Would anyone do this integrity shop for $40?

Oh, and what happens when you can't submit the report on time because you're in jail?

Bye-bye shop fee...

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Some Spencer shops also have funky scenarios .
One where you drop money on the counter and leave with the item saying you can't wait for the receipt. ( not quite stealing.)
Then mail the item back to them.

And another where you drop money on the floor and see what the clerk does.

This scenario is not theft when you have permission from the owner of the merchandise to do it. I repeat it is not a crime.

The problem is that the people at the store, including any security personnel and the police, are not on board with the scenario. Because it looks like theft, you could run into difficulties that a LOA may or may not not solve satisfactorily. In fact, the time and effort to explain it is a difficulty that will "out" you for future shops.

Those potential problems are not something I want to deal with for $40. I'm not sure any price is good enough for this type of shop.

Happily shopping Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts and Connecticut

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/03/2015 03:41PM by vlade5394.

@jackaroe wrote:

Some Spencer shops also have funky scenarios .
One where you drop money on the counter and leave with the item saying you can't wait for the receipt. ( not quite stealing.)
Then mail the item back to them.

And another where you drop money on the floor and see what the clerk does.

I don't mind the "see if the bartender puts the money in his pocket or you leave with money on the counter, say a $20 dollar bill and see what the employee does next." You notice NONE of those scenarios will get you taken to jail "but" sticking an item in a purse and wait to see if anyone catches you...... not on my life!

@vlade5394 wrote:

This scenario is not theft when you have permission from the owner of the merchandise to do it. I repeat it is not a crime.

The problem is that the people at the store, including any security personnel and the police, are not on board with the scenario. Because it looks like theft, you could run into difficulties that a LOA may or may not not solve satisfactorily.

Those potential problems are not something I want to deal for $40. I'm not sure any price is good enough for this type of shop.

So true!

The scheduler may be on board and you have a basic understanding with your LOA but what if the police think you concocted or fabricated that letter? I can see this: "Yeah, lady. We have heard it ALL! Put your hands behind your back! " I would not do this shop for any amount of money.

And whatever money you DO make, is going to pay your BAIL!

@AustinMom wrote:

I was interested to see the comparison made between this shop and a grocery shop requiring the shopper to exit the store with unpaid items on the bottom of the basket if the personnel don't see and charge for the merchandise. For me, this shop crosses a line and I deleted without considering it. I do the bottom-of-the-basket scenario with no problems. Putting a wallet inside a purse and attempting to purchase it - no way.

I also agree the pay is far too little for what they want...........IF I were willing to consider it.

I won't do that one either.

****************

Motivation increases when we assume large responsibilities with a short deadline.

i think too many of you are making these out to be much worse than
they are. I've done plenty of loss prevention shops over the years
and have never had an issue.

= + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = + = +
There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots
==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==
When you try to please everybody, you end up pleasing nobody

I think this shop would be do-able if they let us put one of our own small items in the larger one. Then it's not theft.

You could always offer to purchase the small item too if they find it but if the cashier is convinced you're a thief, LOA or not, it's going to be bad.

I brought that up (concealing your own item) but nobody ever said if the guidelines indicated it would be allowed.

Time to build a bigger bridge.

see thar's why this forum is so important. i never thought about the jail angle. according to my sister, an attorney, charges would have to be pressed by the stoew. HOWEVER you could spend a weekend in jail. get a mug shot and fingerprints for the police yo have AND miss your deadline. for what i would now charge to do something like this i could take all my extended family on an all expenses paid first class trip to the dominican republic for a week or two.

When you learn, teach, when you get, give. Maya Angelou

I have a "leave the toilet paper under your cart and see if they find it" kind of shop coming up.... The only difference: It says, "DO NOT walk out with the item." (whew!) "Let the cashier know that it is under there, only after she tells you the total. "

THAT kind of shop, no biggie. I am NOT going to walk out with it, that if for sure!

@dspeakes wrote:

I brought that up (concealing your own item) but nobody ever said if the guidelines indicated it would be allowed.

I deleted the email, but if memory serves correctly, it did not state if you could place your own wallet inside. Anyone else recall?

I am fairly certain that you aren't shoplifting unless you actually take it outside of the store. Are you supposed to actually try to take it outside after paying for the purse or are you suppose to "realize" that you have it after you pay, but before you cross the door outside the store?

I saw those for $40. I'm too busy this week, but it's something I would consider doing.

@SoCalMama wrote:

I am fairly certain that you aren't shoplifting unless you actually take it outside of the store.

That depends upon the state statutes where you are working. In some states, the statute reads upon concealment so you need to be careful.

Your LOA, if you have one, may help with you defense later - in court, but it may not convince the LPO or LEO.

There are two types of people in this world: Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.

This shop is part of a contest. I guess if the employee finds the wallet they get rewarded. I would be comfortable with the shop if we were able to do a reveal and hand the employee their reward. But i don't want to leave the store having them think Im a crook. The one near me was up to $85. Not sure if anyone took it or not.

My dilemma is the look on her face as she says, "What? One of our wallets is in this bag? Why is it in there? Did you put it in there? Hold on! Let me call SECURITY!!!!"

You also have to think about the fact that not every store is going to accept a letter of authorization, no matter what kind of reveal it is. I was doing an Exxon audit, it didn't even have an integrity type scenario to, just an audit. The store manager knew nothing about it. He tried to call one of the numbers, couldn't get through and he refused the audit. That letter of authorization did 0. I'm not saying don't do that Shop I'm just saying be aware of those things before you decide to. Another extremely important point on integrity audits, especially that particular one you described, if that's a local shop for you and that employee ends up getting fired, obviously they will have to have been told why. That could be a bad repercussion for you personally. again, not saying don't do it, just think about those things before you make your final decision.

@SoCalMama wrote:

I am fairly certain that you aren't shoplifting unless you actually take it outside of the store. Are you supposed to actually try to take it outside after paying for the purse or are you suppose to "realize" that you have it after you pay, but before you cross the door outside the store?

I saw those for $40. I'm too busy this week, but it's something I would consider doing.

I used to work in a music and video store in Arizona. You wouldn't believe how many idiot kids thought the same thing, then freaked out when we called the police on them after watching them shove discs down their pants. [www.azleg.state.az.us]

Arizona's statutes include concealment and even "transferring the goods from one container to another" in their definition. The container thing was always a fun one to pull out when the kids would bring in their own stuff to trade in, get turned down, and go pick something from the shelf to stack on top of the disc.

Here's the loophole for the mystery shopper:

A person commits shoplifting if, while in an establishment in which merchandise is displayed for sale, the person knowingly obtains such goods of another ***with the intent to deprive that person of such goods ****

The key is that we have no intention of depriving anyone of the wallet concealed in the purse. Furthermore, we have been asked by the owner of the goods to do the concealing. Furthermore, by giving us permission to take the wallet, the store has "given" it to us, so it is no longer the property of the store (assuming the shopper is allowed to walk out with it if the clerk doesn't find it).

The thing I would like to know, since I haven't seen this particular shop, is what do the instructions say to do if the clerk does not find the concealed item? And what is the shopper to do or say if the clerk does find it?

Time to build a bigger bridge.

I wouldn't exactly call it a loophole. Mens rea must be established in any criminal case, but that's not the point. I don't think anyone is really concerned that they would found guilty of shoplifting, it's the arrest they're worried about - and rightfully so. I could happen.

There are two types of people in this world: Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.

@jpgilham wrote:

I was glad to find this thread as I saw these shops yesterday and I was like "hell no!" I told my husband about it and he was also a "hell no."

Ditto. It's always great to be able to bounce these sorts of offers off a spouse/other. I wouldn't do it. Just like I wouldn't do another of the aforementioned mortgage assignments whereas the target mortgage company detected the false documents and threatend to report me to the District Attorney's office for loan fraud.

In my view, it doesn't matter how many signed consent forms the MS Company boasts that they have from various parties, we cannot always rely on those when we are at the mercy of the outside justice system.

I don't do the grocery 'missed item,' LOA when caught taking photos of particular items in the store or any shop that would be too stressful for me, especially integrity shops. They've been appearing in my emails for a while.

No, sorry. Even if they gave me a significant bonus. That is the beauty of being an IC; one has a choice. When you really consider it, there are more shops out there that would be more satisfactory, in pay and principle. Time to sign up with more MSCs when I find slim shop pickings that I have to consider integrity shops such as that, OP.

@MzRed wrote:

You also have to think about the fact that not every store is going to accept a letter of authorization, no matter what kind of reveal it is. I was doing an Exxon audit, it didn't even have an integrity type scenario to, just an audit. The store manager knew nothing about it. He tried to call one of the numbers, couldn't get through and he refused the audit. That letter of authorization did 0. I'm not saying don't do that Shop I'm just saying be aware of those things before you decide to. Another extremely important point on integrity audits, especially that particular one you described, if that's a local shop for you and that employee ends up getting fired, obviously they will have to have been told why. That could be a bad repercussion for you personally. again, not saying don't do it, just think about those things before you make your final decision.

Exactly. I have had gas station debrandings, where the employee REFUSED to listen to me, called her supervisor, who put me on the phone, asked me a ton of questions, all the while I have the LOA.... In BOTH cases, neither had heard anything about the debranding audit and neither wanted to cooperate. (eventually the DM approved me to go forward with the audit)

But what begs to mind, neither knew about this. What is to say the store, with the purse scenario, won't know either and call the police?

No thanks!

A few weeks ago, I was doing an announced audit at a chicken restaurant, with a LOA from the chicken company itself. I was refused permission, but the manager did sign the form. I was watched like a hawk inside and only got one photo while I was eating my reimbursed dinner. I took photos outside until the police arrived (I was in my car and just drove away since this was in a large shopping center parking lot). A similar thing happened a few years ago at a gas station. I actually managed to complete almost all of the debranding audit while sitting in my car. Again, I left when the police car arrived. I got paid for that shop (even though I did not get the required signature). I am still waiting to see if I get paid for the adventure in chicken land.

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

So much terrible and misleading information here.

For jobs like this you are ALWAYS given a way to protect yourself. First of which is these businesses know they get shopped like this. Second is they would come with a letter of authorization. Third, NO MSP is going to give you a job where you will get thrown in jail. Jesus christ. The drama from most of you.

Ive done these in varying ways. A grocery store was having me keep an item on the bottom of the cart to see if it was caught, ive been told to take something from the room and then not tell the front desk when asked, and ive been asked to hide an item inside of another item too.

These jobs are loss prevention jobs and are part of the businesses loss prevention plan. They do this to make sure that their staff are not losing inventory to easily preventable things and this is one of the easiest ways to steal because there are so many places to hide things.

CEO The Mystery Shoppers Depot
US Wide route shopper with 12k+ shops completed over 48 states and 6 countries.
Airbnb host based in Chicago and 10% discount if you mention this forum

@CureMS wrote:

see thar's why this forum is so important. i never thought about the jail angle. according to my sister, an attorney, charges would have to be pressed by the stoew. HOWEVER you could spend a weekend in jail. get a mug shot and fingerprints for the police yo have AND miss your deadline. for what i would now charge to do something like this i could take all my extended family on an all expenses paid first class trip to the dominican republic for a week or two.

There is not a single shred of truth in what you just posted.

No one will go to jail.
No one will be arrested.
No one will get a mug shot and fingerprints.

I smoke a lot of herb, but apparently you all have me beat. We need to talk.

These are loss prevention jobs. Their employees and store managers know they are being conducted. No store or MSP is going to hire someone to do a job that could get them arrested or in jail. Jesus christ. What is WRONG with you guys? You feed off one another with this terrible information and thought process. Holy crap. This is amazing. Ive only ever read about this kind of thing .

CEO The Mystery Shoppers Depot
US Wide route shopper with 12k+ shops completed over 48 states and 6 countries.
Airbnb host based in Chicago and 10% discount if you mention this forum

I think it would depend on the guidelines for the shop. If the cashier notices, then you could play it off ("Oh my gosh, I'm so embarassed/scatterbrained! I put the wallet in to see how it fit and totally forgot!"

. Technically no law was broken since the unpaid item didn't leave the premises. If the cashier doesn't notice, you can pretend to find the small item right after the purchase is finalized, and give it back to the cashier. Of course, that would all depend on the guidelines.

You go right ahead and do them..... you can risk jail all you want. Yes they are loss prevention but the problem is a mystery shopper is not a hired employee for risk prevention. Explain that one to the local police, letter or not...

@jrossetti wrote:

So much terrible and misleading information here.

For jobs like this you are ALWAYS given a way to protect yourself. First of which is these businesses know they get shopped like this. Second is they would come with a letter of authorization. Third, NO MSP is going to give you a job where you will get thrown in jail. Jesus christ. The drama from most of you.

Ive done these in varying ways. A grocery store was having me keep an item on the bottom of the cart to see if it was caught, ive been told to take something from the room and then not tell the front desk when asked, and ive been asked to hide an item inside of another item too.

These jobs are loss prevention jobs and are part of the businesses loss prevention plan. They do this to make sure that their staff are not losing inventory to easily preventable things and this is one of the easiest ways to steal because there are so many places to hide things.

@jrossetti wrote:

@CureMS wrote:

see thar's why this forum is so important. i never thought about the jail angle. according to my sister, an attorney, charges would have to be pressed by the stoew. HOWEVER you could spend a weekend in jail. get a mug shot and fingerprints for the police yo have AND miss your deadline. for what i would now charge to do something like this i could take all my extended family on an all expenses paid first class trip to the dominican republic for a week or two.

There is not a single shred of truth in what you just posted.

No one will go to jail.
No one will be arrested.
No one will get a mug shot and fingerprints.

I smoke a lot of herb, but apparently you all have me beat. We need to talk.

These are loss prevention jobs. Their employees and store managers know they are being conducted. No store or MSP is going to hire someone to do a job that could get them arrested or in jail. Jesus christ. What is WRONG with you guys? You feed off one another with this terrible information and thought process. Holy crap. This is amazing. Ive only ever read about this kind of thing .

I 100% agree with you on this.

You can only understand this if you have been a scheduler, editor or have been to a conference. (I've done all 3.) I don't smoke any herb, but don't judge me for drinking at 10 am either, OK?

Hey, if I am getting PAID to drink at 10 AM, make mine a Maker's Mark please.

@CANADAMOMMY wrote:

You go right ahead and do them..... you can risk jail all you want. Yes they are loss prevention but the problem is a mystery shopper is not a hired employee for risk prevention. Explain that one to the local police, letter or not...

You're giving a false argument. There is no risk of going to jail. That's not even a point to take seriously.

Can you find a single shred of evidence to back up someone having gone to jail for one of these kinds of jobs, anywhere, ever?

Now when you can't do that, remember they have been doing these kinds of jobs for a long long time. If there was any realistic chance of this happening you would be able to find it and PEOPLE WHO DO THESE JOBS WOULD HAVE MENTIONED IT. Instead, we're all saying you guys are being riduclous and there isn't any concerns like that.

Let's NOT listen to the people who do them and LETS l isten to the people who are declining them and have never done them. That just doesn't make any sense at all.

Unless you can provide SOME type of evidence that someone could go to jail based I don't understand why you feel this way?

Why not just not do the job. Why pretend like it's because you might go to jail. You're not doing this job because you are uncomfortable with the scenario, not because of "possibly going to jail" because that is non existent.

I have a letter of authorization, the employees are trained, I have a phone number for the business and the store managers are also in the loop. Ive certainly been questioned and asked about things, but once I bust out the credentials or have them talk to their boss I am on the way. Even if the police did show up, or the employee wasn't trained, by the time they arrive (since I haven't run and the staff there can't touch me) ive had enough time to present my information and they can contact their boss and I am on my way.

These are not at all scary and complicated. Pretty easy money.

CEO The Mystery Shoppers Depot
US Wide route shopper with 12k+ shops completed over 48 states and 6 countries.
Airbnb host based in Chicago and 10% discount if you mention this forum

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