The Real Deal on Mystery Shopping

Mystery shopping has gotten a bad reputation in the past from companies that send out flyers proclaiming one could make thousands of dollars in cash and free products. All one needs to do is send that company $19.95 and they will be sent the amazing, but true catalogue of legitimate companies that hire mystery shoppers. The first thing I'd like to say about mystery shopping is this. "If you have to pay, RUN AWAY." I was told this when I first heard about MSing (Mystery Shopping). I find that ninety-nine percent of the time, this phrase still holds true.

What IS mystery shopping? You, as an independent contractor, locate companies that use shoppers to evaluate different businesses in your area. I will show you how to locate great companies that use shoppers. Your job is to take this seriously and still have a good time.

What kind of pay should I expect? This all depends on you. Some assignments are reimbursement only, and some jobs are reimbursement plus a fee, and then there are jobs that just pay a fee. You pick which assignments you want to do, and how far you will go to do them. Average starting pay is between five and fifteen dollars an assignment. Once you have been shopping for a while and you know the ropes, pay is about twenty dollars an assignment. This is not always because the company you contract with raises the fee for you. It is because you will learn which shops are worth it for you to do them. You might turn down a restaurant shop that is reimbursement only because it does not pay a fee, and you like to eat at home. Another person may snatch those restaurant shops up because it is reimbursed and they want a night out with a meal. :)

How will I know if a specific company is legit or just another scam? There are many ways to determine whether you should work with a certain company. First, you get the company name. Let's use a fake company to show how it works. Here is Dalton Shoppers International (DSI). You've found their web address online. The first thing I would do is get answers to these questions. 1. How long is turn around times for pay? Current average is between four to six weeks. 2. How much do they pay on average per assignment?

Read more at Suite101: The Real Deal on Mystery Shopping