MYSTERY SHOPPING THREAD XII - ** New people please read posts 1 & 2 **

misssarahleigh

woohoo_postingid wrote: »

Loads of phone calls on GFK. Loads of em I tells ya

This was posted on alerts. I can't see a thing. Is it me?

jc2703

I don't see anything either - must be a particular demographic that we don't fit

ChefBungle

Just seen a telephone job on RE for a "chubby face" call centre. Fee of £3 and reimbursement of £5. They want a call recording and report, and they say the P&P will be reimbursed around a month later.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! I'd be quicker and more profitable just jumping on the bus and going to the shop in town......

jacand

misssarahleigh wrote: »

This was posted on alerts. I can't see a thing. Is it me?

I can't see them either, is there a way to see other jobs other than just in your area?

ChefBungle

jacand wrote: »

I can't see them either, is there a way to see other jobs other than just in your area?

I've just emailed them to see if there's any way they can increase my radius, because it only allows you to put in 2 postcodes - your home one and another nominated one. But I live in the sticks so that postcode doesn't cough up much, and I reckon the one postcode in town is half a mile's radius if you're lucky.

I'll let you all know what they say.

cte1111

I had a huge list of identical jobs on GFK last night, think this must be what the alert relates to. Took me a while to go though and delete them all. You've not missed much if you didn't see them, you could only pick one. They are careers advice type enquiries, IYSWIM.

proshopper

tomla wrote: »

You don't end up owing tax on the pizza, you owe tax on the reimbursement, technical point but one that means fees and reimbursements are one and the same in the eyes of the taxman. Whether you can put some itmes down as expenses is another story.

Tax on reimbursements is a very grey area. As an employed MSer, HMRC is not interested in the reimbursements I receive in the course of my employment. For my self-employed work, I declare those reimbursements that have benefit to me, and therefore I pay income tax one these. The taxman does not consider that I benefit from buying six beverages and six items of snack food over the course of five hours.

I know that we all differ on whether reimbursement only jobs are "working for free." The reimbursement covers only the item/s purchased in the course of that work. If I do one of these jobs, I am incurring travel costs and other expenses such as telephone calls, internet use, printing, etc. More importantly, it is using my time. Suppose I get a reimbursed £10 lunch: I travel 50 miles which takes 90 minutes and spend 90 minutes in the restaurant. That accounts for three hours of my time. I will have already spent at least 15 minutes prior to the job (applying, printing off paperwork, familiarising myself with the job brief/questionnaire, etc.). I spend some time immediately after the visit making notes. I then have to submit a report. I would be very lucky with some of these jobs to get it all out of the way in a total of four hours. So, £10 reimbursement for about four hours work? In my reckoning, I must have worked for free at some point, even if I factor out my travelling time.

If I consider the reimbursement as pay, I think a pay rate of £2 to £3 per hour (paid in kind as a meal) is frankly quite insulting.

Tarasam

ChefBungle wrote: »

I've just emailed them to see if there's any way they can increase my radius, because it only allows you to put in 2 postcodes - your home one and another nominated one. But I live in the sticks so that postcode doesn't cough up much, and I reckon the one postcode in town is half a mile's radius if you're lucky.

I'll let you all know what they say.

I've just changed my 2nd postcode, but couldnt see anything before that

squidgeum

Can anyone access the link for the copy of the questionnaire for the petrol jobs?

proshopper

Scotties_Mum wrote: »

This is not a get rick quick scheme, and lots of people have come into
MS'ing as a means of an alternative income when money has been tight. If you have built up a reputation as a trusted shopper, then great, but like the rest of us, you probably accepted some rubbish on your way there.

I think that just about sums it up! MSers can only be picky if the earnings are not important. Doing it to keep the wolf from the door means that I never refuse a job for the companies that keep me in work. All companies have "rubbish" assignments. Yes, I will do twelve identical visits in the course of a day - not because I especially want to, but because the company who wants me to do them will give me another twelve next week.