What is being a "mystery shopper"? Is it real, or a scam?

Answer 1

It's real, but it is not as lucrative as the websites make it sound, and there are a lot of scammers out there. You should never pay a fee to become a mystery shopper so if at any point in the process you are asked for a processing fee, membership fee, etc, know that it is a scam and drop them. And set the proper expectations; when you are just starting out, you will be sent to mostly fast-food chains or drugstores or similar. You'll pay for your meal from your pocket, write your report and submit your reciept. The company will reimburse you and give you a small (like $5) fee for your time. Over time, you'll be given more interesting assignments in the casual dining places (like Applebees or Fridays) and earn higher fees. When you're starting out, you might only get one assignment every 3 weeks or so.

It's not a bad way to get a free meal and a little extra pocket money but you won't pay for that new BMW on this!

Answer 2

Your job is essentially to go to a client's outlet and rate the services, quality of goods, etc. This will then be collated with other mystery shoppers evaluation and presented to the clients. It's to allow the client (usually a large consumer good company, like Macy's, GAP, Sears, etc) to have a clear understanding of the services, because "spot-checks" are notorious for being leaked to the employees and hence most of the employees will be on their best behaviour which is not reflective of their true service level.

Payment:
Usually you are given a nominal allowance, plus reimbursement for transport, and purchase of the goods (at time you'd be allow to keep the items as well)

Companies that conduct such services:
http://www.dacyandassociates.com/mysteryshopper.htm
http://thomasagencyinvestigations.com/shopper01.html
http://www.markettrends.com/mys_shopper/mys_gen.htm
http://www.mysteryshopperservices.com/

Answer 3

I would love being a mystery shopper. You go into a store and
rate the service that they gave you. Did they give you their name, did they help you in the dressing room, did they offer you something else, did they accessorize....Stores want to keep up a 100% rating but you never know who the mystery shopper is.

Answer 4

Mystery shoppers do exist but they are typically hired from large firms with well trained individuals. The ones that pop-up on your computer are probably scams asking you for money or endless email addresses just to gain personal info. Be careful :-)

Answer 5

I even have finished some secret shops. there is any such component as a secret client certification. this is per what share helpful shops you do and how nicely you do them. the coolest assignments visit the experienced purchasers. I shopped a quickly nutrition eating place. It paid $8 plus a super Bufford blend. I had to examine, take a quiz, get stuff mailed to me, do the save in an extremely small window of time, exhibit myself to the chief, award pins, thenpersistent domicile. It grew to become into not nicely worth it. I seen some interesting gasoline station shops. They sent a super instruction manual that grew to become into very complicated for winding up the save. finally, I digital mail them and sent the components lower back. the save grew to become into merely not nicely actually worth the money or attempt. i would not pay that money. i think of Yahoo has a secret purchasers team the place assignments are published via way of digital mail. you could wait an extremely long term until eventually there's a save close adequate to end and the education for each save is a authentic discomfort. it is not nicely actually worth the attempt.

Answer 6

It is for real, you are paid to go undercover in stores ect. and rate how well the employees act toward customers. I have done and I loved it.

Answer 7

it is real, but the fact is it has been made to sound very lucrative and easy money making job which it is not! also, companies that hire for this job dont openly advertise, nd its quite a hush-hush job scenario...