MYSTERY SHOPPING THREAD 19 - please don't mention client names or fees on here!!

dazza.mk

yonk wrote: »

I think you register for online entry and they send you a login, it's not on the return itself.

You do register online. From memory you need your Unique Taxpayer Reference in order to do so, so you will need some correspondence from the tax office to get the details.

Izi21

Hi everyone! This is my first post to the forum but I have been following this thread for around 6 months now. I have been doing mystery shopping for around 3 years now and had a break at the beginning of last year when I had my little one. In the summer I restarted mystery shopping and came across this forum. I found it really helpful and it was good to know that other people felt the same as me about some things! I was able to sign up to more companies and got other tips from peoples posts.

I'd like to give my two pence worth in the discussion about React. I signed up with them August last year and was unsuccessful with getting any jobs for the first month. After I was given my first job I had a fair bit of luck with them. i didn't get everything I applied for but it was a start. I find Ted quite nice actually. He has given me a lot more jobs in the last few months than I used to get. I find that I get at least half of the jobs that I apply for. I have been given quite a few attractions as well.

I've got a couple of questions I'd like to ask as well. I did my first job for Mystery Outsource at the end of February and haven't had payment for it yet. Does anyone know when they usually pay?

Also, I am going to be doing jury service in June and wondered if anyone had ever done jury service while MSing. I enquired how I could claim back loss of earnings and was told that I would need proof (a letter) from the agencies I work for[FONT=&quot] stating work that I would have been offered (and the remuneration) but cannot undertake due to jury service. I thought that this would be quite difficult to get as some work can be done on weekends.

Thanks everyone!

Iram[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]

Monkeynut

Izi21 wrote: »

Also, I am going to be doing jury service in June and wondered if anyone had ever done jury service while MSing. I enquired how I could claim back loss of earnings and was told that I would need proof (a letter) from the agencies I work for[FONT=&quot] stating work that I would have been offered (and the remuneration) but cannot undertake due to jury service. I thought that this would be quite difficult to get as some work can be done on weekends.

Thanks everyone!

Iram[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]

Welcome to the clan!!

I would imagine that would be quite difficult, particularly as lots of companies work on the Fastest Finger First principle, so is impossible to know what work you would have had.
You would have thought that for Self Employed people there would be a system of working out lost earnings based on average earnings form the previous X months before jury service.

Be interested to know how you get on.

mamashaz

Is anybody else having trouble on RE? The site says I have 21 assignments which I can accept but when I click I cannot get it to show me the ones for the current period of time but only ones which have previous dates.

Any ideas would be welcome - thanks!

System

I think MS is really hard work sometimes. I am dreading Thursday when I have 4 jobs with lengthy questionaires and alot of driving around.

nearlyheadlessian

Izi21 wrote: »

I've got a couple of questions I'd like to ask as well. I did my first job for Mystery Outsource at the end of February and haven't had payment for it yet. Does anyone know when they usually pay?

For a job done at the end of February it should hopefully come in their April payrun at the end of the month - although if you're unlucky it could be in May's payrun. I did a job in the third week of December 2009 and didn't receive payment until the first week of April 2010 - so it can stretch out sometimes. But they have always paid up eventually.

jen_br

With regards to Mystery outsource just chase them --- chase Joan she willl respond eventually.

With regards to jury service you dont need a letter from your agencies that would mean your employed and are assured work.

therefore I would get your accounts together and show them what you earn like a SE person would do and divide that out

Izi21

Thanks. I will contact HMCS again and see what they say. I might just accept jobs that I can do on weekends for those 2 weeks.

System

How much do you guys think a mile costs in petrol? What is the figure in your head?

I am trying to work out if a job is worth it.

lalli_pickle

Well I suppose it depends on what you're driving.

I have a little Ka and I reckon it costs me around 20p per mile in petrol if I drive carefully (and apparently I drive like an old lady when I'm not being careful!).

I'm starting to look at this with my business eyes and realising that actually, the mileage allowance at 45p per mile is probably around the amount it costs me to run my car (68,000 miles, 5 yrs, insurance, tax, mots, repairs etc as well as petrol) and my new (tax) years resolution is to concentrate more on jobs that pay good money, OR clusters of far away jobs where the travel time can be offset by doing a good number of jobs in that area (Tern are good for this and actively allocate to those who will do a circuit rather than the odd job). My aim is to turn a profit next year (I'm currently showing a pretty mahoosive loss this year due to not factoring in mileage (and strategically purchasing some equipment at the weekend )