Contributed by Amie068 I admit to being somewhat naïve and trusting in a world that constantly proves that it is anything but trustworthy. In the last 7 months, I have had 3 occasions where more than one of my credit card numbers was obtained and large, fraudulent charges were made. This made me hyper-aware of…
Contributed by Itsasecret I have been self-employed for over 15 years. I have also been a victim of identity theft. When I first became self-employed, I took classes about owning a small business and found out from experts what it was going to mean to be self-employed. Among other things, I was told that having…
Contributed by Itsasecret The primary arguments raised in the forum against using an EIN take two forms: One, shoppers simply object to companies requiring an EIN when there is no legitimate reason for them to do so. The other objection is because some shoppers don’t want their town or city or HOA to know they…
There are many questions that come up repeatedly on www.mysteryshopforum.com that will be compiled in a series of articles here in the Mystery Shopping Magazine. We hope that this will be a convenient resource for you to find the answers you are looking for regarding the tips and techniques and tools used in this business….
Company Overview: Untangling the history of this mystery shopping company was a bit of a mystery in itself. Trying to research the company’s background and relationships to other companies became more and more convoluted. It’s a tangled web of associations, with only one clear denominator shared by all entities involved, the year 2009. This year…
Company Overview: This mystery shopping company is well-established in our industry, having been in business longer than almost any other company that Mystery Shopper Magazine has reviewed yet. Its history in working successfully with Fortune 500 companies has captured the attention of several publications, including write-ups in the Wall Street Journal and Good Housekeeping, among…
Overview: These assignments are for those wanting a change from the typical retail mystery shops with multiple interactions, as well as a break from narrative reports. They don’t require a lot of effort, can pay decently when bonused, and won’t take more than an hour of your time at the most. Sound good? They can…
Forum Alias: GraceR How long have you been mystery shopping? I started shopping two years ago but didn’t get really serious about it until a year ago. Where are you shopping? I shop all over Northern California. What got you started? I had always seen those mystery shopping ads that were obviously scams. I always…
Contributed by itsasecret, Mystery Shop Forum Member. There are many questions that come up repeatedly on Mystery Shop Forum that will be compiled in a series of articles here in the Mystery Shopping Magazine. We hope that this will be a convenient resource for you to find the answers you are looking for regarding the…
Overview: Although there is a merchandising company by the same name, don’t let it confuse you. The assignments that are termed as retail integrity evaluations have nothing to do with merchandising. As a matter of fact, these types of assignments are different from most mystery shops that you might be used to completing that focus…
Company Overview: In some cases, reviewing mystery shopping companies can be very much like the old saying “No news is good news.” There are some MSCs that do not garner much attention from shoppers. Considering that the independent contractors in the mystery shopping world have a tendency to be vocal about negative issues, it could…
Company Overview: Sometimes even the researchers get similarly named mystery shopping companies mixed up. Such was the instance with this mystery shopping company. I was halfway through with my background notes on this company when I noticed that forum members were occasionally using the words “customer” and “consumer” interchangeably for the name of this MSC….
Company Overview: It’s an infrequent occurrence to have both a mystery shopping company as well as one of its assignments hit the worst-of-the-worst lists as described by its independent contractors, the mystery shoppers themselves. Cirrus Marketing Intelligence is based in Anaheim, California, and has been in operation since 1993. From their beginning, the company states…
Company Overview: It’s an infrequent occurrence to have both a mystery shopping company as well as one of its assignments hit the worst-of-the-worst lists as described by its independent contractors, the mystery shoppers themselves. Cirrus Marketing Intelligence is based in Anaheim, California, and has been in operation since 1993. From their beginning, the company states…
Company Overview: If there was an equivalent of a Good Housekeeping Seal Of Approval in our industry, this mystery shopping company would be one of the first recipients. It was a pleasure to review a company that shoppers highly endorsed without reservation. Marketing Endeavors has been operating out of Louisville, Kentucky since 2001. It is…
Forum Alias: Irene_L.A. How long have you been mystery shopping? About 6 years. Where are you shopping?The Los Angeles area and surrounding suburbs. What got you started? I started shopping after retiring and becoming quite bored. I discovered shopping through Shadow Shopper, signed up, and did a few jobs in my area through them. I…
The Adventures of 007.5 By James Bond, Mystery Shop Forum Member. Cettie isn’t the only one here to have “interesting” adventures on mystery shops. I can recall a BMW shop earlier this year that was anything but routine… It had all appearances of being a routine day, a loop of six shops from the Grand…
Overview: These types of assignments are great for shoppers looking to stockpile gifts for others throughout the year. In addition to actual clothing items, the stores usually have a wide variety of accessories available. Your indirect savings for gifts can be quite sizable when totaled up over a twelve month period. Project Variations: Assignment scenarios…
There are many questions that come up repeatedly on www.mysteryshopforum.com that will be compiled in a series of articles here in the Mystery Shopping Magazine. We hope that this will be a convenient resource for you to find the answers you are looking for regarding the tips and techniques and tools used in this business….
Editor’s note: This interview is all about last year’s IMSC conference in Atlanta Georgia. We’re re-publishing again this year, ahead of the New Orleans conference. It will give you a more clear idea of what these conferences are all about, and what you can expect from them. Be sure to read our other two interviews…
An interview with BigEdBSA about the recent IMSC Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. What made you decide to go to the conference? Unlike most mystery shoppers who operate in urban or suburban environments, I take on a difference challenge from my mountain top village of 400 high up in the Blue Ridge & Great Smokey Mountain…
An interview with Traveliz about the recent IMSC Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. What was the most important thing you learned? Hmmm, hard to say but I am thinking that the reminder of only doing what is asked was a biggie. It’s both more profitable for the shopper and exactly what the MSC/client wants. I think…
Contributed by ItsaSecret. Overview: How would you like to be able to mail a package without paying for the postage? With a USPS shop, you will evaluate the facility condition and customer service while shipping a package. These shops are particularly popular with people who sell on eBay. Project variations: Postal shops come in four…
Company Overview: The biggest mystery shopping company in the world also has the largest mystery shopper network in the world. That results in an enormous amount of opinions and feedback about this MSC. Rarely are shoppers neutral about this company. The majority of shoppers are decidedly divided into two camps – those that love the…
Company Overview: If you like what one shopper describes as “quality of life” assignments, meaning those that are fun or enjoyable or entertaining, then this is a mystery shopping company you should check out. On the flip side, if you only are concerned about adding revenue to your bottom line, then you might want to…
“Hmm…what’s this? “I wondered as I spotted something lying in the shrubbery. “People just dump trash everywhere.” I pulled out my camera to snap a photo as we’re required to do for this question of the gas shop I was doing. I took a few steps closer and my blood ran cold, it wasn’t just…
Company Overview: It’s always interesting to see what mystery shopping companies have to say about their businesses on their websites. It’s even more interesting to see if what they have to say is at all in sync with what their shoppers have to say. Mystique Shopper is based in Clemont, Florida. It claims to have…
Company Overview: Sometimes the real mystery about some mystery shopping companies is trying to find out information about them. This doesn’t necessarily have negative connotations. It simply means that the MSC might be more of a small boutique business with a certain niche, and/or doesn’t promote itself well. Apex Mystery Shopping is a family owned…
Overview: These assignments are all about our evolving world of commerce relying less and less on cold hard cash. Credit and financing are a business within a business. It’s the norm to use these payment options for everything from refrigerators to designer jeans. And it’s another way to make money from the consumer beyond the…