If you want to learn a lot of about mystery shopping, make friends, and have a little bit of fun…then participating in a ‘mystery shopping forum’ just might be for you.
A forum is a meeting place. It is an online discussion group. It is a place to ask questions and share your knowledge. But forums are also about making friends and building a community. In an ‘anonymous’ profession like mystery shopping, they can be a great way to connect with other people who are just like you.
One thing to keep in mind though: Forums can be addicting. You might notice yourself spending more and more time reading the forum, and less and less time actually out there mystery shopping.
There are a lot of mystery shopping forums out there — some of them big, some small. Each is different in its own way. There are even ‘private’ forums out there, that you have to be invited to. The best way to get invited to one of those is to become a valuable participant in a public forum.
Here is a list of some forums:
- MysteryShopForum – This is my favorite mystery shopping forum! OK…so that’s because I started it…but it has a core group of members who are fun, intelligent, and very helpful. It’s a great group and I highly recommend that you join them.
- Volition Forums — This is the ‘big’ mystery shopping forum. It has been around a long time, and has a lot of members. It is also very strict. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, because it does help keep such a big community under control.
- MSFreedom – This forum requires registering before you can read anything. It has a solid community and good discussions.
- MSPA Forums – This is the forum put on by the Mystery Shopping Providers Association. It is not very active, but the ‘beginners’ section has some good information for, well, beginners.
There are other forums out there, but most aren’t very active. If you know of any more, feel free to post one in the comments section below!
This is a good read. I’m new at Mystery Shopping, haven’t gone on a job yet. I’m eager to learn how to have fun, be professional and make good money.
IF YOU LIKE MAKING 5 DOLLARS PER HOUR |Mystery shopping IS for YOU>(ive been on a few) this is perhaps the biggest economical scam that you can pull on yourself. It takes about ***1 AND 1/2 hour***** (THATS ABOUT 90 MINUTES TO MAKE YOUR 5-10 BUCKS)…to COMPLETE a Shop…from Acceptance to Report Completion and Manager Approval..AND that is the Truth.{AND YOU STILL HAVE NOT GOT PAID YET}[IF THEY APPROVE YOUR WORK-THAT COMES LATER] Hopefully it will not take you long to figure out that you are NOT doing THIS for the Money BUT RATHER Because of what you were S O L D in the advertising to ‘sign-up’ to become a mystery shopper. OH THE ALLURE OF BECOMING A M Y S T E R Y S H O P P E R ! HA HA HA. HERE’S YOUR SIGN, I mean for example: lets say they pay you 5-10 bucks to go do a mystery shop. YOU THEN get dressed up to look the part-and lets say that takes 10-15 MINUTES to look good,and then you drive a couple of miles to the location-another 10-15 MINUTES(lets just say that includes time to park your car and go inside), then you spend about a half-an-hour(30 MINUTES) in the store, then you make some notes in your car-5 MINUTES, then you drive home-10 or 15 MINUTES(including parking and getting back inside your place. Now lets see, oh yeah, the report.
well that should only take 10-15 MINUTES-if all goes well with the computer, the fax line, the phone line, the response time trying to reach someone and waiting additional MINUTES for them to respond so you can re-enter all your info because you have been timed-out from the BIG computer and so if you do not have to wait and have any additional problems . . .and when it is all said and done Take your 5 dollars and Deduct some GAS money and take the rest and laugh all the way to “THEIR BANK” cause you do not make enough to drive to ‘your bank’. ……maybe we can get them to send you the F i v e
in the mail . . .
Jacob:
How you doing, I have a question about the $5.00 shops Boycot, I don’t receive any more news about it; what about slow pay shops.
I appreciate it if you give a letter about it.
Thank you and have a good day.
I am with Randall. Those $5-$10 shop are not worth your while. There should have been a boycott on them. I never accept them.
I have to agree with the above. I am new to this and after the first week, I knew the $5 – $10 shops aren’t worth the time it takes to do the “requirement” for the shop. And forget about being paid if you are not up to their standards. Think twice about which ones you accept. It is about time these companies realize we are real people trying to earn some money and they should definately think about raising their fees.
I agree about the 5-10 dlls shops. we don’t even pay for gas. But I have a concern, A company named GAP sent me a check for $3,650.00 and I supposed to shop at Macy’s and send 2 money order to two different people working there, they are paying me $100.00 but nthey does not specify business addresses, the ones I supposed to check. Please let me know if this is real, what do I do with the check. the name appears on the check is SHAMIN AHMED, 9431 59TH AVE, ELMHURST NY. do I sent the check back to him at this address? PLEASE ADVISE. thanks
Please do not send any money to anyone or atleast not any of your own. Take a check to a bank to check out to see if it is real or fake. Do what you feel is correct.
hi. i have a concern that is making me uncomfortable. there is a company in chicago for mystery shopping, at least they say that, that says they will pay me 500 per week doing mystery shopping for them. i agree and now the send my pay and first assignment BEFORE i make the job. they even send the money for making the shops. but the amount of the check is really big, taking in mind that mystery shopping pay a misery on each task. we are talking of three ceros. now i do not know what to do. what if i send the money on my name and it is not legal. i really want the job. i need it but….. if anybody knows about this company please reply coylehos steel co. inc in chicago. thanks so much
Do alot of research before making any moves. Check it out with the Better Business Bureau.
Huh! I just got a hit from Miland Steel Company out of Kansas City, Missouri….same deal – they send you a check for like $3500 and you take $500 out for yourself and the rest is either a Money Gram transaction back to that company…a shopping trip for like $60 – and you get to keep the merchandise….sounds dicey to me!
First to address the issue of the 5-10 dollar jobs. Some companies will only let you start off by doing the small paying jobs. They do this to make sure you are going to do the job for them and do it right. After doing 1-2 small jobs, alot of times (if the quality is good), they will start sending you higher paying jobs. Another thing to do is sign up on as many companies as possible (I am signed up on 53) and do as many jobs as you can in one day in the same area. That is the only way I will do the small paying jobs. Sometimes I do as many 7 jobs in one day and can make $150.00 to $200.00.
Now for the checks….DO NOT DO IT!!!. If it sounds to good to be true it is. Alot of time you can go to the company’s website the individual says they work for and the website will tell you it is a scam and they are not involved with it. I have seen some with a BBB tag on it and when you click the tag it is for a different company. It is illegal to send the money Western Union unless you know the person you are sending it too. There isn’t any Mystery Shopping Company that is reputable that will ask you to do this.
If you have any questions feel free to email me….christinalong34@hotmail.com.
Macy,s and Gap are going out of business!!!!!!!
scams galore…by our very nature we are the epitome of the good guy scam artist…we pretend to be something that we are not. frankly though for a good reason. we are looking to catch the bad guy/poor employee or bad businsess practice in our efforts so i am ok with my premeditated pack of lies—all in the name of improving business practices—so that others my have a more pleasurable shopping experience. having worked retail in a previous life i hated hearing that we were going to be ‘mystery-shopped’…how dare someone waste my time…after all i was one of the good guys…truly…i gave everyone the same level of impeccable service time and again….but it was not me that they were after…it was the other guy…but the business owner just wanted prove that you were doing the job in a no.1 fashion and that no doubt you had his best interests in mind…dummys reduce business and cause low sales and sometime cause a business to actually fail…so if i deceive you for the grand purpose of the ultimate scam…but for the purpose of helping the business stay in business then i have done my job…i do not give high score to morans…i call ‘em like i see ‘em…and for the most part i observe alot of good folks doing a good job. then there are the other people….we are the ones we are there to observe…no doubt if business were booming there might be less of a need for us….we are truly a public servant…so i look at my job as a mystery shopper as a very important one, although a rather unfortunate reality of business. while hordes of businesses are currently failing all around us consider this…your best scam skills may very well be the actions thay save your neighborhood business from going under. i put on my best scamming game face for the absolute benefit of the honorable business owners that hope to not go under. i am the epitome of a very Good scam artist and proud of it.
I WILL NOT EVEN CONSIDER APPLYING FOR A JOB THAT PAYS LESS THAN $ 18.
Minimun wage is $7. something, Most MS job take 2 hours of your time..
You are working for less than minimum wage if you perform MS assigments that pay $12 to complete,
As MS are independent contractors, I often send notices to the schedulers stating that I an interested in, and would be happy to complete the assignment , but i must decline as it is m opinion that the compensation level is unacceptable to an experienced behavior analyist.
RITA, go to IC3.gov…….turn it over to the feds
Well,this year everybody is about politics anyways.My experience was express well,empowered well,the effect was unexpressive.
I’m a very good worker. I’m a very reliable person and I’m a focus person. You won’t be sorry for giving me a chance. I’m very responsible person always on time. I like to dance and sing. I like to meeting people. I like to do anything exciting.
I’m a very good worker. I’m a very reliable person and I’m a focus person. You won’t be sorry for giving me a chance. I’m very responsible person always on time. I like to dance and sing. I like to meeting people. I like to do anything exciting.
I’VE APPLYED FOR THIS JOB I GOT MY AISSAMENTI I COMPLETED AND I SENT ALL INFO BACK TO THEM AND THE CHECK DID NOT CLEAR. WHAT CAN I DO TO CLEAR. THIS PLEASE HELP ME?
I am new at mystery shopping and would like some feedback on which companies have lots of shops in Canada, Saskatchewan in particular. I spent lots of time applying for one company to find they had no shops in Canada although they claimed to.
well mi q is how does this work! do u get a check or u just go were they tell you to go n they expect u to be their. do i need to give a down payment to get in n is it going to afect me if i dnt do anything of he service you tell me about, do i chose them wel aws you can see i have to many questions!
lets shop i need a income thank you
Just a quick note as to mystery shopping companies that provide you with the money up front–ITS A SCAM–never do it espcially if they want you to deposit it into your bank account and then wire it via money gram or western union–
I hear that there are some good companies and bad companies to work for–anyone have some feedback on which ones are good?
i am looking to make extria money.
i am looking for a good part time job as a mystryshopper. let me konw of a good one.
I am interested in applying for a mystery shopper job. Any advice?
Linda Lollis
Has anyone ever heard of a mystery shopper company called Micro Consult Concepts Inc. run by a dennis huntt or donald stafford?
I also want to becoming a mystery shopper with good companies but not sure how to get started with the right one please help
John posted April 30.2009 “Just a quick note as to mystery shopping companies that provide you with the money up front–ITS A SCAM–never do it espcially if they want you to deposit it into your bank account and then wire it via money gram or western union–” CAN you explain how the scam works? I’m at the start of just such an offering.
My name is William. I hail from Kenya. I am interested in mystery shopping assignments. Please feel free to contact me. I am hardworking, reliable, innovative.
regrds
william
micro consult concepts inc
Is this a good company do they really pay $400. per week?
Those checks are fake. I just want towork
Thankyou. very new at this hopefully I will sucseed in finding work
Thankyou. very new at this hopefully I will sucseed in finding work veryhard worker and reliable
If u get a check in the mail for 3,000 it is not real its a fuckn scam and u will have to pay it back if u cash the check
I am trying to find out if I join the Mystery Shopper do I have to use my only money if I buy things for the club.I can”t get anyone to tell me how it works. Thank You
Check this website out about GfK’s Mystery Shopping:
http://www.gfkamerica.com/practice_areas/customer_loyalty/mystery_shopping/index.en.html
I do not know much about mystery shopping but I am very interested. This website helped me to gain a lot of knowledge and excitement about the subject.
I like mystery shopping. I wish I could make $150-$200 in a day, but that has never happened. I look at mystery shopping as a means to an end. I get paid to eat and shop. I try to combine as many shops as possible into one location to save on gas. I take shops in areas will I will be anyway. I have never had to have my reports reviewed before they are submitted. Do I like that I receive my pay one to two months later, no, but I understand it is a business and the mystery shopping company is waiting on their pay from the client before they can pay us.
I’ve just got my mystery check for $3,990 but I made a research on the subject and it’s obvious that is a scam. By the way I called the company and there was an answering service and they have never called me back yet. Either way I’m gonna deposit the check and see what happens.
I have a question or a few i havent signed up yet…im still doing my research but w these companys how often do they pay you?? Do they expect you to pay for everything when u go shopping or how does that work??? Which companys are leGit??? Please let me kno..thanks!
I’ve done mystery shopping for awhile. I did the research, sign up for multiple companies, work directly with schedulers, sign up for postings with Volition, JobSlinger, MSPA, multiple forums, etc. And I’m Silver Certified as a mystery shopper.
NOTE: Please understand this is my opinion. When it is all said and done, it is not worth the effort you have to put in to get paid the miserable low pay the companies are offering you to mystery shop. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who are new to mystery shopping and they will accept the low paying shops. They are not really aware of how much time, effort, cost it takes to complete a shop. The companies want you to complete a profile, thats ok, thats like completing an application. Then you will have many shops emailed to you and then you will have to review the shops and determine if you qualify for a shop. Next you will have to wait to see if they (companies) approve you for the shop. Please keep in mind, some companies want you to view a video, review guidelines, take tests, etc before they even consider you for a shop that probabbly pays $5 – $10. This will also be an additional hour of your time. Please keep in mind some companies, want you to retest every month for job assignments because they will have updates on their guidelines regularly. Next each company have instructions or guidelines that a mystery shopper must follow and per the instructions of the shop, when you complete the shop, there might be certain tools you need to adequately complete a successful shop. For example, digital camera, landline phone, cell phone, scanner, printer, fax, copier, internet access, voice recorder, video recorder, automobile, children, or no children, credit card, debit card, banking account, investment account, etc. The list can continue to grow, I just named a few basics. Please keep in mind that it is taken granted that people have these tools, but keep in mind these tools cost monies. Please note these shops are not paying a lot of money to complete. Know lets look at once you complete a shop, the companies will sell a line and say “its easy to complete online”, this may not be the case. Every companies online system is different. You will have to navigate through there system. Since they want a perfect report, it is recommended that you have microsoft word….Oh by the way, typing the report on their system is suicide because the system can lose the report, the internet can go down, computer can crash, etc. Therefore, you will have to type the report on microsoft word and then transfer it to their system. This process can be time consuming. I can type 65 wpm and this will probably take me about an hour….Please understand I’m experience at this level, before it took me about 2 to 3 hours to complete a report. Now you can do multiple shops in on day and try to earn $100 to $200 a day. But you better believe you will be working your tail off. Which still equates to minimum wage or less and you will be working over a 16 hour work day.
Know I’m going to give you a little bit of my background. I’m a small business owner. Actually, I own a registered investment advisory firm. I have 25 plus years experience in financial analysis, financial reporting, stock, bonds, mutual funds, etc. I opt to do the mystery shopping as a means to earn a little money on the side while we are in this economic crisis. I thought it would allow me the luxury of trying to save my business in this economic crisis and give me spending money to help make ends meets, and provide me with flexibility to jungle the task at hand. Here is my response to this: IT DID NOT HELP….. My top pay was $400 for one month….I worked so hard with this that I realize I spent more hours trying to comply and complete the shop than what the pay was worth. My cost analysis is this, it cost more money to have internet, lights, electricity, ink & paper for printer, than it was worth. Please not, I’m very organized and I don’t care what others say, it is a scam that the schedulers and companies can milk a hard working person to the ground with cheap labor. If mystery shoppers accept low paying shop, they will continue to take advantage of people. I would rather go work at Walmart….at least they pay $10/hr and if I have to work a 40 hr week, at least I’m making 400 per week instead of 400 per month with more working hours.
Good Luck, If anybody knows how to supplement income much easier than mystery shopping please let me know.
Thanks,
mysteryshopperguru@gmail.com
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