Maximising income - Mystery Shopping? Surveys?

Tetsuko

I've just done my first mystery shop and I've received forms for the self employment and an exemption form from the Inland Revenue. I've got one other assignment in April so at current rate I'll earn about a tenner a month. So I will be earning practically nothing at the moment.

I have no other income, am looking for work and am currently dependent on my partner. I have to sign on for my NI at the job centre.

The gumpf the inland revenue have sent is really unclear to me but appears to imply that I will have to pay £2.10/week class 2 NI or lose my state pension entitlement etc. Do they really expect me to pay them more in NI than I will be earning or choose exemption and lose my state pension entitlement? Blood and stone springs to mind:D I am kefuddled

Jules

Hi Tetsuko,
Just give the Inland Revenue a ring and explain and they will tell you what is what.
There is an exemption to paying N.I., I don't pay any on my self employment as I pay it on my full time employment and they sent out an exemption certificate. I rang to explain I was working and the lady I spoke with did the necessary paper work over the phone and then sent out the exemption certificate.

Good luck with the mystery shopping, it gets better and you get more jobs as time goes on.

Jules

Brighouse

Brighouse wrote: »

I have done work over a long period of time for the American company and have always received my payment promptly. On the last occasion I foolishly accepted the assignment through the outsourcing company and am still waiting for payment or even a explination giving reasons why my payment is late. This is not acceptable business practie in my mind and I will not work for the outsourcing company again, thought will accept assignments through the American company.

Does anyone know if the subcontracting company have received there money from the American company, only I still have not bean payed by the subcontracting company even though I have emailed the person who gave me the job 4 times now and emailed the company direct.:mad: If this continues I will be taking mystery outsource to court for my fee and reimbursment,:mad:

Squiggles_2

Brighouse wrote: »

Does anyone know if the subcontracting company have received there money from the American company, only I still have not bean payed by the subcontracting company even though I have emailed the person who gave me the job 4 times now and emailed the company direct.:mad: If this continues I will be taking mystery outsource to court for my fee and reimbursment,:mad:

Hi all,

I allocated most of the pizza assignments for the January wave and can only pass on the information I have.

Our client is NSS, who have assured us they sent us a payment by International wire on Thursday of last week (after constant chasing by the MO director both by telephone and email). This payment has yet to reach us, despite assurances that it should arrive within 24 hours. Furthermore, NSS seem unable to give us a breakdown on what they have paid.

As soon as MO does receive payment, then all shoppers who carried out pizza assignments successfully will be paid and reimbursed immediately. NSS have promised to release payments for February assignments early. We'll see.

In the meantime, please direct queries to [EMAIL="pizzas@mysteryoutsource.co.uk"]pizzas@mysteryoutsource.co.uk[/EMAIL] for further clarification.

No payment problems were anticipated by us from NSS as December payments were made promptly (albeit one day late). We are as upset and disappointed as our shoppers are, but can only promise to sort this out one way or another. Chris is working tirelessly on this.

Brighouse

I spoke with NSS who said the payment had bean released to your company and we should have payment now. Who are we to believe when I have done jobs in the past for NSS and bean payed quickly and on time, yet I do a job for your company and have not bean payed? I will give it a few more days but will then look at taking legal action because I want my money.

Squiggles_2

Brighouse wrote: »

I spoke with NSS who said the payment had bean released to your company and we should have payment now. Who are we to believe when I have done jobs in the past for NSS and bean payed quickly and on time, yet I do a job for your company and have not bean payed? I will give it a few more days but will then look at taking legal action because I want my money.

"should have payment" is not the same as "have received payment". Perhaps you could ask NSS to provide you with some real proof of this, as we have yet to see any! They are not even able to give us a breakdown of the payment that has allegedly been made. :rolleyes:

We are working as hard as possible to resolve this matter, and all shoppers *will* be paid. I'm sorry I can't tell you exactly when.

I appreciate how frustrating this is, especially when you've had to make a purchase out of your own pocket initially. I too am owed for pizza assignments.

I'll update here just as soon as I have more information.

jobbingmusician

Without taking sides, I am clear that if mystery shoppers have been promised payment on x date, and are subsequently paid late (even if by only 1 day), they could successfully sue for ANY costs arising from the late payment, such as overdraft charges etc.

In fact of course they should not have to sue - the company who owes them the money should be checking that there are no charges arising from their breach of contract.....;)

binty

Grass roots have just phoned me to ask me to do an urgent assignment tomorrow. They have emailed the brief to me but I can't open the attachment.

Does anybody know what file type it is so I can open it? I have tried to phone them but everybody has gone home.

Would appreciate any help,

Thanks

amber34688

Hi Binty

The same thing has happened to me before and it can be quite stressful when you have to prepare for your scenario.

All their briefs are sent in Word. I suggest you email them, marking it URGENT and they should get back to you first thing in the morning. It is in their interest as it would seem that several of their projects are coming to an end this week.

If you want to PM me with the name of the company you are meant to be 'shopping', I may have details on my system as I have done quite a few bits for them, but obviously you will still need the exact address of the client, and there is always a possibility that the specs are different (or I won't have done that client)

Good luck

binty

thanks amber, have pm'd you