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11 answers

Hey, I work sometimes as a Mystery shopper. The place that gives me assignments is http://www.nationalshoppingservice.com

They are a legitimate marketing agency that has clients (the ones who arrange and pay to have NSS send you to mystery shop) all around the country.

You NEVER pay (you are an independent contractor working for THEM, anything else is a scam.)

There's no catch or fees and you don't have to give any personal financial info ever. The site has a great FAQ section.

They have many daily availabilities in all 50 states, and there are links to other legitimate marketing agencies who also hire mystery shoppers (at no cost.)

You pick what assignments to take and which you don't , and you're never penalized for opting not to take them.

I love working for them. I'm in college and so I only take the jobs that are in my immediate area such as restaurants or shops I'm interested in visiting. If you pick things you like, and you like to write (this is IMPORTANT- they want a lot of details) then you will LOVE mystery shopping.

You can email me if you want to know what it's like, but remember I'm not affiliated with or an employee of the company, i just mystery shop for them. =)

2006-07-28 12:13:00 · answer #1 · answered by Jess H 2 · 1 0

I fell for the radio ad promising that one could keep the $1000 in merchandise bought as a gift for becoming a mystery shopper. I paid $150 for a 2 year membership in which I am provided with retailers looking for mystery shoppers. I have not completed any of the shops because they really do require a lot of information and are very detailed. The amount they pay is not worth the time and effort of all that they want you to do. ANd the$1000 in free merchandise was lie because you had to choose the items from a website and the "shipping charges" that you did have to pay were outrageous (like $75.00 for a blender) So really I ended up with nothing but a really good lesson, if it sounds too good to be true, it is.

2006-07-28 07:50:35 · answer #2 · answered by fatima_mst 3 · 0 0

Of course there are scammers, but there's a completely legitimate side to it, too. I've shopped major restaurant chains, gas stations, movie theaters, etc. They rely on it to ensure their employees are doing what they're supposed to be doing.

I took a local class last year about mystery shopping. The woman who taught the class told us some of the ins and outs, and provided us with a list of good, reputable companies to get started with. The big thing she talked about was that you should NOT have to pay to get a list of companies.

The link below is for the Mystery Shopping Providers Association, which is like the Better Business Bureau of mystery shopping. Not only do they provide training and certification for shoppers, but they provide bulletin board forums for shoppers to compare notes on companies. If there is a problem with a company, you can find it on here. You can also find a lot of good places to work for.

The woman who taught my class does mystery shopping full-time. She said she makes about $30K per year. However, most of that is reimbursements. . .not "actual" income. (And, we live in a relatively small market.) For example. . .you might get paid $5 to do a movie mystery shop, but the company will reimburse you for two tickets ($20-ish dollars) and $8 for the concessions.

By the way, to become silver-certified by the MSPA costs $15, but if you pass the test, you will get a certification number that you can then provide to all the companies you sign up with. It basically tells them that you're serious and have a basic knowledge of the industry. That is a totally legitimate fee. Other than that, you SHOULD NOT pay for anything until you at least get your feet wet.

Mystery shopping is more a way to supplement your income, or to get things free that you're already paying for. I do it to defray costs at restaurants and see free movies.

2006-07-29 18:07:40 · answer #3 · answered by IrisInLove 2 · 0 0

A great many are scams. I tried it once with Caribou Coffee. It is a lot of work filling out the questionnaires. It really isn't worth the time or effort.

2006-07-28 05:36:01 · answer #4 · answered by redunicorn 7 · 0 0

I've done it before it really isn't worth the hassle. They pay you 5 bucks to eat out (you pay) and only if your 10 page report and narrative is good. I always got paid, but was NEVER worth my time.

2006-07-28 05:08:43 · answer #5 · answered by Robsthings 5 · 0 0

there is such a thing that is legit, but there are a lot of scams out there too.
Just do your research

2006-07-28 05:08:26 · answer #6 · answered by Doogie 3 · 0 0

If you have to buy a list of places to shop, be careful.

2006-07-28 05:11:09 · answer #7 · answered by Ralfcoder 7 · 0 0

Please do not (DO NOT) pay any of your money to become a mystery shopper!

2006-07-28 05:08:20 · answer #8 · answered by Zeta 5 · 0 0

Do your research on them. Most of them are scams

2006-07-28 05:07:50 · answer #9 · answered by Smiley 6 · 0 0

I would like to know that as well. let me know when you find out?

2006-07-28 05:08:16 · answer #10 · answered by Pobedy S 2 · 0 0

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