MSPA Changing to Pay Only for Evaluators to Appear in Search Results

Just saw this on the Facebook page for the MSPA. Any thoughts?

Effective January 1st, 2020, the free basic level membership will change to subscriber only. This means that subscribers (basic level members) will no longer appear in the search Service Provider Companies use to find evaluators. Subscribers will receive the quarterly email with updates from MSPA Americas only. For all other benefits, evaluators will need to upgrade to the plus level membership.

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.

More About Payment

Yeah. My thoughts are: whatever and I don't care.

Most MSCs don't use that list to find shoppers anyway. But that is pretty insulting, nevertheless.

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.

@JASFLALMT wrote:

Yeah. My thoughts are: whatever and I don't care.

Same here.

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.

I knew I should have looked here first. Oh well $30 for a year and I have been contacted by 2 companies through them (probably because I live in a remote area) that have earned me more than $30. Tis what tis, I'll look before I pay next time.

MtDawn

I spent $15 in 2005 to become silver certificated. That was both the first and last penny the MSPA will ever receive from me. That organization is, as most are aware, strictly for the MSC. I do not criticize; I merely state a fact.

shopperbob is correct. It is, first and foremost, organized to protect the MSCs, particularly from regulation of any sort. It is their lobbying organization.

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.

@shopperbob wrote:

I spent $15 in 2005 to become silver certificated. That was both the first and last penny the MSPA will ever receive from me. That organization is, as most are aware, strictly for the MSC. I do not criticize; I merely state a fact.

I did the very same in 2005. Can't see where it helped me in any way.

Same. I love "certificated".

I was gold certified in 2003 at a workshop. It was worthwhile for a few years, as I was offered shops from some MSCs who told me that I and other gold shoppers were getting first dibs on them before they were notifying the general pool of shoppers. I have not gotten those emails in a long time.

I also gave them $15 in the early 2000's...though I think it did fast-track me in with some MSC's back then, and I was able to get preferred assignments. One MSC that I recall only accepted certified shoppers back then, so it was probably worth the $15.

I have to wonder how member MSCs feel about being offered access to a smaller pool of shoppers. On the other hand, this may be an indication that the companies don't value or use the MSPA shopper pool anyway.

Does anyone know all the various methods MSC's use to get shoppers (besides the referenced list)?

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu

Why should shoppers have to pay to offer our services, don't they already charge the companies to see our names and find us to help fill their jobs? This doesn't make any sense to me, it would seem like they would want a lot of shoppers to sign up for free so they could help their company members.

Yeah. Mostly we sign up on their websites.

@Shop-et-al wrote:

Does anyone know all the various methods MSC's use to get shoppers (besides the referenced list)?

@JASFLALMT wrote:

I was gold certified in 2003 at a workshop. It was worthwhile for a few years, as I was offered shops from some MSCs who told me that I and other gold shoppers were getting first dibs on them before they were notifying the general pool of shoppers. I have not gotten those emails in a long time.

Me too and I know at that time it did me some good. I also worked as a scheduler in the mid 2000s and had a few clients that required me to use gold shoppers so even though other shoppers would say it didn’t make a difference, the shoppers without the gold never even saw the shops. I do believe it’s not important now though.

Liz

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/2019 01:19PM by Traveliz.

I agree with pretty much all of you but wanted to share this anyway. I paid $15 for a silver certification back in the 2000s and got a little bit a of a leg up, never went for the gold. Beyond the occasional random scheduler or shopper reach out email, I don't know that it has added that much to my shopper tool kit. I do check on the MSPA Facebook page from time to time, but this forum is probably the best place to get info on all things to do with mystery shopping.

I also paid the $15 back in the 2000's for the silver. I think I got 2 jobs from it.
I only ever had one company ask me if I was silver or gold certified, at the time they were only looking for people that were. I don't even remember the name of the company anymore.

I've heard some schedulers have lists of their shoppers that they share among companies.

@Shop-et-al wrote:

Does anyone know all the various methods MSC's use to get shoppers (besides the referenced list)?

Kim

Yes. I gave gotten emails from schedulers telling me that I was referred by another scheduler and asking if I could do a shop for them. Many tines it was a MSC I was already signed up with, though.

Not a member on any level.

A Dad shopping the Ark-LA-Tex and beyond.

Same!!!

I’m not pissed, or insulted; it is what it is. A business decision that will pay big dividends for the MSPA.

Bait and switch where you get something for “free,” then the cost increases exponentially.

If 10% of their 100,000 shopper database pay the $30, that’s $300,000 in their balance sheet to pay for lobbyists, etc. for their MSC efforts.

It’s not cheap for the companies to join the MSPA; they must have dug in the provider’s pockets to the bottom. Now it’s time to dig in the shopper’s wallets. There’s probably a plan to jack the $30 up to $50 or more per annum, going forward...

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login

MSPA Changing to Pay Only for Evaluators to Appear in Search Results

Create an Account or Log In

Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies

Mystery Shopper Magazine