Hi,
I am new here so not sure if this is allowed or not, or even if anyone would respond. Anyway got a call from a scheduler asking if I could do a video shop. I have never done one and have no clue where to get the equipment from or what to get. I have seen some online but I am totally lost as to what is the best and how or where would i put it so its not obvious. Any suggestions?
The scheduler said she would put me on the list and i am to let her know when i get it. Help please, what to get? If i get a pen would i stick it on my purse? Then i saw the one that looks like a car key fob, would I hold that in my hand the whole time?
Honestly if I have to go through all of this, is it worth it?
Thanks.......

From what I have heard Video shopping can be very lucrative. Some msps rent out the equipment. I think the industry standard is PV500 but I am sure Walesmaven will be commenting to let you know. It is a button camera that goes in a shirt.

Do NOT buy a pen or any such low quality video equipment. Go the the Greyhawk site and get what Dan tells you is the best deal for video equipment that will meet current industry standards for picture and sound quality. Expect to spend about $350-400. Dan is an active video shopper, supports IMSC, had special deals for IMSC members, etc. Also, you need to ask the scheduler what video training they will provide. If none, take a pass on that MSC for video. Training is necessary.

Edited to add: Yes, the PV-500 button camera rig is standard, with the high resolution camera. Beware, few vendors have that rig with the high res camera included. Dan does! Otherwise, you buy a rig, pitch the cam that comes with it and buy the high res camera at an extra cost. For this reason, be extremely wary of ebay "deals."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/22/2016 11:35AM by walesmaven.

Thank you so very much. Greatly appreciate that!!!!

My concern is the scheduler wanting you to buy a camera so she can give you one or two shops. Is she offering to train you as well? Do you have a lot of experience with traditional shopping? It might be a good idea to mention the MSC and scheduler since no client has been named.

I got this e-mail today:

Hello!

I have some exciting news I wanted to share with you. Video mystery shopping is an expanding market with a shortage of skilled shoppers who have the equipment. Shoppers’ View wants to expand the video shopper pool by helping you get started. We have a lot of shops that still need to get scheduled. Here’s what you need to know:

The most reliable mystery shopping camera is the Lawmate PV500. If you want to start making more money video shopping, this is the camera to buy.

The PV500 EVOL3 is a reliable standard definition version. Here's a link: [www.lawmate-technology.com]

The PV500 EVO2U is the newest HD version. [www.lawmate-technology.com] If you buy this one, you need to also buy the HD camera: [www.lawmate-technology.com]

You will also want to consider purchasing extra SD cards for storage and maybe an extra battery.

We have a special discount code at www.lawmate-technology.com. Enter the code SVIEW at checkout for a 10% discount. It gets better: Send us your purchase receipt and we’ll still reimburse you and additional $35! That means you could get a $350 EVOL3 for $235.

Let me know if you have any questions. Also, remember to like us on Facebook to stay up to date with mystery shopping opportunities.

Hope to hear from you!

Joe R.
616-608-1696
joer@shoppersview.com

I am not sure if it's just the camera or the recorder you get for $235.....anyway, seems worth looking into if you are interested in video shopping!

Please help! It's been a long day. I know way too much about mattresses and medicare. And, I feel like trying to rent three cars in the same day with next day return has turned into an elementary math word problem. With that being said, I can not seemed to get the math below to compute: "Enter the code ... at checkout for a 10% discount. It gets better: Send us your purchase receipt and we’ll still reimburse you and additional $35! That means you could get a $350 EVOL3 for $235."

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/2016 11:05PM by Belinda616.

OK... Apparently it is the day for word problems and I think I have this one figured out. NEXT - 3 cars/2days! I believe that there are some details missing from the above email, but the good news is - that the final price is still $235. Joe used to always recommend another company. After looking at the company, the same items is $350. The new company he is touting lists the product for $299. ($299-29 -35 = $235).

I received the same email today from Joe. I would actually consider buying the system but, know I would not have time or the resources to be properly trained.

We strongly urge all Video Shoppers to consider Dan Thomas at Greyhawk Video Solutions for their Lawmate PV500 equipment. Dan is a Video Shopper and has been very dedicated to the success of video shoppers. His prices are competitive and his support is second to none. The problem with other distributors is that they are serving the law enforcement and military community. On this scale, mystery shoppers are a very small part of the business. This has been and continues to make us second class citizens when it comes to support. Dan has been endorsed by most of the major Video Shopping Providers and by Video Shopping Pros as well as the IMSC and is supplying equipment to MSPA members. We need to support our own.

You can contact Dan at [greyhawkvideosolutions.vpweb.com] or email him at: Dan Thomas <danthomas007@outlook.com>

Or visit the Facebook page: [www.facebook.com]
Dan also offers discounts when the equipment is purchased at a IMSC Conference or to IMSC members or students at training classes conducted through Video Shopping Pros.

Joe, It can't possibly be the recorder and camera. This would be substantially below the dealer cost for the package. I think you will find that Greyhawk sells a package with both items at the lowest price available.

I have a story about video shopping. It was the only time I tried.

Soon after I first started mystery shopping, I saw a job posted for video shopping a business that was probably a half hour away from me. I was like, "Wow, that's a good fee. I should try this." The MSC said in their email that they would rent the equipment out. They also had a short video and some material to read about video shopping. The problem was, I got the camera late, as in the day of the shop I believe. My appointment was early in the morning. I had to rush and pick the camera up, then drive all the way to this business. I had a shirt picked out and everything, but since I had just picked the camera up that morning, I didn't have a chance to try it out or learn how it works. So I went through the shop and everything seemed fine. Well, that was, until I checked the footage. There was no footage, apparently. So here I went through the trouble of getting the camera, sending the camera back, driving all the way out to this shop, and going through the actual in-person portion of the shop for nothing. I felt so bad for not only myself but also the MSC and the client. What an embarrassment.

In the end, my input is that it's very important to have time to practice and experience the equipment.... I really should start video shopping myself. I hope to find some good equipment soon.

Oh, and about the email sent out by Joe at Shoppers View.... The camera is from the actual Lawmate site, and it says "PV-500L3 MICRO DVR FROM LAWMATE WITH FREE COLOR COVERT BUTTON / SCREW CAMERA" right in the description. The $299 price is for the standard resolution, which is 720 by 480 apparently. The upgraded version is 720 by 576 which is $50 more. I am assuming by "high resolution" you are all saying that 1080 is standard now rather than the above sizes?

Here is the link: [www.lawmate-technology.com]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/2016 04:59AM by Evalu8this.

Lawmate-Technology.com is not Lawmate. It is a independent distributor as is stated on the website. There is no benefit in buying from this company. The package they are selling is the first generation L3 which is ripe with problems and the SD card they are including is a 2gb card. the standard is a 8gb card. BUYER BEWARE !!!

The high resolution is essential to meet industry standards. You may recall that several posts have noted that Dan at Greyhawk finally talked LawMate into shipping him cameras with the hi-res camera so that video shoppers would not have to throw away the supplied camera and replace it with the hi-res, at extra cost to the shopper.

DAN IS THE MAN for MS video equipment. And, he services it and stands behind what he sells. He is the only supplier who actually works as a video shopper and stay up to date on what the video MSCs expect in terms of equipment/product quality. If you doubt this, check with anyone at Clear Evaluations, an acknowledged industry leader or with Melinda Brody, CEO of Melinda Brody and Associates.

I received that message and it was confusing. I don't want to buy equipment that is obsolete. It read like that was the case with this offer.

It would be nice if companies offered rent to buy at a reasonable rate. The video shops that I have seen normally do not pay much more than a regular shop. There is the factor as mentioned elsewhere of needing to practice. Among other things, the shopper must learn to move around and converse with the target and still have them in view of the camera.

I would want to wear the thing for while among friends before I attempted a shop. However, I have the time to do shops, but not the funds to buy the equipment.

I saw on one site that they leased equipment but it was costly.

What is the typical pay on a video shop?

@KevinE wrote:

What is the typical pay on a video shop?

I have no idea because I don't do Video Shopping, but I'd imagine it's a little like asking "what's the typical pay on a non-video shop?" There's probably a wide range. Perhaps even wider than on non-video shops.
But I'll be interested to hear if I'm right or wrong.

This month my pay for video shops has ranged from $45 for a short, simple shop with a short simple report to $200 for a 45 minute new home shop with a short, simple report. It had started out being offered at $75 Due to the shortage of experienced video shoppers with their own equipment, I was later able to name my price.

HI I'm new here, but that question about how much do video shops pay? Around here most of the shops are about an hour away but I have seen anywhere from $65.00 up to $85.00. Not bad but I seen the one shop you had to go back to the shop 2-3 days later and finish the shop.

Where are you located?

[www.lawmate-technology.com]

Joy,
The standard equipment has no audio and does not have the hi-res camera. Getting those increases the price by $50. This is all on the site you gave a link for. Standard video quality requires audio and the hi-res camera.

With the amount of video shops I have seen lately the are offering good money. Since you know more about it than most, is there a site that one can go to to get training? I have seen some sites just give written instructions but that's it.

www.VideoShoppingPros.com

Video Shopping Pros is a member of, and supports, the IMSC conferences, if I recall correctly. They were at several recent conferences and provide classes around the country.

Thanks everyone for the responses and the concern. I'll try to answer all the questions I can.

1. This is not a scam. Lawmate-Technology is a distributor of Lawmate cameras. Shoppers' View is a legitimate MSC.
2. Shoppers' View is accepting shops recorded with the PV500. We do not care which model. The SD model on sale comes with the items a shopper needs to complete a shop for us, but we suggest adding additional SD cards for backup.
3. Shoppers' View supports Dan at GreyHawk and value his relationship with the mystery shopping community. We refer hundreds of shoppers to him who are interested in purchasing/renting equipment.
4. The biggest issue we are having is that shoppers cannot afford to spend over $350 on equipment. So when we saw that the PV500 with the SD camera was on sale, we wanted to send out the message to our shoppers letting them know that they can use our discount code SVIEW to get an even better deal. This is in the hopes that they will have the opportunity to do shops with a camera that they otherwise would not be able to afford. Also, shoppers are welcome to buy one of the better models and can still use the SVIEW code at checkout.

Let me know if you have other questions!

@kathierost wrote:

I got this e-mail today:

Hello!

I have some exciting news I wanted to share with you. Video mystery shopping is an expanding market with a shortage of skilled shoppers who have the equipment. Shoppers’ View wants to expand the video shopper pool by helping you get started. We have a lot of shops that still need to get scheduled. Here’s what you need to know:

The most reliable mystery shopping camera is the Lawmate PV500. If you want to start making more money video shopping, this is the camera to buy.

The PV500 EVOL3 is a reliable standard definition version. Here's a link: [www.lawmate-technology.com]

The PV500 EVO2U is the newest HD version. [www.lawmate-technology.com] If you buy this one, you need to also buy the HD camera: [www.lawmate-technology.com]

You will also want to consider purchasing extra SD cards for storage and maybe an extra battery.

We have a special discount code at www.lawmate-technology.com. Enter the code SVIEW at checkout for a 10% discount. It gets better: Send us your purchase receipt and we’ll still reimburse you and additional $35! That means you could get a $350 EVOL3 for $235.

Let me know if you have any questions. Also, remember to like us on Facebook to stay up to date with mystery shopping opportunities.

Hope to hear from you!

Joe R.
616-608-1696
joer@shoppersview.com

I am not sure if it's just the camera or the recorder you get for $235.....anyway, seems worth looking into if you are interested in video shopping!

I received this email too. It got me thinking about video shops again.... I am glad you are getting some great responses from some of our excellent video shoppers!

Thank you Joe. You have clarified that you will accept video from that specific rig, but that will still leave shoppers who buy it needing to buy an upgrade camera to do video acceptable to just about any other video MSC. Do you have enough shops for each area so that a shopper could pay off even the less expensive model in 6 months or less? And to then add the upgraded camera to have access to other video shops besides yours?

What training do you offer for the video equipment?

Also, please, how many video shops have you performed? Are you available to trouble shoot at all hours when your video shoppers will be in the field? The answers to those two questions may encourage more experienced video shoppers , who already own their equipment to consider your shops in a more favorable light.

walesmaven Hi, since this message from "Joe" was cut and pasted, are you going to forward your response to him? That would be great.
Thanks!

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/2016 05:06PM by indy101.