Are Check Cashing Shops Easy?

I see some for $20 at one mystery shopping company, but haven't made up my mind if I want to take one or not. They are not always in a safe area, which is a concern for me. But I also figured that if that shop was conducted in day time, then it wouldn't be a problem.

Does $20 sound reasonable? And what is the wait in line and time spent filling out paperwork and doing a typical shop report like? Thanks!

edit to add: I know I said I was leaving and that will be soon, but I figured why not ask some questions for the few weeks I have left here.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/2017 06:21AM by shoptastic.

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I don't understand. Is it a payday loan type of place? I did one of those once for about $100 and after all was said and done, I felt underpaid. I got follow-up phone calls and e-mails for like six months, and the check cashing place must have sold my info to other places....3 years later, my inbox is still full of e-mails for short term loans (at a few thousand % APR!!!). I swear, I'm a polite person on the phone, but the worker at that place cursed at me on the phone when I asked her to stop calling!

@ceasesmith wrote:

I don't understand. Is it a payday loan type of place? I did one of those once for about $100 and after all was said and done, I felt underpaid. I got follow-up phone calls and e-mails for like six months, and the check cashing place must have sold my info to other places....3 years later, my inbox is still full of e-mails for short term loans (at a few thousand % APR!!!). I swear, I'm a polite person on the phone, but the worker at that place cursed at me on the phone when I asked her to stop calling!

The mystery shopping company I see these at have two types:

payday loans
check cashing (any - including personal)

Since I haven't been working (excluding ms-ing) since last year, I don't have any pay stubs and can only do the check cashing at the moment. The rate I have seen is consistently $20.

Wait, they actually still call you 3 years later??!

And they cursed at you when you said to stop? Wow!

No, I get e-mails from other companies offering payday loans -- and I've never signed up for one except that one shop, 3 years ago. They -- the place I shopped -- actually stopped calling after six months. I swear, I think they sold my info, and that's why I've gotten thousands of e-mails for payday loans. Never got them before doing that shop. And yes, the woman cursed at me. It was a rotten experience!

The loans DO DO hit your credit report. For sure. And the loan ones FOR SURE have your info posted with a star on it saying shopper. I saw it! Accidently but I saw it clear as could be. They turned the screen around because they called up an address and I said no way I never lived there... she showed me the screen. No thanks.

Check cashing is easy. It takes maybe five minutes, but you may have a long wait in the store. Know you cannot use MSC checks though.

Reports arent too bad, mostly check boxes abnd an overal visit narrative.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/2017 09:35PM by foodluvr.

Check cashing shops are very, very easy but the only negative is many are located in high crime areas and you need to submit your driver's license when you visit for the first time so they can data enter it and issue you a plastic swipe card for future visits.

@shoptastic wrote:

edit to add: I know I said I was leaving and that will be soon, but I figured why not ask some questions for the few weeks I have left here.

promises promises

They give you a way to get a chek stub

@shoptastic wrote:

@ceasesmith wrote:

I don't understand. Is it a payday loan type of place? I did one of those once for about $100 and after all was said and done, I felt underpaid. I got follow-up phone calls and e-mails for like six months, and the check cashing place must have sold my info to other places....3 years later, my inbox is still full of e-mails for short term loans (at a few thousand % APR!!!). I swear, I'm a polite person on the phone, but the worker at that place cursed at me on the phone when I asked her to stop calling!

The mystery shopping company I see these at have two types:

payday loans
check cashing (any - including personal)

Since I haven't been working (excluding ms-ing) since last year, I don't have any pay stubs and can only do the check cashing at the moment. The rate I have seen is consistently $20.

@CANADAMOMMY wrote:

They give you a way to get a chek stub

What did you mean by that, CM?

Exactly what I said.... do the job you will figure it out. They give you a way to get a check stub.

@CANADAMOMMY wrote:

The loans DO DO hit your credit report. For sure. And the loan ones FOR SURE have your info posted with a star on it saying shopper. I saw it! Accidently but I saw it clear as could be. They turned the screen around because they called up an address and I said no way I never lived there... she showed me the screen. No thanks.

lol. It would be the first company that identified mystery shoppers. I'm more curious about the address part. Did they just have the wrong address listed or did you use like fake addresses when going there? Or, maybe someone stole your identity and started cashing checks at those places?

They had incorrect address. It was similar so I suspect typo. I could super clearly see the STAR and MYSTERY SHOPPER in bold letters. They are NOT the firt to identify. Ask any 5 guys workers about the pics in the breakroom.... for example... Many stores do...

@Arch Stanton wrote:

Check cashing shops are very, very easy but the only negative is many are located in high crime areas and you need to submit your driver's license when you visit for the first time so they can data enter it and issue you a plastic swipe card for future visits.

I always Google and YELP my potential shop locations to get a sense of what they look like, customer reviews, and where they're located before considering them.

A lot of the check cashing and payday loan places do seem to get located in more blighted areas. I would feel okay going in during the day time, because I can see everything around me and it's just generally safer with the sun out. On the other hand, I wonder about appearance.

I have read that a lot of these payday lenders have a bad reputation for trapping the poor in endless debt cycles and preying on them. I'm by no means rich, but am fortunate enough from family and personal work to not be poor either. Without it being offensive hopefully, would it be a good idea to sort of "dress down" to better fit in at a check cashing store? Or do enough working/middle-class people use these businesses too that dressing a bit "better" would still allow one to fit in (and not get outed as a shopper) do you guys think?

@CANADAMOMMY wrote:

They had incorrect address. It was similar so I suspect typo. I could super clearly see the STAR and MYSTERY SHOPPER in bold letters. They are NOT the firt to identify. Ask any 5 guys workers about the pics in the breakroom.... for example... Many stores do...

Yeah, that's a topic I think everyone would benefit from having a thread discussion on. Why and how are these businesses/managers allowed to just post your picture on their walls? It defeats the purpose of mystery shopping most of the time if they crew already know you're a shopper. But, also, how do they know unless you and/or the reports are obvious at outing you?

I ask, because I worry/wonder if managers aid and abet the crew to look out for us, show them film footage of our shops, and try and work to get good reports for corporate? If they did, that'd seem to defeat the entire purpose of having shoppers, which is there to help improve their service and find weaknesses they can improve on. ***should be a separate thread discussion***

These places do sell your phone number and email address, as stated on the privacy notice they give you. Yes, you are usually asked to dress down (I don't.) Yes, they are awful companies that take advantage of the poor. I'm always happy to take their money.

I once walked into a store 60 miles from home and was immediately spotted as a shopper. Someone from another store had to have sent them a photo. At another place I asked my required question and the employee smirked. As soon as we were done, I watched him go straight to his manager and tell him. And a scheduler told me that some employees get a bonus if they spot a shopper. But even if they all know, it doesn't mean they've been trained well enough to hit all the marks. So there is still value in having shoppers.

mine took maybe 5 min. this place isn't far and i just asked a few questions.. I have also been buying money orders and they've paid well. I give the m.o. to my son.

ive never been outed but i change my llook like i change my undies.

@shoptastic wrote:

edit to add: I know I said I was leaving and that will be soon, but I figured why not ask some questions for the few weeks I have left here.

Where are you going??? For the relatively short time you've been on here, I've enjoyed reading your posts...particularly with the other ID, but even with this one, you have some good insights! Wherever you're going, I wish you the best!

@guysmom wrote:

Where are you going??? For the relatively short time you've been on here, I've enjoyed reading your posts...particularly with the other ID, but even with this one, you have some good insights! Wherever you're going, I wish you the best!

Other ID?? Are you confusing me with someone else? I only created one other ID and asked like a total of two questions with it, before I forgot the password and couldn't use it anymore and created this one, guysmom. You might actually be thinking of a totally different person here!!

I'm not "going" anywhere as in moving, but just will take a break at the very least and depending on how long or how much I continue to mystery shop, I may or may not use the site in the future. I've appreciated everyone's helpful tips and also wish you all the best!

@chrisdd wrote:

I once walked into a store 60 miles from home and was immediately spotted as a shopper.

Wait. Could it be because you refused to dress down?

OP, There are different MSCs doing check cashing shops. They range in fee and in difficulty. Like any shops, the most difficult part is figuring out what the MSC wants in the report. One MSC's instructions call for a "very detailed report." To them that means about five sentences.

I was outed at both check cashing shops. It seems the scenarios are too easy to spot.

@shoptastic wrote:

@guysmom wrote:

Where are you going??? For the relatively short time you've been on here, I've enjoyed reading your posts...particularly with the other ID, but even with this one, you have some good insights! Wherever you're going, I wish you the best!

Other ID?? Are you confusing me with someone else? I only created one other ID and asked like a total of two questions with it, before I forgot the password and couldn't use it anymore and created this one, guysmom. You might actually be thinking of a totally different person here!!

I'm not "going" anywhere as in moving, but just will take a break at the very least and depending on how long or how much I continue to mystery shop, I may or may not use the site in the future. I've appreciated everyone's helpful tips and also wish you all the best!

YES YES!! I have confused you with another poster.....my face is RED....so embarrassed !! Please forgive!! And I DO wish you the best!!

A managing director in a National Amusements theater once told me that they are notified by their Corp HQ when to expect mystery shoppers....

These check cashing shops are on my not to do list.

@Arch Stanton wrote:

A managing director in a National Amusements theater once told me that they are notified by their Corp HQ when to expect mystery shoppers....

I totally don't get that!! Don't these managers know that that probably defeats the purpose for a lot of mystery shopping benefits? I've heard this before too with other shop types.

Although, I can also see at least one benefit of doing this and using mystery shoppers. You can "scare" your staff straight and make sure they do a good job out of fear. lol.

But fear is usually only good for short-term effectiveness. Love motivates greater than fear, but takes more patience and is ultimately what provides long-term behavioral changes in people!

The worst part (for us) is that telling your staff ahead of time about mystery shoppers makes us vulnerable to outing! Way to destroy your mystery shopping base!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/2017 11:40PM by shoptastic.

@sbobgal wrote:

I was outed at both check cashing shops. It seems the scenarios are too easy to spot.

Did they tell you why? Did you dress "up" for the shop? Have to ask giveaway questions?

I probably won't do these. I don't have many checks I could cash anyways, so it would be a regular thing and I don't want to invest the time into these shops.

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