Mystery Shoppers, also known as Secret Shoppers, are the unicorn of the online job market. However, unlike the unicorn, they do exist. Retailers use these anonymous Mystery Shoppers to evaluate the quality of service in their stores. How it works is, these retailers hire separate marketing research companies, or merchandise companies, to hire and instruct a Mystery Shopper to visit their store, or restaurant. Retailers can range from super markets, to movie theaters, to hair salons. Then it's up to the Mystery Shopper to go online and report on their experience.
The shopper is then reimbursed for the cost of the service. If the secret shopper is instructed to purchase a product, once reimbursed, they usually get to keep the product. This is not a get rich quick scheme, or even something that will provide a full time income, it's more of a part time income, or hobby at best. Mystery shoppers can be anyone with spare time, male or female, any age group, employed or unemployed. You will be visiting places of business, and possibly asking questions, therefore it is important to have good communication skills, as well as a flexible schedule.
If this is something that interests you, you MUST, I repeat MUST, watch out for scams. There are several scam artists out there tapping into this "unicorn". They will entice you with the prospect of shopping for a living, and claims of earning impossible dollars amounts. The important thing to remember, you should never have to pay your employer! Your employer pays you! The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) has put out a consumer alert concerning these scammer's: rel=nofollow [
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt151.shtm]http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt151.shtm.
"The truth is that it is unnecessary to pay money to anyone to get into the mystery shopper business. The shopping certification offered in advertising or unsolicited email is almost always worthless. A list of companies that hire mystery shoppers is available for free; and legitimate mystery shopper jobs are on the Internet for free. Consumers who try to get a refund from promoters of mystery shopping jobs usually are out of luck. Either the business doesn't return the phone calls, or if it does, it's to try another pitch."
So, how do you make sure you're not getting scammed? I would suggest visiting the MSPA (Mystery Shopping Providers Association) website. This association is known as one of the largest anonymous shopping suppliers in the world with offices active in almost all of North America, South America, Asia and Europe. The MSPA will supply a list of member companies that are looking for independent contractors to be mystery shoppers. You can purchase certificate programs from MSPA for a fee, however, it is free to search their database and apply for assignments.
In conclusion, it is possible to make money as a Mystery shopper, but be aware of any company offering things for a fee. Do your research, make sure their legit before you hand over your credit card information.
TaSha Franklin is a Stay-At-Home Mom/Affiliate Marketer from Kalispell, Montana. For more information on Legitimate Work From Home Job Opportunities visit
http://www.WorkForStayAtHomeMom.com for helpful tools and tips on how to get started. If she can do it, so can you. Also, get started with this FREE e-book How to Create Your First Website By 3:45 This Afternoon. Visit [
http://www.WorkForStayAtHomeMom.com/Create_Your_First_Website.html]http://www.WorkForStayAtHomeMom.com/Create_Your_First_Website.html.
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