I eat mostly vegetarian, so no goose or chicken for me. (I think they would leave a bitter taste in my mouth, anyway).

I was thinking of a nice carrot-ginger soup since it's supposed to rain tonight.

I think mystery shopping is worth it. I had a really good week. Worked only half of it but made over $600. Oh, and I got groceries, too!

As the son of a cook and grandson of a chef, the kitchen has always been an easy room in which to work. My soup recipe is the epitome of flexibility and takes a maximum of 15 minutes effort. There are just a few requirements and the remainder falls into the "what's in the fridge" category.

Pour 1 quart each of water and tomato juice into a large pot
Add 4 bouillon cubes of beef and/or chicken
Season to taste

Now, here's what I added last Fri.

1/2 onion
1 diced potato
4 canned tomatoes
1 diced carrot
1/2 green pepper
1 stalk of celery
1/8 chopped head of cabbage
1 pork chop
1 chicken thigh
approx. 6 oz. sliced beef
1 cup of brown rice
1 cup of spiral pasta; I don't recall its name.

The above provides approx. 8 large bowls, is very inexpensive and is loaded with nutrients You may need to skip a day between bowls, as it tends to produce gas.

Bob, congratulations again. Your soup with gas is a perfect fit.

I think it's the cabbage that does that. Maybe if I left that out the dog wouldn't need to leave the room later?

Pork, chicken, and beef, rice and pasta -- sounds yummy. Snow is coming this week, maybe I'll give it a try without the cabbage (I can't eat cabbage anyway).

Anybody clicked on our newest friend's name lately

Anyone wanna guess what his former forum name was? I bet the computer sig was the same as biesen.

That would be my guess.

I thought it was awfully peaceful around here.

I just cannot believe those one or two posters...it did sound like a slightly different personality. After all, the bitter herbs added to our soup the second time was willing to at least type to the housewives and part timers...to respond to just about anyone whatever their "title" or time status was. Anyway, however it happened if he/she/it/ they are gone our forum can go back to being wonderful. I like you all, even those I disagree with. And since the entire time I have been a member I have only seen the suggestion of banning come up this once plus with the goose I believe it is not the general rule but only in cases of extreme behavior, which we have just been subjected to, that is if it happened at all.

sandyf,
Like you, I sometimes wonder if this stuff could really have happend at all!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/2013 06:36PM by walesmaven.

Hello everyone. I am very new here. In fact, I haven't done any mystery shopping yet. Here is my situation. I have COPD and I am no longer able to work a full time job. I have breathing difficulties and am on oxygen part of the time. Part of my problem is that I had cancer surgery in 2002 and when they removed the tumor from my chest, my diaphragm was paralyzed on the left side and it pushes up on my lung, making it hard for me to breathe, and its not getting any better. I'm still waiting to hear from Disability as to whether I will get that or not. My doctor and the 2nd opinion doctor the SSA sent me to both said they would do everything they could to get disability for me because of my illness. When and if I get it, I will only be able to make so much $$ working ($1040/month). So I decided to look at mystery shopping. I went to the MSPA site and then happened on this site 2-3 months ago and now I'm just now coming back.

So far it seems like every discussion board I've read here lists so many complaints about all the mystery shop companies. I went to the Top 15 discussion sites to read about those companies, but there was very little good I could find being said about them. So I don't know whether its worth it or not. It sounds like fun on the one hand and yet problematic on the other hand. If I'm going to do it, I need to find a few that are the best companies and that pay halfway decent money because I will be living on part of this, along with a couple of other small jobs and any disability $$ I get. I read somewhere here that we newbies should go out and find out for ourselves which ones are good because everyone here had to work hard to find out for themselves too. I'm hoping someone will understand my situation and will help me find a few of the better companies to start out on my own. I would so appreciate it. I'm not trying to sound "woe is me", but I just wanted yall to know why I could use the help. I just don't have the energy or funds to try 50 or 60 until I find the right one. Are there any good companies or are they all as bad as I keep reading about? If yall still would rather not say anything about which are good, I will understand.

Thank you for any help anyone can give me. By the way, I live in the Houston/Sugar Land, TX area, so I'm assuming there will be a lot of places that use mystery shoppers here.

Thanks so much.

This is very stressful work. I think it's the general consensus that if you don't have the energy to do the research you're not going to have the energy to do the work.

If you read the post titled "Before you ask for a list of the best companies...." or however it's worded, you would know that there is no "best" that anyone can share with you. What's best for you will not be what's best for anyone else.

I will suggest two things: go to Jobslinger and the MSPA job board and search in your area and see what jobs appeal to you and sign up with THOSE companies -- that's how I got started. I'm signed up with about 50 companies but have only shopped for 20 and most of my shops are concentrated between four of them.

The other thing is to focus on phone shops that can be done from your home which will probably be less strenuous for someone with a breathing disorder. They usually pay about $4 to $7 each so you could do ten a day easily, maybe more.

Bank shops are fairly easy and low stress. High stress for me are the fast food shops where you're having to time everything and get descriptions of people and remember exact quote of how they greeted you. Some are less stressful than others; my first shop ever was a sub sandwich shop. I had to go back to the counter four times before I remembered to read her name tag.

DO NOT go to mysteryshoppersonline.com I made that mistake, it's just a place that harvests your email address and then spams you to death.

(I posted before I was really done because I got a phone call.)

A couple more things: do you have transportation? If you don't, then you really should focus on the phone shops, there are quite a few of them. Most shops you have to do alone so if you're dependent on someone to drive you, you will be limited to some extent.

Start with the Jobslinger and MSPA job boards and you will find a variety of shops you can consider. You don't HAVE to sign up with 100 companies, 10 or 12 will be fine initially. But this isn't something anyone here can do for you. You need to do this yourself, as we did, and find what jobs will work for you, especially with your physical limitations.

And welcome to the forum.

Shop2,

So sorry to hear about all your health issues. The problem with a best of list becomes that everyone's standards are so different. 2 of my top 5 tend to be frequently complained about with many people saying to never shop for them. You may hate the kinds of shops I prefer. Couple that with being in Wisconsin and unfortunately I have very little to offer you.

When looking at the complaints here are the things I would consider. If there are multiple shoppers claiming they never were paid, especially shoppers with a long history which you could tell by the number of posts under their name, I would consider that to be a company to stay away from.

For the rest of the threads that start out with somebody complaining about being rejected, I would carefully read through that thread. You will often find somebody at the beginning saying the company is evil and no one should shop for them and then later in the discussion they will admit that they failed to follow some guidelines and now are not getting paid. If in reading some of the threads you find a good mix of people who never had trouble along with those were rejected I would proceed cautiously but it wouldn't be enough to turn me away from shopping for that company.

Shop2drop2, welcome to the forum. I agree phone shops would be a good place for you to start. I don't do phone shops but I do see emails on them from time to time. They seem to pay from $2 to $7, but they wouldn't take long and you could do them from home. That would not be nearly as tiring as field work. Many of us who do this have health issues and we have to deal with our own limitations. I would suggest that at least when you are starting out, you never schedule yourself to work consecutive days. This will help you learn how much and how often you are able to work without putting undue stress on yourself.

Shop2drop2, if you look around you will note that I almost never post to the board any more, in part because every case is different so somehow needs extra help and somehow those who don’t respond with an outpouring of extra help are somehow mean, selfish and cruel. So rather than an individual reply to your PM, here goes for general consumption.

Here is the ‘reality check’. You need to start with the basic companies, learn the business, build your reputation and get the hang of the business. Most ‘good’ companies can afford to be ‘good’ because they can be selective in who they contract with. How can they be selective? Writing samples, prior experience and yes, even somewhat sloppy IQ type tests. The first shop any company awards to you is a gamble: will you perform it? Do it correctly? Do it on time? Submit reports they can use? Maintain anonymity? Confidentiality? Will you be easy to work with or a PITA? Experience is what gives you these qualities and can also give you the self-knowledge of what you can handle so you don’t bite off more than you can produce. So even if there were 7 absolutely fantastic companies in your backyard, you would be foolish to try contracting with them first because those are the 7 companies you would LEAST like to have turn you down on first glance as ‘inexperienced’ as well as being the 7 you would LEAST like to have reject a shop and cross you off as a shopper. That is why there is a list of a few companies in the New Mystery Shopper section of companies to start with that have work virtually everywhere and are generally pretty easy to deal with as you gain experience. They are good for getting started and if you love them, continue working for them as you slowly add new companies.

Who shops your area that is ‘good’? The only way I would know that is if a shopper friend who lived there told me because that is not my stomping grounds, and if it were my stomping grounds I am looking to those companies for my own livelihood. Another little factor—this is not a business where what is ‘good’ for one shopper is ‘good’ for another. I thrive on narrative while others do not. I thrive on variety while others prefer the same shop over and over in different locations. I’m willing to wait 90 days for pay and reimbursement for some ‘plum’ shops/companies while others need to see pay and reimbursement in 2 weeks. I’m not willing to travel far distances without appropriate compensation for mileage while others run routes to achieve enough to cover their travel expense.

Running your own business (and that is what all of this is about) requires that you be firmly in the driver’s seat and strongly motivated to do what it takes to make it work. You and you alone are responsible for your success or failure. Nobody can build your business for you, there is no ‘magic information’ that anyone can impart that will make you a success. This forum has the resources you need to help you succeed but you are the one who needs to make use of those resources. Nobody owes you anything except polite courtesy you earn. There is no substitute for doing the jobs, gaining the experience and knowing yourself and your limitations so that you do not exceed your capabilities. And realize that your capabilities include your health, the reliability of your vehicle, familial constraints, what you can invest in your business and what you need out of it.

A lot of the stores have Progresso soup on sale. My favorite is the Clam Chowder.

Thanks for your replies to my questions. Your information really was very helpful to me. Between looking at the companies here and paying attention to comments made about them, going to the MSPA and looking at their shops and then checking them for reviews online, I have a bit of a feel for a couple of the companies. Where do I read about "phone companies"? I'm not familiar with that. I'll look around here and see if I can find a thread about that. Oh, and I do have a car, so that's no problem. Of course, as much as gas has gone up around here this past week, I might not can afford to even leave my driveway!!! A friend of mine said near her house, gas went up 20 cents in less than an hour!!

One more question, I found a company called Customer Perspectives. Its on the MSPA site but I couldn't find it here. It wasn't on the long list of companies that are on this site. It looks like a good company, but I wondered if any of you have ever heard of it.

One thing I'm using as a measuring stick for the companies is how their website looks and is set up. Some of them are just plain ugly and they don't have a lot of information, or the info they have about mystery shopping is not as easy to find or as thorough as other sites. I also notice how they pay and how long it takes. Things like the organization of the website might mean that they are more (or less) organized in how they deal with their shoppers, pay them, etc. One of the sights was an ugly lime green and didn't seem to have as much information. I said, "Never mind them!!"

Thanks again for taking the time to answer my concerns. You have all made me feel very welcome here. I appreciate that very much.

shop2drop2, I opened an email a few minutes ago from Intellishop offering a phone shop. They are a reputable company and they pay as agreed. They have a longer than usual pay cycle, so take a look at that before you commit. I have been shopping for them for a few years and am entirely happy with the relationship. Some, on the other hand, prefer companies that pay quicker.

Sounds to me like you've got the skills to make a good mystery shopper. You know how to do research and your intuition is good.

Kern Scheduling is another source to check. They schedule for several companies.

Be aware that "easy phone shops" may be shops done from your phone, or may be shops where you go to a store and inquire about buying a phone. There are TONS of the latter -- they're actually fairly easy shops most of the time too -- but you have to go to them.

I have been doing this for about 4 months now and am seeing a steady increase in how much I make each month. I am only signed up with about 6 companies and really only work for 2 of them and they are the big ones. This is how I am getting my foot in the door. I check the job boards, show up for the jobs that I have signed up for and read this forum a lot. It has been slow going for me but I am not putting in tons of time. What I do see is better paying jobs showing up on the boards. In just 4 months I am getting a lot better assignments that are paying more. A little patience helps. I am also disabled and have not found this to be physically challenging but I am careful when I read the descriptions of the jobs so I do not take on more than I can handle. It is fun and frustrating but does add a few $$ to the monthly nut.

shop2drop2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> One thing I'm using as a measuring stick for the
> companies is how their website looks and is set
> up. Some of them are just plain ugly and they
> don't have a lot of information, or the info they
> have about mystery shopping is not as easy to find
> or as thorough as other sites. I also notice how
> they pay and how long it takes. Things like the
> organization of the website might mean that they
> are more (or less) organized in how they deal with
> their shoppers, pay them, etc. One of the sights
> was an ugly lime green and didn't seem to have as
> much information. I said, "Never mind them!!"

You might want to reconsider using the aesthetics of a website as a barometer of how an MSC conducts business. Although it would seem to make sense to judge a company by this standard, some of the most reputable companies with steady work have unattractive or cumbersome websites. That is unfortunate, but it's just the way it is.

I agree with Shopgal regarding the looks of a website as a judge of the company. There's one company I work with fairly regularly and finding the sign up link was a real pain. I later found out that they use it as a gauge to how serious a person is about shopping, that is if you're willing to take the time to find what you need on their site, they figure you will devote the same effort to their shops.

The pay for this company is average but they pay on, or ahead, of schedule.

A poorly constructed website could also be the result of an MSC's current focus being diverted on other operations. It's like one former boss told me a long time ago when I was being promoted,"You can't manage 100% of the things to 100% of your ability 100% of the time."

So if the trade-off for an MSC is between having a sexy cyberspace presence or solid communication with its shoppers, timely accurate pay, clear and understandable assignment guidelines, sensible and reasonable editing with positive feedback, or any number of other attributes that make our jobs easier and more pleasant, please give me the hokey-looking website every time.

The site doesn't matter as long as I can get on and get a job.

And they pay you!

Absolutely. The site doesn't matter as long as I can get on and get a job and they pay me.

Yes, yall are probably right about the website. I guess I'm thinking "first impressions are important." Also, my son used to make websites, and his were so classy and different. Anyway, I will definitely keep that in mind.

I think I can do the mystery shopping okay. My background is as an administrative assistant/secretary for 20+ years, so I have organizational skills and good grammar, spelling skills. As long as I have my walker or a grocery cart to lean on and my oxygen and I don't have to walk around a store for 2-3 hours, I do fairly well, like when I go grocery shopping.

Mary Davis, I see you are from North Texas, and I also noticed that someone is from Austin. Nice to have other Texans here!! My oldest son lives in Austin.

I feel better about everything reading all your positive posts this time. Thanks again!!

Shop2drop2, in case you haven't already discovered, avoid IKEA like the plague.

Shop2drop2, are you in Texas?