The Mystery Shopping thread - VII

Loolabell_2

Hi Everyone, just though i would share this email with you i received....def a scam!!!!!!! look at the email address................thought i would post this to warn others!



From: Nicolas Bright <nicolasbright2007@aol.com>
Sent: Monday, 23 March, 2009 6:54:38
Subject: MYSTERY SHOPPER NEEDED URGENTLY

Dear Applicant,
We are a company that conduct surveys and evaluate other companies. We get hired to go to other peoples companies and act like customers in
order to know how the staffs are handling their services in relation to their customers. once we have a contract to do so, you would be directed
to the company or outlet, and you would be given the funds you need to do the job(either purchase
things or require services),after which you would write a comment on the staffs activities and give a detailed record of your experience

Examples of details you would forward to us are
1) How long it took you to get services.
2) Smartness of the attendant
3)Customer service professionalism
4)Sometimes you might be required to upset the attendant, to see
how they react to clients when they get tensed.

And we turn the information over to the company executives and they would carry out their own duties in improving there services.
Most companies employ our assistance when people give complains about their services, or when they feel there are needs for them to improve
their customer service. Your Identity would be kept confidential as the job states (secret shopper) you would be paid (200 pounds for every duty (DOUBT IT!!!!!)
you carry out, and bonus on your transportation allowance, and funds would be given to you if you have to dine as part of the duty. Your job
will be to evaluate and comment on customer service in a wide variety of
shops, stores, restaurant and services in your area. No commitment is made on this job, and you would have flexible hours as
it suits you.If you are interested do send in these information:

FULL NAME:
CONTACT ADDRESS:
CITY:
STATE:
POST-CODE:
TELEPHONE NUMBER:
MOBILE NUMBER:
AGE:
OCCUPATION:
EMAIL:
BANK NAME:

N:B. You will help us receive payment from some of our customers in your region in which you are entitled to 10% on each payment you receive
in your account on our behalf.(SCAM!!!!!!!!!)
So we can look at your distance from the locations which you have to put your service into, and your address would also be needed for your
payments.

Thanks
Yours Sincerely
Nicolas bright
email:[EMAIL="nicolasbright08&#64;gmail.com"]nicolasbright08@gmail.com[/EMAIL]

bumblebee23

With the tax stuff, can I declare it as and when I receive the actual payment? Or at least once the mystery shopping company confirm that they are going to pay it?! I'm just really concerned that one day I will declare something as earnings and then the MS company will say that I didn't do an assignment correctly and refuse to pay - therefore meaning I'm out of pocket...

This hasn't actually happened to me, but I've not been doing MSing very long and have only received one actual payment so far so I'm a bit nervous!

Timmne

You can either account for it on a cash basis (when you receive the money) or an accruals basis (when you do the job).

Remember though, you can only claim for expenses in line with income, so if you account for income when you receive the money, you also have to account for the related expenses at that point. (I.e. you can't put the expenses in one tax year and the income in the following, if you get my drift!)

bumblebee23

That's fine, I'd feel much happier accounting for the fee and expenses as and when I know that I'm definately going to be paid for it!

ruthiejane

I just account for everything as it happens. So expenses as they occur, and income as I receive it. I do this because it means nothing gets missed, and because that is how my husband does his accounting. When he went self employed a few years ago he asked advice from the local tax office and thats what they told him to do.

Timmne

Problem is ruthiejane, the tax office don't actually give out advice worth listening to most of the time! Certainly not saying my advice is always correct but I would always ask an accountant or tax advisor over someone at HMRC.

The date thing I was going on about was one of the five principles of accountancy; Accruals (aka Matching) - basically states that income and expenses should be matched in the same period.

Links here, here and here

creaker

Does GAP respond to your enquiries using the enquiry box. If so, how long does a response normally take. I know we're not suppose to ring them so I've sent a message via the enquiry link.

ruthiejane

But seeing as I'm only doing the accounts to get a total turnover and total profit for the tax office they seem to me to be the best people to ask. The amounts concerned are so small that if I'm putting a few £s into the wrong tax year I don't think it will be a huge problem, if they ever ask to see my accounts. Usually they just need the totals for the tax return, though I realise they could audit me.

I'm not saying that you are wrong Timmne, far from it, I'm not an accountant. I just mean that for the amount of money most mystery shoppers are talking about the tax office aren't going to be checking the fine details of how we record our income and expenses.

bumblebee23

creaker wrote: »

Does GAP respond to your enquiries using the enquiry box. If so, how long does a response normally take. I know we're not suppose to ring them so I've sent a message via the enquiry link.

I've only sent one response to them and I had a reply within 6 hours, unfortunately it was too late to have been of any use but wasn't too slow really - this was on a Friday morning so maybe allow more time due to the weekend...

Timmne

creaker wrote: »

Does GAP respond to your enquiries using the enquiry box. If so, how long does a response normally take. I know we're not suppose to ring them so I've sent a message via the enquiry link.

Yes they do reply - just as soon as Joseph, Mary and Jesus have popped around for tea, and when hell can chill a chicken.

Seriously, keep sending the enquiry on a daily basis as they may never reply, in my experience!