Hello to everyone! I found this resource while searching for info on mystery shopping in general--I am eager to learn from others' hard-won experiences. I have a couple of streams of freelance income, one of which involves interacting with various practitioners and giving feedback, so I thought mystery shopping would be a good fit. I also thought that having some reimbursed meals/ other purchases would be a good way to save some $$. The ability to write off expenses as an IC was an attraction, as was scheduling flexibility.
I've done one shop already -- I was nervous about remembering everything I needed to note, while also appearing cool :-) But I got the full amount, so I guess my report was up to snuff.
I'm also glad to see that others think that the level of effort some companies ask for is ridiculous when considering how much they are paying. I realize as a newbie I have to start somewhere, but the initial time input so far has been pretty substantial (including signing up for the companies and *then* reading all the prep info for each shop, and doing the reports). I hope to get into a mindset/rhythm that allows me to become more efficient at prepping for and completing shops.
Off to read the info for newbies!