Big question. So I admit what I do for a living. As long as I don't tell anyone the companies I work for...what's the big deal? A few weeks ago I had to deal with the family attorney. He asked what I do for a living and then wanted to know the companies. I told him I couldn't tell do to my ICA contracts.

The attorney was trying to get the specific company, not the scheduling company.

I didn't tell him.

Why is it such a huge deal; that friends and family can't know?

Well, I can't speak for others, but... I don't want to tell someone my companies, and have them sign up for them and take my shops. I like my shops, and the fees are put into my children's college funds... I'm not going to hand them over to someone who uses them to buy the next new iPhone, at the risk of putting less money into my kids' college funds.

I didn't even tell my husband for a long time.... granted, we were dating then, but still.

Also, your ICA doesn't prevent you from telling people which companies you work for... it prevents you from telling anyone which clients you work for, through those companies. You could have told your attorney the companies so long as you kept the clients confidential.

MS? What's a MS?

Shop2LiveinFL Wrote:
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> MS? What's a MS?


A Mythical Sheba

Thank you.

I think it depends on the situation.

If you need to discuss legal and income issues with an attorney, I think it would be allowed if the lawyer really needs to know.

But, if a judge orders you to divulge the information, you must.

Even with an ICA.

I told an police officer once about MS and the company and the client. I felt I had to be honest with him in the situation.

Am I correct, here? There are legal exceptions to the confidentiality clause?
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Two wrongs do not make a right, but three lefts do.

Frankly I think the whole thing is silly. It is not hard to Google and find out most of these great mysteries, pun intended.

It isn't a big deal. Tell anyone you want. I choose not to tell because I do not want to answer questions or discuss with friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Only my immediate family and my boss (at my day job) know. It is not an ICA violation to tell someone you are a mystery shopper. It isn't a violation to tell someone what company or companies you work for. It would be a violation to continue and say XXX company shops XXX client. But I don't keep it a massive secret - I'm pretty active in the mystery shopping community and I know personally a number of other mystery shoppers.

Edited for outdated info.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/06/2014 04:15AM by Shop2LiveinFL.

MA Smith Wrote:
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> Big question. So I admit what I do for a living.
> As long as I don't tell anyone the companies I
> work for...what's the big deal? A few weeks ago I
> had to deal with the family attorney. He asked
> what I do for a living and then wanted to know the
> companies. I told him I couldn't tell do to my
> ICA contracts.
>
> The attorney was trying to get the specific
> company, not the scheduling company.
>
> I didn't tell him.
>
> Why is it such a huge deal; that friends and
> family can't know?

I think you got it now - but seriously tell your attorney what you do! And tell him that you prefer it stay confidential. You can absolutely tell people you are a mystery shopper if you want. And you can tell them what companies you work for...really not a problem!

The separate issue is choosing to tell people who do not need to. I lead a double life. Locally very few people know because I don't want them to tell their nephew who knows who I am but I don't know who he is because he is friends with kids at every retail store in my town...I want it to be secret for that reason only - to keep my options for shopping more open.

In my other life in Central FL far more of those friends know because it's a larger area and I don't see the chance of people knowing who I am in all the different spots I shop there.

Liz

If you were speaking with your attorney, then the conversation would be protected by attorney-client privilege. If you're in court and are asked, as part of the testimony, then ask to speak with the judge in his/her chambers with both lawyers present. I actually had that happen while I was called for jury duty. I said I was an independent contractor and one of the lawyers wanted more information. I asked the judge if we could speak privately, with the lawyers present and I explained that, if I said I was a mystery shopper, I could be putting my livelihood in jeopardy because I don't know that someone in the courtroom might be working for a company that I'll end up shopping one day. The judge agreed that I could just say "independent contractor" but the next day I formalized my photography business so that now, if I'm asked, I'm a freelance photographer/writer.

I would be careful about even telling an attorney. I once wanted an appointment with a lawyer as soon as possible (so I could sleep that night), so called several in town. The receptionists said they were out. Maybe they were all golfing. The next day, I ran into one of them I know who told me that I had called several law offices.

Nor bankers. I was at a Christmas party one time when I overheard two bankers (from different banks) discussing a rich investor's funds.

Nor your tax preparer. (My husband just puts "Worker" down for my occupation. He does this because, as self-employed people, we have been unjustly audited three times. He does our forms.) I once overheard a tax preparation underling comment to a friend that the math professor (by name) at the local college makes $xx,xxx.

Do you really think that "mystery shopper" is so uninteresting a topic that no one will mention it? Many shoppers have posted on these threads about even family members who are blabbermouths.

I don't tell people-not for legal reasons but I don't want them coming up to me if I run into them doing a shop saying "oh, are you mystery shopping today?"....resulting in a loss of income for me because I wouldn't be able to shop that place again.

When I first became a shopper, I was excited about it and told a few close friends. A couple of them became mystery shoppers. I was uneasy about their "stealing" my shops at first, but it worked out. We mainly did different shops so there was not much competition, yet we were able to discuss mystery shopping in general, and it was nice to have someone to talk to about this activity. However, another friend I told (who did not become a shopper) now introduces me to her friends as a mystery shopper, and I have to keep reminding her that my vocation is a secret. One day I made the mistake of taking her into a store I had recently shopped to show her something. She made a phone call while we were there and mentioned to the person on the other line that we were in a store that I had shopped. The salesperson was standing about 30 feet away, too close for my comfort. Every time I remind this friend not to say anything about my MS status, she always says she forgot. So, think very carefully about who you tell and how much they can be trusted to keep your secret.