Mystery shopping
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| Tue, 02-22-2005 - 9:11pm |
For those of you looking for a few extra bucks, I thought I'd put in my plug for mystery shopping. I work full-time, but signed my househusband up with several companies. I didn't think it would be a good income, but it has turned out to be a help. This month we've earned $300-400 in mystery shopping, which will go to pay off unexpected bills. If you are interested, go to volition.com, and look for the links to mystery shopping. Keep hitting the links until you get to the page listing all of the companies. We're signed up with about 25 or so, but the most work so far has come from ShopnChek and Second to None, as well as Corporate Research International.
If you decide you want to try it, here are some tips to keep in mind:
1. Do have some extra cash set aside for the shops, as some require you to make a small purchase. The grocery stores we shop require a 5 item purchase, etc. The most money I had to lay out was for an optical store, for an eye exam and glasses (I got reimbursed all of it).
2. This is fun, but time-consuming. You get a lot of free stuff, like eye exams, glasses, specialty chocolates, ice cream, trips to pancake houses, etc. However, after you perform the shop you need to be able to enter your evaluation online within 12 hours. So some time needs to be set aside for this.
3. Taxes: After you earn $600 you will qualify to receive a 1099 at tax time, so keep that in mind.
4. The companies vary with payroll, some pay you weekly, but most are monthly. ShopnChek, our favorite, pays via direct deposit once a month for all the shops done in the previous month.
Anyway, that's it. This $$ is helping us a great deal and hope some of you can get some extra $$ too!

I tried getting into this last year. The problem I found was that a lot of the companies wanted money up front. I figured they were scams as why would a company that wanted me to work for them require that I give them something first?
I did find one company, I was given 1 assignment to go to a new office building and critique their tour/information etc. The mystery shop company did not give me enough information before I went to properly prepare. The survey was also very lengthy, and asked for a blow by blow of what happened, what was said etc. After spending about 45 minutes completing the survey, I was asked to write a play by play of the meeting. I was so peeved as I told them everything in their survey. I stood my ground and said I had nothing to further provide. About 2 1/2 months later after several emails I finally received my check for $25. I figured I spend 2 hours driving to the building, touring, driving home, a little under an hour filling out the survey, and then about another misc. hour answering stupid questions that they keep coming back at me with! I would never do anything for this company again, however the mystery shopper duties itself does facinate me and if I could find a good company I would totally sign-up.
Nicola
EDD 6/3/05
It's a Boy!
Hey it's cool to see I'm not the only one mystery shopping!!!! I LOVE IT. I just did a store this past Sat. I also used volition.com for sites and found it AWESOME!! I can only speak great things of that site. So far I've only signed up with about 25 stores - I want to sign up for more but that in itself is a little time consuming and haven't had the chance to go through the rest yet. I DID hear the ShopnCheck was great - although they basically wanted a full resume if I remember correctly and I haven't had a chance to sign with them yet :( because of that ...hopefully soon. Certified Reports so far is where all my assignments have come from and I've had no problems with them - they've been great. I get to assign myself to whatever I want that's available. I am intrested in Merchandising...has anybody done that yet??? Just curious.
Anyway because I work full time, I don't have as much time to devote to it and I do try to stay closer to home so that also limits my choices as the days as well - I try to just stick to weekends for now. The one store I did in the evening after work just exausted me, I was so tired at the end of that day. I wish I had more time to do it but for now it's fun just to use as my own "fun money".
As far as my two cents... BE AWARE OF ANY COMPANY that wants YOU to PAY THEM!!!!! I have NEVER had to pay even a DIME for ANY of the companies I've signed up with. If a company needs people they don't have to charge them - they are like any other employer - you wouldn't go to a job interview that charged you to get through the door would you? Use volition.com if you're intrested for names of companies that you can sign up with from what I understand the sites on there are reliable and ARE NOT into scams. Also from what I understand some of the companies that charge you a fee are charging you a fee to give you a LIST of companies to sign up with they aren't the actual company. Also there are some that enter you for drawings IF you qualify and then IF you win THEN you get money???!! WTH? I dunno I'm weary of any company that looks or sounds too good to be true.
Mystery Shopping is just like any other job. You have to fill out an app. wiat for an assignment, complete and assignment and report back. You have to sign w2's and you have to give a SS#. It is an intresting way to make extra $$ and if you have the time (because you wrok part time or a SAHM) and can devote more time than I can I'm sure it's a nice way to bring in some supplemental income.
ALSO - for ANYONE who's intrested MYPOINTS.com is an AWESOME site. Basically you get spam e-mail, lol and you get points for reading them. Then you can take your points and use them to buy things at very well known merchants. Last year I had anough points to give DH for x-mas a 75 dollar mastercard gift certificate so he could buy anything he wanted. :)
Anyway, sorry about getting long winded, lol - but BOTH are great and I can chat up about both extensivly. :)
Thanks for the recommendation, I am going to check out volition.com!
Nicola
Travi
Here is the link that was posted earlier. I went today, signed up for volition and about 5 companies. I figure I will add a couple a day, as soon take a while to fill out. I also noted that there are plenty for Canada as well.
www.volition.com
Nicola
Thanks for the info. Just this morning, I was thinking "I wonder how I could be a Mystery Shopper"? And **BAMM*** here is the info. I can't wait to go and check it out. I LOVE to shop so I might as well get paid, right? A friend of mine does a monthly shop for Denny's Restaraunt. She pays for her meal and then is reimbursed. I think that's kinda cool. Go out to eat and get a check in the mail for it. Doesn't really seem like "work".
I would love to "snowflake" my mystery shop money.
Susan
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good luck to all the future mystery shoppers!!! Like I said, you can link through volition.com, and none of those companies charge any fees. The best ones for us thus far are Shopnchek (pay monthly via direct deposit and nice variety of shops), and Second to None (TON of grocery store shops). Sassie gives assignments every few months, so few and far between. My husband just signed up with a company that promised him 27 shops in 3 weeks for $20 a pop plus mileage (all bank shops). Don't recall the name but will post when I know it.
Remember that payment is delayed: Shopnchek pays very promptly every month, Corporate Research International pays weekly to monthly, and Second to None pays about 45 days later.
Try and sign up with the ones recommended by others: ShopnChek has a lengthy application but trust me it is worth it. You can schedule them on the weekends, evenings, whenever, so that is really nice.
I am highly surprised at the money we've made, it's pretty nice. Last month: $138 with Shopnchek, this month: $150 shopnchek and $200ish from Second to None and a $60ish from other companies. The 27 bank shops will total about $500 for April (haven't done them yet).
Wow, Thanks for the information. I am a full-time student and cannot work full time and this sounds like a good way to earn extra cash to pay my bills.
Also, for anyone who is interested, donating plasma is a way to earn a little money. I haven't done it yet but my friend makes about $30 per week doing it. It is just like donating blood but they remove the plasma and then return the red blood cells to you (??) so you can do it more often than blood donation. Just check your phone book for a plasma bank.
I also substitute teach which I think would be a good way for SAHM to make money. I just applied with the local school district and they call (or I sign up on the internet) for available jobs. It is nice for me because I often have time to study during the day.
Anyway, thanks for the information on mystery shopping!