Maximising income - Mystery Shopping? Surveys?

Saveit

blownalot wrote: »

Does anyone have any experiences (good or bad) with International Service Check?

I have done a few assignments for them blownalot, I find them fine to work for, they pay on time, no problems so far.

Quasar

Maybe I'm not supposed to post this so if the BG wants to delete I'll accept that.

I allocate restaurant visits for a mystery shopping company and at the moment I'm looking for peeps who can do Colchester, Chelmsford and Tunbridge Wells. If you are interested please PM me.

Thanks
Q

aah

I joined and got 2 assignments straight away (1 March) and have heard nothing since.

I was a bit fed up with the assignments. They were both to assess branches of a national organisation, clear instructions; one was 6 miles away and the other 18 miles away. The fee of £10.00 per assignment apparently does not cover mileage - total 48 miles. At Inland Revenue rates this comes to £19.20. So - even if I do get paid - and I have had no acknowledgement of the reports I promptly submitted - I will have "earned" 0.80. It took me all afternoon. The minimum wage for this time would have yielded at least £20.00 and I would not have had to use my own car..

I hope I do get paid, but I doubt it. And I will continue to refuse to participate in market research surveys on the grounds of slave labour...

And although I agree it could possibly bring in a little useful extra dosh, I think these exploitative companies should not be promoted on this site...

they are unfair...

trubster

In a way I agree with you, but I do it as a hobby and to pay for computer parts (To go down as business expenses of course) I travel by bus and tram and it is good if I can get a lot of work in the city centre, if not, it really is not worth it.

I think MS should be a hobby and definatly not a Money Saving tool or even a way of making money, I have been self employed for 3 months and I am still at a loss in comparison to my outgoings.

I would seriously advise everyone to think long and hard if the £4 you get for doing a gapbuster on a stamp shop is worth the paper, milage and most of all, your time... and of course having to lay out the £5 for the test purchase for OVER A MONTH!!!

£4 - Worth it? NO!

Quasar

Nelski wrote: »

Hey Chas we agree!!!:D

I started Mystery shopping as part of my "main " business many years ago and have encouraged my customers to mystery shop me and my team.

Ohhhh that gives me an idea, Nels... :whistle:

Quasar

trubster wrote: »

In a way I agree with you, but I do it as a hobby and to pay for computer parts (To go down as business expenses of course) I travel by bus and tram and it is good if I can get a lot of work in the city centre, if not, it really is not worth it.

I think MS should be a hobby and definatly not a Money Saving tool or even a way of making money, I have been self employed for 3 months and I am still at a loss in comparison to my outgoings.

I would seriously advise everyone to think long and hard if the £4 you get for doing a gapbuster on a stamp shop is worth the paper, milage and most of all, your time... and of course having to lay out the £5 for the test purchase for OVER A MONTH!!!

£4 - Worth it? NO!

I started mystery shopping about 9 years ago when there were few companies and few shoppers, the fees were high and the work was plentiful. I have been a full time mystery shopper for the last 7, and although the fees have decreased over the years because there are more mystery shoppers around, I still make a good living out of it and manage to save.

But then I live in London and I appreciate that here there is plenty of work to go round. I work for 9 companies now, while until about 5 years ago I worked for 12. These 9 provide me with all the work I need and I have built a good rapport with them.

However, it took me two years to become fully self-employed as a mystery shopper. Before that I was doing freelance legal work with a bit of mystery shopping on the side, then I gradually changed over. As I said, the fees were better then, all considered, so it was easier than it would be nowadays, I suppose. Then I became and Area Supervisor for a company (allocating mystery shopping visits at restaurants), which has helped offset some of the lower fees.

All well and good, but one has to forget a 9 to 5 routine and must expect to be still at it late at night, most nights, with questionnaires, emails, preparing for the next day etc. and working most weekends is practically a given. I still prefer it to legal work though.

Becles

It's not the sort of job where money just falls in your lap, and it's not an easy get rich scheme. Like with any other job you have to start at the bottom and work your way up.

It's my sole income and there is no way I would do an 18 mile round trip for a £10 assignment or go out of my way to do a £4 assignment. However if I happen to be in a town for someone else I'll pick up these cheaper assignments with no travel costs, as I'm there anyway and it only takes a few minutes extra of my time to fit them in.

It takes initiative and experience to make the job work for you. You're self employed or employed ad-hoc on PAYE. There's nobody to hold your hand and tell you what is best, so it's up to you to make it work.

The companies are not unfair. It's because you don't have the knowledge and understanding on how to make the job work for you, that makes it seem unfair. There's plenty of people out there making it work for them, and it's something I enjoy doing. I make sure I never make less than the minimum wage though, and have enjoyed earning a lot more than I did in a receptionist job I took when my ex left, but I hated both the wage and the job!

System

I agree it takes time to make it work too. I only started ms again in November but it is getting better, and the better rapport you build up with a company it does seem to mean better jobs. Like everyone else I would not imagine doing the £4-6 jobs unless they were en route. I love the variety too. Last week I made £84.50 on 5 jobs, whilst this week a free schedule means I can catch up on paperwork and housework! :j Though jobs will usually crop up in the next day or two, especially if I can be bothered to look!

helping_hubby

I have a question about claiming expenses/tax on fees....

I've accepted a job where the purchase are a part of the fee. But I'm not allowed to get a receipt for the purchases (quite understandably to be honest). Does this mean that I'll have to claim tax on the entire fee? Or can I claim the amount spent on the purchases as expenses without a receipt?

Chas

Is it possible for you to pay for the purchase by credit or debit card? If so, then you'll have the credit card receipt which will confirm the expense.