What has your mystery shopping experience been like so far?

I could say ok not quite what I've expected. Some of these companies pay $8 or $10 but we have to wait 1 1/2 or 2 months to receive the payments, Some of these shops are very much underpay for the amount of information and task we have to preform.

1. How long have you been mystery shopping?
I have been a shopper about close to 3 months now

2. How many mystery shopping jobs have you done?
I have done 15 shops

3. How many companies have you applied to?
I have lost count maybe to 50 of them

4. Is there anything you’d like to know that would help you with your mystery shopping?
Yes, some of these companies that we apply to, we have to wait until they assign us the shops. I was wondering if by been certify would that increase the chances of getting more shops.

5. Any positive experiences you’d like to share?
One of the companies I like to work with is Meritz, they are flexible with the time frame and the waiting period to receive payment is not as long as other companies.

6. Any negative experiences you’d like to warn other mystery shoppers about?
Some of the staff that we do the shops for can be unprofessional and rude. I have decided not to apply with those companies.

What has your mystery shopping experience been like so far?

I could say ok not quite what I've expected. Some of these companies pay $8 or $10 but we have to wait 1 1/2 or 2 months to receive the payments, Some of these shops are very much underpay for the amount of information and task we have to perform.

1. How long have you been mystery shopping?
I have been a shopper about close to 3 months now

2. How many mystery shopping jobs have you done?
I have done 15 shops

3. How many companies have you applied to?
I have lost count maybe to 50 of them

4. Is there anything you’d like to know that would help you with your mystery shopping?
Yes, some of these companies that we apply to, we have to wait until they assign us the shops. I was wondering if by been certify would that increase the chances of getting more shops.

5. Any positive experiences you’d like to share?
One of the companies I like to work with is Meritz, they are flexible with the time frame and the waiting period to receive payment is not as long as other companies.

6. Any negative experiences you’d like to warn other mystery shoppers about?
Some of the staff that we do the shops for can be unprofessional and rude. I have decided not to apply with those companies.

To Marie - my guess is that you aren't getting a response because your post is vague. Please reply and tell us more. Like who did you send $100 to? There is a website called ripoff where you can go and enter the name of the company you sent $100 to. Then you can see if someone else has complained and if you have been scammed

In the meantime, please see the list that Jacob has posted with 250+ companies to register with for free. Its awesome! I have registered with 50 or more and its time consuming but hopefully something will come of it. I guess I will need to get certified as all the jobs seem to be grabbed up right away.

Hi, I have been mystery shopping off and on for probably 5 years now. it was slow getting started. No one wants to give someone who has never mystery shopped a job.
I did find a company that gave me a chance and I have been quite successful with them now for 5 years.
The companies dont come looking for you, you have to go find them. When I first started there was not much information out there on this type of work.

I have only been scammed by 1 company and that was 2 years ago. I had done several jobs for them and was never paid. A lawyer contacted me and asked how much the company owed me. I have not heard from him since.

My shopping experiences have pretty much been alright I get paid for the work I do. Yes I am MSPA Silver certified. It does make a difference in getting shops. the companies tell you that it doesn't but it does. I am signed up right now with 60 different companies. I have not got work from ALL of them yet but I do get quite alot of shops throughtout the month.

I have been shopping since mid September of 06 and have done over 60 shops. I shop part time, usually 2 or three in the evenings after my full time job and 3 or 4 each on Saturday and Sunday. I have applied to numberous comapies, probaby about 30, but find most of my assignments come from 5 steady MSPs. I would love info on a place that lists companies by the region they cover. I spend a lot of time appying to companies that do not service my area, only to find that out after applying and checking their listings for a couple of weeks. I figure it does not hurt to be on their roster if they ever do open up in my area.

I have had some very positive experiences with schedulers, Jeff from ICCDS and Lynn from Satisfaction Services. Trend Source has been wonderul as well, both with bonuses and PDAs.

I guess the only negative I have really run into was the day I woke up with the beginings of a migrane. I should not have shopped that day, but I was afraid of what would happen if I cancelled. I ended up screwing up two of three shops since I was more concerned with when the migrane would actually hit. It actually hit when I was inputting my last shop. One was disqualified because I screwed up the actual shop and one for a lousy input. I knew I should have stayed in bed that day.

Which brings me to a question, do you cancel if you are not feeling well? Which impacts you more, a bad shop or a cancellation?

Hi, my name is Darla and I have been doing mystey shopping for a little over 3 months. I have probably done well over 50 shops for several different companies. Every mystery shopping company that I have applied for has sent me jobs. I do not have any negative comments except that some of them take too long to pay. I just figured that was because they have to verify everything in the reports. As for positive, I guess I would say that I have fun and get paid to eat, shop, stay in a hotel, etc.
I would definitely stay away from any company that wants money from you in order to sign up for there services. I do not pay for any mystery shopping companies.
3

I've been a mystery shopper for a few months. I travel as an Evangelish/Missionary. So far I've only had one job, but now that I'll be in the same place for a couple of months, maybe I'll get some jobs.
I'd like to know what I have to do to get that number you're able to get and give out instead of giving my social security number everytime I want to sign up with another mystery shopping company.
Thanks,
Dorothy Rino

HI I STARTED DOING MYSTERY SHOPPING FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS NOW,I STARTED WITH SHADOW SHOPPER AND ONLY A FEW OTHER COMPANY I APPLIED FOR.I'M SELF EMPLOYED AND WORK FULL TIME,I TRIED THIS BECAUSE I ALWAYS WANTED TO DO THAT KIND OF WORK.WHERE I LIVE THERE'S NOT BIG CITIES SO THERE'S NOT A LOT OF JOBS.OVERHAUL I LIKE THE EXPERIENCE BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I'LL DO THAT FOR LONG.THANK YOU FOR READING THIS.

Jacob,
I know mystery shopping is a fun job but I've not really had much jobs yet. This is due to the fact that I'm finding it difficult to pass the certification exams for most of these companies and it's frustrating. I'm still encouraging myself to keep trying I just get stranded after reading everything and answering to the best of your ability and you still did not pass. I will still keep keeping on.

One of the requirements for filing acceptable shopping reports is good English and another is the ability to give comprehensive summaries. It may be a lack in one of these categories that prevents some of you from being certified or called.

I have done about 25 mystery shops over the past year, But I do it part time and it pays for my car payment.Which is what I wanted it to do in the first place.

I have been shopping for one month and have sucessfully completed 10 shops. I am currantly registered with 4 companies but will be registering with more as soon as I check out their reputations. I have been paid for all my shops and have had no problem getting jobs. Most of my shops have been very pleasent and a lot of fun. I only had one bad experience and that was doing a theatre assignment. The General Manager did not want me or any one else doing the shop. She refused to give me any imformation about their daily receipts and made me wait two hours after the last movie was done before telling me that she would not be giving me any imformation. I try to choose the shops that are going to pay me what the job is worth to me in time and what I have to spend to do the shop.

What has your mystery shopping experience been like so far?

I would appreciate it if you could answer the following questions(not necessary, but useful!)

1. How long have you been mystery shopping? 3 months
2. How many mystery shopping jobs have you done? 1
3. How many companies have you applied to? 12 aprox
4. Is there anything you’d like to know that would help you with your mystery shopping? i didnt keep track of my records. i did a shop for kays jewelery in huntsville and decatur alabama. i got a call that said i needed more information in my report, so i emailed them and gave more detail. I have yet to get paid for those two shops.
5. Any positive experiences you’d like to share? I have done 2 audit jobs for tenn connections, and have been very good experiences but, have not been paid for those either.
6. Any negative experiences you’d like to warn other mystery shoppers about? keep good records!!

Thank you for your feedback!

Also, if you have any questions about mystery shopping...please create a new discussion in the main forum.

I am a fairly new Mystery Shopper. I have been conducting shops since September of 2006. Before I started shopping I conducted a Literature Search about the industry of Mystery Shopping for about 3 or 4 months. I was fortunate to locate the Mystery Shoppers Providers Association and applied for Silver Certification online and; attended a Gold workshop in New York in October then tested for Gold Certification. These certifications have been helpful because I learned about the professional ethics for Mystery shopping and I learned what the industry expects of its shoppers. I also learned how to write objective reports. At the New York Gold Certification workshop I received a manual listing Mystery Shopping companies which are affiliated with the MSPA. I have used these free resources to apply with many of the Mystery Shopping companies I work for free.

Since September I have conducted about 36 shops. They have ranged from hair care and reveal audits, restaurants, electronics, vision shops, financial and bank shops, gift store and card shops and weight loss shops. In Sept/October I earned about $200 and so far in November I have earned about $283. My payments have just begun to come in since many of the shops pay 60 days after the last day of the month that you conducted the shop. I have also established a paypal account to manage my earning from most of these companies. The fees I have earned are deposited into the paypal account. Pay Pals notifies you once the money is deposited in your account.

I have applied to many sites probably over 50. Not all of them have projects in my area. The companies work differently. Some will email you when there are shops in your area; some have self select assignments others may contact you by telephone. It really depends on the agency. I try to sign up with one or two new companies each day.

I am trying to expand to conduct more audits and merchandising. However, I read forums which often complain about assignments which get added on. Is anyone area of good merchandising companies that service NE Ohio? It seems that merchandising pay is better more stable and long term. I cam be reached at Luciccham@hotmail.com

I became disabled a few years back and Mystery shopping provides an outlet for me. It gets me out of the house a few hours most days and offers an opportunity to supplement my fixed monthly income. These are positive experiences for me and I feel productive and useful. I think that Mystery Shoppers provide valuable customer service information to retailers.

I also think it is very important to maintain contact with your scheduler through email or via the phone. Especially when you anticipate there may be problems with your shop. The schedulers can be helpful and accommodating.

When you sign up with a lot of companies it can be difficult to keep track of all the user names and passwords. I try to use the same username and password when you are allowed to self select. This makes it easier to sign in to check the job boards, input reports etc. I also find it helpful to maintain a password file with all of the passwords, user ID’s etc. Organization has been the key for me for being a successful Mystery Shopper

I have been shopping for approx.4 months.I signed up to 60 different companys.
I have been receiving about 15 shop notifications a day. So far I have shopped 20 assingments. I pick and choose what I want. So far I have been paid within 45 days. When I first started I singed up with shadow shoppers. So far I have no complaints about them except when they send a notice for a shop they really do not go into to much detail unless you submit a bio and they forward it. I rather know what Im requesting before I send any info in.
I also feel that some of the companys you shop for want alot of info for what they are willing to pay. I have been staying away from the $5.00-$12.00 assignments. I have shopped for Martiz on two seperate auto dealerships. And found the fee very satisfactory.

I would like to give you some feedback, but since I applied I have not been assigned any shops yet. Can you help me tell me, why is it taking so like for a respond?

I have been mystery shopping for two months. I have a part time job thats permanent setting up store with coupon machine and merchandising, I really enjoy it and have a great boss to work with. I also have done two other jobs one restaurant and one lasik vision shop. I enjoy both these jobs also. I have turn down a lot of jobs because they don't pay enought and the gas would be more than what i got paid. I'm retired and enjoy this work. I will do all of the jobs where i make a little bit of money.

I haven't recieved any assignments in my area, so I can't comment on my experiences. Please send me some assignments asap and I will be happy to complete them

I have been mystery shopping since June 2006. I love it. I have had only one bad experience. I was so upset with the situation that I didn't even care that I didn't get paid. It was a shop for one of those drive up quick oil change locations. The technician lied to me about the fluids that my car needed. I know this because I maintain my vehicle on a monthly basis.
I have completed over 40 shops since I have started. I have a very high rating. I shop for one company in particular. I get most of my leads from volition.com. I have applied to alot of companiesover 75. I don't get work from all of them. I do take last minute work just to get my foot in the door. I started doing fast food shops. Today I got two shops for fine dining. I did a grocery store shop today and have 3 for tomorrow.

Hi Jacob, I want to thank you for your information about all the Mystery Shopping Companies available. They have been extrememly helpful. I have been doing this for almost a year now and I am now starting to actually make money. I work for about 15 companies regularly and am still registering with others. There are certain ones that have more jobs in certain states than others and I have had to go through and find the ones for my area. I have had dispatching experience and that has helped me a lot being able to schedule the jobs on certain days in certains areas for different companies. That definitely helps on the expense end of it. You have got to be able to "hustle" so to speak. At first its hard when you are putting money out on all your jobs and it takes 30-60 days to get a paycheck, but once you figure out what companies you like and have your paychecks coming in, its great!!! I love it. Good Luck to you all,

To Adenike Matthews on passing the certification tests for mystery shops. My Advice as a two year veteran mystery shopper:

Treat the test as OPEN Book, by that I mean, print out the manual and look up the answers as you are taking the test. This should make passing the tests a sure thing.

I have not received an assignment.......

i am very disappointed at this time on mystery shopping. i have applied to several places, and they all want me to buy something or register for something--that totally defeats the purpose. i am not interested in signing up for free stuff--because it is not free--you have to apply for credit cards to be eligible. that is rediculous. i would love to mystery shop-----and get paid to do it. i have a very good opinion on things and i am very honest.

Carol, Some shops do require a purchase, most companies will reimburse for the purchase. If you are just starting and don't want to spend money on shops before you start getting paid, You should try the Bank and financial Institution mystery shops, Auto dealer shops, storage facility shops. Those are a few categories of mystery shops that usually don't require the shopper to buy anything.

I have been mystery shopping since last June I work for about a dozen different companies. I paid to be put on a list in which schedulers look for shopper on. The 99 dolalrs a year is more than worth it. I work for about five customers on a regular schedule. I have been rated by the 10 our of 10 or 4.9 our of 5. Their is more than enough work for me. I do it as a hobby to get me out of the office. As i travel I assign shops it pays for the gass and then some.
I do banks many different service stations and investment companies. I also do a regular fast food shop at leat 6 times a month and a couple time a month a casual dinning. I like the companies that I have direct contact with the schedulers with. This makes all the difference in the world. If they know they can depend on you they will take care of you. In particular at the end of a QTR I have done some shops to help them out that have paid very well. One company I work for almost pays 5 times more towards the end of the month of the last two day. I really enjoy this new hobby.

who do you shop for. I live in MS and maybe they have shops available there.

I paid several Mystery Shopping Company, and some free company every day on my email address I get company wanting me to mystery shop; but I work a full time job and do not drive ;so It's hard for me to take many of the assignments now. But when the spring and summer get here I am going to take the bus on my day off from work and do the jobs. Alot of the companies wants you to become certified by the company who's senting you out to Mystery Shopping, and to find out the laws in state in reguards about Mystery Shopping. You can find alot of free and Company. Also information find in books about the professions and the information you find in books can help you find other companies, and resources. I have been Certified by some of the Mystery Shoppers companies.

Try the www.volition.com click on the get paid link. You will get a listing of MS companies you can register with for FREE. If you paid money to join Shadow Shopper, you should be getting job offers you can apply for every day in your email. I find the Shadow shopper service pays for itself, in terms of showing you available shops with different companies you can apply for.

Every time i sing up for one they are always asking for money so my mystery shopping experience is not going well .

I HAVE ONLD DID 3 SHOPE AND THEY HAVE BEEN THE SAME ONE.I HAD ONE FOR NOV22 2006 AND E-MAIL AND SAID I WOUL BE OUT OF TOWN AND I HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM THEM.I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO DO MORE AND DIFFERENT SHOPS.IF THEY WOULD JUST CONTACT ME.I AMDISABLED AND THIS WOULD HAVE WORKED OUT REALLY GOOD FOR ME BECAUSE I AM HOME MOSR ALL THE TIME EXECPT HOLIDAYS.LIKE THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS AND I GO SPEND TIME WITH MY KIDS.I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO DO MORE NOT JUST THE SAME ONES OVER. WROTE DEC9,2006.