The Mystery Shopping Thread - X

Takana

fabsaver wrote: »

Yes this is the right place to ask. Anything related to mystery shopping that's not an alert goes on here.

Unfortunately the expenses are what you spend in the station food outlet only. For some of the jobs you need a train ticket in order to be able to access the platforms where the outlet is located. They assume that you will only pick up those jobs if you are travelling through the station anyway and therefore don't reimburse any ticket costs.

Thank you, I thought that would be the case. It does seem rather cheeky to think they would reimburse. I get free train travel to most southern and london stations as my OH works for a train company. So visiting stations within this region is ok. Most people go by car, I like to go by train (I haven't read in the assignment details that I can't do them as my OH works on the railway, even though he doesn't for that station or the company that run it). It doesn't matter if I don't get the ticket price back as it would be a day out anyway

On a side note though. If you can claim back petrol costs could you do the same for train tickets if this is your primary mode of travel? My mum argues that you wouldn't as you are going out of your way to go to a station (ie not local). But then how many people do that by car when it comes to MS?

Trying_to_be_good

Takana wrote: »

On a side note though. If you can claim back petrol costs could you do the same for train tickets if this is your primary mode of travel? My mum argues that you wouldn't as you are going out of your way to go to a station (ie not local). But then how many people do that by car when it comes to MS?

Hi Takana

You can't claim back petrol costs, either - they always assume you're going there anyway.

What you can do is set off 'wholly and necessarily' incurred expenditure against the fees/reimbursements received when you're calculating your taxable profit, so that's where you can deduct mileage costs, printing costs etc.

Takana

Trying_to_be_good wrote: »

Hi Takana

You can't claim back petrol costs, either - they always assume you're going there anyway.

What you can do is set off 'wholly and necessarily' incurred expenditure against the fees/reimbursements received when you're calculating your taxable profit, so that's where you can deduct mileage costs, printing costs etc.

Ah ok thank you. Btw, I realise the MS'ing companies wouldn't do your petrol etc. I should have been clearer. You can tell I'm new to all this Well I guess it would depend on it being 'wholly and necessarily' then. I can't travel by car so I am relying on using the train to do my mystery shops. At the moment, there is nothing remotely local on RE for me to do. I'm happy to travel as I enjoy train journeys. But if it means I have for fork out then it defeats the object of doing a job. It's a grey area. I think I shall stick to the closer jobs as it looks as if it will open a can of worms if I want to claim the costs back!

Thanks for the advice

Trying_to_be_good

Takana

The rule of thumb I use is it's not worth going more than a few miles, unless the reimbursement is high. You can't set off theoretical costs (i.e. the train ticket would have cost me £x), but you can set off real costs.

Lots of jobs aren't worth doing, unless it's a place you fancy going anyway!

DebtHater

Trying_to_be_good wrote: »

Lots of jobs aren't worth doing, unless it's a place you fancy going anyway!

I wouldnt say that!

Last month, on a Tuesday, I had a day off so booked a whole day of MS work. It was about a 100 mile round trip by the time I went round everywhere - cost me £10 petrol in my car and for parking and I ended up making £120, minus the petrol and parking leaves me with £110 for the day. How is that not worth it?

Trying_to_be_good

DebtHater wrote: »

I wouldnt say that!

Last month, on a Tuesday, I had a day off so booked a whole day of MS work. It was about a 100 mile round trip by the time I went round everywhere - cost me £10 petrol in my car and for parking and I ended up making £120, minus the petrol and parking leaves me with £110 for the day. How is that not worth it?

As I said, I work by my rule of thumb. 100 miles at the AA recognised reimbursement rate of 40p per mile is £40. If you can make the MSing worth that, go for it. If I can't, I don't. Simples!

In the mean time, I have 8 clients registered with ABA-i, including their own. The first page of the thread says there are 9, and I'm not sure if that includes their own or not. Can anyone please PM me the full list? I could write a cryptic list here of those I have, if that would entertain anyone?!

twinklie

Saw something that would have earned me similar the other day if i added all the jobs together. However, I wasn't feeling so well so didn't book them...kinda wish I had now. Hmmmm...

pinkprincess39

I had a Gap betting shop assignment last week and when I went there found it to be closed down. I told Gap and sent a pic of the closed shop. They replied saying that I would be paid when they verified that it was definately closed! I noticed that they added the fee to another job I had done so was quite pleased!Anyway.....what have I just seen.....the job is up again on the available assignments page!!! Do they not listen??? My fee for the closed job is still showing btw!!
And i know its definately shut as its a different shop now.

jonno1001

Tke the job and claim expenses again, perhaps GAP will do something this time

josie

Trying_to_be_good wrote: »

In the mean time, I have 8 clients registered with ABA-i, including their own. The first page of the thread says there are 9, and I'm not sure if that includes their own or not. Can anyone please PM me the full list? I could write a cryptic list here of those I have, if that would entertain anyone?!

I suggest using the search function on page 1 to show you all the clients Abai has.