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Mystery
Shopping Equals Free Goods and Services
“Like this shirt?
I got it at the mall, free. We’re going to dinner
tonight, free. Oh look, another check in the mail and
another PayPal deposit. C’mon kids, we’re
going to BurgerLand, free. This new hammer, free. A
bouquet of flowers? For Me? How beautiful and free.”
Nothing in this world is free, right?
Correct. But how about almost free, or free with little
effort? Ah ha! Now that you’re paying attention,
let’s talk about the world of Mystery Shopping.
In its simplest form, Mystery Shopping,
or being a secret shopper, is merely evaluating a product
or service, and then getting paid to do it. The only
stipulation is that you must be covert about it. The
list of assignments is literally endless. You could
be asked to go to a fast food restaurant, a clothing
store, an employment agency, a car repair establishment,
receive a bouquet of flowers, get your eyes checked,
be a potential renter in an apartment complex, or eat
out at a fine dining restaurant.
Many will reimburse you for the item
they required you to purchase and also give you a small
bonus ($8-$15) on top of that. Sometimes you’re
allowed to spend $40 for dinner and you’ll get
an extra $10 if you submit your report on time. Other
times you will be reimbursed only for what you purchased
and that’s it. Each company compensates differently.
It sounds too good to be true, doesn’t
it? Like everything, there are a few downsides. Perhaps
“areas of consideration” is a more appropriate
word to use here. What is your time worth? Sometimes
you’ll be offered a gig where you have to stay
in a store for 20 minutes and interact with different
employees. Then you need to come home and fill out a
three page report detailing every single tidbit that
happened. You may have driven 40 miles round trip and
you’ll get a check for $10 when all is said and
done. Consider how much your time and a tank of gasoline
is worth. The assignment may fit your situation just
fine. Also you may be asked to go to a boatload of fast
food restaurants and purchase Crabby Patties. Now suddenly
you need an entire new wardrobe because it appears your
dryer is shrinking all of your pants. You just need
to evaluate where you want to go and determine if you
are willing to do the assignment for the agreed upon
compensation.
Getting started is rather simple. Google
the words “Mystery Shoppers” or “Mystery
Shopping” or “Secret Shopping”. From
there you’ll see a plethora of companies that work
in this arena. Visit each site to sign up to become
a shopper. They’ll ask you for basic contact information.
Some will ask why you want to be a shopper. Others might
ask for a sample of your writing. This is to insure
you can complete an evaluation report. It could take
4-6 weeks before you hear back from some. Some will
phone you, some will send you emails and some will send
assignments in the mail (note: most have done away with
snail mail assignments). Register with as many companies
that interest you.
Word of caution: You may find some newspaper
ads offering you a GUIDE on Mystery Shopping. Do not
ever pay for a guide. All the information you need is
easily available online… Free! Free! Free!
So what are you waiting for? GET SHOPPING!
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