Hello everyone, I'm wanting to get back into mystery shopping after a several year hiatus. I see that there's a company called The Source that has several shops in my area to do a package delivery location assessment. Has anyone done these shops? I'm trying to determine how time intensive they are for the pay. Thanks so much!

These have been sitting untouched for well over a month in my area. They have gone from $10 to $13. I have considered doing them, but am concerned. I sent this message to support:

There are multiple projects available that require visiting a location and confirming delivery locations. Frankly, I don't understand why the company I visit would be willing to help me. For instance: Visit a [bank] location. This seems very simple, because there is one front door and a single building, but why would the manager want to spend time assisting me with the survey? Frankly, I could be planning to learn about entrances so that I could rob the bank! Why should they help me?

Another example. Visit a Medical school. This location is very close to me. There are multiple buildings. Where would I go? What type of person would be authorized to help me? This is a SCHOOL. With all of the shootings, why would they be willing to tell me about all of the entrances? Why should they help me?

Visit a state psychiatric hospital). There are many, many buildings, each with potential delivery locations and doors. Where would I go? Who would be authorized to help me? Why should they help me?

The Response that I got: "If the contact of the inspection site refuses to provide any information about the inspection, you may submit it as Not Able to Complete and mention what happened in the comment section of the report."

My thinking is that I could spend significant time even trying to figure out where to do and who to ask. I think I may pick the Bank because it is small. At least then I could see the instructions, etc.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/15/2021 05:09PM by myst4au.

I put in an offer with a $30 PAD and waited two days. The location was 30 miles away. I didn't get a response so I canceled the request.

They are up to $13 from $10 near me.

oh boy, I was tempted.. now I'm not. I'll be leaving those $13 package delivery things right where they are.

I agree with all of you on this one! The ones by me are hospitals and office complexes with no front desk staff. I have no idea who would even provide any feedback on this not to mention around here, most of the offices are still empty as folks are working from home.

What is being tested?

- Covied-era boundaries for vendors?
- How easy/difficult it would be to steal or tamper with packages?
- For whom would it be so easy/difficult?
- ?

One nearby location has no central reception area. Individual offices occupy separate suites. Would the fee be for the building as a whole, with one fee for multiple visits to the individual suites, or one fee per suite?

@Shop-et-al wrote:

What is being tested?

- Covied-era boundaries for vendors?
- How easy/difficult it would be to steal or tamper with packages?
- For whom would it be so easy/difficult?
- ?

One nearby location has no central reception area. Individual offices occupy separate suites. Would the fee be for the building as a whole, with one fee for multiple visits to the individual suites, or one fee per suite?

I believe it's where you can deliver packages but agree most of these are multiple businesses in one office complex with no central reception.

The payment is for the entire location and depending on how long it takes to find somebody or what proof you need to state you can't find anybody to talk to, it could be a real mess.

Curiosity finally got to me. I decided to do one at a bank. I knew it was a single building with a single entrance and accepting it would allow me to see all the details. So, in I went. First, they told me that I needed an appointment due to COVID. I asked for 2 minutes to explain. I had a letter of authorization (a "To Whom It May Concern" letter is pretty worthless) and all the documentation and the ID page with my photo that prints out for business verifications. I got the Assistant Manager interested enough to decide that she had to call the Manager. I had to try to explain all over again. They finally agreed that since they are a bank with no unscheduled deliveries and only one entrance, they could agree to confirm that all deliveries would come in the entrance, just like customers. I thanked them. It took about 15 minutes and this was as simple as it could have gotten.

That is it. I am still stuck on where I would go at a Medical School. There are instructions on what to do in the "rare event" that the police are called. I think that might happen at a Medical School or at the State Psychiatric Hospital. I took the required photo of the building, there was no address showing for a second photo, and no additional buildings. I am done. $13. Ka-ching. The best part was the super-easy write-up (until they come back with questions!).

OK, any shop that has instructions for what to do if the police are called goes straight to the 10 foot pole list.

10 foot pole? Not nearly long enough!

myst4au, thank you for being the guinea pig! What were the follow up questions?

To my surprise, there were none. I submitted the easy report and got paid.

I still can't imagine how to do one at a medical school, a high-rise multitenant building without a receptionist, or a psychiatric hospital. And those sound like some of the most reasonable ones.

@HonnyBrown wrote:

myst4au, thank you for being the guinea pig! What were the follow up questions?

I was waiting for these to be bonused even though to the Source $3 is a bonus.

Nothing yet, but I would also ask for PAD since the location I would do would be about a 30 minute drive with tolls.

They haven't budged from the $13. I guess they really don't need them done.

Anyone else seeing these being bonused/increased shopper fee?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/23/2022 09:41PM by wrosie.

I've had offers for $20.

I signed up for one in my town. I got the PAD I requested. I have to meet with an employee to see if the delivery locations on the map are correct.

Where can you see what the location is? There's one in my area, but I can't see in the description what the business is or exactly where. Do you have to click through to "Request Project" to see? I haven't done a shop for them yet, so I'm new at this. The fee listed is $12 to $18; how do you know what it actually pays?

After you log in, request projects. You will see a list of the locations with the addresses. Select one and you will see the fee and have the option to request PAD.

@BirdyC wrote:

Where can you see what the location is? There's one in my area, but I can't see in the description what the business is or exactly where. Do you have to click through to "Request Project" to see? I haven't done a shop for them yet, so I'm new at this. The fee listed is $12 to $18; how do you know what it actually pays?

Thank you, Honny!

Copy the address and search in Google. That is how I found out what is at the address they show. otherwise, you have to wait until you accept the shop. I did one at an address that I determined from Google to be a bank branch. The others near me are for a medical school, a state psychiatric hospital, a 10-story multi-tenant office building, etc. The chance of finding an employee at one of those that is willing to help me is, IMHO, slim to none. There is also IMHO a real chance that the University police will show up wondering why I am casing the joint. No thanks!

@BirdyC wrote:

Where can you see what the location is? There's one in my area, but I can't see in the description what the business is or exactly where. Do you have to click through to "Request Project" to see? I haven't done a shop for them yet, so I'm new at this. The fee listed is $12 to $18; how do you know what it actually pays?

I did one at a credit union close to home. I checked in on the app and entered the Corporate entrance. I gave the receptionist the auth letter and map. She went to get someone who could help. The security manager came back, marked up the map, and asked a few valid questions. I got his name and left. I took the 2 required pictures on my exit.

For this location, the shop was simple.

I mustered up some courage and requested the nearby location with PAD. I got it! Distance was potentially a factor. I think the VP of something or other who would oversee the building operations works where the other higher-ups do, in a building more than a mile away from this job site. The building might have a designated cleaning person or crew, but they may or may nor be permitted to discuss the requested information with me. Building maintenance is a separate job and department altogether. They have yet another building at a different site. If I need to travel there, or back and forth, I will use a little gas and a significant amount of time. We will see what we will see. At least I knew all this information and knew that PAD was a good idea.