I think there is a more advantageous way of looking at it...you can now finally be free from all of those nasty carcinogens in the beverages that you have had to order at those places. Good riddance to all that crap! You will undoubtedly be healthier, and your body will thank you.

Well, those of us that love those nasty carcinogens will still find a way to get them. It will just cost us more.

Cardinogenic coffee......yum

I once had a Mexican restaurant mystery shop that changed their age requirements to no one over 55. Since I was well over 55, I called the scheduler and asked why the age requirement had changed. She told me that older people were more sensitive to and could not tolerate spicier foods. To that, I just replied, "Lady, I'm from New Orleans. We eat Tabasco for breakfast!." I got the job.

The truth is I never liked spicy foods when I was younger, and my taste now loves spicy and a kickback.s o wherever she got her info., just doesn't know what she's taking about....I put Jalipeno's in homemade taco's.

I have experienced being denied shops because of age. I'm 63 and was told I couldn't do a restaurant shop if over 55 and another one if over 45 although I had shopped both restaurants many times.

It's just demographics. Perhaps the company has received several complaints from a particular demographic and they want to see if it is a problem. I see plenty of jobs requiring a particular age group. I don't take offense, it is what the customer has requested for whatever reason. We all have to keep in mind that our purpose is to give companies an objective view of their businesses. Schedulers jobs are to fulfill the customers requirements. If the customer requests a blind, wheelchair bound male in his 90's to shop their business they have their own reasoning behind it. It is not for us to question why.

Sure, they want a certain demographic, anyone under 65.

I have aged out of several shops because I just turned 65. It is extremely annoying because nothing magically changes on your 65th Birthday. What I find interesting is the occasional call where a scheduler is begging me to do a shop they are having trouble getting done; I reply that I am now "too old." Suddenly the scheduler can waive the age restriction. I guess age wasn't that important after all.

Just as a 65 year old can't do an age compliance shop for cigarettes, a 25 year old can't easily pull off looking for a Medicare plan for themselves or a parent. I'm 65 and have done many Medicare shops. They pay well, too. Some shops that used to restrict age a few years ago have changed bc they couldn't get shoppers. Now we can "pretend" to be grandparents. Some of you seem to forget that the msc does not set the age restrictions. These come from the client who is looking for a specific demographic. They are allowed to do this in order to get a better understand of their business from a customer's perspective. It is NOT age discrimination. And a note about "lying." We don't lie! Think of it as an actor on stage. You're fooling your audience into thinking you're someone else for a short period of time. We just need to make sure we do our homework in order to stick to a believable script.

Richard, you seem like a really nice person and I'm sad for you that you can't do shop. I think though the 65 year requirement was because that's the retirement age. So they probably are just looking for a demographic.

Yes, a demographic. Rather, one factor of a demographic; age 18 - 65. That's not a demographic.

Beyond the age discrimination, there are MSC that decide one does not need to do shops for them anymore because the shopper has done too many shops for this particular bank. This bank is shopped by so many MSC companies, that it is not easy to keep track of which company and how many shops you did for each company. This industry is one of much discrimination and what points they will give us. I am leaving one state and will be shopping in another state next month. Let us see who steps up to give the assignments. Not easy to be a shopper in 2017 at age 80 and be an independent business owner for a completely different type of business the majority of my business career.. Sometimes it just sucks to try to do these shops, that I am also very good at.

Rothers, yes, it sure is good not to have to go to three branches of the same coffeehouse chain and sample bizarre, sugary flavors.

I think I am particularly annoyed at the age discrimination because as a teacher working in a classroom with other teachers, I and two others were openly discriminated against because of our age. We all knew what was going on, and talked privately with each other about it. We were employees, but we didn't sue.

I hear you. I'm getting up there in years, and I'm seeing more and more shops that require people age 50 and under, etc. This is often for high-tech shops, so older people don't know anything about high-tech?

I'm surprised how hostile some people are getting. Or just snarky.

I am capable of doing a Bank of America/Merrill Lynch shop with detailed survey but I can't be trusted to get a cup of coffee and remember the server's name?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/16/2017 06:20AM by Jean1133.

I agree with you. Some clients do age discriminate for no good reason. A shoe shop client I used to video shop successfully, bringing in a nice bit of income, suddenly decided that they wanted all shoppers to be under 40. I was older. I know the shop has numerous older customers too, so their decision was baffling. You dont have any rights as a contractor, but you can voice your displeasure in other ways. Leave bad reviews of th cafe, never shop there in your own time and discourage others to do the same. Even consider signing up to the Agency under a new profile and lie about your age, if it a ROMS. The client's behavior is deplorable and think what would happen if they introduced a policy saying that only white people can mystery shop their stores because that is the most typical profile and that is why they introduced it. Makes you feel uncomfortable? You bet! Age is no different and just because you have no legal redress doesnt make it acceptable and morally just too. There a very few mystery shops that can justify age discrimination: age related under age drinking assignments, retirement village assignments are two.

I feel the same way when the requirements for a dinner shop say that you must have a college degree and make $50,000. To me it sounds like they don't think you know how to eat without a degree and a lot of money!

many places having age limitations. BWW used to have but they dropped that few years ago..Texas Roadhouse used to have up to 60 but they raised bar at 65 for now. Champs stores set age limitations at 18-55, and each time they struggling to fill the spots I and jumping and telling them I am over 60. Old Country Buffet has now at 55, totally strange: I saw partons over there over 70.

"compliance shop for cigarettes" In state of PA you must dhow your ID regardless of your age and I did some shops over there a few years ago..

I'm late to the post, so maybe this has already been mentioned but I would imagine that this was a blanket change and they just sent that information to everyone and didn't think specifically about you. Maybe if you contacted them they would say of course we didn't mean you.

Hi my fellow seniors. I am 77 and have been Mystery shopping for almost four years. When I retired I was enjoying my time freedom but also wanted to earn some money. For a while the two goals seemed to be exclusive; I could not have both at the same time.... until I found MS. After researching and finding out that this was actually legal I started and the rest is history.
I use the income from MS for enhanced vacations for my husband and myself; I am queen of my time. Sometimes my husband does a shop, bu he is not keen on the reports. For me, it is a super win-win situation.
It made me happy to learn of other 70 somethings also doing Mystery shopping.

@jec19 wrote:

Just as a 65 year old can't do an age compliance shop for cigarettes, a 25 year old can't easily pull off looking for a Medicare plan for themselves or a parent. I'm 65 and have done many Medicare shops..

too old for compliance & too young for medicare. guess im screwed.

Recently, I completed a shop that I will be too old for in one year. Immediately after that, I walked unassisted to a nearby apparel store that is for "young" and "fashionable" people. I picked up a few pieces that will spruce up my mercandising look. These clothes are modest, fun, and adaptable in layers for seasons. I do not know if this store is shopped. They do have a painless and well-paid audit. One audit will offset my purchase and give me a then-current view of cute clothes to consider in future. It's all good.

For the past half century, federal law has banned employers from discriminating against people based on their age.Elderly and youthful employees sometimes experience age discrimination in the workplace. Ageism, is stereotyping and discriminating against individuals or groups on the basis of their age. Employers are generally not allowed to hire, fire, promote, or decide an employee’s compensation based on their age.
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older from employment discrimination based on age. The Older Workers Benefit Protection Act of 1990 (OWBPA) amended the ADEA to specifically prohibit employers from denying benefits to older employees.
Let me share with you a story I personal went through myself in 1993. I was a Property Manager for an Apartment complex in Alexandria, VA. There were 189 units I had to take care of and I was all alone and needed help in my office. I interviewed a few people and one man I interviewed was in his mid 70's. He was Smart,Sharp, and he had lot's of experience has well in this line of work. Perfect person for the job. I told my boss about him & how much experience he had in this type of work. I'll never forget the words my boss had told me that day: "Never discriminate against anyone because of their age!" That's basis for a lawsuit." I was happy my boss was the type of persona he was because, he truly believed in no limitations on anyone because of age.
Has long has they can handle the work!
If a Mystery Shop Business of any kind say's"you can't have the Shop/job, especially if you have the work experience but, the people who do the hiring didn't actually come out and say the word "Age?"
There are laws to protect such individuals has yourself. That's if the employer can't come up with any other reason for you not to get the SHOP JOB!
There's 65% of older people who can't get jobs because of age discrimination in this day and age!
But, there are laws to protect them.
Mystery Shop Jobs are the easiest Jobs and the worst paying jobs.
When I was doing mystery shopping on the side in restaurants back in 2003 the pay was horrendous.
I was getting paid only: "$12.00" to do a job that I had to drive 20 miles to get to! The gas cost alone costed more then what i was being paid!. Then it takes a few hours of my time at the restaurant & have someone take my order because, I also had to eat the food and do a report on the food has well! (The food was horrible)
Part of my pay was I got to eat free. I had to spend my money on food that I didn't even want to eat. The place was so nasty with bugs everywhere and menus were extremely sticky. You name it? The place had it as far has a place you wouldn't even take your dog to eat! I found out that 14 years later doing Mystery shop jobs?
The pay's for the mystery shops? Hardly changed a bit for doing the shops! That's outrageous!
A 7 year old can do these jobs.
Mystery shop jobs should be the last place to be discriminated because, of your age.
No one knows your there to be a Mystery Shopper. If this were myself being discriminated against, to do such easy work that pays badly? I wouldn't let it go. That's just who I'am.
They now consider being over 40 years old: "Elderly!" That's just crazy!
Your talking about people who have more life experience and take the job much more seriously then I believe a younger person would only because, of life experience alone! A young person with no experience wouldn't look for the same thing's I believe than a person who's been around the block a few times !
I'm very sorry this had happened to you. Please know if it happened to you? I believe something better is coming for you soon! And I also believe in Karma. God Bless You.
I would write to the ADEA. (Age Discrimination Employee Act)
Don' let them beat you!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/16/2017 03:52PM by ChristineJCJ.

You seem to forget we are NOT employees, we are independent contractors.

Actually, I like the approach of another MSC for which I performed several shops, not coffeehouses. They had an upper and lower age limit; but then stated "unless you can 'pass' for either. So, they didn't care if you were younger and could look older or older and look younger! To top it off, it was self-determining!!

Quoted from an attorney's page:

The ADEA prohibits age discrimination in the workplace against “employees” who are age 40 and over. Independent contractors are not “employees” under the ADEA and, therefore, are not covered by the Act. The fact that an employee is called an independent contractor, however, does not automatically mean that he or she is actually an independent contractor. Instead, the courts analyze whether the worker is in business for himself or herself and whether the employer has the right to control the means and manner of the worker’s performance. Thus, even a worker who has been labeled an “independent contractor” may still be covered by the Act.

@EileenS wrote:

I have aged out of several shops because I just turned 65. It is extremely annoying because nothing magically changes on your 65th Birthday.

I don't think you are speaking for all 65 year olds with that statement. Something very specific will change for me the moment I turn 65 that will completely affect how I approach MSing, and many other things in life.

It may not be magical, but switching from an work-based model to a fixed passive income will be a large demographic shift.