Hello All
So I am really enjoying doing the mystery shopping. I have registered with about 20 MSC's so far but I've only worked for 3 out of the 20 because there are really no assignments available in my area, even 40 miles from my house. While on vacation from my full time job I was able to do a couple of bank shops, a fitness club, 2 jewelry stores, 10 gas shops and a rental company. Can anyone share information about mystery shops that are available in the Antelope Valley area.

Hi shopkins. Welcome o the forum! Are you referring to Antelope Valley in CA? You have to sign up with as many MSCs as possible.

Yes, I am referring to Antelope Valley California. I've looked at quite a few MSCs but I don't really know any of them. I am pretty new at this. Thanks for responding I really appreciate it. A lot of these shops tend to be out of state and there are a limited number of assignments in my area. It's a little frustrating.

I signed up for the free month at Jobslinger, which streamlined the sign-up process for quite a few MSCs. Then each weekend I have a goal of signing up for one or two more companies. Some companies just don't have much of anything in my area, but I have to sign up to find out. I don't live in an area with a lot of shops, but I like to get what it is available and augment my income. And you just never know. I signed up with Harland Clarke, which was a little more intensive than many in the requirements, (print and scan actual documents, etc.) but I was very happy that I did. Just keep swimmin.....

You need to be signed up with 100+ companies. It's almost always quicker to just sign up than it is to figure out who currently has shops in your area.

This is good advice. While most of the jobs you will see on jobslinger are already filled, it will give you a good idea of who currently has jobs. Sign up with all the companies you see there first, and then take bgriffin's advice and keep signing up with at least 100. You never know what company currently has no jobs in your area might suddenly land a great client.

@Bookwormmom wrote:

I signed up for the free month at Jobslinger, which streamlined the sign-up process for quite a few MSCs. Then each weekend I have a goal of signing up for one or two more companies. Some companies just don't have much of anything in my area, but I have to sign up to find out. I don't live in an area with a lot of shops, but I like to get what it is available and augment my income. And you just never know. I signed up with Harland Clarke, which was a little more intensive than many in the requirements, (print and scan actual documents, etc.) but I was very happy that I did. Just keep swimmin.....

@shopkins wrote:

Hello All
So I am really enjoying doing the mystery shopping. I have registered with about 20 MSC's so far but I've only worked for 3 out of the 20 because there are really no assignments available in my area, even 40 miles from my house. Can anyone share information about mystery shops that are available in the Antelope Valley area.

Hi, shopkins, welcome to the forum. This is a great place to read and learn. I started MSing in 2010 and I learned to MS from reading the forum. I read here for years before I thought I knew enough to post.

How long have you been mystery shopping? I ask that because there are "ups and downs" in MSing and different things are posted at different times in the month or even different times of the year. When you sign up with companies, they may not have anything immediately in your area. Sometimes that is because they really don't have a client in your area at all (although next week or next month they might get a new client). Sometimes they do have jobs in your area but other shoppers have already taken them this month. Sometimes schedulers have assigned the shops to experienced shoppers without putting them on a job board, so, again, you don't see them. And sometimes you have to build a track record to get shops. A lot of the best shops are never visible on a job board.

Sign up with at least 100 companies. Many forum members are signed up with 150-200 or more. Check the job boards frequently. Don't just wait for emails to come out announcing jobs. Check out JobSlinger (free) to see what companies show jobs in your area. Take a few low-level shops for companies to get your feet wet and see how you like the companies.

There's plenty of help here, but keep in mind that we are competitors. The problem with identifying your area and asking who has shops there is that only someone in your area knows. And he is likely doing those shops right now. We are all in this to make money, so that person would likely be unwilling to share his jobs with you. Most shoppers spend a lot of time building their client list and it's valuable to them. It takes a while to get started, lots of planning and learning and time spent signing up with companies. Don't get discouraged.

I get offers to do shops there, but never take them....trying to remember the name,Krispy kreme's MSC does them in Palmdale which is in Antelope Valley....sorry I forgot there name.

shopkins, what you see on an MSC's site today is just a snapshot. Sign up with as many MSC's as possible. Opt in for emails. Set the radius that you are willing to travel to do the shops. You will receive emails when the shops are in your area.

If you live near a mall or any big box stores, you will have work.

@shopkins wrote:

Hello All
So I am really enjoying doing the mystery shopping. I have registered with about 20 MSC's so far but I've only worked for 3 out of the 20 because there are really no assignments available in my area, even 40 miles from my house. While on vacation from my full time job I was able to do a couple of bank shops, a fitness club, 2 jewelry stores, 10 gas shops and a rental company. Can anyone share information about mystery shops that are available in the Antelope Valley area.

You might be able to save some time by signing up with mystery shopping sites like:

I Secret Shop
Kern Scheduling
Jobslinger
MSPA

They don't post jobs for a single company, but instead allow lots of companies to post jobs on their site. With ISS, you don't seem to even have to register with each individual company on their website, but can just accept their terms on ISS itself (if I'm not mistaken).

I'm registered with 78 companies and have lots of work to choose from. I think things started getting really good for me around 60 companies or so. Keep registering and looking. You'll eventually find more!

Thank you for the great advice and suggestions I will keep swimming and try to keep my head above the water. First thing on my list today is to check out jobslinger.com

ok, thank you. Every suggestion helps I really appreciate it.

I've only been mystery shopping about a month now. I immediately joined the forum and have been an avid reader and follower since then. I am interested in learning everything that I can about it from anyone who is willing to share. Speaking as the fresh fish in a big pond, I have done about 20 mystery shops in total and my goal is to get at least twice that, during a 6 week period part time, while I am on vacation from my full time job. It looks like there are plenty of opportunities, according to the forum, for everyone. I need to find out where I fit in. Thanks for your input and the great feedback

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to my post. Your feedback and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/2017 04:13PM by shopkins.

Thank you shoptastic, by the way I love the name. I will look into the sites that you have suggested. Happy shopping

Thank you

Presto shows many jobs in your area; they give you the name of the company you must be signed up with: [insta.prestomobilesurveys.com]

Marketforce has 120 shops in your area due by the 31st, and all bonused to $40 or more.

However, I'm quite familiar with the area, and I know that driving there is not like driving here. Here, 40 miles equals 35 minutes of drive time. Forty miles in Antelope Valley sometimes means 3 hours drive time! (I graduated Antelope Valley Joint Union High School.)

Welcome to Mystery Shopping, and to the forum!!!

(And I hope I do not injure other shoppers by giving out this info; it is pretty much general knowledge.)

Thanks

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/2017 06:21PM by shopkins.

You're so right about that. I have no issue getting signed up with the many companies and being accepted. I get excited then I get disappointed because there's nothing in the area. I'm willing to travel but some jobs just don't pay enough to put the miles on my vehicle.

Yes, I have done a few jewelry shops at the mall. That was a lot of fun Thanks.

Ya, I finished the school year and have time to do shops again. I noticed there aren't any shops or projects in my area anymore. I thought that was a bummer. I need to start looking for more MSC. I'm signed up with about 20 companies but only 3 have real opportunities anymore. That used to be about 10.

I tried presto nothing in my area but i won't give up, thanks a lot for your advice.

That's my experience too, but i'm going to keep looking at more companies, it's nice to know that i'm not alone.

There seem to be more shops available at the end of the month and the end of the quarter. Since June is the end of the second quarter, many of the companies should have jobs that have to get filled by the end of the month. Welcome here and thanks for bringing your positivity.

Right now you can see in the Presto-Insta Shopp app about 10 shops in your area. They are from Intellishop,Bare,Gfk,Athpoweronline,Confero and SeeLevel HX.

When I was knew, I did a 1 year membership with Shadow Shopper and that exposed me to a lot of different companies, otherwise you can look up Kim, the mystery shopper and she often has shopping companies that are legit listed.

Thanks marianamariana
I will add that to my list of shops to look at today. I have already checked out Presto, maybe I should look at it again. I am with Gfk and Bare already between these two companies I have only been able to do one MS.

Shadow Shopper sounds very interesting, thanks a bunch

Thanks to everyone for helping me to put new tools in my tool belt. You're So Awesome
My first MS was April 18th and I have learned so much from you all in such a short time. Nice to know that someone still cares enough to reach out to a fellow MS. I have watched every YouTube video out there but it's nothing like real life experiences and getting advice from someone who is already out there doing the job day to day.

The secret is being willing to travel, perhaps further than your comfort zone. Many companies that don't like to bonus jobs will, when they get desperate. I got $75 each for two shops last week that normally pay $10 each. They were 100 miles from home, but the two shops were just blocks apart. Each one took 45 minutes on-site,
an hour prep, and an hour for the report. I also picked up a fast food shop for $80, which normally pays $5. The ff shop was in the same parking lot as one of the $75 shops -- and I had to eat, anyway! Tomorrow I'm doing a new car shop for $75, a fast food for $25, and a post office shop for $30. It's 270 miles round trip, so I need to pick up a couple more jobs to really make it worth while. The new car shop and the post office shop will pay me in two weeks; that will give me funds on hand for my shops the last week of the month.

I love Best Mark. They give you a "example report" which shows EXACTLY how they want their narrative structured. I love that! I wish EVERY MSC would do that. Makes it so easy, especially on these narrative intense shops. And they process pay every two weeks. Trendsource ("The Source"...) pays twice a month, too, as does Maritz. So does IPSOS. Having that money in hand so soon is worth a lot to me; I'd rather do six $25
shops that are paying me in two weeks or so than one $150 shop that's gonna take 6 weeks to be paid. (Known as "opportunity cost of money" -- I can take that $l50 by the 20th of this month, and use it to shop my long route the last week of the month.)

The InStore Group also pays twice a month. It's simple merchandising jobs, most pay $12 flat rate. But the "report" consists of 5 or 6 yes/no questions, and a couple of photos. EXCELLENT "filler" jobs that you can do on the way to other shops. Customer Impact also has lots and lots of jobs, and likes us to take routes that
need redoing regularly. They have their own app, so you do the report while you're on-site. They don't pay much per job, but the jobs really do only take a few minutes each. $9 for a job that you can complete in less than 15 minutes still meets my hourly requirement. Their communication has been responsive and timely. I love working with companies that respond to e-mails!!!

I did one twenty hour day last month -- 17 hours of driving, 3 hours shopping and reporting. $500+ reimbursements for the day. I got up at 5 AM, drove 300 miles, did my first shop at noon, my final shop
at 7:15 PM, drove 400 miles home and got home at 2:30 the next morning. And I'm 70 years old and disabled!

Feel free to PM me.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/2017 04:36PM by ceasesmith.