topic Re: What's Right? in Community Chat

What's Right?

HonnyBrown — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 20:58:16 GMT

I'm a mystery shopper in my spare time. The way it works is that you are assigned a shop, you follow a scenario, do your evaluation and submit your report. Most times, you make a purchase that you are reimbursed for. On top of that, you get a set fee and a bonus.

One of my shopping friends has a dilemna. She is a full time mystery shopper. For some of her shops, the reimbursement is under $2, but the cheapest thing in the store is well over $2.

She will purchase an item, submit the receipt with her report to prove that she was at the shop, then she will return the item for a full refund.

Some shoppers say she is double dipping. Others say she should never spend money for a shop without full reimbursement.

What are your thoughts?

Re: What's Right?

dooBdoo — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 21:00:10 GMT

@HonnyBrown, Does the secret-shopper company have any policies in place to address this?

Re: What's Right?

chickenbutt — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 21:10:42 GMT

Well, she decided which shops she wanted to mystery shop for, so she must have known the terms.

I'd probably buy something that I could use and be happy that I was getting some of the money back. Plus you have the fees, outside the reimbursement.

IMO, she is double-dipping and it's morally shaky if she returns the items to get ALL her money back. I clearly don't think it's right. JMHO, FWIW

Re: What's Right?

HonnyBrown — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 21:11:52 GMT

@dooBdoo wrote:

@HonnyBrown, Does the secret-shopper company have any policies in place to address this?

It depends on the mystery shopper's client. Some will specify "no returns" in their guidelines and others don't care. The shops she does are the ones that do not specify returns in their guidelines.

Re: What's Right?

millieshops — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 21:17:59 GMT

I'm not totally sure, but the company itself knows that $2 doesn't cover what the shop sells, so I wouldn't be worrying about my personal morality.

A job is a job and it shouldn't cost you more than you make to do the job. Even if her expense were tax deductible, that only works if she earna enough to make the decudction worthwhile which probably doesn't happen with that kind of compensation. And i's a deduction, not a credit which at least would negatre the cost/ A tax deduction doesn't do that.

Re: What's Right?

HonnyBrown — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 21:21:06 GMT

@chickenbutt wrote:
Well, she decided which shops she wanted to mystery shop for, so she must have known the terms.

I'd probably buy something that I could use and be happy that I was getting some of the money back. Plus you have the fees, outside the reimbursement.

IMO, she is double-dipping and it's morally shaky if she returns the items to get ALL her money back. I clearly don't think it's right. JMHO, FWIW

Hi chickenb!

She's a full time shopper and she does back to back shops, or routes. She schedules shops in a 100 mile radius. She schedules lunch shops on her travel days. She knows the terms, scenarios and guidelines like the back of her hand. She has the whole thing down to a science.

Since she is a FT shopper, there isn't much that she needs or wants (she shops a lot of the same stores). From what she said, making an unecessary purchase eats up her shopper fee and she won't do that.

Re: What's Right?

NoelSeven — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 21:21:20 GMT

@HonnyBrown wrote:
@dooBdoo wrote:

@HonnyBrown, Does the secret-shopper company have any policies in place to address this?

It depends on the mystery shopper's client. Some will specify "no returns" in their guidelines and others don't care. The shops she does are the ones that do not specify returns in their guidelines.

*************************

I guess if they don't say no returns she's not breaking any rules.

It seems they are taking advantage of her. All that time, effort and travel expense for $2 doesn't seem right.

Re: What's Right?

HonnyBrown — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 21:29:18 GMT

@millieshops wrote:
I'm not totally sure, but the company itself knows that $2 doesn't cover what the shop sells, so I wouldn't be worrying about my personal morality.

A job is a job and it shouldn't cost you more than you make to do the job. Even if her expense were tax deductible, that only works if she earna enough to make the decudction worthwhile which probably doesn't happen with that kind of compensation. And i's a deduction, not a credit which at least would negatre the cost/ A tax deduction doesn't do that.

hi mille! Those are some good points. I don't shop enough to file on my taxes, but I'm sure she does. And you're right: a job shouldn't cost more than you make.

Re: What's Right?

HonnyBrown — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 21:34:16 GMT

@NoelSeven wrote:

*************************

I guess if they don't say no returns she's not breaking any rules.

It seems they are taking advantage of her. All that time, effort and travel expense for $2 doesn't seem right.

Noel, I had that thought as well. I thought that some of the shop locations were trying to get business.

Re: What's Right?

chickenbutt — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 21:38:26 GMT

Ok, well, I guess maybe I'm being a little rigid. I just know that returns are about as bad as shoplifting, as far as the stores are concerned so it seemed like it was they who were being burned.

If she's not USING the products and is returning them in brand new (unopened if possible) condition, AND if it's not against the rules, I guess it's not that wrong.

Re: What's Right?

Perkup — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 21:40:47 GMT

Is what she's doing any different than if I bought something on sale, waited till the sale was over, and returned the item for a full price? Cheating and/or lying is wrong, no matter who does it or why. If I don't think my employer is

paying me enough, is it okay to take products from them without paying? Isn't that stealing?

For me and for my moral standards, what she is dong is entirely dishonest. If she isn't making enough she needs another job where she makes more. I can't imagine any employer approving of what she's doing.

Re: What's Right?

HonnyBrown — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 21:48:07 GMT

@chickenbutt wrote:
Ok, well, I guess maybe I'm being a little rigid. I just know that returns are about as bad as shoplifting, as far as the stores are concerned so it seemed like it was they who were being burned.

If she's not USING the products and is returning them in brand new (unopened if possible) condition, AND if it's not against the rules, I guess it's not that wrong.

I don't think you are being rigid. Not at all.

I asked because we were having brunch with some other shoppers. She said that she had some returns to make after. That got the conversation started and everyone had good points.

Re: What's Right?

HonnyBrown — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 21:57:57 GMT

@Perkup wrote:
Is what she's doing any different than if I bought something on sale, waited till the sale was over, and returned the item for a full price? Cheating and/or lying is wrong, no matter who does it or why. If I don't think my employer is
paying me enough, is it okay to take products from them without paying? Isn't that stealing?

For me and for my moral standards, what she is dong is entirely dishonest. If she isn't making enough she needs another job where she makes more. I can't imagine any employer approving of what she's doing.

Great points Perk!!!

But remember: she isn't making the returns because the shop fees are too low. They aren't. She's making returns because she doesn't want to spend money on a purchase she doesn't need.

For some of the shops, you have to make a purchase to prove that you were at that location. You get reimbursed a certain dollar amount. That works if the amount you are reimbursed covers a purchase. If it doesn't, that means you are spending your money for an item.

Re: What's Right?

chickenbutt — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 22:02:22 GMT

I think that's why, at least in the past, people would sign up to be a mystery shopper at stores where they would be shopping anyway.

That way, they would purchase things that they would have purchased anyway and the bonus was that they, along with fees, would get some of the money back for the purchase so it was a win-win.

That's the way I always saw it, anyway.

For example, fast food places also used to (and maybe they still do) have mystery shoppers. You go in or through the line and purchase lunch or whatever and then write up and submit your report and receipt.

I think that's why this returning of merchandise thing got in my craw a bit.

Re: What's Right?

missy1 — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 22:09:31 GMT

I see ads on Craigslist seeking secret shoppers? So they are legit and pay quick?

Re: What's Right?

magicmoodz — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 22:15:46 GMT

I used to be a mystery shopper many years ago. I highly doubt the retailer cares if a $2 item is returned. The shopper is merely making the purchase so s/he can evaluate that part of the experience, thereby letting the retailer know what is good and what is not so good.

I mostly did restaurants and it isn't as easy as it seems. I know I can take my work too seriously, but there was a lot of written reporting involved. I was glad when I no longer needed that income.

Re: What's Right?

HonnyBrown — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 22:16:15 GMT

@chickenbutt wrote:
I think that's why, at least in the past, people would sign up to be a mystery shopper at stores where they would be shopping anyway.

That way, they would purchase things that they would have purchased anyway and the bonus was that they, along with fees, would get some of the money back for the purchase so it was a win-win.

That's the way I always saw it, anyway.

For example, fast food places also used to (and maybe they still do) have mystery shoppers. You go in or through the line and purchase lunch or whatever and then write up and submit your report and receipt.

I think that's why this returning of merchandise thing got in my craw a bit.

That's the benefit to a mystery shopper like me. I am selective about my shops because it's not an income source for me. I shop at places where I normally do business, and it costs me less because I get a reimbursement or a flat fee.

For my friend and many other shoppers, it's their 9-5.

Re: What's Right?

HonnyBrown — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 22:20:22 GMT

@magicmoodz wrote:
I used to be a mystery shopper many years ago. I highly doubt the retailer cares if a $2 item is returned. The shopper is merely making the purchase so s/he can evaluate that part of the experience, thereby letting the retailer know what is good and what is not so good.

I mostly did restaurants and it isn't as easy as it seems. I know I can take my work too seriously, but there was a lot of written reporting involved. I was glad when I no longer needed that income.

moodz, yes, it's not simple by any means. That free meal is not free!

Let me clarify: the reimbursement is $2, but the item she buys is, say $30 because that is the least expensive item in the store.

Re: What's Right?

HonnyBrown — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 22:21:23 GMT

@missy1 wrote:
I see ads on Craigslist seeking secret shoppers? So they are legit and pay quick?

On Craig's List? I doubt it!

Re: What's Right?

magicmoodz — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 22:43:51 GMT

@HonnyBrown wrote:
@magicmoodz wrote:
I used to be a mystery shopper many years ago. I highly doubt the retailer cares if a $2 item is returned. The shopper is merely making the purchase so s/he can evaluate that part of the experience, thereby letting the retailer know what is good and what is not so good.

I mostly did restaurants and it isn't as easy as it seems. I know I can take my work too seriously, but there was a lot of written reporting involved. I was glad when I no longer needed that income.

moodz, yes, it's not simple by any means. That free meal is not free!

Let me clarify: the reimbursement is $2, but the item she buys is, say $30 because that is the least expensive item in the store.

Thanks for clarifying @HonnyBrown. I would definitely not keep a $30 item unless I wanted/needed it!