Ah, okay. 15 months sounds more reasonable. LOL

Frugal frog- if you did the shop in March, you are looking at 2 months or less for pay. While not a speedy timeline, there are a number of companies that take that long to be. While you have to make your own decisions, if you eliminate all of those, you are probably looking at at least 1/3 of the companies out there. They may be worth it if they pay well and pay without needing reminders.

Competition in this territory gets worse every day.

I am beginning to think that word gets around by the MSC names printed on the checks I cash.

The economy is really hard right now, and for someone to ask where the best work is located just plain hurts.

Why would I share my income--just a be nice and accommodating?

I am sorry, but when it comes to my survival or your hurt feelings, my survival is going to always be my first priority. You need to get your ____ out there and find out for yourself.

I don't get why this is so difficult for someone to help this person. I don't know if I can think of 10 but here I go: EPMS, Intellishop, Goodwin&Associates, A-Closer-Look, Second-to-None, GFK, International Service Check, Reserach Services Group, Faith Perceptions, Best Mark, Amusement Advantage, Reality Based Group. Now I went over 10 but I based it on, variety of shops, willingness to reschedule, ability to communicate effectively of expectations, clearly defined instructions, and it goes without saying that these shops pay quite well and these shops may ofter offer bonuses. I hope this helps

You prolly right....lol lol

Too much work to do some research on your own?

Holy F*king Sh*t balls. Nearly pissed me self an fell off the apples. P3's the dogs bollocks mate. I'dv'e give a pony for the answer to the qually 2 moons n 80 apps ago.

What was the comment about writing in any form as long as you were understood? I gave up on page 2 or 3, as I had to reread the lengthy posts many times to understand them. My culture & my language meant that most of it was nonsensical. It was the barrage of answers that basically translated it for me. No, I don't need to be perfect on a forum, but understood is nice.

But REALLY This is all a wind up right?

Most of these comments are the reason I don't visit this site much anymore. It's mostly comments back and forth off the subject and the "get it yourself, I don't have time to help you" attitude. It's become another meaningless chat room-style site. I'm doing okay shopping without you all and.... don't bother commenting on this post - I won't be here to read it and you'll just be continuing to spat at each other.

Well, I just try to keep things plain and simple.. however, I would really like to know, not who is the best, but the worst...now THAT is one question that could really help me out. I have one in mind and they do hotels and it is not A Closer look, or Intelli-shop.

The best answer to this is that you need to find your niche and run with it. When I started shopping I thought any shop that paid more than $15 was great. Now I take very few that pay that little unless they pay ultra quick or are fill in shops. I love to travel so I shop 7 states. What is good for me on a road trip is not the same as when I am trying to stay close to home. I used to love phone and email shops because I did not have to leave home to do them, now I want a reason to have to get out of the house.

What are the top ten companies? Ask me today and I will give you a different answer from yesterday. I will probably give you another answer tomorrow as well.

Sign up for lots of companies, do what you say you are going to do when you say you are going to do it and get a good reputation. That way, different companies and shop types open up for you. Then you decide what is best for you. As others have said, I love working for companies that shopper friends have told me they will never work for for whatever reason.

Good luck shopping!

I would have to agree that it does depend on one's personal exprience and where one lives. I live in Colorado and really only get shop request for some grocery chains and auto/car shops. I haven't had a bad experience but I haven't had any that I would "write home" about either.

ggoin, I'm going to comment on your post anyway even if you won't be here to read it. This is not a meaningless chat room. Lots of shoppers get important and needed information and tips here. A large number of regular posters are interested in encouraging and assisting other shoppers. You could personally do something about the forum by posting regularly and offering help and information to others. You could take the time to help others instead of complaining that no one will help on this forum. So what wrong with you, got your fingers broke or something? Jump in here and help us out, please. You, too, can be a whale and can be the object of criticism and derision from disenchanted posters who want help but are not willing to give it.

ggoin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Most of these comments are the reason I don't
> visit this site much anymore.

Me- That's your choice, nobody twisted your arm to bring you here.

>It's mostly comments
> back and forth off the subject and the "get it
> yourself, I don't have time to help you" attitude.

Me- That's not the attitude on this site at all. The only people who aren't helped are the people who expect a hand out.

> It's become another meaningless chat room-style
> site. I'm doing okay shopping without you all

Me- That's the way it should be... do you want a cookie?

> and.... don't bother commenting on this post - I
> won't be here to read it and you'll just be
> continuing to spat at each other.

Me- So, let me see if I understand this properly; since you didn't get your way, you're going to be a PSF and take your ball and cry all the way home?

People help other people on here all the time.

DanteInOH Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> People help other people on here all the time.


But some people just need professional help that is way beyond our control.

My Top Ten are the ones that last paid me, timely. Thus, my Top Ten may change several times a year. If I didn't want the shop, I wouldn't have taken it. And, my selections run the gamut from low to high on the scale. Just depends on where I am and what I want. It's all about me

Remember the quote that there are no small parts, only small actors? Sometimes, small parts fit the bill, or lead to bigger parts.

Hey, I happen to be one of these people, although a lot less psychotic than some of our fellow forum posters.


Shop2LiveinFL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> DanteInOH Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > People help other people on here all the time.
>
>
> But some people just need professional help that
> is way beyond our control.

Hi I have been a shopper for awhile. Start with the major companies listed on the forum. Do a really good job with your assignments. Before long you will notice that they will call you or email you if they have shops in your area. Maritz is one of my personal favorites. In my personal experience I have not signed up with a lot of companies and I still have plenty of work. Also be willing to take jobs that may not pay well at first. Build a good reputation.
Also some people can be rude and they do not like to share information. We live in a pretty selfish world. Wishing you all the best.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/2014 06:12PM by bettybob.

bettybob Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
In my personal
> experience I have not signed up with a lot of
> companies and I still have plenty of work.

> Also some people can be rude and they do not like
> to share information. We live in a pretty selfish
> world. Wishing you all the best.

And some people are judgmental and criticize people who don't want to hand over their homework for someone to copy from.

If I tell you who my best company is, and you happen to live near enough to me to be my competition, you could take half my best shops, cutting into my income and/or forcing me to go sign up with another 30 companies to make up the difference. I'd rather *you* go sign up with another 30 companies. There's a list of 300+ at the bottom of this page for you to choose from. Maybe you'll stumble onto my best company, maybe you won't. But at least I won't be kicking myself later for handing my work over to some newbie, just because they asked for it.

If you can't find your own jobs, you're not going to make it as a shopper anyway because finding the job is part of the job.

People seem to fail to grasp the concept that mystery shopping is a competitive industry. MSCs compete with the other MSCs for contracts, independent contractors who mystery shop do whatever it takes to continue to be able to work. If I give you my list of companies, that means if you are in the areas I shop in, you could take some of the assignments that I take.

I would be foolish, as would any other mystery shopper, to hand you over the companies I shop for. Do your own hard work and come up with your own list.

That is a major problem in the world today; people expect a hand out. Sorry, no handouts coming from me.

Just to jump on the bandwagon--using someones "best" list

1. Shoppers Critqiue --shop 2 companies in my area with an average of 3 shops listed each month
2. Bare international --mostly just (one client) shops in my area-
3. Informa -Never had a shop in my area
4. Goodwin & Associates --shop one company in my area and its VERY, VERY low paying
5. Confero--Never had a shop in my area
6. Coyle --Never had a shop in my area
7. Beyond Hello --Hit or miss but maybe every other month there is one or two shops
8. Best Mark --only have car shops in my area--with the occasional make-up shop---LONG reports, but they pay 2 times/month
9. Shoppers View ---very limited shops in my area
10. Maritz ---SUPER low paying shops in my area....

So, while these might be the best companies for one person, you can see, none of these would make my top 10 list....I don't think people are being rude...well some posters were...but what the OP is asking just isn't something any one person can answer unless they live in the same area.

Mod note: ICA/Forum rules violation

And... if they live in the same area, they wouldn't want to give their work away to someone else anyway.

I wish people would just stop asking the question. It's about as pointless as a total stranger asking, "So what should I major in?" or "Who should I marry?" or "Where should I live?" or "What bank should I use?" or "What breed of dog should I get?" or "What should I wear today?" Some things you need to figure out for yourself, and the combination of factors that go into each person's "best" and "worst" list are so personal it's pointless to advise each other.

Often it is mentioned shoppers don't want to provide a list because of competition. For me competition has absolutely nothing to do with it. In general I have found cooperation can often work to my advantage. If I knew of a reliable shopper in my area, I would be more than happy to recommend them to companies. The key word here is reliable.

The vast resources in this forum are beyond anything most people will find when starting a new business. In my opinion, someone must be a self-starter to succeed in any business venture and this one is no exception. Nobody is going to be there to hold someone's hand through every step of the process. If a potential shopper can not get through the research and registration part of the program, they do not stand much of a chance of making this work for them.

A couple of my favorite companies are on many of the worst lists. They rank on my best list because I have the opportunity for projects not listed on the job boards. That is not bragging and doesn't make me special. The reason I can do it is simply because this is my major business. I was available to make a long term commitment to ongoing work that takes at least a week or two of my time every month and must be completed during normal business hours.

I have had a ton of wisdom about this business passed along to me. My time on this forum is because I like the opportunity to pay it forward, but it is also a break room to commiserate with the only other people who understand our unique problems and a place to have some fun. I don't particularly want to spend a lot of time repeating lists of the best or worst companies because it serves no purpose and takes time away from more productive and/or enjoyable threads.

Wait. This thread hasn't been enjoyable??

No.

First off let us not beat the chicken to death, they want to dive in and get that green stuff coming in! Don’t we all? When I started in 1994, MSC were not on the internet at all. I purchased a list from a person that had the smarts enough to make up a printed 5 or 6 pages, with info on Mystery shopping and a list of around 50 MSC that was a lot back then. I applied to at least 20 companies that was in the fall the next June I received a phone call to see if I could do some shops for them. YES!!! I was off and running. It was all done by Land line, cell phones, and overnight mail service. Companies would phone you said yes or no, but mostly I said yes, I did not want to go back to 9 to 5! They would overnight the paper work, read it and called them if you had any questions. Do the shop, stop in restroom used the stall and made notes, then back to the finish the shop, leave find a parking lot out of site and fill in the paper work. I liked all types of shops, my husband saw that I was making money and having fun. So he started do shops. When our son moved back home after the Army he helped me out and then he started doing resets, all of the heavier sites setting up shelves and displays. We had several friend of our sons wanted to do the shops too. So I started training them so that they would do a very good job. Now they are all grown with or without families of their own or with very good jobs. They still enjoy doing some of the shops. I started backing off after price of gas went up so much that it was not worth it, unless I can get several shop that I could do in a round trip. I stayed closer home and only 10 to 15 miles away.

Now I am 73 and I am choosier on what shop I take and refuse all shops under $10 or $12 up. I was sooo... happy when the MSC got smart and went online, and download and upload everything. Companies pay based on what their clinics will pay and sometimes they lower the amounts that they pay or tried to lowered the cost, Sorry, but I have never excepted a pay cut on any job! if they cannot get someone or have someone sick or cancel doing a shop they will call me up to 45 minutes befor I have to be there. I have to rush to do it, and will do it WITH A NICE BONUS $5.00, 10 or 20.00 depending on how badly they need someone to do it.

Just hang in there and sign up for (15 or 20) MSC get your feet wet and you will find out within a few months which pays the best, easies to work with, and the best types of shops. Always read the instruction before you leave your house, and call the MSC if you have questions. READ OVER THE QUESTIONS and be sure you understand what they want.

Good Luck, and have fun, life goes by very fast and is too short not to enjoy whatever you are doing.

I am with you Granny73 - NEVER want to work a 9-5 again.