Category: Tips for Mystery Shopping

Guaranteed six-figure income your first year!!  Make $40,000 a month from home! It is easy to see how this type of advertisement for becoming a mystery shopper is likely leading you into a scam.

Many shoppers have been taken in by much less of a paycheck, and it is important to do your checking before taking on a job.  If a company sends you money orders to cash and send them back $50.00 while you keep the other $4,000.00, beware it is a scam.  The money order is fake, and your bank will have you paying for the money order.  It is possible you could be criminally charged as well.

If a company offers to pay you up front for a shopping assignment, this could be legit.  To be on the safe side, check it out first.  See what other shoppers have to say on forums and discussion boards. Check out reviews of the company online, and always check the companies rating and reputation with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

Many people make a decent living as a full-time mystery shopper.  Do not be discouraged, but be realistic about how much money you can really make.  Always be cautious about giving your social security number to a company or your checking account information, even for direct deposit.

Again, confirm the company is legit and do an Internet search regarding the company.  Find out what other shoppers are saying about the company.  Many companies offer the option of being paid via a paper check. If they do, try them out for a few assignments.  Make sure they pay as they promise, and then decide if you want to provide checking account information for direct deposit.

The most reliable and best way to get paid from companies is through PayPal. This way you do not have to give them your checking information.  However, most reputable companies will eventually ask for your social security number. Again, make sure they are legitimate first.  If something about what they are doing does not seem quite right and you think it is a scam, trust your gut and move on to another company.

Mystery shopping is becoming more and more technologically advanced, just like everything else we do.  While many companies have been using video and/or audio recordings for shops for many years, the equipment is becoming much cheaper for shoppers to own themselves. This means a company does not have to invest as much by providing shoppers with the equipment.

It also means as a shopper, if you have your own equipment and experience in using it, you can get more shops. Ironically, the recorded shops typically pay more and the reports are often shorter as you are submitting a video of the entire encounter.  An audio shop will also typically pay more, but still involves nearly as much reporting as a non-audio shop.

Other advances have come about with the use of smart phones.  Shoppers can check-in by using a mobile device and confirm the shop location.  The company can also verify the shopper went to the location and the length of time the shopper was on-site.  Many companies have also developed mobile platforms for entering shop reports, making the use of smart phones and tablets a very convenient method of reporting for shoppers and companies alike.  This allows companies to receive the reports sooner, and confirm certain details rapidly. For the shopper, it is primarily a time saver.  And in the world of a mystery shopping, time is money.

Another great way to maximize the use of a smart phone and/or tablet in a mystery shopper’s operation is to use the device as a stopwatch or timer, take photos with it, and possibly record audio or video.  While it is usually not advocated to use these devices to record audio or video, it can help in some cases.  However, they should only be used if you can do it inconspicuously. In cases where the company you are mystery shopping for does not have a mobile platform, it is easy and convenient to use your smartphone to jot down your shop notes.  As often as the average person uses a smart phone throughout the course of a day, it is nothing out of the ordinary that would call attention to you or identify you as a shopper.

There are numerous mystery shopping jobs available to make extra cash each month on a part-time basis and there are some that involve working like an undercover person. Technology has become instrumental with mystery shopping jobs and video shopping is one of the latest innovative advancements in mystery shopping that earns much more money than regular mystery shops!

Shops that offer video shopping often include video tapping the shopping site and recording the conversation of the employee. These shops are secret video taping and the company will send you all the video equipment you need to secretly tape and record an evaluation of their employee. Once you sign up for these types of video shops, the mystery shopping website video department will mail out the equipment necessary to perform these types of jobs.

The video equipment is easy to use and is often attached and concealed under your shirt.  The video recorder is similar to a regular tape recorder, but the equipment is a tiny video recorder that is attached behind the shirt you wear and it records the entire conversation and films your interaction with your target shop’s employee.

The demand for video tapping has increased since more employers are interested in how to improve their business.  Some people enjoy participating in undercover work or just like the mystery of learning how to use and operate video equipment.  The best part of these shops are that they generally pay a higher price of a regular shop and often a shopper can ask for a higher cost to perform these shops.

Finding legitimate mystery shopping work does require some work to obtain. There are so many scams today, and there are so many people willing to use different means to get a hold of your personal information that you must be aware. Be careful who you give your time, information, and money to in this business. Here are some tips and keep these in mind when checking a company:

First of all, you should never send money to a mystery shopping company in order to start work with the company. If any person or company asks for money up front then this could be a scam.

Secondly, doing a simple Google search may not yield the best results at first. You might have to sift through the list of companies and see which one would fit your requirements. Your first search should be with local mystery shopping companies because you would be able to know if they were legitimate just by their local telephone number and address. A simple telephone call would help you determine if the company has a true address or a post office box.

Lastly, when a mystery shopping company asks you to deposit money into someone else’s account then that too is a scam. Any time money is a concern you need to take care and look carefully at the company you are working for and with. Most companies do not ask for large sums of money.

Remember: Most mystery shopping companies do not ask for anything except your email, address and telephone number.

Mystery shopping work can be fun and it can be beneficial. It can be rewarding and you would be helping businesses keep their customers. Money made can be used to supplement your income or help you save for another purpose. Finding legit work can be tricky and sometimes hard to find. Google searches do not always help, as they do not shift out the companies that have a long history of being a scam.

Too many people trusted companies to help them find work and instead found themselves in the middle of scams.

There are many legitimate companies that are out there, but sometimes the process of applying can be daunting. For instance, you might be wary of entering your social security number in a form. But keep in mind as an independent contractor you are required to give some form of government identification to your employer. If you don’t feel comfortable then call or email the company and ask for help.

Furthermore, beware of mystery shopping companies that ask you to send information to a post office box. The known mystery shopping companies have a physical address or a website with a secure area for entering private data. Again if you ever feel uncomfortable then ask questions. Ask question by email, but don’t send your sensitive information over email.

So keep in mind that telephone numbers and websites are important for mystery shoppers to be aware of today.