Maximising income - Mystery Shopping? Surveys?

jobbingmusician

meerkatgirl wrote:

Just claim the full amount - you don't have to provide any receipts or calculations or anything like that.

Be careful with this. It's been discussed earlier in this thread IIRC. The conclusion was that it's OK to claim 'extra' mileage allowance if the mileages averaged out over many mystery shops - if you just grab all the mileage all the time, the Inland Revenue wouldn't like it, were you unlucky enough to be audited.

The company I know that pays lump sums for mileage usually reckons on 22p a mile. However, i would not hesitate to claim return bus fare if this was more. I also think it is perfectly fair to use this allowance to cover the (considerable!) costs of printing of the copious amounts of paperwork which you are required to do!!!

jobbingmusician

meerkatgirl wrote:

Just claim the full amount - you don't have to provide any receipts or calculations or anything like that.

Be careful with this. It's been discussed earlier in this thread IIRC. The conclusion was that it's OK to claim 'extra' mileage allowance if the mileages averaged out over many mystery shops - if you just grab all the mileage all the time, the Inland Revenue wouldn't like it, were you unlucky enough to be audited.

The company I know that pays lump sums for mileage usually reckons on 22p a mile. However, i would not hesitate to claim return bus fare if this was more. I also think it is perfectly fair to use this allowance to cover the (considerable!) costs of printing of the copious amounts of paperwork which you are required to do!!!

NB I always set at least 60p of my fee from any job against printing expenses

Chas

JaneD wrote:

Ive got a job coming up which has a mileage allowance of up to three pounds. Please could someone let me know how this works, do the MS company work out the mileage or do I just claim the full amount? Thanks.

It depends on which company it is & how the allowance is worded.

If it's TNS & they pay up to £3.50 mileage, then I always claim the full amount & TNS have always paid it without any queries. If I've travelled 16 miles it works out I've been paid 21.8p per mile, if it were only 5 miles then they've paid me 70p per mile.

If it's a company who pay 20p (for example) per mile, up to a maximum of £3 then I just claim 20p x the number of miles I've done - 16 miles would be £3.20 but I can only claim the max of £3, 5 miles would be £1.

Alisonbel

I have a problem, one of many, been given my first mystery shopping jobs the Brief says non customers only, I used to be with one and am paying back OD with DMP, should I confess?? Have mortgage with other so will have to turn that one down.

Becles

They don't want customers of the bank to do the mystery shop as you will get unfair treatment as they know you in the branch. If you are a recent ex-customer, I would think this would mean you cannot do a job.

As an example, I took on a shoe shop job without knowing till I got there that an old friend of my Mam's worked there. The treatment I got was not a normal customer experience as she was extra chatty and friendly, wanting to catch up on what I was up to etc. I had to come clean and explain what had happened to the MS company, so they could send someone else in to get an unbiased report.

Taggie

Alisonbel wrote:

I have a problem, one of many, been given my first mystery shopping jobs at xxxxx and xxxxx. Brief says non customers only, I used to be with xxxxx and am paying back OD with DMP, should I confess?? Have mortgage with xxxxxso will have to turn that one down.

Are you aware that you are breaking client confidentiality by naming the banks, you need to edit your post. I have put xxxxx in the quote of your post in my reply.

:beer:

Alisonbel

Taggie wrote:

Are you aware that you are breaking client confidentiality by naming the banks, you need to edit your post. I have put xxxxx in the quote of your post in my reply.

:beer:

Sorry!!!!!

Taggie

No problem, wouldn't want the company to send the heavies around :rotfl:

JaneD_3

Thanks, meerkatgirl, jobbing musician and chas.

stressedofdevon

I completed the very long TNS test some time ago now but haven't heard whether I passed. I have tried to click on the link but it just takes me to the test again and I don't have a way to contact them to find out the results. Does anyone have a contact address or any idea how long they take to get back to you as I have heard they are one of the better MS companies so am keen to join them. I didn't even get a 'thanks for taking the test we'll let you know' type of thing!