Mystery Shoppers

danimarie88 · June 2011

Have any of you ladies ever done a mystery shopping assignment through a legit agency? I'm not even sure if there are "legit" agencies, but I have heard several people talking about them. I have done a little searching on the internet and found out that most are scams.

I did come across consumerjournal.org and they have 3 legitimate shopping providers listed. The one I was looking into was "Mystery Shoppers America" and the only downfall is you have to pay a one time fee to participate.

I have a full-time job at a daycare, but the pay is low and i'm looking to go back to school this fall. I just figured doing the secret shopper gig once or twice a week would be nice for a few extra bucks.

Maybe this isn't the best option, but I'm still interested in hearing what you all think!

belmont1785 · June 2011

In college I signed up (it cost $100) to join....I dont remember the name of the agency I went through....But it wasnt a good way to make money....they had way more shoppers than assignments and you had to be the type of person that could drop everything and go do it that second. They wouldnt post the jobs until hours before they had to be done, so if you like last minute notice it would be fine. I dropped it before I really got a great feel for it but it was because it just wasnt fitting into my schedule...

sarahmf13 · June 2011

I did it fore awhile, and while it was a good experience I ended up putting in more time than it was worth. It's not something that you can count on for supplemental income for the most part. My only advice is that you should NEVER have to pay to become a mystery shopper. They are hiring you to become an independent contractor, so there is no reason why you should be having to pay them for your services. I was signed up with like 6-7 companies that assigned jobs in the area, and none of them require you to pay anything to sign up. Also, just be advised that as agreeing to become an independent contractor, you are required to report all earnings and fill out a W-9 on your own. The only thing you have to do to sign up is fill out an application, which is usually pretty long and requires you to do quite a bit of writing so they get a sense of your writing style. If you have any more questions or want a list of some companies in the area, shoot me a PM.

ariel06 · June 2011

You should never have to paid to join. I get emails of the assignments for the next couple weeks and you email back to get assigned to them. The more you do, the more higher paying ones you are offered. A lot of the food ones only pay for what you bought and you had to bring another person. Bestmark is one of the ones I liked working for.

BeccaMarie · June 2011

I shopped for Ritter in college, and it was a great experience.

A little extra cash and free stuff - it worked for me. (I primarily did shops for a sub chain - free lunch! And internal age/compliance checks on tobacco/alcohol for a gas station chain - my smoker friends loved me!)

I would NEVER pay to be a mystery shopper though.

ilovemypugs · June 2011

I actually just completed a mystery shop today. I am signed up for a bunch of companies and will do them occasionally, but like other posters mentioned, it's not really a great way to make money. Most shops pay pretty low. The one I did today paid a $5 fee, plus a $7 bonus and then reimburses $10 for an item. One I did last week paid a $25 reimbursement plus $5 for doing the shop. So, not really a source of income. But, it is a good way to get a free meal or make a purchase essentially for free. I haven't paid to sign up for any of the companies I am signed up for.

I can email you the list of companies I am signed up for if you are still interested. Just PM me your email address!

danimarie88 · June 2011

Thanks for all of the replies! I by no means would be quitting my day job! I just wanted to see if I could get some extra cash or merchandise for free. Your advice is appreciated

ilovemypugs · June 2011

I replied to your PM

MrsKizdoodle · June 2011

I would never pay in to be able to do that. That sounds scam-ish to me.

Good luck with it!

ilovebijou · June 2011

I've done shops through secretshopper.com although there don't seem to be many available shops lately. The food ones are nice because you can go out to eat for free but some of the other ones just don't seem worth the time. I've never paid to be a mystery shopper. You do need to take a few online tests first to get approved.

ilovemypugs- I sent you a PM:)

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