There is a growing movement to boycott $5 shops. After all, to travel to the shop site, perform the shop, travel back home, and then complete the paperwork, you are talking about an hour and a half of your time, more or less. This equates to just a couple of dollars an hour for your time and effort. Is your time with more than that? Shoppers are fed up with the insult of being offered this amount of money, and are pulling together to demand more money on these shops. Given the cost of gas these days, that $5 may not even cover your own personal travel expenses to do the shop, much less pay you anything for your valuable time and effort.
How Does It Work? When a provider is unable to fill a shop in the required period of time, they are typically forced to increase the pay for that shop just to get the job done. Now whether you are holding out for the pay to be raised to $10, $15, or more is your discretion, but most shoppers have gotten to the point that they are no longer willing to lose money shopping.
Will It Work? Absolutely! The key to making it work, though, is for all mystery shoppers to band together. If there is a small band of shoppers still accepting the $5 shops, the schedulers will not get the message that these $5 shops are not acceptable any longer. To send a loud and clear message to providers and schedulers, shoppers need to pull together in a strong, united front and simply not accept the $5 shops until the pay is raised. And don’t worry, it will be raised! The providers need the shops completed, and they certainly have an extra $5-10 in their profit margin.
If there are just a handful of shoppers nationwide who do accept these $5 shops…. Well, first of all, I can’t imagine anyone would be willing to work for that insanely small amount of money. That fee doesn’t even meet the federal minimum wage! But in the event a shopper is located very close to the shop or has another shop very close to that shop and wants to combine them to make the most of a shopping outing, don’t worry even a shopper or two refuses to join the boycott movement. Providers will begin to see that even if people are accepting the $5 shops, they will be accepted at a much slower and sporadic pace, which will give providers time to pause and re-think their pay structure.
How Will This Turn Out? It will only take a scheduler to have difficulty with a handful of $5 shops for them to analyze their fee schedule and see the light. So as you stop accepting the $5 shops and hold out for the higher paying shops, you will gradually stop seeing the $5 shops over the course of the next few months.
While it may seem detrimental to your own paycheck to pass up on shops, if you sacrifice the $5 shops for the next few months, eventually you will see the benefit of higher paying shops. This means that you will soon be able to earn more money for the same amount of work. What’s more, you will be able to earn what your time is actually worth rather than working for peanuts.
Thanks for the article. I had to stop taking those 5.00 jobs a couple of months back. With the cost of gas and the rise of car repairs, electric and taxes, I put pen to paper and found it was costing ME to do them. I work really hard and spend a lot of time writing good reports so that the companies I work for will continue to get jobs. I feel like I am rewarded for those well written reports when I am offered jobs that actually say, you are worth your time.
I totally agree. I actually found out by accident what one company was charging the client for doing the shops and the difference between what they were paying me and what I was getting was unreal. Now I realize that these companies are there to make a profit but so are we. I stopped taking 5.00 shops last month and I intend to never take another one. As you say, if everyone gets on board the companies will be forced to share the wealth.
oops I should have proof read that before I submitted. I meant the difference between what they were paying me and what they were getting was unreal.
I have added to the boycott and do not shop $10 shops that require a small purchase. If they need proof of my honesty, a time a date stamped photo is proof. It is truly unfortunate that so many shoppers have cheated in the past, that those of us doing honest work have to literally pay the price.
I have noticed that when I boycott, the shops seem to be scooped up rather quickly in my area. There are so many shoppers in a concentrated area. But when it comes to shops away from the highly populated areas, they are willing to pay a little more. I have been getting frustrated by the huge restrictions that the companies are putting on the shops, and they delete the shops for some little thing that wasn’t even mentioned in the instructions.
$5.00 is below minimum wage, IF we were on their payroll. In addition, we have to use our own money and wait on reimbursement, while they earn interest on OUR money. I do not, and will not accept $5.00 assignments. My time to read and report the assignment are worth more than $5.00, in addition to the gas, wear and tear on my car, I would discourage anyone from accepting a $5.00 assignment, it is just not worth it, nor do I believe it to be a fair fee for what is expected of us as shoppers in our time investment, gas wear and tear on our vehicles, and the money we have to advance the companies we work for, while they collect interest on our money, from the time we file our report until the time they receive reimbursement. As we all know as shoppers, the wait time can be a very long process, and if you do one thing wrong, you will not get paid. Okay, someone can have the soapbox now.
HOORAY!!! HOORAY!!! HOORAY!!!
I am so glad that you all feel that way. I regularly log on to the http://www.mysteryshopforum.com and many shoppers there are upset and tired of this subject.
I AM NOT! We all need to band together!
Hey, Jackie. Why don’t you tell everyone (without mentioning the company) how much the MS company charges the client so everyone can get a better idea of what the huge difference is.
I won’t do $5 shops anymore either. This is the only work I have not necessarily by choice but better than sitting in an office. The $10 shops aren’t always too bad but if they are also going to reimburse for the purchase fine but not to take it out of the $10. If the purchase is something I can keep besides the shop payment and I don’t really want it I hold on to it and return it at a later date.
Hip Hip Hooray !!!! I just smile and look the other way when I see pages and pages of the $5.00 shops that no one takes. I have taken the oath to not shop $5.00 shops. This is not only for me but for my fellow Shoppers. It is a slap in the pockets to perform them.
Yes, it would be enlightening to know how much the scheduling company gets paid.
I just realized today that a wave of shops I signed up for does not reimburse the cost of gas and the required purchase in the store. It comes out the fee. When I sat down and looked at it the profit is maybe $6.00. Again it takes too long and too much work to be paid these wages. I vow to not accept another shop that does not value my time or energy.
Okay, so does that mean it’s okay to perform a shop for $5.01? $5.50?? or $6.00??? If we really must gripe, and I do NOT oppose the boycott, I think more attention should be directed at the lengthy wait time for getting paid, and re~imbursed! One does a typical fast food, or casual dining shop, and say it pays $10, and a reimbursement for expense of $20. I am out~of~pocket $20, for almost 2~months, along with the shop fee!!
This makes it very restrictive to do a large number of these type shops, given that I don’t have … deep~pocket$!! The small advantage of the $5 shops, and again, I support the boycott, is the volume, and how they can fit in with other shops in a particular location. They also tend to not require an exorbitant amount of detail (which I find time saving on the report side.) But really, it makes no sense to me, to have to wait up to 2~months to get reimbursed, and/or paid!
Thanks for a good blog; you stated the case well.
Here, here!
I’ve com to realize that I do quality work – I mean, I often spot mistakes that shopping companies’ EDITORs make. And paying THEM is NOT on my agenda!
Not just the $5 shops but the $10 that require a receipt are becoming unworkable as well. Like the article says, for our time alone it’s way less than minimum wage.
Even “small purchase” reimbursements are rarely enough to cover ANYTHING. $1 will buy what? Not even a soda, after taxes. And I’ve noticed lately that shop requirements really are getting ridiculously exacting. I had a shop canceled recently because I missed one employees’ name – one out of four. He wasn’t wearing a nametag, and as soon as he answered my question, he bolted – I didn’t have a chance to ask his name. The company wanted me to go back and find out what it was – how on EARTH do you go into a retail establishment and try to find out an employee’s name without looking like a total stalker?? When I asked the company for suggestions, my scheduler said “Just ask for the name, you won’t look like a freak.”
Yeah, right. Anyway, I’m on board!
I’m fairly new to Mystery Shopping but it definitely does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that even $10 shops with expenses are not feasible. I’m in total agreement with SC, what about the time it takes to receive your own investment (they call re-imbursement)? Now if everyone had to wait 4-8 weeks for their paychecks, that would be reasonable. My time is valuable, I’m sure yours is too.
Never again do I touch a 5 buck shop. There is a company that wants you to do exxon shops and they want you to buy one dollar worth of gas and then one dollar inside. For this you get 4 bucks plus two dollars reimbursement. Plus you must take 8 photos, upload them with a narrative. Some one out there is smoking whacky weed. This is abusive behavior by a large MS firm. Boycott,hell. I would not touch them with a ten foot pole.
I’m all for the boycott too. When I first started mystery shopping the $5 shops worked to get my feet wet. And I suspect those doing the $5 shops are new shoppers. I’m noticing shops available in my area are on the increase and there’s a demand for someone to do the $5 shops. Last month there was a donut shop starting at $5 with a reimbursement. The company finally got the shop to $17+reimbursement and it was quickly taken. 🙂 My question is if they could give $17 for the shop why haven’t they been giving $17 all along?
I ran across an interesting shop and upon further investigation found it only paid $3. A lot of photos for $3. Now who in their right mind would take these shops?
The only downside I can see to the boycott is some of these companies could very well go out of business owing shoppers money. There was a company recently went out of business and a friend lost over $100 in shop money.
I have a few shops I will take no matter what because I enjoy the shops. They are fun and interesting. Most of them pay $10-$20 and sometimes a bonus is added. And the particular company pays quicker than most.
I agree we need to come up with something to get our pay quicker. Waiting 6 weeks to be paid is bad business. If a company wants me to do a shop for them and I haven’t been paid for shops I have done? I don’t do the shop.
I gave up doing the traveling shops for $5 a long time ago. The only ones I will consider are the phone shops, if the report is short and sweet. I also do not like to take a shop that pays under $15 at the least and depending on the distance. I usually am good at grouping shops together that are in the same general area. I love doing shops at the local malls. Sometimes I find four or five at the same mall, which saves me time and money when traveling. But I live in a large Metro area(outside Washington, DC)and finding higher paying shops is relatively easy. Yes, I agree. Some companies should and can pay more for the work we do. I see shops listed for $20 on one website and almost the same type of shop I see listed on another website for just $10! I’m not saying the pay should be uniform across the board, but it should always be fair.
I agree but have a question. Does this include fast food shops where I get reimbursed for a meal? Those are the only 5.00 shops I do and only if I’m going to be driving right by to perform another shop. If its convenient to do it and they buy my lunch, is that okay to do or am I being unfair to my fellow mystery shoppers?
In answer to Marilyn, the scheduler for this one company told me that the client was paying $500 for the shop but they were only paying me $40.
In response to witchmeadowdoc, I know which company you’re talking about with the exxon shops. I don’t know why anyone would accept those shops. Not only do you have to make such a small purchase but you have to get a receipt. Who realistically asks for a receipt for such a small purchase, and who buys just $1 in gas. Plus you have to take the pictures with getting “made”. If they don’t get the shops done at the end of the month they raise the price to $20.
I like the meal shops too Sherry. And I do them on occasions if I’m in the area. There’s only one fast food shop I like and I usually jump on that one when it comes around. We like to eat out and I do as many casual and fine dining shops as I can. I consider these shops free meals. These are full reimbursement shops and sometime they will add bonus money. Doing the meal shops gives us a chance to eat places maybe we wouldn’t ordinarily eat. I consider these fun shops. Just for the fun of eating out.
I think we all have a right to shop the things we like to shop no matter the pay. I have a little coffee shop I love. The coffee is fantastic and it happens to be located in a Mall in my area. If I’m shopping the Mall I grab this little shop that pays $5 and the reimbursement is $5. It’s a great place to look over your notes and relax.
I know a few shoppers and they take the small shops when it suits them just for the fun and relaxation of the shop.
I am not sure if the subject deserves all the hubbub. If there are $5 shops out there it is because some shoppers want them. Shopping could not be more “do as thou wilt”. If you don’t sign up for the shop then that is a good enough statement and if the comanies offering them are getting takers then all is cool- SUPPLY and DEMAND.
brad