How many of you use spy cams for mystery shopping

Hi all,
I was wondering how many of you utilize spy camera for your mystery shopping. I live in a one party state and thought I might get a watch cam or glasses cam, and I was wondering if you folks had any recommendations also.

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First, the battery life for every glasses cam that I have tried out is insufficient to cover many types of shops. In addition there is a very, very high rate of user error. How would you plan to capture the target with a watch camera without attracting a lot of attention?

Most video shops use either Talon technology (for short shops) or a PV-500 button camera rig (About $360 if you get the right sort from Dan Thomas.) For Talon, do a search on that name.

I do a ton of video shops and would never consider using my equipment for non-video assignments.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

You don't use your camera for non-video assignments? I use mine for most jobs unless it is a short retail or gas station shop. For those I always use my phone's voice or video recorder.

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It's a waste of your time and it really annoys the pig.

I only use mine if I'm already wired up. If I have a video shop and a written shop back to back it's easier just to wait until I'm done for the day to take off the video shirt. Since the camera is already there why not turn it on and run it? I RARELY put it on specifically for a non-written shop though.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

"How would you plan to capture the target with a watch camera without attracting a lot of attention? "
The shop I am thinking of is a Bar integrity audit, one hour, and I can keep my wrist on the bar to get some information that I may not have picked up with my eyes or to confirm what I thought I saw. I am also new and a tad insecure about my memory. thanks.

If you are just looking for something to help with reports and not planning on performing actual video mystery shops, use whatever is comfortable and affordable for you. You still need to be aware of the laws for recording in your state. In the New Mystery Shoppers section there is a thread discussing the laws. I think it also contains a link to a good source. Most of the laws focus on audio recording which we all do when video recording. You also need to remember video recording in places like public restrooms is illegal everywhere so you would have to remember to turn it off before entering.

Thank you Lisa and everyone else for your replies. I did find a camera that appears to be a car key fob, and I will use that and/or my cell phone to help me report accurate shops. Glad I am not the only ones doing it.

I rarely see video shops here. I've started traveling about 2 hours from home, and occasionally 3-4 hours but the only video shop I've had pop up were for a bank account opening that I had already done at the same bank. I hadn't found a use for video yet but as we take vacations and move around a little for the other halfs work, I may spot more. I can't justify spending money one one as of right now, though. I do use my phone a bit for recording things such as weird behavior, photo stills from video, and just to talk into. I also use the talk to text feature and send myself tons of clips. A dictation recorder is pretty nice too. I borrowed one from my old job on a few shops and it helped tremendously when I was out of service and my phone didn't want to cooperate.

MegglesKat

I've found that really there are only 6-7 states where video makes sense if you are only interested in "local" shops.

There are reasons that a body stays in motion
At the moment only demons come to mind

Doesn't seem to be much in KY, VA, OH, TN areas that I've been through. I have about 110 companies right now and have only spotted some shops with one bank that were video. Perhaps they're all hiding in the other 150 companies job boards. (-: Not much work for video shops driving through the cow pastures and mountains, apparently.

MegglesKat

Mountaincatcher,
You may not be seeing many video shops simply because the largest video MSCs almost never put their shops on job boards. You can arrange to do a test video, with borrowed equipment to send to them (they will share it, I think) and then see what they might have near you to make buying equipment worth while. However, to really make video pay well, more travel overnight may be necessary. I know there are video shops in Roanoke, because I have been paid to travel all the way from MD to do them. The same with other western and central VA locations. Lots of video all over Ohio!

In spring 2018, the IMSC will hold a shopper conference with lots of training available in Atlanta. Perhaps you should consider attending if you want to really ramp up your MS earnings. And the top video MSCs and the top retailer of acceptable video equipment will be there!

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

I have both a spy camera and spy recorder use on audio and video shops. The audio are very easy as I use the recorder and my iPhone as a backup. The video shops are scary as the camera is hard to situate.

I actually did my first one using my iPhone the video was outstanding. The iPhone fit in my shirt pocket. Formatting was the problem. I had to work with several free online softwares to get it to
Attach to my shop. I finally bought my own camera system

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How many of you use spy cams for mystery shopping

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