What are the benefits to paying to be an MSPA mystery shopper?

I joined the MSPA and got a free account. But that doesn't give you membership that I am aware of that I can add to my MSC profile. I see these courses on MSPA for $35, too. Is there really that much to mystery shopping that doesn't seem self explanatory? I was a brand standards auditor for a third party company for 7 years. A lot of things just come with practice and knowing what the client wants you to look for. TIA!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/05/2024 12:52AM by Tiffany0921.

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Zero

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

I agree with Wales. You would at least receive some possibly needed heat from burning your money.

Some shoppers in years past have stated getting MSPA certified helped them get their foot in the door with one or more MSCs. But I think that is a thing of the past if it ever was a thing. Anything covered by the course can be gotten by thoroughly reading the guidelines of each shop you claim, or even just reading the FAQs and such on one of a dozen MSC websites. The saying that you should never pay to get a job applies to mystery shopping as well.

I have MSPA Silver cert, but I don't recall paying to get it.

Have synthesizers, will travel...

@CoolMusic wrote:

I have MSPA Silver cert, but I don't recall paying to get it.

What if anything does it get you?

I picked up the $15 silver as a precursor to the in person gold. Fortunately, I realized my error and declined to continue with the MSPA. There was one company, the now defunct Quest4Best. that notified me through Profitt earlier than a regular job posting. The notice stated it was a courtesy for being certified, but that was probably male bovine manure.

Why not send that $35 to Jacob? -lol- You can probably learn more reading this forum than you could by hitching your horse to MSPA's wagon.

If your path dictates you walk through hell, do it as though you own the place. -unknown

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/06/2024 04:28AM by drdoggie00.

@CoolMusic wrote:

I have MSPA Silver cert, but I don't recall paying to get it.

I also got my silver cert and also don’t remember paying for it. It was when I first was figuring out mystery shopping so that would have been around 2015. IIRC they had some sort of promo going at the time.

At any rate — I don’t know what if how much it has helped me. I put the number in and marked it when I signed up for companies. No one has mentioned it to me ever… so I tend to agree with those who say it doesn’t mean anything. Maybe at one point it was a hopeful idea — but I feel like that would be from a different era.

When I started Mystery Shopping it was, and still is, to make extra money, and not a full-time pursuit or primary source of income.

Accordingly, I have avoided investments in industry associations/events (and food thermometers, vests, etc).

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/07/2024 01:55PM by jgardn02.

Benefits? Paying dues might keep the national unemployment rate from going up by allowing the staff at MPSA to continue to receive salaries.

I became silver-certified ($15) and gold-certified ($99) in 2003. There were definite benefits then and I recouped my investment many times over. I would not advise anyone to get MSPA-certified these days.

@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz wrote:

I became silver-certified ($15) and gold-certified ($99) in 2003. There were definite benefits then and I recouped my investment many times over. I would not advise anyone to get MSPA-certified these days.

Just curious, what were the benefits you saw back then with the certifications? First dibs on shops?

I got silver free in the early 2000's. My certificate was all letters. At some point in the last few years, I signed into MSPA and noticed my silver certificate was all numbers now. It never made a difference.

I was a brand new shopper in 2003 and MSPA certification saved me time and helped with the learning curve. Would I have learned everything eventually on my own? Sure, but I did not mind paying a little to save time and rely less on trials and errors. Quite a few of the big MSPA players (especially KSS) gave preferential treatment to certified shoppers in those days. I am lousy at networking but still managed to make some friends by attending MSPA events. (I didn't have to pay except for the certifications.)

@Mellifluy wrote:

@BusyBeeBuzzBuzzBuzz wrote:

I became silver-certified ($15) and gold-certified ($99) in 2003. There were definite benefits then and I recouped my investment many times over. I would not advise anyone to get MSPA-certified these days.

Just curious, what were the benefits you saw back then with the certifications? First dibs on shops?

How were you able to join anything I am wondering? All of their links go to a dead/parked domain that is for sale on Godaddy. [www.mysteryshop.org]

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What are the benefits to paying to be an MSPA mystery shopper?

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