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How do find places to mystery shop? What does everyone else do? Is there on line shops or just in the community? I have been doing on line only.

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Welcome to the forum! At the bottom of each page you will find the forum's "Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies" with links to discussions and a link to register. It is then up to you to check their job boards, read your emails or respond to schedulers on the phone to self-assign, request or accept work.

There is a section of the forum titled New Mystery Shoppers. The first dozen or so thread are devoted to helping shoppers get their new businesses off the ground. Pull up a chair, grab a beverage and read, read, read

Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It's not pie.
"I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." -Molly Ivins
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Make a spreadsheet with all contact information, so you can remember if you signed up and your password.

Welcome to the business of mystery shopping. Don't get discouraged. The more shops you complete well, will eventually get more and hopefully better paying shops.

Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning; the devil shudders...And yells OH #%*+! SHE'S AWAKE!

Hello! I am a new shipper and new to the forum thingy. I am doing my very first price check survey. It's at a large retail chain with over 2,000 items to check. Lady says job will take 6hrs. Pay is $125 and it's a 90min rt drive.
Is this a reasonable shop? Six hours is a long time and the spreadsheet looks overwhelming.
Any suggestions?? Oh yeah, it's due by Monday!!

I AM SCARED!

Wow, talk about a 'baptism by fire'. Certainly not a shop I would take myself or wish on a new shopper. Is this one of those where you are also to remain anonymous and not get caught?

Wow indeed, Raynie!

Is this reasonable? That is a good question. 2000 items is larger than any I have heard of. Doing this covertly is a challenge to say the least. If it really is 6 hours work the pay is in the ballpark for mystery shopping. I would ask how is the data reported? Perhaps in real time on a tablet or cell phone? That would be much easier than having to report it after you leave the place.

Suggestions? Read up on the mystery shopping company that provided the assignment. You can get hints on how they work and perhaps some pointers on the audit itself. I can tell you the 60 item price check I did covertly in a supermarket looked intimidating at first.

Welcome to the forum, good luck, and let us know how it turned out.

Happily shopping Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts and Connecticut

I was just laughing at a 100 that 'should take an hour' I gather with the use of a 'buddy' that is reported on an Excel spreadsheet. Not enough money there for 2 people to spend an hour plus type in the spreadsheet. So that company was figuring about 1 per minute per item.

Thanks for ur help! I'm am scared. I hate to pass my first job, but I have emailed to cancel my assignment. The work was sent by excel spreadsheet that I needed to fill in the price listed and add add'l remarks. 2103items is ALOT and I don't know what the heck I'm doing!!

Shop held at WalMart, through jobshoppersinc.com

I've only signed up with 3companies and never done any shops. However, I work full time and don't want to price audit...

I am wrong? Should I stop this shop thing before I start?

Walmart store, shop through Shoppersjobsinc

@Raynie78 wrote:

Walmart store, shop through Shoppersjobsinc

Uh, did these folks send you a huge check up front or something? Did you find them or did they find you? My concern is because (1) this is not a company I have ever heard of (which in and of itself is not a problem), (2) this sounds like it is supposed to be a shop for Walmart and I don't believe they shop themselves (though tenants inside Walmart are shopped from time to time). This sounds like a setup for a scam and if they sent you a check I hope you have not deposited it.

If you want to be a mystery shopper, let me suggest you use the list link at the bottom of each page to the forum's "Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies". This is a legitimate business and the companies listed there are legitimate.

I will check out the links below. Thank u.
No check sent upfront, pay expected at the end of month.
Job cancelled. I truly appreciate this forum and everyone's advice!!

How long have some of you been mystery shopping and is this all you do?

While I did mystery shopping back when I was in high school and college, it is a lot different now than it was back in those days when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. I came back to it about a dozen years ago when it occurred to me I could retire early. While I land in little pick up gigs from time to time, I am retired and doing mystery shopping. Once Social Security started I could do less shops and once Medicare kicked in I could do still fewer shops. I have evolved into primarily a 'lifestyle' shopper where the reimbursements are more important than the fees. Nevertheless there are always enough fees during the course of the year to offset mileage and create 'business expenses' to keep my bottom line income below the threshold of needing to pay Self Employment Tax.

Thanks for the info Flash. I am on disability and trying to make some extra money so just kind of wondering what others are doing? How much can u make before u have to claim it? Or do u have to claim it all ?,

My understanding is that disability earned income is handled differently in different places, so that you need to check with your local folks, if you have not done so already, to make sure you don't jeopardize your eligibility.

I claim as Schedule C income every penny that is paid to me--whether it is fee, bonus, reimbursement or some kind of mileage reimbursement (rare--usually just called a bonus). From that I then can deduct my business expenses--IRS mileage at the rate allowable for that year; equipment that is purchased for use for MS (camera, computer, voice recorder, etc.), supplies purchased for MS use (paper, folios, printer ink, pens, etc.), the amount I spent and was reimbursed for during the year, and certain unreimbursed expenses (on a flat fee shop where you are required to make a purchase but not reimbursed separately, that expenditure is an 'unreimbursed expense'). Generally if your net income after appropriate deductions is under $400 you will not need to pay self employment tax. The net income then transfers to the front page of your 1040 tax return and you proceed with the rest of your return.

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