04/01/2009
Many who have lost jobs because of the economic downturn or just need more income because of increased expenses - and especially those who have few job skills, reasons they can’t get to a job site, or the need to be at home at least part of the day - may respond to classified ads promoting opportunities that offer flexibility and the ability to work from home. One category of ads that attracts callers is that of mystery shoppers. Some ads claim workers can earn up to $150 a day for full-time or part-time work, and that they’ll be paid to shop. Some offer a money-back guarantee of satisfaction.
Mystery shopping is the practice of using shoppers to anonymously evaluate an establishment’s products, customer service, operations, merchandising or product quality. Without disclosing that he/she is anything other than an ordinary shopper, they can evaluate staff that is unaware that they’re being evaluated.
Mystery shopping is a legitimate business that is used by most major consumer companies and tens of thousands of people make extra money and enjoy free services as mystery shoppers, though only a few make enough money consistently enough for it to be their primary source of income. Those who do generally accept assignments from multiple mystery shopping companies and plan their assignments carefully. Most mystery shoppers are independent contractors who agree to complete an assignment for a specific price and are not hired as employees.
While there are many legitimate mystery shopping companies and a few legitimate mystery shopping referral companies, there are also unscrupulous companies. A red flag should be raised if a mystery shopping company is charging you a fee to sign up. A legitimate company will never require any kind of payment in order to obtain employment. Be very cautious of mystery shopping referral companies running ads that promise big rewards and guaranteed assignments. These companies often imply that to be a mystery shopper you must pay them -- either for further information or to get started working for them. This is not true. Legitimate companies will provide the instructions you need for each assignment free and the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) offers training courses and certification for serious shoppers.
If you do pay, there are some unpleasant surprises in store for you. First is that it is very likely that you will never hear from the company again. If you do hear from them, you may receive something like a list of companies you can contact to see if they have an assignment for you. (They usually don’t.) If you try to contact the company who promised you work in the first place, you’ll probably find that their phone number has been changed, and even if it hasn’t, they won’t answer the phone, you won’t reach a live operator, or your call will not be returned. The chances are very great that you’ll be out whatever you paid.
Unscrupulous mystery shopping referral companies employ several other twists. One is listing a phone number in their ad, that appears to be an ordinary number with an area code and seven-digit number, but is actually for a location outside U.S. boundaries (in the Dominican Republic, for example). Consumers who call can unknowingly rack up some very hefty phone charges for making this call. Another is sending out fake cashier checks in the mail using a legitimate company’s logo. Shoppers are asked to evaluate the services of stores or even banks and wire a portion of the money back to the sender in order to also evaluate the wiring service. The consumer is told to keep a portion of the money as payment. The forgery of the check is discovered after the check is deposited and the consumer is responsible for the entire amount of the check. If you receive a check in the mail, throw it away and do not cash it! A legitimate mystery shopping company would not send out a check without contacting you first and no legitimate mystery shopping company sends anyone out without letting them know what to look for and how to report the results.
If you’re interested in a specific mystery shopping company, go to the Better Business Bureau website at http://www.seflorida.bbb.org/ or give us a call to check out a company: 561-842-9278 . If you are interested in -pursuing work as a mystery shopper or wish to see which companies are MSPA members, we suggest you visit the Mystery Shopping Providers Association website at http://www.mysteryshop.org/. No MSPA member company is allowed to charge an upfront fee.