Mystery Shopping Company Discussion

Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
I love bank shops because they tend to pay well and don't require much visit time. Can anyone recommend some mystery-shopping companies that do them? I can suggest Informa, ATH and Kinesis.
Date: January 19, 2009 04:10AM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
You can also try Marketforce.
Date: January 19, 2009 11:00AM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
  • JoanG
  • Super Star Member
  • Posts:1024
Date: January 19, 2009 11:15AM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
Thank you for the responses. I will try Market Force. I worked for Second-to-None for a while, but they are too rigid in their dates. It's almost impossible to change an assignment date even though they have a change-the-date tab. If you miss an assignment, they get very testy. Also, the bank that they have as their client vloses earlier than most banks. Another negative is that you can't shop during a two-hour period.
Date: January 20, 2009 05:05AM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
Second to None may also be like that. You cannot self reschedule.

Everyone is a genius at least once a year. A real genius has his original ideas closer together.
~Georg C. Lichtenberg
Date: January 20, 2009 11:06AM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
  • barbage
  • Super Star Member
  • Posts:256
Sinclar has some regional banks.
Date: January 20, 2009 08:48PM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
Thanks for the lead on Sinclair. I'm in New York City, so we tend to have mostly major banks here. Second-to-None and I are mortal enemies. I had to miss a few assignments because of subway or bus delays. The scheduler wasn't very understanding. Apparently, they have no "jiggle" room compared to some other companies where you can extend assignments. However, there is a change-the-date tab, as I mentioned in my earlier post. But, it was rare that another date was available. Confero had wonderful bank shops and the schedulers allowed you to do several shops a week. Made some good money from Confero. However, they lost the contract and another company has it now. Different rules. Can't do as many shops.
Date: January 20, 2009 09:26PM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
  • Mert
  • Super Star Member
  • Posts:2535
After a few months' break, $10 shops have been posted for a major national bank. Bailout money at work?!
Date: January 28, 2009 06:52PM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
Mert, where are you located?
Date: January 28, 2009 07:31PM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
  • Mert
  • Super Star Member
  • Posts:2535
SC/NC. Why?
Date: January 28, 2009 07:32PM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
I was hoping you were in the western NY area, so that I could get some of those shops :)
Date: January 28, 2009 07:33PM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
  • Mert
  • Super Star Member
  • Posts:2535
Sending you a private message, heffernb.
Date: January 28, 2009 07:35PM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
  • Flash
  • Super Star Member
  • Posts:7532
Yes, Bare has posted banks--estimated time 15-20 min if I remember the email, but these always required you wait up to 30 minutes for the CSR if there was a lobby full of folks waiting (and there usually was). You also do a teller visit. $10. Certainly a fairly simple shop report but still underpriced for what is involved. (I had a few that took more than an hour because of lines at the teller, getting greeted by the CSR after 29 minutes, being left in the CSR office while he went to handle something else, etc.)
Date: January 28, 2009 08:24PM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
  • Mert
  • Super Star Member
  • Posts:2535
Did Bare, in the past, offer these bank shops for a higher fee?
Date: January 28, 2009 09:56PM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
  • Flash
  • Super Star Member
  • Posts:7532
I wondered about that myself and I note I did $12 and $10 shops for them in 2006 at the same bank. I also saw a $5 drive through. Without digging through old records I would assume that the $10 was a teller only and the $12 was probably a quick teller referral to CSR with CSR being the focus. They never were well paid shops but they got my feet wet on banks and I already was doing few of them by 2006.
Date: January 28, 2009 10:38PM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
Shoppersview does bank shops at well.
Date: August 22, 2009 01:30AM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
Informa: no arbitrary ratings, brief reports 5mim max, pays well from $12.50 to $17.50, pays within a month,required self scheduling, generally mature & appreciative professional account managers - drawbacks : required self schedule, lack of payment details but a usually patient book keeper(so I do recommend keeping your own records and bonus pay E-mails) ='s a nine rating.
They're in CA & I'm in the NE
Date: February 07, 2010 05:07PM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
I've been using ATH, informa and Kern Scheduling for the most part. Does anyone know whether HSBC Citibank and Wachovia are being shopped ?
Date: February 13, 2010 10:42PM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
check out marketforce go to www.shopper.marketforce.com You may find that helpful.
Date: February 14, 2010 07:49AM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
As for Citibank, I have not seen ordinary teller or information desk shops for them in a long while. However, I am now seeing quarterly, well compensated platform shops for a few of their locations near me. I was contacted directly by the scheduler for those, so do not know if they are being broadcast for self-assignment or not.

I love working with Informa! S2N editing makes my head ache!
Date: February 14, 2010 09:53AM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
Try Maritz Research. They do bank shops, brief report similar to Informa. Reports are easy and I've never heard a word from the editor. Maritz allows you to self schedule after you complete 10 shops for them.
Date: February 14, 2010 12:02PM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
I do them for Bare Int'l....

Shopping isn't for sissies....
Date: February 18, 2010 01:26PM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
try creative imaging associates im doing some shops through them... not sure if they do anything in the NYC area... as for the others try jobslinger or shadow shopper... they were able to make available some for me...
Date: February 26, 2010 11:02AM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
walesmaven Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As for Citibank, I have not seen ordinary teller
> or information desk shops for them in a long
> while. However, I am now seeing quarterly, well
> compensated platform shops for a few of their
> locations near me. I was contacted directly by
> the scheduler for those, so do not know if they
> are being broadcast for self-assignment or not.
>
> I love working with Informa! S2N editing makes my
> head ache!

That is the real truth I was editing a shop from them (S2N) on Sunday and about 50 errors jumped on my board saying if i said this then this should be this and if i said that this should be this? I was like whoa! that won't happen again~LOL
But ATH still is the bank shops that I utilize Market-Force took my 'Choose shops button" again! Oh! well they will be calling me sooner or later to do shops in MY area! Ha!
Date: March 03, 2010 03:37AM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
How do you sign up with Creative Image Associates? I don't see any online application forms on their site.
Date: March 03, 2010 11:36PM
Re: Bank Shops-- Which Companies are Doing Them?
you have to contact them... they will send you the shopper information packet which you print sign scan and email back to them... then if they have shops they will contact you by email... there is no job board or online application...
Date: March 11, 2010 02:02PM

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