I haven't had any problems with asking to use the restroom. I usually do this after I have been in the store for a bit. As far as using the wrong pin, I have several personal cards with different pins. It's pretty easy for me to get past that issue as soon as I open my wallet in front of the clerk.

Since the employee base for most of the stores is fluid, and there is usually a minimum 30 day rotation on most locations I don't worry about running into an employee more than once. The only difference is at restaurants and that really isn't a problem either...I just let them know that I like the food.

Perhaps this is why I always see to do the bathroom portion at the end of the shop? This way, if they figure out your a mystery shopper their interaction with you is already complete and they can not be extra nice to you after the fact.

Cecilia_15004179591972 @ Dec 18, 2018 10:29:45 PM

A lot of people enter their pin number wrong or going to the washrooms. Nothing obvious. But I got some messages now to buy $3.00 of gaz this is obvious and you get paid $4.00 no thank you.

I can do 5+ of these a day, and only have to drive about 10 miles across all the stations.

If I have an empty tank, I buy $5 in gas (because having been a gas station attendant, multiples of 5 are normal, anything else is weird) , use the restroom, take pics, upload pics, answer some yes/no questions, submit. Rinse, lather, and repeat until my tank is full.

I end up filling my tank for $10 out of pocket instead of $25, and get another $20 on top of it. It's not like I don't need gas anyhow.

If you know how to use google maps properly, you can put in all your stops, and move them around so that you have the least amount of driving.

Takes two hours, and I've got $45 worth of value that only cost me $10, so I've made $35 doing something I would have needed to do anyhow.

If you sign up with services like dosh, or any of the fuel rewards programs, you get money back after the fact too.

Best part? Since you're buying gas as part of your job, it's tax deductible.

I try to avoid the ones where I would be obvious. I do the ones that I feel comfortable doing too.

i did a whole bunch of shops last summer where I had to use not 1, but at least 2!! non working credit cards, and then the third card worked! very awkward, especially since the cards looked fake to begin with. plus is had to get the receipts for the rejections. But I did it. just covered it up and said I think this one will work. plus i got reimbursed for every purchase up to $15, and the shops were $20. I made a bundle in a very short time! it may have been for discover or something, not really sure what the point was.

I liked the comment about the sum paid for purchases being tax deductible, but I am dubious of its validity.

First, if you are getting specifically reimbursed for the purchase, I do not think it is deductible, unless you count the reimbursement as income. However, if a shop pays a "flat fee," without distinguishing between reimbursement and payment for the service, I think that could be claimed as deductible.

Second, I think there is an analogy here to charitable contributions. If you make a contribution which would be tax deductible, you are supposed to reduce the amount of that contribution by the value of anything you get in return for the contribution. So, at least in theory, when a charity sends you a T shirt, or a coffee mug, or a ticket to some event, the deductible sum is supposed to be reduced by its value.

Now, theory is one thing, and practice is another. I suspect that only very rarely do taxpayers make this reduction from the reported contribution. And, unless you have very large contributions, you are unlikely to be audited. But, although I am a lawyer, I am not a tax practicioner (nor a CPA), so I can't comment from experience. If someone out there really knows the answer to these questions, I'd like to see it.

I don't think you can deduct you air far to Puerto Rico to do a coffee shop in San Juan! But, if you are already there, you could probably deduct your local cab fare to get to and from the shop. But not from the other side of the island, and you go to San Juan for a day trip.

Jeff_15607363216141 @ Aug 1, 2020, 6:00:45 PM

I don't think you can deduct you air far to Puerto Rico to do a coffee shop in San Juan! But, if you are already there, you could probably deduct your local cab fare to get to and from the shop. But not from the other side of the island, and you go to San Juan for a day trip.

Ah I remember a time in my past career of someone trying to claim a trip from Ontario to Philadelphia to do a small job: sure he had family and stayed a week...but on the flip side: say you rent a car (say $40) and do a few jobs far away ($40 gas) to make $200: yes you should be looking to write off those trip expenses. Take it further, US 1040 workers used to get (Still do? haven't looked in 15+ years) great write offs and mileage rates (as contractors) so if you are in that boat, congrats!

With some of these shops it's really difficult to remain incognito. It all relies on the shoppers ability to blend in and not appear to be too nervous. Sometimes going into a new type of shop (a style that you haven't done before) gets a little confusing as you try to remember everything you need to do. Just relax. It gets easier with time.

My best advise is to try different shops. That way you will become more and more comfortable as you progress.

The taking pictures of menus jobs are easy for the most part, but sometimes the only menus are literally right in front of the cashier.