In my area, The Source has non-mystery shop jobs that require varying levels of background investigations. From what I can tell from the descriptions, some of them are for on-site inspections that may require photos and/or measurements. Others are to verify that a business is operating, or to perform employment or I-9 verification.

Has anyone done any of these? What is typically involved?

I've done many. I think I'm the only "agent" with The Source within 200 miles.

On-site usually takes an hour or less on-site. And another hour or so on the report (but I AM VERY SLOW on reports).

I find the pay fair and fast.

I do recommend going for it.

Cease, not to rain on your parade, but the onsite inspections around me are about an hour drive round trip. I don't see the $13 fee as fair. Especially if it's an hour on site and an hour writing the report. When I asked for a $20 pad, the request just sat there.

Also, I would have to pay to get my background check. So unless I was going to do several reasonably compensated shops, I don't see a reason to do this.

The are CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP so many other places do these for $50 and up. Research..... I am not naming the comanies (plural).

I don't know what you mean, CanadaMommy. Go right ahead and name the companies, the clients aren't disclosed.

wrosie, like I said, I think it has a lot to do with being the only "agent" within 200 miles. They often pay me enough for on-site inspections to use that as an anchor shop for a profitable one-day mini-route. I have received as much as $225 for an on-site inspection.

I do the business verifications. I tell clients that it usually takes me 30 minutes on-site. The reports and the number of photos vary, so I have taken between 15 minutes (rarely) and 40 minutes. Most come in at around 25 - 30 minutes. The repo lots pay a little more and have a lot more photos. I figure 45 minutes on average. If the location is within a few miles, will do it for the $19 to $21 base pay. After that, I increase my PAD request by the IRS mileage rate plus tolls and a charge for "excess time" (time to drive there and back). Since these have to be scheduled at the convenience of the client, I have to assume that I will not be doing anything else along the way. I try to find some add-ons, and sometimes I am lucky and can find ink audits or Wawa shops.

I find I-9 verifications to be easy and hard due to the general non-performance of a required app. I think the base pay is $10. I won't walk around the corner to do one of them for $10. I apply my IRS mileage rate and excess time formula. If I get it, that is fine. If I don't, that is also fine.

I like that IRS mileage rate calculation. It's $.56 per mile this year. And the time to drive should also be included.

So I guess I should have requested more like $40 pad for the one 30 miles from me. I don't think that will fly right now. Let's see in a couple of weeks after the shops linger on the board.

I have done the onsite inspections, repo company inspections and I-9 verifications. I always ask for a bonus.

The OSIs are typically less than an hour and straightforward. Some, with a higher base fee, involve sketches.

The repo companies are usually re dos of one that went sideways.

The I-9 verifications are a pain due to an app that does not work. I put in a crazy high PAD for these.

I've done everything except I-9 verifications. Pad is a little lacking. But my biggest problem with them right now. They have stopped giving me any R, L, M's. They say I'm not blocked and I didn't get in trouble but they won't give me any of them. I know I'm blocked but they just won't admit it. Even the ones in town that don't require any PAD. They won't tell me why I'm blocked. Every time they "almost" give me one they come back and lie to me and tell me, oh this one isn't ready yet.

I’ve done a few of these and there was only one I wouldn’t do again. All jobs were paid with pad due to the distance. My favorites were the ones that required just exterior photos and a report. There was some route flexibility as they didn’t require setting an appointment and the reports were not long.
For the business verifications where I met with the client. About 30 – 45 minutes was spent at the location. Depending on how many photos and the length of the report my time has varied from 1 to 4 hours. There was also reading time involved previewing what to look for.
If you see one that requires “measuring” I suggest asking what is involved. Are you are required to make sketches of the building measurements/property and how many photos are involved. This is the job I wouldn't do again. It was a huge building and required sketches with measurements of each wall. It took me 3-4 hours to complete the report. The whole job was about 6 hours.
I haven’t done I-9 background checks; these require using the app while working with the client and I’ve found the app can be hit and miss. I wouldn’t chance using the app on an in-person meeting when I’ve traveled a long distance to get there.

Thanks to all for all the insight. What a great thread with a wealth of knowledge. This site is amazing!

I use the app for the onsite inspections and it takes less than 1/2 hour total. Input everything onsite and submit. The I-9s are a not fun because of the clunky app. The repos can be done is an hour with the app. Again, do everything on site and submit. No need to print paperwork or take anything home.

The Trendsource business model is to pay a small fee, but do so rapidly. Therefore, those shoppers who need money will accept their terms. I do not criticize the MSC; after all, this IS business.

@iagal wrote:

I use the app for the onsite inspections and it takes less than 1/2 hour total. Input everything onsite and submit. The I-9s are a not fun because of the clunky app. The repos can be done is an hour with the app. Again, do everything on site and submit. No need to print paperwork or take anything home.

I recently tried the I-9 app again but it just does not work for me. I will not keep taking these because there's no alternative if the app doesn't want to cooperate. They tell you not to take pictures of the information so I wonder what happens when these folks have to get certified and the app refuses to work.

I had an I-9 that went sideways on site in a bad way. I contacted support and received no response. I didn't want to hold up the employee, so I took pics of their documents and successfully uploaded them when I got home.

I kept the MSC informed. I received no response, but I got paid.

@iagal wrote:

I use the app for the onsite inspections and it takes less than 1/2 hour total. Input everything onsite and submit. The I-9s are not fun because of the clunky app. The repos can be done is an hour with the app. Again, do everything on-site and submit. No need to print paperwork or take anything home.

Why would you want to type answers without a keyboard? Do you know how to type? I don't mind using the app for yes or no questions or one-word answers but I type by touch and prefer to use the keyboard to type sentences. not saying I couldn't use the phone if I needed to, I used to text quite fast but I still love the keyboard, watching the letters just spill across the screen.

As for RISC, I prefer to print read through the paperwork and write down the answers, and then take the pictures last. Then I upload pictures later. My problem with using the app for RISC is the scattered pictures in the middle. I mean why stop interviewing them to take one picture then ask more questions. Does this mean you stand the whole time you are there? what about when it is sunny and it's hard to see the telephone screen outside? I think the questions should be all together and then all the pictures together. To top it off don't you take backup pictures in case your picture is blurry? What do you do check the pictures every five seconds? (after each picture)? I take all the office pictures and then check them. Then I go out on the yard and take all the outdoor pictures, sometimes incorporating different angles if the lighting looks off. Then I check my outside pictures as I'm walking back in and/or leaving. I normally have them all checked before I pull off. If we're on a route I drive up and my husband leaves and goes and gets him some coffee and comes back to get me. Then I don't have to drive and can start inputting before getting to the next location. But I only input part of the report with my phone. I do my typing once I get home.