I am brand new to Mystery Shopping and trying to navigate my way through. I thought I finally found a great mystery shopping co. but now I am wondering. I did the tests for Corporate Research International and then started doing the tests for the individual companies to do shops for. One was really complicated and time consuming. It included buying something from the store, waiting at least 30 minutes tnen returning to the store to do an exchange and also do a whole mystery shop in between(before actually doing the exchange) and then I find out it only pays something like $6.00 but I thought tht that wasn't too bad considering you got reinbursed for buying an item for up to $8.00. Then I took the test for a couple of other shops and after doing the tests found out tht they only paid $4.50. It would cost me around tht much just for the gas used to get to the jobs. Is this normal? Are there other companies out there tht pay better? I am getting discouraged. Would appreciate any help and advise. Thanks!

If you read around the forum at all you will find endless complaints about the fees initially offered by CRI (or CORI or CoRI) and outrage about not getting to see the fees before doing the certifications.

Here is the way that it plays out. Unless you have a very naive and hungry competitor for shops in your area, the shops will sit on the CRI board with no takers. After a week or two the prices begin to rise. The raise may be something absurd like 2 cents, but they will start to go up. At the point that you feel the fee is fair for the work, jump in and grab it. Word of warning, though, watch it for a while because there may be some poor soul in your area hungrier than you who snags them first. But then again, if you didn't think that price was fair to you, you wouldn't have wanted to do it anyway.

It does make sense to have your certifications in order so that when the fees go up you are ready to pounce without having to spend the time there and then to get the certification only to discover that the job was taken while you were certifying.

There are many other companies that pay better. I usually suggest that folks get started with CRI, Market Force (blue portal) and Bare International as these companies have shops just about anywhere there is a zip code, fast food place or gas station. The pay is low, the shops are simple, the instructions are pretty good and they get your feet wet to see if shopping is even something you want/like to do. They also pay without issue for work that is accepted and they really don't reject many shops.

Pioneer,

At the top of Mystery Forum is a "sticky" - a thread that can't be removed,
with the names of hundreds of MSC's and more or less what kind of shops they do.

You can also find shops listed on MSPA.com and Jobslinger.com

AND the good thing is they list what they will pay.

I'm fairly new but learned fast. I wont do a job for $5 cause it costs $4.00 a gallon for gas where I am. Start out with $10.00 if the job is nearby. Decide how far you will drive and what it will cost you in gas (and some include wear and tear on your car) and don't forget that you will spend hours when you get home filling out their report.

So look first at what the job will pay, AND when the company pays.
Some companies pay 60 or 90 days out. There are those who will take those jobs and companies. I wont.

Some companies pay twice a month. It's important to find out WHEN and IF they
pay.

Whatever company you are looking at to take a job, come here to the search function and you will find out what others have said about the company. Then decide whether you'll sign up with them and take a job or not.

There are a few companies listed under Mystery Forum Company Discussion that
are warnings dont work for them - they Never Pay.

good luck and welcome to the forum. It's a wonderful place to learn.

P.S. Forgot to mention something. Come here and Read, Read Read. You'll learn about the companies you should and shouldn't join.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2012 10:23PM by shoppinalong.

I have seen a lot of shops with CORI reach $50.00 dollars per shop but that depends how many people are in your area shopping for them.

I am making about a hundred dollars for about three shops for CORI in a nearby town about once a month - apparently this town has very few shoppers but its working for me once I add those to a few other shops I have a very profitable route.

Liz

Traveliz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am making about a hundred dollars for about
> three shops for CORI in a nearby town about once a
> month - apparently this town has very few shoppers
> but its working for me once I add those to a few
> other shops I have a very profitable route.
>
> Liz


That's pretty durn good Liz.

to tell the truth, I saw all those tests and backed right out.

filling out the applicaitons for all these MSC's is time consuming enough.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/2012 11:17PM by shoppinalong.

shoppinalong Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Traveliz Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I am making about a hundred dollars for about
> > three shops for CORI in a nearby town about once
> a
> > month - apparently this town has very few
> shoppers
> > but its working for me once I add those to a
> few
> > other shops I have a very profitable route.
> >
> > Liz
>
>
> That's pretty durn good Liz.
>
> to tell the truth, I saw all those tests and
> backed right out.
>
> filling out the applicaitons for all these MSC's
> is time consuming enough.


To tell you the truth I have shopped for over 12 years and CORI was one of the first I shopped for...I did about two shops that paid maybe 8-10.00 and then I too noticed the fees and the tests and then went no way...so I put it on my back burner and forgot about it. About 8 years ago my husband lost his job for the first time and I checked them out again and wasn't too impressed and didn't do anything...and then my husband lost his job again about two years ago and so I revisted all the ones on my back burner to see what had changed. For some reason when I revisted CORI this time I got on the email list for the emails that come out overnight with the shops that have had their commissions increased. With that email you can actually see what shops are going for without having taken the test first.

There were two gas stations a couple of towns over that were in the 30-40 dollar range so I decided to check it out. Did those and found the big box hardware was consistently (4 by me) going for 20 plus so added that to my list...and so forth. Decided to look at what small towns were around me (about a 45 mile radius) and found I could make a route of some of the ice cream, and other shops and make some real money. I now have it down to a bit of a science and know what towns will bring the higher commissions, when someone else will grab a shop so if I want it I should take it, etc.

I have made a good amount of money with them in the past year and I would have never guessed that ten years ago! It's all about figuring out how each company works and making it work for you (if you want it to).

Liz

Traveliz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > It's all about figuring out how
> each company works and making it work for you (if
> you want it to).
>
> Liz


Well Liz,
you've had your rainy days, and survived them..

I'm not close to figuring out how each company works - except for one I have found to be honorable... we'll see, I just did a shop that could turn into a regular thing - but I wont go 45 miles out anymore - have cut that way back - and figured out a closer route. All I need now is the shops to fit into it.

Wish I knew how to get well paying gas shops, but I guess everyone is looking at that (: I'm finding shops I'm comfortable with and ones I know I'll never do again.... this is a rough business because of the uncertainty of who will
actually pay you and who will stiff you - I've never heard of any other business
like this, that gets away with it. My intent is not to make this a full time job, but it seems even part time becomes full time - I can see why there's such a big
turnover betweeen burnout and disappointment - I'm taking May off, I have other work I need to get done - but I'll still be checking in in the evening.

Glad to take any advice you have to give on this Liz.

You can leave those CORI shops for Liz and me, LOL! Fees start going up much sooner than a week or two. In fact, if a job has gone for a high amount in the past it might have a big increase as early as the first day of the round. Granted, if it's posted prior it will have that whopping $4 or $6 all the way up to the start date. Just this week I had a $4 shop at $37 and one which may start at reimbursement only for $26. Not a bad way to spend 30 minutes

shoppinalong Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Traveliz Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > > It's all about figuring out how
> > each company works and making it work for you
> (if
> > you want it to).
> >
> > Liz
>
>
> Well Liz,
> you've had your rainy days, and survived them..
>
> I'm not close to figuring out how each company
> works - except for one I have found to be
> honorable... we'll see, I just did a shop that
> could turn into a regular thing - but I wont go 45
> miles out anymore - have cut that way back - and
> figured out a closer route. All I need now is the
> shops to fit into it.
>
> Wish I knew how to get well paying gas shops, but
> I guess everyone is looking at that (: I'm finding
> shops I'm comfortable with and ones I know I'll
> never do again.... this is a rough business
> because of the uncertainty of who will
> actually pay you and who will stiff you - I've
> never heard of any other business
> like this, that gets away with it. My intent is
> not to make this a full time job, but it seems
> even part time becomes full time - I can see why
> there's such a big
> turnover betweeen burnout and disappointment - I'm
> taking May off, I have other work I need to get
> done - but I'll still be checking in in the
> evening.
>
> Glad to take any advice you have to give on this
> Liz.


There is a thread here somewhere but I want to say that in all of my years I have only had one company not pay me and a couple of others that I had to chase payment for (and they are consisently the same companies so I know that going in).

I don't like the gas station shops so I can't help you there.

And yes Lisa, I should stop talking about CORI actually having real money shops and leave them for us!

Liz

I have done only 2 shops for CORI and they started at $4 but I did not accept them until they were over $25, actually late in the month. I read LisaSTL's post and followed it. I was glad because I almost deleted the company from my list. But for a couple of months now, the $4 shops have been snapped up. One shop location near me went up and before I could get it, it was gone.

Yes, it's best to get the certifications out of the way, incase the shop interests you. They could be very time consuming.

I have a $40 shop opportunity every month... last month I didn't feel like doing it and when it got to $50 and sat for a few days someone else finally took it. Sure, on the first of the month it's $4... for a few hours.

shoppinalong Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
My intent is not to make this a full time job, but it seems
> even part time becomes full time -



Isn't THAT the truth?! LOL!

Do you guys just keep checking Coris website looking for fee increases or are they emailed to you?

spree Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Do you guys just keep checking Coris website
> looking for fee increases or are they emailed to
> you?


You can opt in for an email that comes overnight with the increases.

Liz

Check for increases at 11:00 p.m. central time.

I only receive the updates for my town and one a hour away. I check for any in a third town a bit farther away, especially since I have been paid fifty for them. Sadly there is now someone else in my area because they took the hardware shop in March for 25 or 30. I hope it was someone just passing through. And before anyone asks, no I don't travel 90 minutes each way for a shop. I do them if I am already there for family or doctors.

I actually did a couple of the certifications on CoRI as well only to be *disappointed* to find the $3 payment being offered after going through the long videos and tests. LOL But I like your idea, Flash, of maybe doing a couple certs and checking back around to see if the fee goes up. But I do agree with you that there are many other companies who pay much better and it feels like a waste of time to be lurking around one company hoping a fee will increase when you can pick up something for 7 times that amount at another company.


Flash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you read around the forum at all you will find
> endless complaints about the fees initially
> offered by CRI (or CORI or CoRI) and outrage about
> not getting to see the fees before doing the
> certifications.
>
> Here is the way that it plays out. Unless you
> have a very naive and hungry competitor for shops
> in your area, the shops will sit on the CRI board
> with no takers. After a week or two the prices
> begin to rise. The raise may be something absurd
> like 2 cents, but they will start to go up. At
> the point that you feel the fee is fair for the
> work, jump in and grab it. Word of warning,
> though, watch it for a while because there may be
> some poor soul in your area hungrier than you who
> snags them first. But then again, if you didn't
> think that price was fair to you, you wouldn't
> have wanted to do it anyway.
>
> It does make sense to have your certifications in
> order so that when the fees go up you are ready to
> pounce without having to spend the time there and
> then to get the certification only to discover
> that the job was taken while you were certifying.
>
> There are many other companies that pay better. I
> usually suggest that folks get started with CRI,
> Market Force (blue portal) and Bare International
> as these companies have shops just about anywhere
> there is a zip code, fast food place or gas
> station. The pay is low, the shops are simple,
> the instructions are pretty good and they get your
> feet wet to see if shopping is even something you
> want/like to do. They also pay without issue for
> work that is accepted and they really don't reject
> many shops.

But if you get the overnight emails you will see the fee increases and then cand decide if you want to certify. It takes like two seconds to read an email. I get that people don't like the fact they start so long but I consistently do 15-40 dollar shops for them that started at 3-4 dollars. And I have never done a 3 or 4 dollar shop for them.

Liz


ThornsRun Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I actually did a couple of the certifications on
> CoRI as well only to be *disappointed* to find the
> $3 payment being offered after going through the
> long videos and tests. LOL But I like your idea,
> Flash, of maybe doing a couple certs and checking
> back around to see if the fee goes up. But I do
> agree with you that there are many other companies
> who pay much better and it feels like a waste of
> time to be lurking around one company hoping a fee
> will increase when you can pick up something for 7
> times that amount at another company.
>
>
> Flash Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > If you read around the forum at all you will
> find
> > endless complaints about the fees initially
> > offered by CRI (or CORI or CoRI) and outrage
> about
> > not getting to see the fees before doing the
> > certifications.
> >
> > Here is the way that it plays out. Unless you
> > have a very naive and hungry competitor for
> shops
> > in your area, the shops will sit on the CRI
> board
> > with no takers. After a week or two the prices
> > begin to rise. The raise may be something
> absurd
> > like 2 cents, but they will start to go up. At
> > the point that you feel the fee is fair for the
> > work, jump in and grab it. Word of warning,
> > though, watch it for a while because there may
> be
> > some poor soul in your area hungrier than you
> who
> > snags them first. But then again, if you
> didn't
> > think that price was fair to you, you wouldn't
> > have wanted to do it anyway.
> >
> > It does make sense to have your certifications
> in
> > order so that when the fees go up you are ready
> to
> > pounce without having to spend the time there
> and
> > then to get the certification only to discover
> > that the job was taken while you were
> certifying.
> >
> > There are many other companies that pay better.
> I
> > usually suggest that folks get started with
> CRI,
> > Market Force (blue portal) and Bare
> International
> > as these companies have shops just about
> anywhere
> > there is a zip code, fast food place or gas
> > station. The pay is low, the shops are simple,
> > the instructions are pretty good and they get
> your
> > feet wet to see if shopping is even something
> you
> > want/like to do. They also pay without issue
> for
> > work that is accepted and they really don't
> reject
> > many shops.

Once again, we need to keep our mouths shut, LOL! It certainly didn't take me long to read the e-mail with the $40 gas audit yesterday That makes 3 jobs in just over 2 weeks for $100 plus that at original rates would have been a whopping $14 for all three!

I just signed up for this company. The only jobs in my area are college bookstores and consignment stores. I'm wondering if I should let them sit, or wait for the pay to increase. They are about 20 miles away. The bookstore pays $21 with a $3 reimbursement. The consignment stores pays $10 with a $5 reimbursement. Lisa and Liz, I'm nowhere near you, so please advise!!

This thread is almost three years old. Since then they were bought out by Stericycle and have lost the majority of their clients. In all honesty, I don't know how they operate anymore because it's been about a year since my last assignments.

I'm not reading through all the posts since they are 3 years old...but this is the company that starts out with low pay ...like $5...and will keep increasing until somoene takes it...I used to be able to get the shops described in the original post fot about $20 commission in addition to the $8 reimbursement...

and the whole return thing was a fiasco...you could actually have bought the item any time in their return period...but the instructions were wrong...i clarified this via email with them...and would buy an item one day when I was in the area...and then return when i did the actual shop a few days later..