Is being a secret/mystery shopper a scam?

Question

Is there really such a thing as secret shoppers? Are all of the places that say they are hiring scams? If not, how do you become a secret shopper? What things should I look for in choosing a company to work for? The more info the better. Thanks!

Answer 1

If you are talking about the secret/mystery shoppers advertised online, then yes, they are a scam.
What they do is send you a check (forged or from a fraudulent account) and then have you cash the check, then go to a company that wires money, and you wire them most of the money back. You get to keep some of the money as your pay for being the secret shopper.
What happens next, is that the check goes back to whomever you cashed it at, and shows up as bounced or forged. And guess what?? You get to pay back all that money to the bank and you get to go to court for cashing a fraudulent check!!
To get a real job, as a secret shopper, you have to go to the corporate office of the place you want to work for. Like the head office at a mall, and ask about secret shoppers.
Most companies rely on their regular customers to tell them how things are going.

Answer 2

Yes it's a real job. No they are not all scams. You can go on-line and search for mystery shopper positions or on-line applications at google.I would check the Better Business Bureau when you find a company you are thinking of working for. Some companies have a lot of work, others don't so more than 1 is a good start. You will need to have either a direct deposit accountant, checking account, or credit card so they can verify purchases were by you and they repay you usually by direct deposit.

Answer 3

No they are legit. If they are promising you will make a bunch of money and they want you to pay a fee then it is either a scam or they are just selling you access to their data base of companies that hire mystery shoppers which you can find on your own for free. You typically won't make much money as a mystery shopper though. Sometimes you have to pay out of pocket and they reimburse you. Occasionally they may pay a few extra dollars. It is a good way to get some free meals though. I did some mystery shops at Subway. I had to pay out of pocket and they reimbursed me what I spent plus 2 or 3 dollars. I also did some at a steakhouse, but they sent me giftcards ahead of time to pay for my purchase. They didn't pay anything though, I just got a free dinner.

Answer 4

Yes and No....

The guideline you should use is if they ask you for money to obtain the position, it is not a job.

There are real mystery shopper gigs out there, but it is not as fun or exciting as you think. You have to answer very detailed questions and be very, very observant. Questions, like what were the names of 3 cashiers and 3 baggers and 3 floor clerks. How would you rate them? When was the last time you interacted with 9 people in a store? Its not as easy as you think to do so without the store thinking you are shoplifting or, guess what, a mystery shopper.

You have to shop at specific times and purchase a specific amount. A lot of times, you purchase way more than what they'll compensate you for, so you end up not making as much as you think. And they'll want you to purchase big bulky items as a test to the store.

You should have the technology to upload receipts and forms with scanners and such.

It takes awhile for them to pick you to be a mystery shopper. Than you have to apply to the shops you want. A lot of times, the shops in your area are taken, so you travel a distance or the shops available, you wouldn't want to shop at in the first place.

Answer 5

Well, there certainly is such thing as mystery shoppers but I think they already work for the company of the stores they are spying on. They go to stores, look around at the store's upkeep, and write you up on whether you provided good service or not. Believe me, there is such a thing!

Answer 6

It's more likely to be legitimate if the company that owns the businesses you are shopping at is the one that hires you. For example the people who run the PX/BX's on military bases often hires military family members to "mystery shop." I bet other big businesses do the same. Those other firms, like the ones who advertise in newspapers and don't put a company name, are mostly scams I think.

Answer 7

No scam at all, its just not all its cracked up to be. A lot of your assignments are crap. You may have to eat or buy something you dont like. If you refuse an assigment then that may have a really negative effect on you getting favorable ones. For some it works really well but for others its not worth it.

By the way, if you want a telecommute job, here is a link to a site with only telecommute jobs:

http://coolhomejob.com

Answer 8

"Mystery Shopping" Site Truths Uncovered:



September 12, 2006

From the investigation team of Don and Tavis......

Earn $50/hour as a Mystery Shopper?


.....The idea of mystery shopping jobs is becoming very popular with people looking for part time work with flexible hours. Mystery shopping jobs offer good pay, short hours, and a fun, interesting work environment. Most mystery shoppers only work 1-2 hours per job, and can accept or reject a job with just a day's notice. The work usually consists of visiting a store, making predetermined purchases, and evaluating the customer service. Of course there are variations, such as going to a restaurant or hotel, and evaluating the food, cleanliness, and overall attitude of the staff. In any case, the mystery shopper will fill out a report after their work is done, and turn it in to receive their pay.

Sounds like a fun, legitimate job, right? Well unfortunately, if you want to participate, you are likely to find hundreds of fraudulent websites claiming to help you get daily work.

These websites will charge you a $20-$40 fee for access to their directory of mystery shopping job sources. In reality, 99% of these websites offer you nothing more than the following:

* Outdated mystery shopping resources with non-working links, phone numbers, & email addresses.

* No customer service or help in finding jobs.

* No refunds if you are unsatisfied - Most of these fly-by-night mystery shopping websites won't even respond to your refund requests, and once their website gets shut down due to complaints, they start another one under a different name.

* Poorly designed sites with confusing navigation systems and information, and non-working pages.

As a watchdog for work at home scams, we have thoroughly reviewed hundreds of mystery shopping websites, talking to their owners, reviewing their member's areas, and speaking to many of their clients & workers.These companies all require a one time fee of $20-$40, and they charge this fee because they actually have dedicated representatives to help you find work on a daily basis.

After joining one of the sites below, you can expect to be offered up to 10 mystery shopping job offers the per day. You then have the option to accept or reject each one. Most mystery shopping jobs pay $25-$50/hour, but most jobs DO NOT last more than 2-4 hours. Therefore, you are typically going to earn $50-$200 per job, plus maybe a few free items from the store, or a free meal. But if you can line up more than 1 job per day, you can make well over $400 per day, for easy, fun work. Its all up to you, and how much you want to work.

Take a look at what one woman has accomplished as a mystery shopper:

Wall Street Journal, Online Edition June 9, 2004:

"Cheers," she said, hoisting a frosty Corona with lime. Tanned and relaxed after playing a few holes, she finished up the beer and ate a cheeseburger. The golf and burgers were all part of the job, as were the strict instructions from her boss to 'consume at least one alcoholic beverage." That was her afternoon. Her morning was spent dress shopping, cashing a check at a bank, and looking at new cars. In the evening she ate dinner with a friend at a, "nice Italian restaurant." Everything she did was a paid job. She made about $300 that day. "Can you believe they call this work?" she asked. And what does this shopper make on a monthly basis? According to The Wall Street Journal, "she made nearly $7,000" the month before the article was written, i.e. in May, 2004.

Answer 9

Some companies try to make you pay for information on finding jobs and those are the only scammers. You should never have to pay for information for mystery shopping jobs. I started mystery shopping 6 years ago and it is real. It is also a lot of hard work for little or no money. This site has one of the best lists I have ever found for finding companies to work with: http://www.volition.com/mystery.html

Good luck!!

Answer 10

Yes, mystery shopping really exists. I've read that Dollar Frog, Corland Mystery Shop, Get Paid 2 Shop, Secret Shop Jobs, and Shopping Jobs are all legitimate mystery shopping websites. Most other sites are fakes.

Good luck!