Hi, I'm Sue from SW Florida.

I've got a few questions for you "veterans" with successful Mystery Shopping.

-How legitimate is Mystery Shopping? ARe there certain sites to avoid?
-ANyone here successfully done "Paid Surveys" online?
-How quickly do you get paid for your work?
-Do they always pay you what was advertised, or do you have problems with that?
-If a job is for a SPECIFIC zip code and your town has multiple zip codes, do you
get verification on the job's proper zip before proceeding?

Final question: Working 25-40 hours, how much income do you average?

Oops - this is the final question- do you LIKE what you're doing?

Thanks so much for your input! Rock On!

Sue,

I have had good luck with all of the companies I work with. I found all of the companies I work with by going to the MSPA website and the volition.com site. From their list of member companies I have always found legitimate companies to work for. Some of the companies I work for pay twice a month and others pay once a month. You get paid a lot sooner by direct deposit. Some of the companies don't pay for 45 to 60 days, but they let you know that. You will need a stash of cash to meet the purchase requirements for the first two months. They will pay for themselves after that. They do pay what they say unless you screw up. Then some of them will deduct part of the pay. If you follow the instructions to the letter, you won't have any problems.
You will always get a specific address and zip code for your shop. I do work approx. 25 hours a week, but I have a lot of repeat merchandising shops. For my time, I make approximately 900 to 1200 dollars a month.

I am retired and do this simply to add to my income and to keep out of my wife's hair. I do all of my own scheduling so I can come and go as I please.

It is a great way to make extra money, but I sure couldn't live on it.

To Jim Davis - THANKS SO MUCH for your reply. Lots of great info, and I think you hit on pretty much everything I'd inquired about, with exception of Paid Surveys! I'm excited to get started. Hope there's plenty of work out there for all of us, especially in this economy. - Sue

Jim, you said it you could not live on it! and why not? by the way is that gross or net? you say it is anywhere from 9-12 dollars an hour, so basically , you are earning minimum wage, once you factor in the expense part. I wish I could do that, I have been losing money doing this for years, basically after expenses, I make about $4 an hour, not bad really. I find it easier to wait for the stimulus check, It should be here in ..oh about 2010, along with free health care and all the associated goodies. Till then, I have to rely on a few free burger meals and some reimbursed sub shop assignments. keeps me in the biz and keeps me busy. Ya know it is not important what they pay, just so I keep busy. I get out of the house and my Soc Sec and other free money from the government keeps me ok. I'll accept any job amount , so long as they make me feel important. I don't mind being buried in paperwork for a few hours to get the check for 5 or 7 dollars 6-8 weeks from now. I don't even mind laying out dozens of dollars and not get reimbursed time to time, just so as I keep busy ya know. well talk to ya later and lemme know, will ya?

Thanks

beisen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jim, you said it you could not live on it! and
> why not? by the way is that gross or net? you
> say it is anywhere from 9-12 dollars an hour, so
> basically , you are earning minimum wage, once you
> factor in the expense part. I wish I could do
> that, I have been losing money doing this for
> years, basically after expenses, I make about $4
> an hour, not bad really. I find it easier to
> wait for the stimulus check, It should be here in
> ..oh about 2010, along with free health care and
> all the associated goodies. Till then, I have to
> rely on a few free burger meals and some
> reimbursed sub shop assignments. keeps me in the
> biz and keeps me busy. Ya know it is not
> important what they pay, just so I keep busy. I
> get out of the house and my Soc Sec and other free
> money from the government keeps me ok. I'll
> accept any job amount , so long as they make me
> feel important. I don't mind being buried in
> paperwork for a few hours to get the check for 5
> or 7 dollars 6-8 weeks from now. I don't even
> mind laying out dozens of dollars and not get
> reimbursed time to time, just so as I keep busy ya
> know. well talk to ya later and lemme know, will
> ya?
>
> Thanks


This is all part and parcel of his "issues." Ignore beisen, he is a troll.

its almost time for...... ...drum roll............oprah

Hello Sue,
I have been a Mystery Shopper and Merchandiser for almost 1 1/2 years. I just love what I am doing. My number #1 love is just the flexibility of it. I am a homemaker with children in school. I work around their schedules and my husbands. When we travel I just don't schedule anything, same with Holiday time. For me, this is my "fun money". I sent my son on a wonderful Spring Break trip to Mexico. We bought a new puppy "Oakley" in March. She was a little pricey, being flown from Nashville. My husband and I enjoy wonderful meals, at no cost. We see movies for free when you evaluate a theatre. He does tease me and asks everyday,"Well did you make your $5.00 dollars today?" We laugh! Could I live on this money? I don't think so, but I love it anyway. In this area, I could be as busy as I want to be. Is it a valuable service? Absolutely? I have received feedback about how my reports are taken very seriously.
One mystery shopping company I work for motto is..."Remember you are not trying to catch the employees doing things wrong. You are trying to find the employees doing things right." Nobody's perfect. I always mystery shop with that in mind. Everyone has days when they are "not on their game". I look for the positive when I mystery shop. "Did she thank me." No, but she sure did offer a beautiful smile!
With that said, have fun! There are lots of wonderful,honest, legit companies out there. Stay within this forum, Volition, and MSPA. I am truly baffled by those who get caught up in the Check Cashing Scam. All legit companies have this SCAM WARNING on the front page of their websites. "If it is too good to be true, then it probably is a SCAM." Do not pay to mystery shop, ever. I am Silver Certified within the MSPA. It was $15.00 to get certified, and for me, worth it. That is the only money I have ever paid, with exception of making a small purchase for a mystery shop. Anyway, best of luck to you!

Robin
Omaha, NE

Robin, bless you . you are exactly what I have been looking for. The archetype "mystery shopper" Keep those fees low and your expectations high. Part time is what they love to see and hear. without a real motivational force,(full time) you will continue to see the $5.00 shops. congratulations. Now I know how the migrant workers feel. Take any work, no matter how low the pay. keep the standards! I applaud you. Toss in a free burger and wowwee!! yum yum, when you say your #1 motivation is to have fun? MM, if money doesn't matter, can you please sit down and let those that think money is #1 and stop keeping fees low. I am certain one of the large burger joints will give you a flexible schedule and allow a meal now and again. You can have the best of both worlds. fun and free food. Leave the money making to those whose #1 priority is just that... making money. Stop diddling. your not in high school anymore. **S** or get off the pot. When this industry finally grows up it will have respectable fees and responsible adults, not wanna bees and nannies. Do you not realize that they are taking advantage of you and thus ME. What other industry pays $5 for a piece of work? NONE Do you know why? Because there are those that will take a $5 job. The ones like you that do it for FUN!!!????!!! Whoopee! Look at me I'm independent and work for myself.
There will be some out there that use ad-hominem remarks to try and say I don't understand, but they know I am right! They are in that same class that accept the $5 jobs and it is a wonderful country in allowing us all to express our points of view. Mine is the correct business one. Fun is not number 1 in business. Sorry, but Oprah may be a better fit. Stay home and enjoy the kids. My mistake is that I am not addressing business minds here. You work from the heart NOT the head. I will TRY to find a professional business forum, which is what I thought I had originally found, but how wrong I seem to have been. A hen party, with a few old roosters.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/07/2009 09:16PM by beisen.

Ignore him, Robin. He is mad because he can't make a living at this, and instead of looking for work that pays more with his expectations, he blames other shoppers for his situation. Perhaps if he paid more attention to his own business, he might not have such a big chip on his shoulder.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/08/2009 04:59PM by dee shops.

edited to remove the post, as it just double posted the same thing as above...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/07/2009 11:21PM by dee shops.

beisen is only a minor irritant. Disregard his attitude. If he grows up, he might someday rise to the level of migrant worker...

Robin75 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hello Sue,
> I have been a Mystery Shopper and Merchandiser
> for almost 1 1/2 years. I just love what I am
> doing. My number #1 love is just the flexibility
> of it. I am a homemaker with children in school.
> I work around their schedules and my husbands.
> When we travel I just don't schedule anything,
> same with Holiday time. For me, this is my "fun
> money". I sent my son on a wonderful Spring Break
> trip to Mexico. We bought a new puppy "Oakley" in
> March. She was a little pricey, being flown from
> Nashville. My husband and I enjoy wonderful
> meals, at no cost. We see movies for free when
> you evaluate a theatre. He does tease me and asks
> everyday,"Well did you make your $5.00 dollars
> today?" We laugh! Could I live on this money? I
> don't think so, but I love it anyway. In this
> area, I could be as busy as I want to be. Is it a
> valuable service? Absolutely? I have received
> feedback about how my reports are taken very
> seriously.
> One mystery shopping company I work for motto
> is..."Remember you are not trying to catch the
> employees doing things wrong. You are trying to
> find the employees doing things right." Nobody's
> perfect. I always mystery shop with that in mind.
> Everyone has days when they are "not on their
> game". I look for the positive when I mystery
> shop. "Did she thank me." No, but she sure did
> offer a beautiful smile!
> With that said, have fun! There are lots of
> wonderful,honest, legit companies out there. Stay
> within this forum, Volition, and MSPA. I am truly
> baffled by those who get caught up in the Check
> Cashing Scam. All legit companies have this SCAM
> WARNING on the front page of their websites. "If
> it is too good to be true, then it probably is a
> SCAM." Do not pay to mystery shop, ever. I am
> Silver Certified within the MSPA. It was $15.00
> to get certified, and for me, worth it. That is
> the only money I have ever paid, with exception of
> making a small purchase for a mystery shop.
> Anyway, best of luck to you!
>
> Robin
> Omaha, NE


Welcome Robin75! Shops/work should be fun, and I enjoy it also. Looking forward to hearing more from you.

There are some roosters among the flock here but we hear the loudest squawking from a capon.

Don't let some people discourage you. I've been a shopper for almost 16 years now and find it to definitely be worth my while. I have done banking shops that paid $450, with the majority in the $20 range. In the right geographic area you can make a very nice pocket full of cash. I have never given MSPA one dime to officially certify me for anything and I firmly believe in the adage to never pay anyone to let me work for them.

I have also taken paid surveys but that's not a steady thing and definitely not worth quitting your day job for a $3 survey. I have been part of larger study projects in the past which paid $200-300 but those aren't common anymore with this economy.

Just keep plugging and don't let people discourage you.

i do not begrudge people making money,nor the ability to work whenever or however they seem fit. I am simply trying to get some acknowledgment of standards, so no one has to work for $5. The cavalier attitude that permeates the bowels of this business makes this endeavor all but impossible. The 'fun' is fine, but not if it leads you to do a shop for $5. The excuses, oh yes, I have heard them all..:well I am going there anyway". "I am passing right by" "If i do two or three right next to each other at $5. "It is a simple shop" I could go on, but I am sure you have no idea what I am talking about or even care. If everyone who hits this henhouse, makes it a point to never doa $5 shop, you will have increased your pay. If we set the minimum standard for any shop at $10, we have accomplished something. But there are so many people afraid of their own shadows, they will not mke the short term sacrifice for the long term benefit.
So go ahead, call me an an annoyance, a troll, whatever, I am simply stating the facts and what makes sense, but it is like trying to talk to the RCA dog....moves his head back and forth responding to the sounds, but words mean nothing. Good luck y'all. With any luck the shop fees will be lowered to $3 then you will all be in pink huh? and I am sure some of you will snatch em up! yummy. I can hear it now.... "well that fits into my schedule" and it 'keeps me busy" 'its fun too" or 'my husband thinks its cute" yeah maybe when you were a size 6, " does this make me look fat?" no honey you look great. Apparently you all like to be lied to so I will tell you all what a great job you are doing......... at keeping fees low.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/08/2009 12:09AM by beisen.

AGAIN, ignore him. He is never pleasant, is misogynistic, and needs to pay more attention to his own issues, rather than trying to cry to the mama's he despises about how he can't make a living because of them. Others would beg to differ to this account.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/08/2009 04:58PM by dee shops.

cettie, are you a loon? what kind of name/title is that .Are you sure your meds are properly adjusted?
Boy oh boy, what an industry!

beisen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> cettie, are you a loon? what kind of name/title
> is that .Are you sure your meds are properly
> adjusted?
> Boy oh boy, what an industry!


What exactly did Cettie say that made you say this? YOU are the one that referred to the "hens" and "roosters". She just called you on it. Again, as asked a different day, in a different thread, but one where you still displayed the same nasty, women-hating and baiting side of yourself you have shown in this one....If this job does not pay to your liking, WHY are you here doing it? Can't get work doing anything else more to your standards?

It is. Shame you are not a positive part of it. No one really likes the $5 shops. They provide an excellent medium for new folks to learn. They did for me. If you are serious about boosting shop fees - Work with us boycotting MSC's that post them. Slow process but it is starting to work...

Try to be positive for once. Berating people just adds fuel to the fire.

dee shops...

"her serene majesty, Cettie-Goat Queen of Zoltar, Sublime Empress of her Caprine Domain"

did you not see that? yeah and most here are normal. how many loons are out there? I am talking business and we have a space cadet, probably more. Som,eone told me about this industry and I was initially very open minded, but I see that it is mind over matter....if you gave no mind it doesn't matter. that would be a blessing dealing with Zoltar or whatever galaxy she's from

I guess its up to you to decide who is normal, right?

You always show up here spoiling for a fight.

What happened? Boyfriend toss you out? Why do you hate women so much?

mc101
you are correct. how do you get through to people that tell you one thing and do another? No matter how much anyone speaks about the lowering of standards with the $5 shops, they perisist. It totally amazes me. Are people that oblivious? If there is a concerted effort to boycott companies that offered anything less than $10. please let me know. I am more than game. Is there another forum, that is perhaps more responsive to business minded individuals?. There are way too many feathers flying around this one to see clearly. If you know of it I would be grateful

Thanks

contrary to the oft repeated and totally erroneous perception of my alleged misogynistic attitude, nothing could be further from the truth. It is the DUMB clucks, I find abhorrent. Or should I say cow?

See. There again with the names. If you need to resort to that, Why post?
You must like the punishment...

may I remind you, that it was I who was first called names, simply because I dared to ruffle a few feathers, I guess when an egg gets broken the hens go crazy

beisen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> contrary to the oft repeated and totally erroneous
> perception of my alleged misogynistic attitude,
> nothing could be further from the truth. It is
> the DUMB clucks, I find abhorrent. Or should I
> say cow?


If that was the case, then not only would you not stoop to calling the women here names, but you would not feel the need to do it when you are cornered with no argument, as well. I wonder, do you call your the women in your life names when you are face to face?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/08/2009 04:56PM by dee shops.

who pray tell is this Demarco character and Natalie? is that another Zoltar experience from your friend Cettie or whoever. This keeps getting creepier and creepier by the day. Are you sipping the vino?

You may not remind me. You seem to have memory troubles along with everything else. You are arrogant and tend to bring out the worst in us. If that is your intent, please continue on.

beisen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> may I remind you, that it was I who was first
> called names, simply because I dared to ruffle a
> few feathers, I guess when an egg gets broken the
> hens go crazy

If you review your posts you will find that it was you who started being insulting and obnoxious. As to your "solution" that everybody who does cheap shops cheapens the industry, you are preaching to the choir. However most of those shops get snatched up immediately in my area when they post and I have in more than 5 years of shopping run into only two folks who shop my area. This is gleaning information off of 4 forums. When I go to a site where shoppers can list themselves for schedulers to contact them (a site that is not well known on forums) I find 38 indicate they shop my zip code. If there are that many in my immediate backyard on a somewhat obscure website there are obviously a whole lot of folks out there who don't know better than the $4-5 shop and who never made it far enough to find a forum. At least folks on forums are here and can be educated that there are better shops if you don't browbeat them and scare them all away with sarcasm and distinctly disdainful behavior.

how is staten island, or should I say Brooklyn?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/08/2009 01:24AM by beisen.

The last time I saw them they were still there