How do you guys explain mystery shopping as your job to family and friends?

sobroke, you regularly call other forum members liars. Also accuse them of tax fraud. Your posts are so ill-informed that they pose a danger to new shoppers' understanding of our business. Warning new shoppers not to be ensnared by thinking that MS can be worthwhile does a great disservice to them. Yes, there are scammers, but none of what YOU seem to think are scams are anything but low paying MS jobs....real ones.

ALL of your contributions are negative and many are slurs against other forum members.

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.

Create an Account or Log In

Membership is free. Simply choose your username, type in your email address, and choose a password. You immediately get full access to the forum.

@Sobrokeigot2dothis wrote:

What if some innocent stranger is reading your lie here and actually is foolish enough to believe it? I know you don't really care about strangers or the innocent so what about yourself. The biggest danger of telling any lie over and over again is you can start to believe it yourself. At that point you are in big trouble.

Lol you. are. adorable.

______________________________________________________________________
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.

@walesmaven wrote:

ALL of your contributions are negative and many are slurs against other forum members.

She’s clearly a troll and a failure at life.
Most trolls would put a little more effort into being less obvious. She clearly doesn’t understand the concept of effort.

______________________________________________________________________
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2019 03:35PM by Hoju.

Hoju,
Am I not adorable ???

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.

@walesmaven wrote:

sobroke, you regularly call other forum members liars. Also accuse them of tax fraud. Your posts are so ill-informed that they pose a danger to new shoppers' understanding of our business. Warning new shoppers not to be ensnared by thinking that MS can be worthwhile does a great disservice to them. Yes, there are scammers, but none of what YOU seem to think are scams are anything but low paying MS jobs....real ones.

ALL of your contributions are negative and many are slurs against other forum members.

Since when is telling people you make $60 dollars an hour mystery shopping not misleading?

Back to this thread's headline...I tell friends I really cannot talk about the details due to our ICA contract, but the few that know, I say it helps buy my food (restaurants and groceries) and leave it at that, I always down play it, however (wait for it)... I have one friend who has money yet is so envious at the "perks" I get, she thinks she can do it, not figuring out the work involved, which she is not capable of doing or won't do, so I let her believe it's a piece of cake...what she doesn't know won't hurt her, and she is NOT the one I invite out to my great dinners.
The friend I invite to my lunches or dinners or Vegas, could care less, enjoys her meal, asks no questions and always puts down the tip. This does take organization and time and a love for detail, for me it seems age doesn't matter, which I'm thankful for....I'm off to do my second Kroger's, a steak sounds good...

My "title" is Restaurant Evaluator and be careful as your friends can turn into enemy's if you give out too much info...they'll take your jobs in a heartbeat. My daughter and I laugh when she ask's, Mom. how did you get to be such a good actress?

SoBroke...grow up or get out...cut your losses.

Live consciously....

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2019 04:30PM by Irene_L.A..

sobroke,
Not everyone does it. But many DO! So it you who are being misleading.

I happen to know how Hoju does that, so I believe him. As he stated, if he moved to full time MS his hourly net would drop. But he does a lot of $90 shops that have very short reports and covers the fuel, tolls, lodging and meals on those routes with a few other high pay shops plus easy lodging shops. He does not shop unless his minimum net is covered. But, he earns a lot per month just doing those.

Many forum members use (and meet) $40-$70 per hour as the target amount for routes that they run. I have met quite a few of them at conferences, and some when they are in my area or visa-versa.

Teens and early 20-somethings doing tobacco compliance and similar shops easily make $30 per hour. My nephew worked his way through college doing those and alcohol compliance shops.

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.

@Hoju wrote:

@Sobrokeigot2dothis wrote:

I keep it on the down low for only one very good reason. Its embarrassing!

Right!!??
I’m super embarrassed that I only make $60/hr and that my 17 year old makes $30/hr.
Where did I go wrong in life???

You are making $124,800/yr mystery shopping? (Based on a 40 hour week). How is your 17 year old making $30/hr?

Nevermind. I didn't read the following posts. If you have figured out how to make that much part-time, kudos to you!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2019 04:35PM by Niner.

Never mind.

Kim

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2019 05:16PM by kimmiemae.

@Sobrokeigot2dothis
$60/hr is attainable, especially if you are doing this part time. I have been there the last three months. If you would bother to read and understand what folks here openly share (instead of attacking them), you might learn something. That's how I learned to make money doing this.

Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.

Back to the thread's topic...

I admit to family and friends that I mystery shop. I see no shame in it. I do this part time to augment my teaching income. My wife is limited in her ability to work outside the home, so I do this to make sure we are in the black (and saving!) a little each month. Mystery shopping provides me complete flexibility with my time, allowing me to work (or not) whenever I do (or don't) want to. It gets me out of the house and can be educational. It has nothing to do with teaching, which keeps me more refreshed than if I were to be tutoring after work. Sometimes, it lets me fly off to other cities and states for a little bit of adventure. It's a great side gig. When other teachers voice needing a second job, I'll share this with them. My family and friends know that I do it.

This is honest work that supports my family. I'm happy to do it.

Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.

@walesmaven wrote:

Hoju,
Am I not adorable ???

You are the adorable’ist!

______________________________________________________________________
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.

What I find embarrassing about saying "Mystery shopper" is all of the scams and get rich quick schemes that are associated with it. Remember those TV and radio commercials that showed how you could make millions by leisurely planning your day in your underwear and then hopping off to fun places to get paid? How embarrassing!

@Sobrokeigot2dothis wrote:

@dailydog wrote:

But how or what do you tell your family and friends about your profession or side hobby? Same goes for job interviews (Make up a job description?)

I have been doing this for about 8 years and I have never told my brother or my sister or my mother or 95% of my friends. I keep it strictly inner circle. I keep it on the down low for only one very good reason. Its embarrassing! You don't want to necessarily run around advertising that you are broke. If you are young and you got a fresh degree and still live at home then skip that $10 dollar mystery shop and a free burger and go apply for a real job. Don't end up like me. You won't like it if you end up like me.

Name checks out.

@Sobrokeigot2dothis wrote:

@walesmaven wrote:

sobroke, you regularly call other forum members liars. Also accuse them of tax fraud. Your posts are so ill-informed that they pose a danger to new shoppers' understanding of our business. Warning new shoppers not to be ensnared by thinking that MS can be worthwhile does a great disservice to them. Yes, there are scammers, but none of what YOU seem to think are scams are anything but low paying MS jobs....real ones.

ALL of your contributions are negative and many are slurs against other forum members.

Since when is telling people you make $60 dollars an hour mystery shopping not misleading?

I used to get $120 an hour doing alcohol and tobacco compliance shops on the east coast.. For a 6 month period I was getting $3000-$5000 a month. It's not as good anymore but I can still get about $30-$50 an hr if I'm willing to travel a couple hundred miles.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2019 11:40PM by Jbrz123.

@Sobrokeigot2dothis wrote:

Since when is telling people you make $60 dollars an hour mystery shopping not misleading?

When you actually do.

______________________________________________________________________
Seriously, nobody cares that you're offended.

The only one's you need to keep this a mystery is the shop you're actually doing. Even at that, some shops know who the mystery shoppers are. I did an open audit for a cell phone carrier. They told me they know who the mystery shoppers are by the questions the ask. They're the only one's asking so many questions. Sometimes the guidelines tip off the store that you're a mystery shopper.

@walesmaven wrote:

Teens and early 20-somethings doing tobacco compliance and similar shops easily make $30 per hour. My nephew worked his way through college doing those and alcohol compliance shops.

I reminded my 20 year old to check PayPal tonight and cash out.
$354 in there tonight. Oops. Beer money. (Apparently the large hotel chains don't card at the bar????)
Big bonuses are to be had on campus and for age restricted shops. Mommy referred him to many MSC's.

ETA same kid has thrown out plenty of cigarettes, since a certain retailer likes to sell to children as well.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/2019 06:24AM by SoCalMama.

Personally, I do “Franchise Compliance” and write boring reports.

And yeah, $60/hour is most definitely attainable as long as you don’t sell yourself short.

I'm going to give you tall tale tellers another dose of reality too. We live in a society where there are double standards. A woman with not a nickle to her name claiming to make $60 dollars an hour is looked at somewhat with a smirk and a grin. A man with not a nickle to his name claiming to make $60 an hour will be looked at with scorn and disgust.

@Sobrokeigot2dothis
Just because you are SoBroke does not mean the rest of us are. I have well-more than a nickle to my name and I would not spend so much time on this forum for the purpose of lying to folks.

Try learning about mystery shopping instead of spreading nonsense.

Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/2019 10:09PM by MFJohnston.

This work isn't for everyone, instead of making yourself and all of us miserable, take the time you spend on here and go look for a job. This advice is meant to help, apparently you don't know how to make it work, you are embarrassed to tell anyone and it is bringing you down, make a change or look for a rich older guy to care for you, the choice is yours.

Live consciously....

I say "consultant".

@MFJohnston wrote:

@Sobrokeigot2dothis
Just because you are SoBroke does not mean the rest of us are. I have well-more than a nickle to my name and I would not spend so mich time on this forum for the purpose of lying to folks.

Try learning about mystery shopping instead of spreading nonsense.

Hopes are not high here of learning much from fools braying like donkeys that they make 60 dollars an hour. I have made $100 dollars and hour mystery shopping numerous times. I have made 10-20 dollars an hour a thousand times. Why do we have to lie to our friends and family and posters here. Are our self esteems so low and shattered that we have to blow up and inflate a side job into something it is not and never will be?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/2019 04:44PM by Sobrokeigot2dothis.

To "Sobroke..."
Attitude is altitude. Let's start with what you call yourself...
Ah, never mind. My comments will likely just go over your head!

To address the question at hand: I seldom tell people what I do because 1. don't want someone harshing on my territory and 2. don't want someone to ask me if I am mystery shopping (while I'm doing it). I tell people I audit businesses. I am kind of multipreneurial, so this is just one of my talents anyway

My family knows, of course,and we all shop, adult kids living far-flung included. As for friends, I have brought a couple of people into "my world" when I could see they needed a little bump in their pay, but I don't think they stuck with it.

As for myself, as long as I need to eat, and my car needs gas, I'm rolling with it, baby! Over the 10 years I have been doing it, I've done some nicely bonused shops and sponsored many a trip, too.

@reallycoolshopper wrote:

To "Sobroke..."
Attitude is altitude. Let's start with what you call yourself...
Ah, never mind. My comments will likely just go over your head!

My family knows, of course,and we all shop, adult kids living far-flung included. As for friends, I have brought a couple of people into "my world" when I could see they needed a little bump in their pay, but I don't think they stuck with it.

Your friends did not stick with it because they were tired of making 60 dollars an hour I bet! Hahahaha!

Yes, you have been very clear that your earnings are well less than what I (and quite a few others make). Your very caustic comments about specific MSC's and MSC's in general are suggestive of the very reason you don't earn much.

Folks share openly on this forum how they go about earning good money doing this. Your approach is to attack them instead of learning from them. You have set your own limits in this field through arrogance, obstinance, and obnoxiousness. I only reply to your buffoonery because your message is harmful to those who actually want to learn about the business.

I agree with Irene's assessment.

@Sobrokeigot2dothis wrote:

@MFJohnston wrote:

@Sobrokeigot2dothis
Just because you are SoBroke does not mean the rest of us are. I have well-more than a nickle to my name and I would not spend so mich time on this forum for the purpose of lying to folks.

Try learning about mystery shopping instead of spreading nonsense.

Hopes are not high here of learning much from fools braying like donkeys that they make 60 dollars an hour. I have made $100 dollars and hour mystery shopping numerous times. I have made 10-20 dollars an hour a thousand times. Why do we have to lie to our friends and family and posters here. Are our self esteems so low and shattered that we have to blow up and inflate a side job into something it is not and never will be?

Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.

To "Sobroke..."
Attitude is altitude. Let's start with what you call yourself...
Ah, never mind. My comments will likely just go over your head! (pun intended)

To address the question at hand: I seldom tell people what I do because 1. don't want someone harshing on my territory and 2. don't want someone to ask me if I am mystery shopping (while I'm doing it). I tell people I audit businesses. I am kind of multipreneurial, so this is just one of my talents anyway

My family knows, of course,and we all shop; adult kids living far-flung included. As for friends, I have brought a couple of people into "my world" when I could see they needed a little hand-up, but I don't think they stuck with it.

As for myself, as long as I need to eat, and my car needs gas, I'm rolling with it, baby! Over the 10 years I have been doing it, I've done some nicely bonused shops and sponsored many a trip, too. Just got back from a 6 hour round trip, where one co. sponsored a nice travel bonus that paid for my hotel, got paid to get gas all the way along, ate for free (some meals better than others, lol), and used Airmiles for a second night in the same city. Took my honey, and we had a royally good time

Was I busy, well yes. Got some quality time and sightseeing in, too, though. Everybody paid and happy!

I personaly just say I do auditing on the side. I have a postal job but use the extra money I earn mystery shopping to pay for my cats medical needs. I have five cats, two are diabetic and one has cancer. They are my motivation to get out there and hustle.
I cannot take an extra part time job because iI often get called in for overtime.
I am so grateful to have found mystery shopping.

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login

How do you guys explain mystery shopping as your job to family and friends?

Create an Account or Log In

Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies

Mystery Shopper Magazine