Mystery Shopping Thread 24 *PLEASE READ THE OP FIRST**PLEASE NO CLIENT NAMES OR FEES

Big_Graeme

Cybi-Ping wrote: »

There's nothing at all on the bottom of any assignment pages or on the home page. I wonder if its a browser thing, I'm using firefox.

Top right on the front page of http://www.retailactive.com/

Big_Graeme

Buzby wrote: »

Avoid inkjets. A mono laser is always more cost effective!

x2 for the laser this is a good little printer http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/samsung-ml-2165-monochrome-laser-printer-12258521-pdt.html

mskitten2904

Thank you guys I will check them out xx

DevilsAdvocate1

Gutted. Got up at 5:45am to drive over 120 miles to meet a customer I was accompanying on a service visit. We were supposed to be doing the collection shortly before closing but the garage rang to say that they could not do the service today as they were too busy.

So all that driving (got home at 8pm) and I guess I won't get paid. :mad:

whitelabel

echo a laser as a workhorse for most things, useful to have a cheap epson as a backup and for the odd time you may need to print colour,
can get all in ones that are scanners copier printers and a load of ink for little on ebay, that can be useful too if you havent already got a scanner

Boredupnorth

Big_Graeme wrote: »

x2 for the laser this is a good little printer http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/samsung-ml-2165-monochrome-laser-printer-12258521-pdt.html

I use the same one and also have an all in one Kodak hero 5.1 for colour etc

JohnnyG

saxo_sazzle wrote: »

Dear fellow MS'ers. I just registered with the tax as self-employed for the small amount of Mystery shopping I have started... but has anyone thought, does this effect car insurance? Mortgage? House insurance? They all ask if you use your address for business and I've previously said NO. If something happens this is a potential 'lie' on a submission for insurance? Any input to this? Sorry if it has been asked before but I couldn't see anything.
Thanks

Hi saxo_sazzle, I've added business use to my car and house insurance, at no extra cost. At least this way, if I ever need to claim, I can't give the insurance firms any excuses not to pay out. Also, and I think this has previously been mentioned, you could find yourself on the wrong side of the law if you are involved in an accident. As confirmed by a Police Custody Sgt mate of mine, you are, in theory, driving without insurance. Yeah, you could always try and blag it, by saying you were just out shopping but, for my own peace of mind and at no extra cost to me, I informed my insurers.

JohnnyG

mskitten2904 wrote: »

Can anyone recommend a really good printer that's cheap to run including cheap inks? (I know! I know! I really should listen! lol but I'd like to hear from experience before I buy) xx

TBH, I use a wireless Lexmark inkjet printer, that is nice and cheap to run but I think, following some of the posts on here, when I need to change it will look at getting a laser printer

skivenov

We use a couple of the cheapest HP LaserJets. You don't need colour to print most of this stuff off.

The HP's have been totally reliable, one's 5 years old now. We had a Samsung before and it died literally a week out of warranty.

Recycled toners are easy to get for them, and cost about a tenner on ebay. They don't have a huge amount of toner in them, but they can outlive a couple of reams of paper. I normally print duplexed and 2 pages a side, so they get some use.

misssarahleigh

HappyMJ wrote: »

That was supposed to be the point...to do these and fee paying jobs to get more hours to continue to get working tax credits due to having a part time job and not having enough hours. To get working tax credits you have to do enough hours on work in return for a fee. Searching for jobs doesn't count and as I found out late last year doing the reimbursement only jobs I can't include the hours spent on them either. The work included on a tax credit claim must be paid.

Due to that they decided to look into the tax return as I declared just enough (just under £6,420 profit on all jobs including MS) to get the maximum amount of tax credits. They then said that expenses can only be claimed in return for a fee. The reimbursment didn't count as income and the reimbursement doesn't need to be included on the return as income and if it is only the level of the reimbursement can be claimed as an expense and no more. It's all still being worked out (so far been 8 months with no end in sight) but it looks like I have to increase last tax years (2010-11) income by about £300 which makes me liable for tax for that year.

I do wish that I has was bigger than this, but I'm not.

MJ, I do believe around a year or so ago a number of us shoppers pointed out that the way your were processing your finance's was incorrect. I even surround the discussion spoke to HMRC (which is now in the OP) specifically about processing re-inbursment only jobs and you were quite happy to ignore this advice (as I believe the method you had set up took more advantage of the system).

I for one am pleased that somebody is taking a look at your accounts. I'm fully for supporting those on low incomes, and those who work hard for little, I do however dislike contributing to a system where people take advanatge to rise above the more honest and harder working. Whether this is true of you I don't know, however, from past posts and information, the impression I got was that you were gaining far more than you should have been, and took advantage of the rules and were not fully honest about your finance's despite being told the correct way to do thing.