Any mystery shoppers?

[wonderchica]

Does anyone do this for a little extra cash? How did you get started? What's the best way to find jobs? I was reading another board and a woman was saying she does 4 shops a month for $20-30 each. Consider me intrigued ;)

[JudoMom]

I did several years ago (maybe 15?).  It was very time consuming to do the shops, and then I had to fill out the questionnaires, etc.  Even for easy shops, it took quite awhile.  I don't remember the company I worked for.

[Seasider]

I did several years ago (maybe 15?). It was very time consuming to do the shops, and then I had to fill out the questionnaires, etc. Even for easy shops, it took quite awhile. I don't remember the company I worked for.

I did this years ago and honestly can't remember how I got into it. I did it for a restaurant chain. It was nice to get a free meal for myself, but I often had to take a kid along so it was not usually free food. I think I got food +$20, iirc. Like JudoMom said, there was a lot of time involved for claiming the job online, actually going, then filling out the detailed feedback questionnaire. It proved to be a very low return on investment - super low pay if you figure an hourly rate - and I got tired of the food. So, I dropped it.

[shawthorne44]

I wouldn't do it for extra cash.   I'd signed up with one, but I only thought it was worthwhile if it was someplace I'd go anyway.   One thing it taught me, in some stores, giving a good hard look at the badge trying to memorize the spelling of the name sometimes makes for much better service.  I learned that on accident in a store where I was a regular but that time I was doing a mystery shop.  The guy had a name that was a little odd, so I was having a hard time memorizing his name.   Man, the word got out that I was a mystery shopper.  Those people were so darn helpful, they were annoying.  

Edited July 31, 2017 by shawthorne44

[Twolittleboys]

I've done it a couple of times. Kind of fun but as others have said very low pay for the time invested. It might be better if you live in a major city and have little expenses for getting to locations and more regular gigs.

[emzhengjiu]

I do mystery shops occasionally.  As others have mentioned, the pay is often low for the time.  Also, remember you would be a contract worker responsible for your own taxes.  Rarely, did I make enough to make a difference in my taxes.  People forget to consider expenses such as gas and wear on your vehicle.  If I schedule a shop, I try to be sure it's close or on the route where I am going that day.  Still, it's nice when the payments come in.

 

ETA:  I still do oil change shops.  I've done so many, they're easy for me and I would pay for the oil change anyway.

[emzhengjiu]

Here's the link to a couple of  mystery shop forums if you're still interested.

 

https://www.mysteryshopforum.com/

 

http://www.volition.com/mystery.html

[wonderchica]

Thanks all! Soooooo.... not quite the easy money I'd envisioned lol.

[emzhengjiu]

When I was actively doing mystery shops, I aimed for $50 to $100 / month.  $50 was fairly easy to reach in my area.  Your area may be different.

 

You might also look for research studies.  Last year over 12 months, I earned $1000 for participating in a study on an anti-aging serum.  My teen daughter made $350 for participating in an acne study.  This summer, the studies seem few and far between.   I also do Swagbucks for gift cards, but I don't earn much.