I am brand new with secret shopping and I called a company (I dont remember which one) and they said that there is a monthly fee to work through them....is this normal???
Also I dont really know which companys are good and reliable, and wont screw you over.
I need help....any advice would be gerat..
Thank you
~Kristin~

Kristin

There is no reputable shopping company that charges you a fee for working for them. Avoid them like the plague. As far as finding some good companies to work for, all you have to do is read some of the posts from some of the experienced shoppers, That will give you a good idea of what companies are ok to work for and those that or not. Good Luck

Check out the Mystery Shopping Job Board on this site. Should give you a good start.

NEVER pay a company to find shops for you.

I'm a bronz member of one of those companies (meaning I have never paid them a cent and don't intend to pay) but I have received several leads from them even as a bronze member.

Sometimes the name of the company is mentioned in their advertisments of jobs in my locations. Works for me!! LOL!!

Hi, a company called Service Intelligence is a good one. They have jobs all over, and I have found them to be extremely fair and the compensation is fairly good, depending on what jobs you do for them.

Kristin,

There are many good companies, but not all of them are in your area. Additionally, most shoppers work for multiple companies because each shopper can't or won't get all the shops offered by one company.

To find companies in your area, go to Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) at mysteryshop.org and jobslinger.com to search for shops in your area. Each of these sites has a handy function listing them by distance from your zip code.

When you find some listings that interest you note the company. Then apply to these companies - the more the better. You can find out more information about the companies on these forums.

Don't be discouraged when you discover most of the jobs listed at MSPA and jobslinger have been assigned. Members of the companies get emails of shops and look frequently on the websites for shop listings, so these lists get a little dated.

The point is to sign up for many companies so you too will get the emails and be able to search the company's sites for shops more quickly.

When then happens you will be able to take shops. For more detailed information, search these forums. You will find a list of about 250 mystery shopping companies, advice on how to keep a log of shops, and much more.

Have fun!

PS: Never, ever pay to join a mystery shopping company. Why? The legitimate ones are free.