Hi, I'm very new at this so I'll start with a little info about me, I'm a college student in FLorida trying to make some extra $$$. I've found it difficult to get an hourly paying job so I've decided to try Mystery Shopping. So far I haven't signed up with any companies yet, I'm still doing my research.

I have a few questions for any experienced shoppers out there: How many companies are you shopping for? What are your favorites and least favorites to work for? Who do you recommend? Thanks!

Welcome to the Board! I am signed up with 100+. I actively shop at least 20.
Check the forum list for companies to sign up with...

Welcome to the forum!

While I wouldn't want to outright discourage you, I would say that compared to what you are spending on your education, money from shops is truly small potatoes and probably a better use of your time would be studying and learning as much as you can rather than chasing around town for $5.

No getting off of my soapbox . . . I am signed up with about 200 companies and in any given year perhaps 30 or 40 of them have work in my area and these days only about 10 of those pay enough to pull out of the driveway. Because of your likely age, you may find that there are groups of shops you can do for alcohol or tobacco compliance where you don't have many competitors in the area.

Thanks for the advice, I'm not doing this to pay tuition or anything, its just for spending money/gas money so I don't have any high expectations, but to let me know where my expectations should be, about how long does it take to make $200?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2012 12:26AM by ameliaj.

That is going to totally depend on the kinds of jobs that work for you. One company does a drive in burger joint that is likely to be in your area. The pay is $5 and the reimbursement is up to $5.65. If it is close to you and you are not on a meal contract already, it could work well for you because it would replace money you would need to spend for a quick meal with a reimbursed meal plus pay your $5. There are bank evaluations that depending on what is in your area pay anywhere from about $11.50 to $35 with the amount of time spent in the bank being about the same but the amount of time needed to put in the report far exceeding the amount of time in the bank and at least somewhat proportional to the pay. How much free time do you have? And is this the best possible use of that time? I understood you were not trying to pay tuition but somebody is paying the tuition for you to get an education, not chase all over town for $5-$15 jobs that may or may not even garner minimum wage for you.

Amelia - I love your name BTW!

You can expect that you will get paid from 30 days (minimum if you are lucky) to 45 days to 60 days to 90 days AFTER you complete a job.

So if you do 20, $10.00 jobs in March, (which is what newbie shoppers usually luck out with), and you get no deductions for submitting late surveys, wrong information, your Editor or Scheduler do not have to contact you, and you remember to upload your receipt (if required purchase) - you will get paid for those March jobs in mid-April or later.

There are only a handful of companies who pay every couple of weeks. Those jobs are $2.00 (yes, that is two dollars), some start out at $4.00 - and from what I've read their reports are nasty and long, so you end up with a few cents per hour! With the cost of gas going up, there's also that to take into consideration.

Now, none of this is to discourage you. However, make sure you give some serious thought to it. Mystery Shopping is a JOB. You have a desk, printer, camera (depending on your phone it *may* be okay), file cabinet, some recommend a digital recorder to take along (I would, I don't shop without mine, but AZ laws are 1-party recording. I think FL is 2-party recording). You need to - well *should* - set up a Spreadsheet to keep track of your companies you sign up with, log in information, pay schedule, jobs, mileage, notes, passwords, etc.

Scroll down to the bottom of this page and click on the "NEW MYSTERY SHOPPERS" link. There are some excellent sticky threads that Flash wrote up to help new shoppers.

Good luck! The #1 rule - Mystery Shopping is NOT "quick bucks". It's discipline, hard work, and ambition.




ameliaj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for the advice, I'm not doing this to pay
> tuition or anything, its just for spending
> money/gas money so I don't have any high
> expectations, but to let me know where my
> expectations should be, about how long does it
> take to make $200?

Amelia - try these companies to start: Bare, Maritz, Corporate Research, Market Force. Corporate Research will post their jobs starting really low but they will go up through the month. Because of your young age, you will find some jobs for which you are uniquely qualified. Keep signing up with new companies as you find time. You can check the job board on this forum to see who might have shops in your area, but not all the jobs in your area will be on this job board. Stay away from any company that sends you money in advance. Legitimate companies will not pay you until you have completed the work. This is good work for a college student. You can schedule it as you have time to do it, and you can earn a little money to help you get through school. I hope you will be attentive to your scheduling so you don't sign up for too much work. I would really hate for the opportunity to earn a little "crazy money" to interfere with the quality of your education. So, there you go. That's my advice.

Hello from California! My name is Trish and I just joined. What is the next step?

Hi Amelia, if you do a video shop, $200 can be made in one night. I can't speak for other companies, but I offer between $150 - $250, depending on the amount of video and photos taken. For the average job, you spend an hour inside and another hour at home writing up your report. Florida is one of the places that I am always in need of when an assignment becomes available. Where do you live? If you have a cell phone that takes photos and video and wish to try one of my video shops, then please go to MSPA home page and click on about us. Then on the right, click on Providers. From this page you can search for companies by name, country, region, industry or services. Companies listed here are legit as they must show 2 years of tax records, give 3 clients as references and also pay a yearly membership fee in order to join MSPA. Enter Taylor & Associates if you would like to find our contact information. The jobs we offer are only for certain times and usually scheduled very late with only a day or two notice sometimes. So it is good to sign up as you would be contacted as an assignment becomes available in your area. This way you do not miss the posting on a job board if you don't happen to check for it during the short period it is available. You can also search for other companies in your area. Bob

TNA -

From what I understand - IF you are representing a Mystery Shopping Company, you are supposed to put a signature line under your posts.

It is just a courtesy that representatives of shopping companies do - I don't think it's "required" - but your posts, AND you, look more legitimate. Doesn't look like you are soliciting with any sort of "scam" in mind.

First & Last Name
Your Title/Position
Company Name
Company website
Company Phone

Beware: Taylor and Assoc. is NOT on either the MSC list here OR the volition list.

Edited to add: I just checked the MSPA member list. There is no web site shown for this company. All that is there is Rob Taylor's name and a link to his email, plus a phone number. A Google search turned up no MSC-probable companies.

Anyone else find anything?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/2012 07:14PM by walesmaven.

@Walesmaven - Interesting... I sent a PM to "tna" this morning and suggested that they put their "sig line" information up as most likely someone would mention it.

However, I got a rather defensive reply back, some rig-a-maroo about "anything could be fake, I don't trust anyone on this website, I could easily just put a name and a fake website, etc..."

Very, very interesting!

Amelia, my daughter lives in Seattle and has picked up some decent money doing product demonstrations for a company called Sunflower Staffing. Not sure if they operate in FL, but I'm sure somebody does. The work is mostly weekends at grocery stores and usually pay about $60/gig. She is also in school, and this provides a bit of extra income for her. I also agree with the poster who said to look for companies that shop fast food - just order the healthiest thing you can and don't eat all the fries - lol!

My daughter was a college student (just two years ago) and she did some mystery shopping as a way to get services for free...haircuts, movies, oil changes come to mind. Additionally depending on where you are the alcohol and tobacco compliance shops are very easy and in some areas command a pretty penny. Not sure where you are in FL but there were also shops in the food spots at the Union of her Central FL university. You won't make alot but I don't think that is your goal. As a college student I am sure you have all the tools of the trade that are needed. Additionally if you are getting something free instead of paying for it; that is a big help.

Liz

Agree totally: you are NOT going to pay rent doing this!


I get free meals, free groceries.. Chipotle hires too. You can get new tires, oil change, brakes.. a new haircut, but not enough to pay bills.

If you get into video shopping with your own equipment, or are willing to travel for your business, you definitely can pay rent. It's not for everyone, though.

Burgers and bonus, that's a good thing. Good Luck!!