I started out being a mystery shopper over 35 years ago when I was working full time....I wanted to get my oil changes for no money...I only did oil changes for years but then when I retired I decided to do other assignments and slowly but surely I became an EXPERIENCED mystery shopper. Now as a retiree I do it for extra money or depending on the assignment for the acting experience....!! Over the years I have probably signed up for over 60 companies, and find some treat you better than others, I have my favorites and those that pay fairly. As the years pass instead of paying shoppers more I find some new companies take on these assignments and pay even less...for instance car sale visits without negotiations for final sales and just for BEST prices used to pay $40 to $45 without bonus, now some of them pay as low as $17 dollars hardly worth you time for test drive and conversation with a sales person on top of what seems like 5,000 repetitive questions on questionnaire. No wonder they never get taken. Of course newbies will take them and find out by experience that they are hardly worth your time. Additionally I wouldn't out of the house for less than $10..not worth the gas or time and frankly insulting if they want you to be slave labor, as they stopped this practice years ago. Otherwise I love mystery shopping when I am treated fairly and try to turn in a superior evaluation.

Hello and welcome here. I'm sure with all your experience you will have a lot to add tot he boards.

That is an awesome summary of the state of affairs of mystery shopping! They are not looking for a superior evaluation anymore. Most of the new companies are spin-offs of the originals and have cheapened the industry. They have convinced themselves and clients, through their excellent marketing channels, that a fast-food type of report of 5 down and dirty evaluations by anyone who wears shoes is more informative than a superior report with follow-up and follow-through. Now, my 5-Guys rep still does not offer me a shake, still says "what else?", still serves old fries each and every time no matter that I report the mess. What's the point anymore? IMHO, they will ruin the point of this business. We have to get all excited when 1 out of the 50 we do has a good result.