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Apollo, KIS Mystery shop

August 10, 2011 04:33PM
I apologize for all the posts this morning. I'm new, but I search the forum before posting, promise winking smiley

I have received an offer from Apollo StratMar Merchandising for a KIS mystery shop. They claim I will get a debit card in the mail to perform this shop, which requires I create and purchase a personalized photo book. Has anyone heard of this or done one of these shops? I want to accept, but am skeptical. Thanks!

- shopping Miami, FL; MSPA Silver
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August 10, 2011 04:40PM
If a company 'finds' you rather than you finding them, be very suspicious of a scam. While sometimes one legitimate company will contact their database on behalf of another company, it is rare and identified reasonably well what is going on. If this was an unsolicited email rather than a follow up or contact from a company you signed up with, beware!
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August 10, 2011 04:42PM
I contacted them through shadow shopper and they responded via email. Still weary of the initial debit card stunt...

- shopping Miami, FL; MSPA Silver
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August 10, 2011 05:23PM
Here are my concerns:

1) I do not know if or that Shadow Shopper does any checking of the 'companies' that choose to sign up and use their services, yet their shopper databases are apparently available to anyone who signs up as a company.
2) There is a legitimate company (Bare) that uses the name Apollo with their SASSIE shopping system. There is a Strategic Marketing, Inc, but it is not a mystery shopping company. And I would wonder why a mystery shopping company would identify themselves as Merchandising. But these pieces are a hodgepodge that sound created by a scammer.
3) Would you send someone with whom you had no previous existing relationship a debit card in hopes they would do something for you? It is the nature of this business that shoppers are expected to front the money for shops and be reimbursed. That way if the shopper fails to perform or screws up, the company is out only the scheduling time.

If they send you a card, stop by the nearest gas station and fill up and then keep driving :-) The pump will verify the card before you put a drop of gas in your vehicle and I suspect it will show that the card is not valid.
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August 10, 2011 05:29PM
Thank you flash.

I agree 100%, I'll pass this time. Since we're on the subject of shadow shopper, how do you feel about their service? I have paid for the one month trial of $2.95, but don't know that the full price merits the value I get; thoughts? Also, does their certishop mystery shopper certification hold any value in the industry?

Thanks!

- shopping Miami, FL; MSPA Silver
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August 10, 2011 05:32PM
Make sure you cancel your trial membership well before the end of the trial period or your credit card will be smacked with a non-refundable $99 for a year of their 'services'. There is real reason to question whether ANY certification holds any water except to those who awarded it. I would certainly waste neither my time nor my money on Shadow Shopper's!
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August 14, 2011 12:16AM
Actually them sending you a debit card to cover the costs sounds like a benefit to me. If the card is mailed to you ahead of time, then you don't have to wait on reimbursement. Also you don't have to give your credit card to an online company that you didn't choose to interact with. I would be more suspect of having to buy something you weren't looking for with a company you didn't chose.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/14/2011 07:20PM by Shelly.
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August 14, 2011 02:17AM
In my entire time mystery shopping I have only received a debit card once for a shop. It was a $5 debit card and I was supposed to spend $1 or less on a particular shop. I had done dozens of shops previously for the company and this particular shop at least a dozen times in its various variations (pay by cash small sale, pay by cash larger sale, pay by credit card small sale, pay by credit card larger sale) to test whether certain reminders would pop up on the cashier's screen. The balance on the card was mine to keep (all $4 or so of it) and the fee for the shop was adjusted down by the $5. Had I not performed I have no doubt but that I would have been terminated by the company.

I currently am about to have cash advanced to me for a shop. This is a shop where they are vetting shoppers for both longevity and past performance with the company. I have signed off on all sorts of agreements and understandings that this money is NOT MINE and even provided the name and contact information for someone who can recover the money for them in case something happens to me.

With this kind of stuff in place, if a company I had never worked with before offered me up front cash or a debit card, I would be very very suspicious. It is just NOT the way this business works.
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August 14, 2011 07:35PM
I know I have seen a couple of of posting on actual boards that said they would provide you with the number, so you don't have to place it on your own card, but maybe only two or three times on one companies board.

I know it isn't industry standard. I get they wouldn't be sending cards out frequently as then the companies would need to be tracking down all the people who flake on assignments.

If for an online assignment, they provide what was essentially a one time use number to use that would only be accepted for that online store it would be a benefit to both the shoppers and MS companies. The companies would have immediate access to know you completed it and you wouldn't have to layout your own money and neither side would mess with reimbursement.

I do agree that I would be extremely cautious with a company that I did not approach, but instead sought me out. Especially if the fee is higher than what would be typical. I would be surprised if something you could do from home paid anything more than $10.
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