Several companies I work for and have worked for in the past 6 years have recently lowered assignment pay and added to the assignment requirements. Gas stations that use to require 2 photos now require several photos and a reveal. A grocery assignment just docked the pay $1, which adds up when one does several. In six years I have not seen one company raise the shop rate. I feel as though my position is so replaceable that there is no appreciation for reliability or quality.
I have found several companies that pay extremely well for brief assignments that take little time to enter which I do appreciate but there are not enough to survive on.
I just do not understand how shop pay has not been increased in a six year period when the price of gas has doubled which has led to the cost of living increasing as well.
Has anyone ever seen a shop pay increase over the years???

Yes, one.

No, in fact I too have noticed the reduced fees. Also one convenience store shop has lowered their reimbursement amount even though the required purchases have increased! I am becoming more picky about the shops I choose.

As shoppers we have to be more careful about the shops we accept. I find it is best to wait until the end of the month and only do heavily bonused shops. It is less work and more money.

Let's put this in perspective: This country has an effective unemployment rate of about 20% in real numbers AND many of the people who ARE employed took pay cuts.

You think WE should be exempt from the effects of a sucky economy?

The current big box is mandatory return so even the buck you used to be able to get is now gone.

itsasecret Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Let's put this in perspective: This country has
> an effective unemployment rate of about 20% in
> real numbers AND many of the people who ARE
> employed took pay cuts.
>
> You think WE should be exempt from the effects of
> a sucky economy?


Speak for yourself....my shop average hasn't changed and
I intend to keep it that way. The general base pay that is
advertised is lower from most msc's, but that doesn't mean
they won't pay more to proven, reliable people who don't
cancel and consistently get positive feedback on from the clients...

I have to agree. My "per shop" average every month is the same or several bucks more.

I agree we're generally feeling the effects of the unemployment rate in the sense that most fees aren't going up and some of them are going down. My individual shop average is a little better than it was a year or so ago, but that's not because any fees went up. It's because I'm with more companies, have more opportunities, and have become more selective. I think that's the natural growth process kicking in.

As long as people are willing to do things for a mere bag of shells the beatings will continue.

Everyone has a different experience, but the bottom line is this, the more people who are out there doing these jobs for little to no money, the lower the pay will become. There was a terrific person who helped me when I wanted to figure out who to go to and which were the best companies. He did not intentionally mean for me to personally lower the shop fees in dozens of companies, but I unwittingly offered to help a friend in another state. I was always seeing nicely bonused shops for good companies. I gave her this information thinking I was helping her. I gave her this information, that was just meant for her, not thinking she would pass it along. Most of the information I spent over a year digging around and figuring things out. She innocently just gave my entire email list to her step father. He, lives 2 miles away from me, has a huge extended family of unemployed step children, brothers, sisters and neighbors, and he (and his progeny) shops for "fun" now, as he is comfortably retired at an early age. Within three months, the shops that I was getting 30 dollar bonuses on disappeared, because he and his family were happy to take them for $7.50. This is how it happens, this and taking jobs that everyone knows were double the fee just a few months ago. Not to harp on this again, but these were the shops for the upscale shopping center. These jobs paid double the fee and gave a nice reimbursement for a meal, and you were paid within weeks. Now they are half the pay, twice the work, a tiny stipend for a meal, and you will get paid in two months. Yes it's the economy, but it can be as simple as giving one friend, or sadly, a reader on this page a name, and just like that, the money and jobs can, not always, vanish. As my friend told me, you can not count on these jobs as income. Consider them a way to take trips and have meals that you might not otherwise be able to enjoy.

i dont recommend everyone out there doing it, but if I can determine
that there is only 1 or 2 other people that shops a location that I shop,
i've been known to seek them out and have a chat with them about
making more money by not taking the shop right away and waiting
so it is easier for all of us to get increased fees/bonus money for that
location.

Always amazed that they usually have no idea that they could make
more money by waiting and letting the jobs sit longer.

It's all about the supply and demand of capitalism and I wouldn't have it any other way; I was especially drawn to Tech's ingenuity. Rather than to bemoan the situation, he improvised and has profited. This is why so many non-MSCs start a division for shopping. They know there are people willing to toil for a pittance, which leaves a voluminous profit for them. In addition, they also know some folks are will wait several months for their meager pay. This is in no manner critical of the MSCs, as they're simply taking advantage, as they should, of shopper's actions. The situation will NEVER change unless/until shoppers understand that THIS IS BUSINESS! STOP agreeing to work that is grossly under paid because a scheduler begs, and/or promises to "remember you in the future."

Since I became, what the owner of one video MSC refers to as a "cherry picker," my fees are up and my work load is down, but I rarely receive a call from schedulers; they must know it's a waste of their time. Although I don't actually KNOW this, I'm guessing that some MSCs have new schedulers compile a "sucker" list to use when the need exists.

Just a quick story: In 2007, a man, who was known to me, sought my advice concerning a business decision. While we were chatting, he shared he had made $1000 that morning. I decided to query him as to how he had accomplished that feat. He mentioned having sold an amount of precious metals, but acknowledged his profit was only 10%, which, of course, reduced his "made" to $100. After further discussion, we factored his gas and rent to move the profit to below $60. Finally, since his net:gross ratio was so low, it was necessary to consider what his inventory investment might have earned in another instrument. We finally agreed he had earned approx. $42 that morning, after which he passed on hearing my advice, and, although remaining pleasant toward me, never again sought my council.

It's your time, expenses and efforts. You can work hard or smart.

It's just like everything else...you have to set your own standards and either give in or wait it out....I choose to wait it out.

There was a recent article in Issue 9 about the hazards of discussing mystery shopping with others. Check it out: [www.mysteryshoppermagazine.com].

If you want to know if you have competition for a certain area try looking the the email list supplied in the email from some schedulers. I just got a "begging" one for a rotation shop.... counted six others on the list. I now know at least six of us are going for one spot.

Part of the reason I will take unbonused shops in my own small town is to "protect my turf." If I go ahead and take them before they hit the big bonuses, I hope it lowers the likelihood of some scheduler finding someone else here to take them, or for someone to come up from the valley and grab them at just below the top dollar I might otherwise try to wait for.

Timing is everything in this business, it seems to me.

You may criticize the chicken littles for grabbing the jobs at a lower rate than you would -- but they got the jobs, not you. Will they regret it? Probably. But they still got the jobs.

I wouldn't encourage anyone to do this unless it was someone I would take in and feed if they needed it. There are two people on that list. One lives here, and the other is in Oregon and I will introduce her to mystery shopping when I'm visiting her in two weeks. I have one cell phone shop booked there in her town and will try to find a couple more. She's on a fixed income and is disabled and can't hold a regular job. I'll help her improve her lot in life -- but I will tell her to keep her mouth shut about it!

Argh! Not more competition in Oregon.

I have enough competition as it is. This is my sole source of income at the moment, and I'm needing to build my business even stronger, because I'm not making nearly enough. It's difficult for me to hold a regular job due to physical disability. It's difficult to even get an interview in my previous field due to lack of recent experience ~ not to mention the same reason everyone else has difficulty landing a job these days.

Hopefully your friend isn't in my neck of the woods up here.

cconaway Wrote:

> Has anyone ever seen a shop pay increase over the
> years???


Yes, two (unless you also count the full reimbursement up to $xx when the cost of the purchase goes up).


Every other shop that I have noticed a change(and there are a large number of these) has increased reporting requirements or changed MSPs and lowered the fee, or both.

I've seen one increase in assignment pay. Right after that, I got sidelined as a shopper for that client because I had made too many visits. Talk about a bummer!

I have had 2 increase their pay on some shops recently. The one increased pay after they did a survey to find out our time spent on shops in the area. They then increased the pay.

The other one is notorius for low paying jobs early in the month. Their pay has on some jobs have started higher and on many jobs the increases start earlier in the month. Increases have been quite a bit. The jobs continue to increase as the month goes on. Some jobs have started out with the pay that they finally went for the month before. This has a double edged sword though. If someone takes a job that had been higher the month before at a lower pay the 2nd month, they start out with the lower pay on the third month. Confusing, I know.

My friend is in Albany and her only vehicle is a truck. I doubt she'll be noticed in the Oregon mystery shopping world because she'll only be able to shop close to home, if she does it at all. There's not all that much in Albany. Where in Oregon are you located?

StormCloud Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Argh! Not more competition in Oregon.
>
> I have enough competition as it is. This is my
> sole source of income at the moment, and I'm
> needing to build my business even stronger,
> because I'm not making nearly enough. It's
> difficult for me to hold a regular job due to
> physical disability. It's difficult to even get
> an interview in my previous field due to lack of
> recent experience ~ not to mention the same reason
> everyone else has difficulty landing a job these
> days.
>
> Hopefully your friend isn't in my neck of the
> woods up here.

Hi Secret,

I live about 25-30 minutes from Albany, so I actually do quite a bit in Albany/Corvallis/Lebanon. I make a trip there at least once a month. It's one of my favorite little groups of towns to go to, along with the Independence/Monmouth/Dallas/McMinnville area. Of course, Salem is the biggest area I shop, though.

However, the shops I do in the Albany area are almost all on rotation of 60-90 days. So you know how that goes.

So while there may not be a ton in Albany, it's not terribly bad, either.

And, in reality, I do feel for your friend. Because I'm kinda in the same boat. I've always wished I wasn't so frikkin' crippled so danged young, because there would be so many more types of jobs that I wouldn't mind doing at all, like waitressing, cashiering, and most other work requiring physical labor ~ or prolonged standing/walking. I've never been a 'job snob'. Any legitimate work that earns you a living is a respectable thing. Wasn't it President Lincoln who's been quoted as saying, "Whatever you are, be a good one."? Or something along those lines. (I'm not terribly young anymore, but I've been in this condition since my 20's, and the underlying condition causing it, I was born with.)

To those of you taking low paying shops this is what you have turned this business into.

One of the MSP's have just made CORI look like a high paying company.

You have to to to a Deli/Sandwich shop sand purchase a slice of Pizza. I have no idea what else has to be done cause when I saw payment I did not look further.

Reimbursement is up to $5

Payment (drum roll)_ $3

Thank G-d I am retired and don't need the money. My reason for doing shops was not for money but to stay busy between cruises.

At this rate some of you will have to pay to get shops. STOP TAKING THEM. THERE IS NO EXCUSE.

Hello, Steve. Fortunately for you, you're not really affected by low paying shops, especially since you don't take them. They don't affect me either, because I don't take them. However, I really shop for the money and not for entertainment. Maybe you would consider some of the shops I take as low pay, or maybe you would consider all of them low pay.

There are two reasons shoppers will take low paying shops:

1. They don't know any better, or
2. They're desperate for whatever income they can get.

In either case, I have no criticism of those who take the lowest paying shops. We are all free to take whatever shops we choose, or free to not shop at all. The pay scale in this business is a reflection of the economy. There are a lot of shoppers who cannot find other work and a lot of shoppers who are trying to supplement a less than satisfactory income from a regular job.

It's easy for someone with a generous pension who does this not for money but for entertainment between cruises to criticize those in more unfortunate circumstances. Book another cruise and have more fun.

Pay has definitely lowered (here in L.A.) where shoppers are plentiful. Supply in demand is how I look at it.
This has been my slowest month all year, with jobs being snapped up, so, why should pay go higher, as long as
there are shoppers willing to do jobs for a lower pay. Gas prices are again on the rise, I see nothing but glum
within this industry (from where I sit), and as long as I choose to be select, nothing will change. I am not willing to
do "runs", I just don't want to use my money for hotel reimbursements and the long wait to be reimbursed.
Maybe retirement is on the horizon for me, with my grocery stores and oil changes still intact. My question is:
who is making the money????

Irene, you are correct that the pay is a reflection of supply and demand. I started shopping in 2009 and from what I read on this forum fees were already falling dramatically. What I've seen is some lowering of fees and no increases to speak of since 2009.

Nevertheless, for anyone wanting to shop full time and really crank it up, it seems that many of us are doing well. I'm a part timer and it's a really good supplement for me. Shopping part time, I'm able to earn from $10,000 to $12,000 annually which allows me to have a better scale of living and add a few thousand to my nest egg every year.

I see this as perfect for someone wanting supplemental income, whatever the reason. It can work into the schedule of someone with a full time or part time job, and it can work for someone retired as I am. This work is not boring and there is a maximum of personal freedom. We can work as much or as little as we choose. Love it.

I'm hoping that as and if the economy improves, we will see some increases in fees along with more available shops. That would be welcome, but I am going to make the most of the situation as it stands now. I know that fees used to be higher and that the current situation is a disappointment to the more tenured shoppers. Nevertheless, mystery shopping works better for me than anything else out there.

While I've zero interest in an unfavorable net:gross ratio, I do realize there area others, who, for whatever reason, accept such assignments. Therefore, I disagree with Steve.

In my opinion. Mary's reply was "spot-on."

Sorry Mary

NO pension at all.

Just got very lucky in the stock market.

72 years old and disabled but if I stopped working I would die. Still will not take shops that do not pay fair wages. Pays have gone down partly because of the economy but mostly because people take the shops at any price.

I guarantee if we could all get together and refuse to do jobs at some of the prices offered then the prices would have to go up at least a little.

Good luck to you all.




MDavisnowell Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hello, Steve. Fortunately for you, you're not
> really affected by low paying shops, especially
> since you don't take them. They don't affect me
> either, because I don't take them. However, I
> really shop for the money and not for
> entertainment. Maybe you would consider some of
> the shops I take as low pay, or maybe you would
> consider all of them low pay.
>
> There are two reasons shoppers will take low
> paying shops:
>
> 1. They don't know any better, or
> 2. They're desperate for whatever income they can
> get.
>
> In either case, I have no criticism of those who
> take the lowest paying shops. We are all free to
> take whatever shops we choose, or free to not shop
> at all. The pay scale in this business is a
> reflection of the economy. There are a lot of
> shoppers who cannot find other work and a lot of
> shoppers who are trying to supplement a less than
> satisfactory income from a regular job.
>
> It's easy for someone with a generous pension who
> does this not for money but for entertainment
> between cruises to criticize those in more
> unfortunate circumstances. Book another cruise
> and have more fun.

As others have mentioned this is free market capitalism at work(i.e. supply and demand). That being said: I understand that everyone's situation is different. I am also retired and do not need my shoppers income to live on. It just provides some extra money and gives me something to do. For that reason I can afford to be picky regarding the jobs that I take. However, for some people a bunch of $5 shops will add up to something substantial that would help them support their family better. Although I wish that shoppers would not take the lower paying jobs I understand why they might feel they have to. As the old saying goes: Don't judge anyone until you have walked a mile in their shoes.