The Mystery Shopping thread - part 5

System

Just thought I'd say hi after following the thread since the weekend. :jI have done a couple of years ms'ing but took a year off to have my baby. It doesn't sound like much has changed re fees etc! Signed up to a few companies already, can I ask who MCE and JKS are? Don't recognise the initials. Also there used to be another ms site, with a good forum where jobs were posted, is it still around, was it called something to do with tearooms? Sorry for all qu's and tia
Rachel

Hollypear

ChelseaGirl wrote: »

Not sure if i'm one of the more experienced MSers (been Msing for over 10 years now), but i must agree with the comments about us being seriously underpaid. Gap seem to be a big culprit. They pay the smallest fees around, and their 'premium' payments are hardly worthwhile. I only go out of my way to accept assignments that are out of my normal area if my dh is around and can take me to these destinations in his company car - otherwise it's just not worth it for me.
As i've said in a previous post, i suppose i'm one of the lucky ones who haven't had lots of hassle with 'Gyp' - or any of of the others to be fair.
And perhaps it's worth remembering that most MSing companies point out that MSing isn't a way of making a living - just topping up really. So, with a few exceptions, i don't think we can really expect to be paid serious money for what we do.

Well said CG. I agree most of us don't expect serious money but IMHO there is a big difference in being paid serious money ( although some companies do pay us well) and ridiculous money.

I did some jobs last week for ISC and thoroughly enjoyed them. It was a beautiful jewelery chain which was a pleasure as I love jewelery. The fee was very fair and if I liked greasy burgers I could have bought one from the fee I got and still have had more left over than Gyp pay for you to do them.

I still don't know how I got out of the jewelery shop without buying anything. I am just waiting on Mr Hollypear asking what I want for my birthday in November and I am right in there.

As soon as I start the Gosh only 2 months till my birthday I get the long suffering reply. OK what is it you want for your birthday.

learning_to_drive

It concerns me a bit to see the Petrol jobs being offered as an incentive to complete other jobs.......

Gyp are always ringing (or used to be) until I said no more calls, email only!

Hollypear

rachelja wrote: »

Just thought I'd say hi after following the thread since the weekend. :jI have done a couple of years ms'ing but took a year off to have my baby. It doesn't sound like much has changed re fees etc! Signed up to a few companies already, can I ask who MCE and JKS are? Don't recognise the initials. Also there used to be another ms site, with a good forum where jobs were posted, is it still around, was it called something to do with tearooms? Sorry for all qu's and tia
Rachel

Hi Rachel. Welcome to the good ship. MCE is short for https://www.mysterycustomerevaluations.com Don't recognise JKS but someone will. Yes there is another forum. Put mystery shopper tea room forum into google and you will get the link.

Timmne

JKS is the name of the company - http://www.jksmysteryshopping.co.uk/

I think the tea room thing became The Office - maybe someone could confirm (is Taggie around )

Scaredy_Cat_3

bobthego wrote: »

I think (tell me if I'm wrong ) that Hollypear meant the pizza deliver with FF (is that right HP?). You have to take a zillion photos, including cut up slices and upside down slices!!!!). No good if you like your pizza warm :rotfl::rotfl:

Really sorry you didn't get paid for your GapPizza

Who are FF?

Scaredy_Cat_3

ellie9ellie wrote: »

I've got three jobs on today. One is for GR which is a good fee so I've arranged to do two more to fit in around this. There both for RE as it's at the train station I'm going through anyway. DH gets the underground sandwich for dinner so he's happy and DD will get the food from the other place so she's happy. I must admit since I've started doing this and reading this thread I do only accept the jobs that work out for me. I try and get a good paid job and then fit the other ones around it as I work it out that the c**p ones pay for the train/petrol costs and the good ones I can then get as profit. Fingers crossed I've only had two of my assignments queried (watch now I've just cursed myself!!). I had one from RE where I'd forgotten to put down whether there was a loo there and one from GAP yesterday after I slated the computer shop job I did on Saturday. They wanted me to expand on half the questionaire so I just replied stating why I had said what I'd put and reiterating some things. I'm sorry but for the fee they gave I was not spending too long on it. Hopefully today's will go OK as I have DD with me and surprisingly (NOT) it's raining!! Hope everyone else has a good day x

Am I reading this correctly??? Ellie, you don't actually eat the stuff yourself??? :rotfl: In that case, why should it matter that I'm a vegetarian? I got rejected for 2 companies on Gap last night, and I reckon it was because I said yes to that question. I do have a family who would be glad to polish off anything I didn't personally want to eat, but I could still MS the service etc.

princess_leia_3

I think with some of them you are meant to eat the food as you need to check its taste and heat level etc...

Becles

ellie9ellie wrote: »

Nope - didn't know that. I work reduced hours - just under what is classed as full time. I know I can do 10 "return to work days" between the start of my maternity leave and when I go back in 9 months time. Does MSing affect maternity leave? I thought as you were classed as self employed and you have to earn about £4k just by doing MSing alone this shouldn't affect it.

I'm assuming you are getting SMP from your "almost full time" employer.

In that case, during your maternity leave, you can only work for your 10 keeping in touch days for that employer. However, you can do as much self employed work as you like, and I think you can do work for other PAYE companies - just not the one paying your SMP.

However if you are self employed and claiming Maternity Allowance, you are not allowed to do any work at all regardless of if it is SE or PAYE, apart from your 10 keeping in touch days.

I can remember at the time thinking it was unfair on SE mam's, as you don't walk back into the same wage on your return from SE, as you have to build your contacts back up again.

Timmne wrote: »

You'll probably find the likes of the lovely Becles are more experienced that me; I'm a mere newbie myself

Had to cancel my work for the day. Had a phone call to say my Gran passed away during the night, so my Mam (babysitter) has gone over there. She had altzeimers and was in a sheltered accomodation flat but was found in one of the communal sitting rooms. I'm guessing it was the room upstairs that overlooked a park and was full of books. She loved reading and often sat in there.

Police and the coroner as there has to be an inquest even though there are no suspicious circumstances, and Social Services are there as they were involved as her altzeimers was getting worse and she kept going missing and stuff.

I'm going to miss her

Scaredy_Cat_3

So sorry to hear your sad news, Becles. Don't know what else to say, but you have my sympathies.