Mystery shopping thread 26 *please read the op first**please no client names or fees

Big_Graeme

Sorry Preecey, I hope I'm wrong but I wouldn't rely on being paid for any jobs, you've outed yourself to a target, that is pretty much the worst thing you can do, trust no one in this job.

preecey

I've had a conversation via email with someone from ESA who I worked quite well with. Many of you might now her - she has an Italian surname. Lovely lady, did give me a few tellings off over the past few months due to me submitting a couple of reports late, but can't fault her really.

She has confirmed that my account has been deactivated BUT the sites I've done are showing up as 'OK for Pay' on her end (of course, I can't log in to see this), and said that I should still get paid for the jobs I've done including the recent holiday enquiry visit.

I will still wait and see whether my bank statement shows ESA payments on the tenth of this month and, the tenth of January.

Just a word of warning, and a true lesson learned if I'm incredibly honest:

NEVER TELL ANYONE YOU'RE A MYSTERY SHOPPER, APART FROM VERY CLOSE FRIENDS OR FAMILY MEMBERS!

VERY FEW reports require you to reveal that you're a mystery shopper and this reveal ONLY takes place at the end of the visit.

I just hope ESA doesn't share this hiccup on my part with other companies who I'm heavily involved with. If they do, I'll have to find another job.

preecey

ESA payment received today

Buzby

Under Data protection laws, if ESA decided to tell other firms (which I doubt) it would be a very serious breach of the DPA and leave them liable to civil action. I left ESA after they lowered the fees of jobs I had been doing for over 5 years. Don't lose any sleep over it.

missymouse

Did
anyone else notice the fee reduction on the pharmacy jobs, cheeky.

Larac

missymouse wrote: »

Did
anyone else notice the fee reduction on the pharmacy jobs, cheeky.

I am guessing this is 'Market Farce' as they dropped the fees on the convenience stores as well? My observation of mystery shopping over the last 3/4 years is either the fees have remained the same or gone down. I now do very little MS work and moved over to matched betting as I can earn much more and don't pay tax on it. Got fed up with being'mugged off' by MS companies.

magicdance

I'm interested in mystery shopping, but, as you need to file for tax as you would for a regular job, would doing it affect my PIP at all? I don't want to risk losing £360/mo for the sake of far less.

Big_Graeme

magicdance wrote: »

I'm interested in mystery shopping, but, as you need to file for tax as you would for a regular job, would doing it affect my PIP at all? I don't want to risk losing £360/mo for the sake of far less.

It depends on your circumstances and what the PIP award was for, you can work while claiming PIP as it is a benefit to allow you some sort of normal life. BUT you need to check what descriptors were used to give you your points.

What it does effect badly is any ESA claim.

MysteryMan00

The golden rules of mystery shopping:

1) Never admit to being a mystery shopper, even if challenged.
2) Follow the brief

Maybe these rules have never been stated explicitly on these threads since they are part of lesson 1 of mystery shopping. But as 1 person didn't seem to realise how important these rules are, I thought I'd state them.

So, don't tell the target you will shop him as a MYSTERY shopper, thus spoiling the mystery, then wonder why you got binned from your work as a MYSTERY shopper.

I hope this helps

GlasweJen

Big_Graeme wrote: »

It depends on your circumstances and what the PIP award was for, you can work while claiming PIP as it is a benefit to allow you some sort of normal life. BUT you need to check what descriptors were used to give you your points.

What it does effect badly is any ESA claim.

I get PIP for various conditions but the DWP know that I work and that I mystery shop. Nothing about shopping contradicts my PIP application and I actually get some shops because companies want the perspective of a disabled person for whatever reason.