizza. But, if you file the report on time, you get a "10". Build credibility with cheap shops and the phone calls will start coming from desperate schedulers with offers of bonuses for shops they need done today. Then, you can start wheeling and dealing with the schedulers. Don't forget that the schedulers are almost always independent contractors with goals. Don't be intimidated by the schedulers.

Welcome to the forum! Indeed it sounds as though you have discovered a lot of the realities of shopping. Let me suggest that you treat yourself to some new companies because some companies are just systematically cheap while others you will find treat you more like a fellow professional.

Thanks for the insight. In the very short time I have been doing this, I decided to only take those cheap shops if they are on my way home or to a place I am already going. Like you I am counting on the some of the experience and cheap shops to count towards credibility.

I do think money can be made if you manage expenses and time well.

I've learned which cheap shops to nab and which to ignore. Apps can be helpful with cheap&easy shops...and occasionally not as cheap, but still easy shops! I did a ton of $3 oil check shops today and several $6 in-stock lubricant checks today, too. I snapped photos, selected a few options, and made one or two comments using voice command software on my phone. Money in my account before I even got home to my chair.

I have definitely found that some money can be made mystery shopping. I have already booked 14 jobs for January. December was very profitable, but I am still paying off the new laptop and wireless printer! I have committed to adding new MSC's everyday and now the jobs are pouring in. I can even afford to be picky.

I am still making some newbie mistakes with the newly added MSC's because I did not know what was expected from them for next to nothing pay. What I thought would be some easy shops because the pay was low turned out that they will be a reporting nightmare.

You have to be organized and detail orientated to make this successful. Plus, there was some home office investment that I had to make when I decided to make this a second income in my retirement. I have been playing with it for 3 years but only recently have I joined forums and expanded to about 50 MSC's, many of them very active.

I have a question that I have not been able to find the answer to...how long are you considered a new member or a new participant, etc... Is there a post somewhere that lists the different labels and what levels to meet to lose or achieve them?

I am not sure. I really don't remember. Clinen, you're fairly new. How long were you a member before it showed a timeframe, 1 month? How many posts before those were numbered, 100?

As a newbie you seem to break the do not ask who shops whom often.

quote=LeslieKay111]
I have a question that I have not been able to find the answer to...how long are you considered a new member or a new participant, etc... Is there a post somewhere that lists the different labels and what levels to meet to lose or achieve them?[/quote]

please leave me alone. I do not know you or care about your opinion of me. If you don't like my comment then just disregard it. Thank you

Do you need toggle instructions?

@LeslieKay111 wrote:

please leave me alone. I do not know you or care about your opinion of me. If you don't like my comment then just disregard it. Thank you

Canadamommy,
I went back an looked at what appears to be all of Leslie's recorded posts. I found ONE where she asked for clarification of the "naming" rule and NONE where she asked who shops who. Perhaps an apology is owed. You seem to have her mixed up with someone else.

Read further... more were asked...

@walesmaven wrote:

Canadamommy,
I went back an looked at what appears to be all of Leslie's recorded posts. I found ONE where she asked for clarification of the "naming" rule and NONE where she asked who shops who. Perhaps an apology is owed. You seem to have her mixed up with someone else.

Well if she didn't know before, she knows now. Lots of newbies do that before realizing that they aren't supposed to. She doesn't seem to be one of those impatient types who disregards rules. LK, if you have any questions that you are unsure about that don't violate rules and you don't want to post openly, you can PM me anytime you like. I'll be glad to help.

@CANADAMOMMY wrote:

Read further... more were asked...

I read further. I do see that she asked for a MSC name for oil changes. While I probably wouldn't provide an MSC name, no client was mentioned. I see she asked for MSCs in Grand Rapids, MI. I probably wouldn't provide any MSCs because I think people should do their own work, but providing names would not be a violation. I also see that she asked for the name of the MSC doing AARP hearing tests. Since AARP appears to be the client, although I'm not sure, providing the MSC name would be an ICA violation. In that case, I would say that LeslieKay may not realize AARP is the client and doesn't know she was asking for a violation and there might be gentler ways to explain it. I do not see a massive number of requests for ICA violations from LeslieKay.

Who named you Bad Cop for the forum? How about you put your badge away and we all enjoy Christmas?

Actually, Canandamommy's reply caught my interest becasue I noticed when I reviewed LK's posts that CM often replied immediately and negatively. I looked and she has been following LeslieKay around, criticizing most of her recent posts. Sneering at a newbie who wishes that there was better feedback so that she would learn to improve her reports! Claiming that just asking what MSCs have a "make an offer" feature is derided as wanting all of her work done for her by others. No positive contributions whatsoever from CM.

BTW, I do not know LeslieKay, and have not gotten any PMs from her. I just did a little research.

I don't know her either and she has not PMed me, either. I imagine if she does it will not be to whine about other people's negativity but out of a desire for help. If she even needs it. From most of her posts it sounds like she is off to a good start.

Simply, I no longer dare say anything to anyone...I am new to the forum and really am just trying to learn from you all. I never expected to be stalked. I truly believe in doing my own research and discovering out things for myself and my comments really were not meant to get around that. I just happen to need an oil change and a hearing test. I did not realize that I was doing anything wrong asking for a recommendation. But I apologize if I have broken any rules. I have been unable to find any rules posted. Perhaps, if someone could provide me with a link or location then I will be better prepared going forward. And since I use my real name on this forum I now fear that I'll be stalked IRL. This is not a nice thing going into the holiday. I'm not even sure why she is doing this. I don't know her and have never commented on her posts. Any guidance is appreciated. Thanks everyone for the support.

Hey, LK, if you want to change your screen name, contact Jacob. Oh, and everytime you write a post, a blue box will pop up at the bottom of the page to the right of the text box with the basic guidelines. There are other rules that we follow that are not listed there (though I think they are listed somewhere) such as no spam or politics.

I have already PM'd Jacob. Thanks for the info! Happy Holidays!

JacobJ

Send a PM to Jacob and he can help you with changing your screenname. I don't think you have to worry about getting stalked in real life, but I think having anonymity in here is a good idea for many other reasons.

@LeslieKay111 wrote:

Any guidance is appreciated. Thanks everyone for the support.

JASFLALMT's advice is great.

Also, if you want to toggle her, you will never have to see her posts. To toggle someone, put your mouse on their screen name in one of their posts. A dropdown menu comes up, showing Profile, # of posts, PM, and Toggle User Visibility. You can use this dropdown menu to look at a forum member's profile, send them a PM, or toggle them from view.

I don't like to toggle because every rare once in awhile, the person I toggled has something useful to say. It's best just not to let people stress you out and to ignore things that are annoying you--I know, I don't always do that, LOL. I've been known to play with the devil on more than one occasion. But there are many people who find peace of mind by toggling. Do what's best for you.

Leslie,
The main forum rule is that we must not post the name of the client with the name of the MSC. That would vbe a violation of the Independent Contractor Agreements (ICAs) that we all sign when joining the shopper list of an MSC. I have reviewed all of your posts and see no such violations! In addition, asking someone to name who shops who, even in a PM (Private Message) is also a violation of one's ICA and the cardinal rule that Jacob, who owns the forums, has set down. We can say which MSC's do banks, or fast food, but not which banks or FF. We can discuss a client by name, but never in the same thread where the MSC is named. (Sole exception: if the MSC rep posts and names the client, that thread has been opened by the MSC and it is not a violation for an MSC to name a client. I saw where someone blamed a shopper in a thread about AARP when it was actually the MSC that made the connection open. It is their right (but certainly not in their best interests) to make such a revelation.

Another cardinal rule is: make a positive contribution! On that account,
Canadamommy is the one in violation and I expect the moderators and Jacob will deal with her soon. Unfortunately they may be diverted by holiday/family events. Please do not feel that you are alone. Many of the regular posters who would have joined in being supportive of you are also not very active right now; this is an ordinary holiday lull. I suspect that you will soon start to see CM's posts melt like snow on warm pavement.

You seem to be off to a good start and learning fast. If you read my answers to CM's posts you will see that your questions are not unusual or out of line at all. Please continue to ask questions. And, as you learn more, be sure to start helping other new shoppers. This forum depends on the "pay it forward" principle for its lifeblood.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/24/2016 05:08PM by walesmaven.

Thanks for the reminder, Wales. I gave her CM the thumb (instead of the finger, LOL).

I don't need to toggle anyone. You just grow up and mind your own business. Leave me alone.

. deleted

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/25/2016 08:58PM by Leesa926.

Thx for that and totally agree. Some the MSCs try to be slick!

Thx for that and totally agree. Some the MSCs try to be slick! You must stand your ground!