This is the time of year to be doing them. For the work involved, they pay well. If you are 55+ they want you. Some you can do posing as a relative or caregiver. I now consider myself a semi-expert. All questions will be entertained.

I've been able to do them for several years. Since I haven't hit 55 yet it's sometimes involved portraying someone with a disability. That's not as hard as you may think, lol! I've also been looking into it for my husband or my mother.

I wish my experience had been a little better.....the "editor" I had was not happy because I couldn't get a clear copy of the book cover, it was a yellow cover and it was impossible to get it lighter...I don't plan to ever go through that mess again.....good luck to those of you that have had a positive experience.

Beware the twenty minute rule written no where for the visits that are not formal ones. Ones in senior centers etc.

Those reports you make can get people sent to jail and ruin careers and even bring down billion dollar insurance companies at the drop of a hat. I don't think $25 dollars is worth the firestorm you could get yourself launched into.

Please explain. I only report what I observe.

To anyone considering these shops, there are MSCs paying very little for the time and work, $20, and there are those offering considerably more, $55+ mileage; I avoid the $20 shops as if they were the plague. The meeting lasts up to 1 1/2 hrs., requires a report of approx. 30 mins. and, due to the time being fixed, may require a drive that can't be co-ordinated with another purpose.

The $20 shops that I am refering to are kiosk shops, which require minimal interaction with short report. Send me your leftovers! The formal shops are a different story, but the last one I did, for more $, was pleasant and informative.

I refer to those kiosk shops as drive bys. It is odd those pay the same as one where you have to sit with an agent for an hour. Companies like to say it is an hour at most, but that's just bologna. The kiosk shops have a minimum on site requirement of 15 minutes.

I could be wrong, but I thought if you shop an agency at the kiosk for the lower pay, you cannot shop the same agent at a formal presentation at the higher pay.

The MSC I'm referring to pays the exact same fee for a kiosk shop or a formal presentation. My biggest problem is the minimum age is higher for the kiosks. If I wait it out they will drop the age low enough for me to grab them.

I was referring to STN.

So was I. What's up with that? Maybe the formal presentations you're referring to are one on one? Around here it is mostly kiosk or a group presentation.

Yeah STN pays the same for both, that is why I do the kiosk shops only for them. And yes you can only shop one agent per cycle. However, just did one for TS , formal presentation good pay and pleasant. Drank my iced tea, got educated and did a reasonable report. Formal prez means whoever shows up. I had one guy + me. Got to sit on my butt and would do them anytime.

Oh PS The 15 minutes at the kiosks include lurking and observing other people interacting. I do not get many easier $20 shops in my neck of the woods.

I like the kiosk type shops, hate the 1 on 1's. I seem to keep getting agents who want to bring along the local company "expert" who I shopped last year for another MSC so I have to back out. Result? $2 for the phone calls. Third agent assigned is on vacation till Monday. 4th agent assigned has an 89 year old mother who fell and he's doing the caregiving until he can get someone lined up to help. He wanted to pass me on to someone else in his local office and I had to tell him that I really wanted him because I'd been told he "was super and I'd really like him." I've been waiting since Mon. to hear back from him. I would really like to do these last two agents as they are up to about $50 pay now so let's hope they come through.

Did a kiosk shop and I didn't have to worry about whether they were bringing their "expert" with them. It was just the agent listed. Much simpler, much easier, report was simple and much less time involved. I'm with Cynb - I'd take those kosk shops anytime.

You may not have to back out on the ones you shopped last year. STN had some strange wording on them last year and it sounded like you could never shop the same agent again. I went to a seminar and immediately recognized the agent. I got a hold of STN and they said a shopper cannot shop the same agent during the same enrollment period. Apparently it is quite normal for the same people to look at all the plans every year since the plans change so much.

Lisa - I will check on that. I would think that folks would really be looking this year with the future changes.

This is off topic but I heard something the other day that we are going to follow up because it affects my daughter and her husband and son. She works and has their son on her medical insurance offered by her company which is costing a pretty penny. My son-in-law works for another entity so he has insurance offered by his employer and he, too, is paying for insurance. My daughter is planning on changing over to my son-in-law's insurance so that they are combined and insurance would be cheaper.

I was told by a friend that under the new law if your employer offers insurance you must take that insurance and based on that she's saying that my daughter will not be able to switch over to my son-in-law's plan. Sounds screwy to me and defeats the purpose of getting the best bang for your buck.

cubbiecat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I could be wrong, but I thought if you shop an
> agency at the kiosk for the lower pay, you cannot
> shop the same agent at a formal presentation at
> the higher pay.


I don't think that any of them will schedule you for the same agent in any venue in any year.

plmccut, that does sound too screwy and there is way to much misinformation being disseminated on the subject. Rather than rely on hearsay, your SILs employer should be able to answer that question.

STN told me once a lifetime for each presenter. Not a season.
They tried hard to get me to a office supply today for the huge bonus of $3 for 300 miles. No thanks.

Lisa - Yep that's why I asked the SIL to check it out. My friend swore that was what her HR rep told her at her job when she tried to add her husband. I just flat cannot believe it. I don't think my friend lied I do think maybe the HR did not know what they were talking about.

These are my favorite shops. I am 58 and fit right in for the guidelines. However, I just noted the $55 fee just got dropped to $42. I am not happy about that. As for those of you who are worried about what might happen to an agent that does not comply with the law, because of your report. DON'T. There are too many agents out there selling products because of their smile and good manners.

I was a professional agent myself for more than 20 years. I have seen the havoc caused by non-scrupulous agents. Medicare supplements is serious business. And elderly people can be easily manipulated. To protect the elderly, laws were put in place to ensure agents provided basic and vital information.

Since starting this, I have met some real snakes! They think all they have to do is smile and chat with you and you will buy anything. I've seen them come for an appointment and switch products to sell contracts that pay higher commissions and provide less benefits. We do not need those agents. I do not want my mother to have an agent like them.

In the same breath, I met one agent that represents the symbol of the highest ideals. He was truly professional, thorough and well informed. I wish I could send everyone to his door.

The point is this: There are bad agents out there. All they care about is their paycheck and they do not care what happens to the people who purchase an inferior product. Think about what would happen to your parents in the worst case scenario if they are covered by a contract that does not provide proper coverage. I'll tell you: Your parents will be on the hook for thousands and thousands of dollars.

This is a valuable service to our country and I am proud to be a small cog in the wheel to provide better services.

I actually changed health providers this year (Jan.) due to a AARP United health care shop I did. I am afraid I'll be spotted
showing up, and I'm not doing the one on ones. The kiosk are easy and pay well. I had been doing them for the past 3 years,
not my favorite for 20.00 too much work. I get 13.00 to have a burger without traveling.

Hi,

I have done at least 4 of these shops my issue was after doing 4 shops of one-on-one, the walk-by (15 minute) and a presentation. Took the quiz in June, they want you to take yet another quiz for the same companies I have already done. When I compared them they were all the same. What's up with that?

Thanks,

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/20/2012 02:33PM by Savana23.

You didn't say which company, but it sounds like STN. It's not uncommon to have to test again and there may be just a minor change. Since you have completed shops recently, the test should be easy peasy.

LisaSTL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You may not have to back out on the ones you
> shopped last year. STN had some strange wording on
> them last year and it sounded like you could never
> shop the same agent again. I went to a seminar and
> immediately recognized the agent. I got a hold of
> STN and they said a shopper cannot shop the same
> agent during the same enrollment period.
> Apparently it is quite normal for the same people
> to look at all the plans every year since the
> plans change so much.

That was what I was referring to. The way I was told, it was not one agent per cycle, but lifetime. I have already shopped each agent once at the formal hotel (not one-on-one) group presentations, so I do not think I qualify to shop the kiosks. I will be happy if it is once per year.

SWS posted their Medicare shops and I'm still waiting for two other msc to post theirs.

Bear in mind, this was during last year's enrollment and the instructions did read you could never shop the agent again. A scheduler clarified it on the phone. It's possible they have changed the rules for this year, but it would certainly be silly.

Are there ever any Medicare shops in Oregon? I am new to this board so may have missed it........

I just did a formal presentation for STN yesterday but I was the only one that showed up. I think the shop was supposed to pay $15.00 but there was a $20.00 bonus attached to it. So I figured I could sit for an hour for $35.00. I talked to the agent for 45 minutes, then it took me about that long to do the report. This shop did not start until 2:00 PM. I was able to do 2 other mystery shops in another county and be back in time to do this shop.

I have done the short shops too. This usually requires that you make observations and ask a few questions. If the agent is there, the shop takes 20 minutes. Once I had to wait 20 minutes before the agent showed up. Then you are there longer. you never know how these shops will go when you sign up for them.

I think STN is having trouble finding shoppers because a lot of shops have bonuses attached to them. And this is only early Oct. You do not see them until its towards the end of the month. And some of the bonuses are laughable. I do not think I would do a shop for just 2 or 3 extra dollars. I picked up a printer shop for them for a 5.00 bonus. I only did it because I had another higher paying mystery shop on the same route. So it was worth my time to make a few extra bucks.