I suspect that their real value is to the brand new shopper who has not discovered forums, job boards and the rest before they get started. Their introductory fee is not terribly outrageous and for someone unsure of how to start and without the knowledge of how to find information on the web or the time to do it, it may make sense. Of course the problem comes about if you forget to cancel the service. My guess is the best use of Shadow Shopper is the notifications of companies that have jobs in your area, though I don't know whether this is presented as a subset of companies they recommend you sign up with or just the overall list such as the lists available here and at many other shopper forums.