You only have to file in your state of residence. I live in Washington State, were we don't have a state income tax, either.

For me, it's a good side gig. I appreciate the flexibility and the extra bit of income. I like that it gives me excuses to get out of the house and be productive. I make several trips to Portland to shop each year - usually to pick up video work. Right now, I'm putting together a trip into California.

Jeanine -

if if I am asked to do a shop I would not be inclined to do (I.e. too far away), I do not hesitate to ask for a bonus. I’ll ask for whatever it would take to make me feel like it was a worthwhile venture - and that is different for every shop and every shopper.

Ask yourself what amounts you would be happy to do it for and what the minimum you would accept might be. (Do consider time, gas, etc.). Then ask for something a little higher than your “happy” amount and see what happens. Be ready to negotiate. Be ready to walk away if they don’t pay the minimum.

What you don’t know as a shopper is how badly they need that shop done, where the MSC’s margins are, etc.

As an example, I did eight USPS shops this weekend - which start at $12. All of them were more than an hour from home and some in more remote area. I was paid $450 for the lot of them. I had to break it into two routes and added a few more shops to each route, making for a very good three day weekend. The MSC needed the shops done and was ready to take a loss in those shops as they take in a tidy profit on the shops are not bonused. They were too far from me to make them worthwhile without a high bonus, so we found a number that was good for both of us.

I suggest sending Ivan a PM. He understands how the mechanics of this site work. He was on earlier today,. I don't know when he'll next check the message board. However, a score lower than "-100" is not good and it could be that at some point, a shopper can lose all self-assign privileges - even if your limit still says "2."

@Dossie,

Most likely, you were one of many folks who received that email and somebody else already claimed the shop. However, there some shops that are never advertised and only offered through email. If this is the case, email the scheduler back and request the shop.

Take a breath and learn from blunders - we all make them. Perhaps start with something simpler so you don't have to find a specific person? I started by dong some real easy shops at Ross and by taking pictures of menus at fast food restaurants. Now, I fly to different states and pose as a potential new home buyer - using hidden video equipment.

Donna -

It's about video shopping. I currently have 21 video shops lined up, paying $50-$110 each. I get 50% of my air travel reimbursed through a different shop. Currently, this puts me at covering my expenses plus $700 profit. I have quite a bit of fee time left to fill with shops and am hoping to add at least another $500. I'm aiming for another $1000.

to get to the point of doing this takes some time. I am signed up with over 100 companies in addition to what is found on iSS. I have my own hidden video equipment and have established myself as a shopper who produces good quality video. By doing this, I am sometimes offered high bonuses if I can get to various locations to do a few shops. I then contact the schedulers with whom I have worked to see if they have additional work I can pick up. It takes time to plan and I'll return from my trip exhausted.

Once your spreadsheet is set up, it only takes a few seconds to log each shop... I do a LOT of shopping and the spreadsheet works great for me.

@JDFREE:

You'll find that, for the most part, this is not difficult. However, it is imperative to follow guidelines perfectly. If we do not, the client will not accept our reports and the MSC will not get paid. If the MSC won't get paid, they won't pay us. It does take a few shops to get into the groove. You may want to start with shops that do not rely on an outlay of cash as you get yourself going - or that having purchasing something you were going to purchase anyhow. After a few shops, you'll be comfortable and able to do fine. Waiting 4-6 weeks (more in some cases) is tough to swallow at first, but you get acclimated. At the heart of that issue is that most MSC's' are really small businesses that cannot afford to pay shoppers until the client pays them.

It happens. Just make sure you follow the directions carefully and ask the scheduler (before the shop) if you have any questions.