I thought about this chat when I saw the email today!!!! What a hairy situation she is in.

Q1. Did anyone believe what this tiktoker was presenting? Was there any real possibility that even a rank newbie would find the information credible?

Q2. Has this tiktoker commited libel or slander?

(I do not do social media and cannot see/hear this information for myself.)

I applaud this statement. I would applaud a lot louder (and consider becoming a member) if the MSPA issued a similar statement about Elite CSX or other non-paying MSCs. We always hear that "the MSPA can't do anything about unethical companies if the MSC isn't a member," but now we see that they have no qualms about lashing out at a non-member shopper.

That sounds like the "concern mystery shopper" is from this group. LOL

Shop-et-al, I can only speak for myself. I watched a couple of the TikToker's reels. I thought these were comedy and spoofs that anyone can discern.

After time had passed, I was made aware that people were buying a course from her and getting scammed. I thought nothing of it.

Then I read so many posts here talking or discussing it. Recently, I berated some posters about asking if a $3 or $5 shop was worth it. After much deliberation, I have decided to let people be.

I try my best to answer questions from people who truly want answers and want to be helped. I have learned to use my judgement to ignore people who are looking for something else. I spend my time in passing to try to help.

To me, your second question is a thought-provoking question. I will let the other thread discuss it further Be brave, when entering that thread

NinS, exactly! I thought about Elite CXS conveniently dropping from MSPA Americas when shopper payment failures began to fester.

Thank you. My other reason for asking is from decades ago (long before social media) and involves someone's school project. That person was working with other students and demonstrating their version of day in the life of a manager. This was not meant to be humorous. It might have been more of a reality check. See? This is what delegation and collaboration look like. It did not seem outlandish or excessively self-serving. Could have been a dramatized affirmation. (Ohm... i will be top management when i am 30 and retired when i am forty. Ohhhmmmm...)

Shop-et-al, we may be on the same wavelength here. When I saw a post in General Chat asking to only list the professions and trades of long and current friends and neighbors. And then later added quotes to the original post. The quotes stated to surround yourself with people who exhibit better behavior and are smarter than you.

While I agree with general premise of the quotes, I could not help but think of what you have just stated. I did not want to feed it further.

But yes, so often, professionals in leadership positions do not practice servant leadership. This does have to be a traditional manager. For example, it can be a technical lead. One must balance relationships and collaboration among teams, departments, teammates, direct reports, customers, stakeholders, etc.

I have also seen exercises and practices where professionals have followed and shadowed customers in a typical day in the life. Extreme customer obsession and empathy!

I have not gotten the email. Can you cut and paste it here?

Important Information For Independent Contractor Mystery Shoppers

You may have seen or heard of individuals on social media promoting mystery shopping through courses or content that seem exciting, entertaining, or even helpful. However, it’s important to understand that much of this information is inaccurate, unethical, and harmful to the industry you’re working in.

Yesterday MSPA Americas received a note from a concerned mystery shopper about one of these third-party groups which read:

"There is a social media creator on TikTok who is violating the code of ethics if indeed she is doing mystery shopping. She's filming employees of supposed mystery shops she does, the place, the result and where. She's laughing at ones being terminated, and she's also charging people for her course on mystery shopping. I have enclosed a screenshot of her social media name and account as well as a video of her advertising for her course she charges $97.00 for."

The person she is referring to is Kayla Sansom, but she is not the only one.

To the best of our knowledge, she is not receiving permission from the companies or clients involved to film or share these details. If true, this behavior violates the Code of Professional Standards and Ethics that all reputable companies—and shoppers—are expected to follow.


What You Should Know

MSPA Americas cannot discipline or remove someone who is not a member. Kayla Sansom is not a member, and the association does not endorse her or her content.

You, as an independent contractor, agree to confidentiality, professionalism, and accuracy when you accept assignments through legitimate MSPA member companies.

Filming shops, fabricating information, or publicly sharing shop details without consent is not only unethical—it may be grounds for termination from platforms, legal action, or both.

MSPA Americas exists to protect the integrity of the industry and provide resources that help you do your job ethically and successfully.


What You Can Do

Work only with MSPA Americas-accredited companies
These companies follow ethical standards and provide legitimate opportunities.

Be cautious of people or platforms selling “mystery shopping training” or access to job lists
MSPA does not charge shoppers to access jobs, and legitimate companies do not ask for payment upfront.

Know your rights and responsibilities
Read and understand the IC agreements you sign. They typically include strict confidentiality clauses that prohibit recording, sharing, or falsifying information.

Report misleading content on social media
If you believe a content creator is spreading misinformation or violating confidentiality, you can also report their videos or profiles directly to Meta (Facebook/Instagram) and TikTok. These platforms allow you to flag content that is deceptive, misleading, or harmful.

Stay Aligned with the Professionals
MSPA Americas is the official trade association of the mystery shopping and merchandising industry. We’re here to support you with credible information, job resources, and a professional code of ethics that helps you stand out in the field.

When in doubt, ask before you act—and protect your reputation and the integrity of the entire industry.

All, good discussion! I think the content of the email has finally made its way to the other thread

GRRR ... Someone merged my original thread with this one It's tainted now!!!

1st ETA: Also, someone deleted my original post with the email ... the selective moderation!!!

2nd ETA: Ok, someone added my original post back. Thank you!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/2025 03:32AM by paniconmon.

She is still posting in FB, just saw her post another TY shop.

They called her out by name publicly?

That could turn out to be interesting.

Oh boy. Rough weekend for our girl Kayla. She's turned off comments on all her socials and appears to be hiding in the closet somewhere, assuredly hoping this unflattering moment of exposure will pass. Glad this chapter of Mystery Shopping has come to an end!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/2025 10:05PM by Cassiespark.

I am quite happy about merging as I have now seen the long letter three times on different threads. a bit over the top as far as posting goes from my point of view. quote=paniconmon]
GRRR ... Someone merged my original thread with this one It's tainted now!!!

1st ETA: Also, someone deleted my original post with the email ... the selective moderation!!!

2nd ETA: Ok, someone added my original post back. Thank you! [/quote]

According to Kayla, she has many other businesses to fall back on if her mystery shopping course falls through - soap making, process serving, restaurant owning.

You left out book sales and writing cold checks.

@mjt9598 wrote:

According to Kayla, she has many other businesses to fall back on if her mystery shopping course falls through - soap making, process serving, restaurant owning.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/2025 12:24AM by gigishopper.

I hope that the topic will go away on its own. I hope those affected will get whatever they're seeking

The first video I watched many months ago was also the last video I watched

No one was obliged to watch, heed, or purchase anything.

What was the purpose of posting the e-mail address here?

Solely, to drive awareness for those deemed affected. An informational courtesy for those who didn't receive the email. I did not want to interject my opinion, but rather share an email that I received for all shoppers and forum members



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/2025 01:22PM by paniconmon.

Ah. All is clear. (I thought the referenced e-mail was for the unappreciated Tiktoker.)

For those of you keeping up… Kayla released this video “setting the record straight.” She is admitting her shortcomings and revealed her plans moving forward. She has also contacted the authorities on anyone who has harassed or imitated her online using AI.

[www.facebook.com]

@gigishopper wrote:

For those of you keeping up… Kayla released this video “setting the record straight.” She is admitting her shortcomings and revealed her plans moving forward. She has also contacted the authorities on anyone who has harassed or imitated her online using AI.

[www.facebook.com]

But the client even said it wasn't a mystery shop so she started out lying lol

And she is still lying. (And still hasn't come out and admitted the shop in question was fake).

I don't believe a word that comes out of her mouth, and never have. But now I no longer have any sympathy for those that do. She has been called out, and proven to lie, and to be a scammer, so how can you take anything she says as truth?



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/12/2025 08:44PM by Lady Marius.

I have been keeping up (probably waaaayyy too much) and have seen no evidence of an AI bot imitating her. I have seen many stitched videos calling out her BS. I love how she always threatens to call the "authorities."

@gigishopper wrote:

I love how she always threatens to call the "authorities."

Lol.
She thinks of herself as an authority, so she's probably calling herself.

Wow, apparently she pays for ads on Facebook and the algorithm thought I should see them. I reported her for fraud. I doubt they'll do anything about it but who knows.

Any lawyer would first ask - who is being harmed by her actions?
She only has a contract (apparently) with those who buy her product, so her customers would seemingly be most harmed by any false information.

Is anyone here harmed by her actions?

@BarefootBliss wrote:

Any lawyer would first ask - who is being harmed by her actions?
She only has a contract (apparently) with those who buy her product, so her customers would seemingly be most harmed by any false information.

Is anyone here harmed by her actions?

Reputationally yes. I sure as eff don't want someone I know to see this garbage and think this is what I do. Also scam artists just piss me off in general and a scam artist that is ripping off people misrepresenting what I do just pisses me off even more. Apparently some of ya'll are so purely sociopathic that you just don't care about anyone beyond you. I am not.