sunglass shop... worth it or no?

got this shop from a few reputable companies... they ask you to buy a pair and then either keep them or return them... it just got bonused ... any one did them before?

shopping north west PA and south west ny

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.

Lets see, neither client nor company has been named. I was able to grab 2 Beyond Hello sunglass shops in the same mall (perhaps 150 feet apart) as purchase and returns at $15 ea. I think it was half an hour between the purchase and earliest return. Did store A, put them in the trunk, did store B, found a copy machine to copy the receipts before making the return to store A, getting the other pair and returning it to store B. About an hour in the mall for $30 was not bad. But it wouldn't have been worth it for just one shop because of the drive time, wait and the report to be done.

ok thanks flash... now i just need to pay off my 1989 dollar tab on a 2000 dollar limit credit card and i will be set... lol

shopping north west PA and south west ny

Yup. I think my spectacular waste was something like $189 per pair plus tax. Luckily the charges were on the card for only a very brief period of time. If my credit card company ever looked closely at my card they would decide I was a very indecisive twit.

You can do them on bonus for up to #30 per shop, and return at your leisure. I like these shops.

**********************************************************************
“Lying in bed would be an altogether perfect and supreme experience if only one had a colored pencil long enough to draw on the ceiling."
~Gilbert K. Chesterton

I used to do them bonused, but don't see those anymore. Now if I take them at $15, I return them to the same location, but outside the time window. Then, you don't have to do the return portion in your report.

For me the calcuation was whether a delayed return and no return report was worth the mileage and time to do the return. I decided it was not. But I did run into a problem because the receipts were a mile long and couldn't be photographed successfully with a digital camera. I discovered that a Mall Office, when they realized I was there on behalf of a client, was so pleasant about making an 11x17 copy of the receipts for me (for free) to capture the entire receipts. And indeed on one of the shops they retained my receipt and handed me a credit slip, indicating they needed the receipt for their records.

Copying the receipt is something I haven't done and it hasn't bitten me yet. I've always gotten my original receipt back when getting the credit receipt.

On a P/R I always take a photo or make a copy of the receipt because I have had them mark up receipts, tear off just the total I was originally charged to give me with the credit receipt, wad it up and chuck it in the trash, staple the credit to the receipt or just hand it back with the credit. I don't like to take chances and I sure don't want to have to make a scene about why I need the original back. I'm also not fond of making excuses that the 'dog ate my receipt'.

No, the hungry dog won't work for me either. I'm not necessarily advising against making a copy, but my eyes are fixated on my original receipt as I'm making a return. One false move, and I'm ready to say "I need that back, please".

I'm just back from a drive through shop that was hysterical about the receipt. Guy was on a roll, handing my change, thanking me, yadda yadda. No receipt. Asked for it and he starts scrounging. No luck, he goes for help. Soon there are two guys searching the floor and counters while a third is trying to get the register to print a receipt. Then another comes to help and the manager shoos several of them away as she comes into the small space, slides her card through the register, produces a receipt hands it to me wordlessly and gets out of the way so my food and beverage can be handed out. Ouch. Good thing I got permission to do the drive through and dine in separated by several hours as every employee in the joint has stared at me I think. Change of shirts, change of hairdo and a few other changes before returning for dinner.

I diD a sunglass shop a couple of weeks ago. It was very good and easy. I waited 30 mns and returned them. However the problem is finding a copying machine near by to copy Bill. I wish I could get more of them I applied for 4 of them this week, but they all got aSSIGNED TO SOMEONE ELSE.

This MSP now allows only 3 of these sunglass shops per month. I have several malls within 25 miles of me, each of which has 3 sunglass shops. In the past, I have applied for all 3 shops in one mall, and at the same time, sent an email to the scheduler asking for assignment of all 3 to 'justify mileage' or 'build a route', with good results.

What do you tell them when you make the return? I have had the chance to do these but just didn't know how to handle that.

I changed my mind.

I (or my husband) decided they were too expensive.

Found another pair I liked better. (Works well if you've shopped another SGH and are carrying the bag from that shop).

I wore them outside and they were too dark or too light.

Maybe if I wait, Santa will bring me a pair.

I see them from Beyond Hello, won't do the buy a pair of expensive sunglasses. Have done the quick purchase and return, although not my favorite shops, just because (no food involved). Happy Turkey day.

Live consciously....

There is also a nice trick if you travel a bit. Buy at one of the expensive sunglass shops and return it in a different city. That way the return portion is not filled out.

Or after the fact at any one in your city. We have at least 10 in town alone here.

I think the guidelines specify that if a return is done after the fact, it must be to the store of purchase.

After doing hundreds of shops, it was on this particular sunglass shop that I got pegged for the first time. I did everything according to plan, then returned about an hour later. While the clerk is processing my return, he says, "I thought I'd see you back here." "Oh, really, why?" I say, coyly. "I thought you were a mystery shopper." I did the required, "What's a mystery shopper?" response, looking incredulously at him. He then began to tell me *in detail* all about the specific MSC and even told me their web site. He knew other companies that they shopped, how much they paid, etc. It was kind of amazing. Moral of the story, schedule your returns long enough after the initial shop to try to get a new associate, if possible. My scheduler said that this company's staff always try to spot the shopper.

This shop has been done for so many years that it's no surprise the employees can spot the shopper a mile away. But on the other hand, in my opinion, this is an example of proof positive of mystery shopping producing desired results. I've gone into these stores on my own time, and the employees hit all their marks. Treat every customer like a mystery shopper, and all is well.

Here here! The service I got that day was no different than what I saw the person before me get while I was browsing.

I've done one of these where I was definitely not spotted because I got *terrible* service.

I have done about 10 since last May and have never been spotted, either. But I don't return right away...I "change my mind" later...since they go out of their way to tell you about their policy about your right to do so. :-)

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login

sunglass shop... worth it or no?

Create an Account or Log In

Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies

Mystery Shopper Magazine