I am a mother of 3 children. Living on a single income is hard. I have wanted to get involved with Mystery Shopping as extra income. I have tried several sites, they seem bogus too me. Too many get rich quick schemes, and wanting my credit card. UH NOPE, not going to happen. Can someone PLEASE guide me to some places that are not bogus? I live in North Florida, if that matters!!

Read the information on this forum carefully. There's a lot of good material here. Do not EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER pay any company to let you shop. Don't pay for lists or "preferred status" or whatever manure they're calling it these days. People have mixed feelings about getting certified, for Silver you put $25 in the MSPA's pocket and for gold you pay them $99. The MSPA is an organization that benefits mystery shop companies, not the shopper. I've been shopping over 17 years now, am not certified, and see nothing different in the way of shops than any other kind of shopper.

Sign up for every company listed on the forum here, the ones listed are legitimate. Also read up on who seems to have payment issues or whatever else and decide for yourself if you may want to shop for them. We've all had mixed experiences and a couple of companies I hate worse than green bean casserole might be the mainstay of someone else's shopping projects.

Don't expect this to take the place of a "real" job, it can be feast or famine depending on many factors including how near urban areas you are. I'm out in a very rural area and there just aren't as many shops for me as those who may live in New York City.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, we were all newbies once. Good luck!

Thank you, Cettie. I have been trying to dig through the forum for sites, and it's worse than looking for a needle in a haystack!! I will continue through the posts!! And again, THANK YOU!

Just below the box for posting a reply is a list of Mystery Shopping Companies. Be sure to start with companies who regularly have jobs nationwide, MarketForce, Corporate Research and Bare International come to mind. Each has different reporting platforms as well as shop requirements and pay. After finding out the expectations from several companies you will be in a good position to decide if this is for you.

Cettie has given you some great advice!

I wanted to chime in. As a mother to 2 young kids, there are many assignments where you are not allowed to bring children. This has resulted in either having to find a babysitter (if husband is busy) or turning down assignments. That's something to keep in mind.

Try not to book too many assignments in the beginning. It may overwhelm you, at least that was my experience. The shops don't normally take long-- it's entering in all the reports that can be a chore.

Like Cettie said, it can be feast or famine. Some months I don't have many jobs and then wham, towards the end of the month I'll have a lot of companies begging me to do jobs.

I certainly don't make tons of money. Many of the jobs require you to make a purchase and you are reimbursed up to a certain amount. Example, K-Mart requires you to make a purchase, but you're only reimbursed for up to $1. McDonald's requires you to purchase a meal in their drive-thru and dining room (and you can't bring anyone with you), but you don't get reimbursed until several weeks later. Some companies are very slow to pay, taking up to 6 months or sometimes even longer! So, be prepared for the fact that you will be spending your money initially on meals and purchases upfront before you get reimbursed.

I'm not trying to scare you off
I love mystery shopping, most of the time. It can be challenging but it can also be interesting and fun too.

Good luck!

One more thing...if you sign up for Corporate Research, they start their jobs at ridiculously low amounts, like $3 on a gas station job that requires many photos, a gas purchase, inside purchase, etc. Do NOT take these assignments at $3 !!!! They eventually raise their prices. $3 for an assignment is not worth it, even if you're just starting out.

Sign upfor roboform It is free and then just go down the list at the beginning of this forum and Volition. It takes a while but you can make decent Xtra $.Be patient anoud you will make some $. You can personal message if you want.
Cyn

If you sign up with Ellis they do apartment shops in your area probably. They pay from 30.00 to 50.00 with no output of money. The shops have long paperwork but once you get use to it, it is not too bad. I do 8-10 shops a month for them in Southeast Florida. The company is great to work with and you get paid on the 22nd of each following month.

Instead of diving head first into the 'Official List' - which can be daunting - I'd recommend taking advantage of the free 1 month JobSlinger Plus trial. This can help you determine which Sassie companies do work in your area, and makes signing up with them fairly painless so that you know which sites to check directly once your trial expires.

I'd also recommend Marketforce (Blue Portal) and BestMark - they are nation wide and schedule a ton of shops so you will most likely find things to consider in your area. Marketforce in particular is a great place to get your feet wet - you certainly won't get rich, but their shops are very straightforward and well documented so they're great for a beginner.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/2011 05:26PM by CourtneyH.