I started mystery shopping with Shadow Shoppers - a kind of 'clearing-house' for shops from different MSCs. I signed up for free after they tried to get me to buy a membership for as much as $100. I mentioned this to one of my schedulers who flat out told me, "Don't pay anybody for ANYTHING." And she's right. The more I get to know the different MSCs, they start to send me e-mails themselves and I get the same information from Shadow Shoppers. When they want money to exted my "trial" membership, they're gettin' the ol' heave-ho!