Mystery Shopping can be a fun way to earn some extra money while not having to go out of your way. The idea behind Mystery Shopping is pretty simple. Retail stores, restaurants, and other businesses want to know how they’re employees are performing when management isn’t looking over their shoulders.
They send in mystery shoppers to assess how their store handles customer inquiries, sales techniques, or whatever else the owners think may need improvement. As a mystery shopper you are given a specific assignment for what to buy, what questions to ask, and instructions on how to complete a detailed report.
When you are asked to purchase things in most cases you will be reimbursed after you submit your report. The pay varies based on the job, which is why a lot of people sign up with several mystery shopping services at the same time.
There is one very important thing that you need to be aware of if you’re going to seriously pursue mystery shopping. Many scam artists have started masquerading as legitimate mystery shopping companies.
So here are some tips for staying safe with mystery shopping…
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- Never pay money to become a mystery shopper, or for that matter any kind of certification programs.
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- Keep a list of all the real companies that you’ve registered with and know what their email addresses look like. Scammers will send out emails pretending to be real companies, but these are easy to spot since they use free or foreign email addresses.
- Most importantly if you get an email asking you to cash a check or do a Western Union “mystery shop” immediately discard it. Real mystery shopping companies will never ask you to do anything involving sending money, cashing huge checks, or anything financially sensitive.
With that being said if you are careful about what you’re doing and only stick to the real companies provided in this list or other trusted online sources then you should have no problems with mystery shopping.
Below you will find a list of Legitimate Mystery Shopping Job Companies (Updated 2018):
Mystery Shopping Jobs (A-B)
Mystery Shopping Jobs (C-L)
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A legitimate company does not charge you up front. They, as all companies, need your personal information to hire you. IE; SS#, full name and address. I just don't supply this information via any internet forum. I prefer to call the company myself and speak with HR directly. This way I initiated the call to the company not them calling me claiming to be someone they many not be. There are other ways to verify legitimate companies prior to doing business. Start with asking the internet. Next find where they are located. Verify the address and phone number. Make a call and inquire about their business. Any legit company would be happy to provide you with answers to any of your concerns. Hope this helps.
I need to know if there are any mystery shopping jobs in Bangalore, India
I have personally worked with many of these companies and they were all legit. I am a single mother who was struggling from paycheck to paycheck until I started making money part-time by doing mystery shopping. I haven't gotten rich doing it, but I definitely have a bit less financial stress with a steady stream of checks and PayPal deposits coming in. I can personally vouch for Confero,Customer Impact,Customer Perspectives,Customer Service Experts,Ellis Property Management Services,Feedback Plus, GFk Mystery Shopping Goodwin & Associates,ICC/Decision Services, IMYST,IntelliShop. I started out only doing telephone shops with Intellishop just to see if they would actually pay me. They did, every time. Then I graduated to in person shops, but only two or three a month. Then I joined the MSPA, and registered with Volition and JobSlinger...since they are extremely helpful mystery shopping forums and all offer lists of legitimate mystery shopping companies. And they NEVER ask you to pay a dime for the information that is provided. I then decided to take it very seriously, and I paid $15 to get a Silver Certification from MSPA.All I had to do was study the information they provided about mystery shopping and then take a quiz on it. Now,I get so many legitimate shop offers on a daily basis that I can pick and choose which ones are worth my time and energy. Do not give up or get frustrated. I promise that if you go ahead and sign up with just one or two of the companies, you won't regret it. The catch is, you must be able to follow instructions, meet deadlines and you must be honest about your evaluations. You will get paid!
Thanks,
Ed
I think this site is wonderful and wish I had found it years ago. It would have saved me TONS of research. What others have said above is true concerning the pay... It's not much..but it's fun ..and I was doing it part time.. If you want to make money..you have to put forth the effort.. and YES you do have to give them your SS #..but you have to do that when you apply for a job in person also..but you don't hesitate there... This website has taken the "fear" and uncertainty out of the equation .. so I hope those of you that keep asking the same question will listen and go forward to better yourselves. I've moved to Ga now and am ready to start over ..Thank you for this website!
Thanks!
K
The big question is, "Is it worth the $15 to become MSPA certified?" For me, the answer is a clear "Yes!", because it shows potential clients that you are serious about your job.
The Silver level exam is easy. The silver is primarily ensuring that you understand and agree with standard contractual obligations of privacy, non-disclosure, and integrity. I haven't yet seen the need to get the Gold level certification which is considerably more expensive. I may decide to add that to my resume one day.
The nice thing about having companies call you, is that they are generally anxious to get a job completed right away, and will usually add some pretty decent bonuses if you are willing to do the job immediately.