Well like many I signed up for the free membership too. So when I couldn't see all the message, I signed up for the one month silver account. And like many, I was automatically renewed for a year for $100 a year. And found out you can't cancel or get a refund. That part of SS is a rip-off. I have gotten a couple thousand in work in the last 4 months I have been with them.So it had paid for itself, and thats with me living in the armpit of Arkansas.

Shadowshoppers is good if you would like to do this work, and have no clue. It will get you started, but I will not be renewing next year. By then, you have enough contacts to keep going without a referral service.

I signed up for one of their "we are desperate for Mystery Shoppers in your area" emails about 9 months ago and have gotten messages daily ever since. I have Hotmail sort into their own folder and I glance at it every week or so. Every once in a while, I see something I like and the name of the company is in the first line and I go to their site and sign up, and get the jobs this way...

(a note to schedulers posting to Shadowshopper...put the company and contact info in the first line!!)

Doesn't bother me that they send the emails since they aren't in my inbox. I don't know if they plan to do this for a year or forever, but they don't have any credit card info from me. Most postings are not good for me as I live 100 miles away from major metro areas, but sometimes, something comes up. I've also gotten a few personal emails and phone calls from schedulers who reviewed the Shadowshopper database and asked me to respond to offers.

They also have a lot of infomation on their site to learn from, and they have tests for "certifications" for merchandisers, interviewers, etc...I got them all, for what they are worth, (probably nil!) but you never know. A list of the companies they accept postings for are also there. This got me started. Since I still have a day job, I'm pretty picky and sometimes limited to what I can take, so my actual results from this are limited, but combined with the jobslinger, voilition, and this board, you can get just about everything you need and run with it!

I paid for a lifetime membership. I am not satisfied, but yet I am. I am unsatisfied and please spread the word>>>.....


SHADOW SHOPPER IS LISTING MERCHANDISING JOBS FOR MRI AND ANYTIME MERCHANDISING. tHEY HAVE YOU DO THE WORK BUT DO NOT PAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [forum.volition.com] take a look at this.

But I am also satisfied, because I have been offered by companies looking for work to do that only work with shadow shopper. Yes I found some jobs on there that are on free websites job boards. But there are companies that only use Shadow Shopper.

Shadow Shopper is well worth it for me! Everyday, they email me merchandising companies and shopper jobs currently hiring only in my area. It saves so much time when looking for work. I can apply right on their site as well as going to each company's own web site to register and apply. I have had so many merchandising job offers since joining Shadow Shopper two months ago. I have found it to be so much more useful than any free site including the MSPA which has been a big waste of time for me.

I joined Shadowshopper on 12/2 2007. I have had a variety of different comanies contact me. I joined for the 30 day trial for $9.99. What I think people need to realize is that you need to apply directly to the companies that are looking for shoppers and its alot of work. But its totally worth it, I have been doig promotions andd demonstrations in additon to mystery shops, apartment shops, dining and bar shops. Its been less that a month.... I also live in Anchorage Alaska- you wouldn't think we have much call for that type of work. Anyway my advise is to apply directly to as many companies that you can, I signed up for 15 and I keep busy. GOOD LUCK

I joined Shadow shopper in the beginning of my msing. It did pay for itself in the first month and have stayed with several of the companies.

I paid the $10 for the thirty day trial and have already recouped my cost. I've gotten more offers than I could possibly do, plus several companies have contacted me after seeing my info on shadow shopper. I made $60 for one company in one day, and they are one who contacted me! Worth it? It was for me. barb allen

I note that many many of the posters to this thread are Unregistered Guests or New Members. The Shadow Shopper debate goes on and on and on. I never registered with them and never intend to, yet I do believe they can be a useful tool for new or would-be shoppers who don't have the time or internet knowledge to seek out the contacts for themselves. This is not a bad thing in and of itself but for many would be a useless expenditure.

Lets look at logic and human nature for a moment. MSPs and schedulers will not put out the effort to post good jobs in places beyond their own website if they have a shopper base to fill the jobs without the extra effort. Heck, my Bestmark scheduler uses promises of her good jobs as a carrot on a stick to get you to take the schlock. A good job, IMHO, is one that has reasonable requirements for the pay (fee + useful reimbursement) offered. The good jobs are things such as a grocery store job I do that is nearby pays $13 fee and reimburses up to $20 in groceries. That, after expenses, is a $30 benefit job for me, takes little more time than my regular trip to do the grocery shopping anyway and takes about 20 minutes to do the report. Those jobs NEVER get listed on Jobslinger.com or the job boards of other places and if you happen to see them because there was a heads up posted by a shopper, I can assure you that they have been taken already. So unless Shadow Shopper is paying MSPs and schedulers to post all their shops there, I can't imagine why they would.

The next question, of course, is the shopper base. Some MSPs lose active shoppers over issues such as pay and disclosure of the depth required for a shop. I no longer shop for some MSPs with attractive looking shops because when they say they pay in 30 days and it is several months later and I am still calling and sending emails to get paid, that is not worth my time or aggravation. Some MSPs lose active shoppers because they advertise a job as ABC and when you have signed up and gotten to the paperwork it is A-Z+1-5. Thanks, but no thanks. Some MSPs lose active shoppers because the shops I did last year for $15 fee only now are $12.75 for the same job. Need I say more?

I personally have found that job boards are most useful for finding MSPs that do shops in my area and signing up with them not for the current job but for future ones. And my best jobs come from email and phone calls from schedulers who offer the job at one fee and if they can't find someone to take it, call on shoppers with whom they have a history at a more reasonable fee.

She's right listen to her, she helps me all the time. SS has good points, for instance they have others things besides MS shops, so you can be more versitile. Plus they make it real easy, to be lazy! Between SS and the other 50+ shops I am registered with I recieve about 100 emails a day with work, although 1/3 is in Jacksonville Fl, and I don't do mertrpolis'

I started with Shadow Shoppers, as I didn't have a clue who to start with. For $15.00 to get certified, they sent me many shops, and I got familar with different companies, then went to register with many. I think they are a good starting place. I signed up for 3 months, not a fortune, and since they are the largest "headhunter" for this business, I didn't go wrongI recommend them.

I didn't read the posts. I know what they say.

Those who think that Shadow Shopper is a rip off, were waiting for them to deliver the shops on a silver platter.

What they do do is give you the information that would take you time to find for yourself; what you do with it is up to you.

I am not sure Shadow Shopper is worth the money for an experienced shopper; though I have wondered if they could help me find the higher money shops that I spend time looking for. Maybe someday I will test the waters.

For a newbie; they are a life saver. But they are a RESOURCE; you have to do the work.

I don't think they work for an experienced shopper. For a newbie, great, you have to statrt somewhere, they save you time.

I tried the bronze membership,(bronze is free) and recieved quite a few calls from schedulers looking for high dollar bank shops. I did those, short while later I recieved a offer I couldn't refuse, I could be a gold trial member for 5$ for one month, in the fine print it said 5$ first month and 99$ for a year. So tey ended up getting 99$ out of me and guess I was ok with that as long as I was getting work out of them.
Well its been 2 weeks I haven't been sent one job posting and when I emailed thier customer service thier idiot rep said I should look in my bulk mail box. Hey JONATHAN there isn't any of junk mail in my junk box!!!!!! Where are my listing? 99$ bucks???

i've joined with shaddow shopper and had a little spew with them charging my card afterthey send me a email saying they were desperate for shoppers so they were giving me 1 weeks free trial. before i could tell them not to cahrge my card they already did. so now ive got 90 days with them. i check the site out for jobs. havent gotten anything yet, been pounding the pavement for a week
straight not on e job yet. what am i doing wrong? im appling and appling.

I got 1 frre week of gold jobs posings, still waiting to get a job, I keep appling appling but not yet

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/2008 12:34PM by freetowander.

Did you go down there list of jobs in your area and just start applying?

Shadow Shoppers gave me my start, For some one just getting in the business its a good deal. I still keep a memembership with them in case my business gets a little slow
THEY REALLY GOT MY FOOT IN THE DOOR.
AL

Its week three and I still aren't recieving any job listings from SS. Is anyone else having this problem? Its really starting to make me mad, I paid 105$, and nothing in three weeks. Maybe I should contact the supervisor, when's there's nothing in my area they will send me listings for Jacksonville. I know Jacksonville FL isn't out of jobs!!!! Are yall feeling the effects of gas prices? I feel like I gotta do too many shops for it to pay off. Too many as in, so many I can't get them all turned in my 12am.

Yes, I think it is worth it. I've received several jobs from shadow shopper. For those who are not getting any jobs just remember that if there are no jobs in your area, Shadow Shopper can't create them. I've developed some good sources from leads that I have received and do quite a few shops for those companies.

I have been shopping for only a couple of months. Not knowing where to begin, I registered with Shadow Shopper. I am very impressed with the quality of information on the site as well a the number of MSPA certified companies posting jobs on the site. Of course you can register with each and every company; however, if you do not know they exist you cannot register with them. Additionally, I have never had a bad experience with a company I found on Shadow Shopper. I am performing approximately 60 evaluations/audits per month and have many more offers than I accept. Shadow Shopper, if nothing else, is an excellent place to start. Once you are comfortable with the number and quality of companies you are shopping for, then decide whether or not to continue the service. There are always new companies and schedulers out there. One of the benefits is being contacted directly by schedulers who view your profile. I personally have had many offers direct from schedulers. I received my very first assignment the day after I registered with Shadow Shopper.

THe Federal Trade Connission says never pay to become a mystery shopper. I signed
up as a bronze (free ) member. Guess what ? All the jobs were assignable only to
Gold and Silver (paying) members I decided to try a 30 day trial silver membership
and notified them three days later that I did not want to be renewed for an annual
fee of $59.95. They did it anyway. I got my credit card company to disallow it.
The majority of jobs are for handing out samples in supermarkets, very few mystery
shopping jobs in my area. They are a rip off and hae been deleted from my computer.

I noticed that most of the comments are from December 2006. That seems odd since this is the middle of 2008. I also filled in the app and quickly unsubscribed because you couldn't get a shop unless you paid for it. Why would one want to pay for a shop? I thought the idea was for companies to pay the shopper for the shop. Doesn't make any sense.

You are correct ilvgolf. But just as with anything else, if there is a way you can make a buck off it, someone will try. There are places you can pay to list your items on eBay for you. There are folks who will sell you lists you can solicit for work. This is the "information age" and if I have some information you may not know how or be willing to look up for yourself, it is a money making opportunity. There are times when I will deliberately pay for the guidance, such as when I purchase TurboTax each year. I could get all the forms and instructions free from IRS to do my taxes myself and did so for many years before the existence of TurboTax. Having done my taxes both ways, I'll pay the sticker price for the TurboTax gladly. But with mystery shopping there is little if any reason to pay for assistance.

Shadow Shopper finally figured out what was wrong, and during this past week I have gotten a couple hundred dollars of job offers. Now most are not mystery shopping, most are demos, field interviewer and audits. I will pretty much do anything to make some flow, so thats good for me. I really would like to not need ShadowShopper, but they gave me my first jobs and they are still pumping them out everyday!!! They have even been sending out jobs that my husband can do and offering 12$-15$ an hour doing it, one even offered 40 hours a week, and gas PAD. I would suggest, if ya have the time and energy, look for companies yourself and save the money. If you are like me, spend the money and them look for me. I usually recieve 40 emails a day with jobs, and I want to make working for myself payoff and profitable. With SS its sooooooo much easier. We are a country of convience!

I joined for the free membership, and received no job postings from them just emails that advertised retail stuff, that I don't need or want. Will not renew anything with them. Seems like a waste of money. Guess it depends where one lives for jobs. Here in Vermont it's slim pickings, unless you live near Burlington, in the southern end of the state. I refuse to work for any of the Canadian companies, especially in Quebec Province - they are mostly Anglophobes.

I did the free trial first, and then frustrated with it paid for one to three months (can't remember). I did get some jobs from it by signing up with companies listed on their job site. It was worth it at the time, but when I signed up on this site, for free, I received a list of all the companies that were working with shadowshopper. If your on this site and have a decent list of companies, I don't think you need to pay. If your starting out and don't have any idea of what companies to go with and have no other way to get leads, I think it's money well spent.

When I first started out, I signed with Shadow Shopper for the first 3 months. The info was very handy to have and I received my first certication through them for mystery shopping and merchandising. After that, I received alot of shops close by. They were worth what I paid and grateful I could learn and get shops at the same time. I am in a rural area of Ky., but they found plenty for me. I now am signed and work for 20-30 different companies. I am busy constantly. To someone like me that does not know A from apple butter, Shadow Shopper was a big help.

I think its an individual thing. It seems to work for some and not work for others. Shadow Shopper worked for me. I have received for more jobs than I can handle. I paid for the thirty days for$9.99 and went on my owm for three months and then signed up again. I have been succesful with them.

Shadow Shopper is a great company. I got started through them. I first paid a trial 3 month membership. I made my fee back quickly. I have been a mystery shopper now for the past 2 years. I recently bought a 1 year membership for $99 through them also. I have been paid for every job I did that I applied through the website. It is not a rip off. Yes company's do not charge to be shopper, but unless you know who they are and how to contact them you can not work for them. Shadow shopper not only provides the job links but also provides each company with a biography if yo fill one one and coach's you in how to win the right assignment. They also offer a certified certificated that is free of charge≥ This also appears to schedulers and shows you are qualified. You must follow every instruction exzaclty to be successful. It takes a while to register a t all the company's sites. Today i was offered a position in merchandising through Shadow Shopper a company saw and my certification's . i have never done this type of work before and would never have been offered it if it weren't for the certifctions that i tested on Shadow Shopper. They post the jobs available it is up to you to follow through with obtaining them.I have made as much as 350 in one day for about 4 hours hours work. Unfourtnally I have done all shops in the area that pay high.

It is nice that it has worked for you KiKi10 and that you find it worthwhile. Another good way of finding who shops your area is to sign up with Jobslinger.com which is a free service. You can readily see the companies that are shopping your area and get signed up with them. So far today my emails have sent me $100+ worth of jobs to do tomorrow, another $60 for Thursday and a $30 for Friday. Add that to what I already had scheduled and there will be some very productive days the rest of this week without paying anybody a nickel for leads or certifications.