I get lots of questions about reimbursements for required purchases on mystery shopper jobs. Here is what you need to know about secret shop reimbursements and how they work.
When I make a purchase during a secret shop, do I get to buy anything I want? How will I know how much the mystery shopping company will pay for?
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Many mystery shoppers spend a lot of time in the car, traveling from one client location to another. That can be lost time or, with a little planning, you can put it to good use. Here are some ideas on how you can use your travel time.
Plan your route. Use mapping software, such as Microsoft Streets and Trips, to plan your route before you get in the car. With this software, you can enter a list of addresses, and the software will map out the most efficient route. That way you will not spend a lot of time (and gasoline!) backtracking or getting lost.Continue Reading
Do you sometimes find that you run out of money before you run out of month? These days it seems as though everyone is looking for ways to make more money and make the money they have go further.
Mystery shopping can help you make up a budget shortfall in a few ways. Here are some of the ways you can use secret shopping to help your finances.Continue Reading
Most of the time mystery shoppers enter businesses as themselves. They use their real names (if any name at all) and they just act like normal customers. However, there are times when, as a mystery shopper, you may have to pretend to be someone you are not. It might mean posing as the mother of a toddler for whom you need daycare, a parent who needs an assisted living facility, as a bride-to-be, someone looking for an apartment or a new bank, a pet owner or any number of possible situations.
Although it can be fun to act the part of someone else, it can also be a little scary. What if they ask a question and you are unsure how to answer? Or what if you forget what you told them earlier and give inconsistent information?Continue Reading
Question from a mystery shopper:
I am puzzled by something I sometimes see when applying for shops. There will be a date range for completing the shop (e.g., It must be done between 3/1 and 3/10) and they will ask on what day I will do the shop if it is assigned to me.
They have already said it has to be between the first and the tenth. What do they want me to say? Do they want me to give a specific date? Or just say that I will do it between 3/1 and 3/10? Or can I just ignore the question?
What if the date I plan to do the shop changes after it is assigned to me? Do I need to let the scheduler know?
There are several reasons for asking on what date you will complete the shop. The best answer to give will depend on how the scheduler plans to use the information; however, there are some “safe” answers that will almost always be acceptable.
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A new year (or any time) is a good time to organize the paperwork, computer files and workflow for your mystery shopping business. Being better organized means you spend less time seeking assignments, doing shop visits, completing reports, and calculating taxes. Most importantly, you will not risk forgetting to do shops, or waste time trying to track down your notes to answer editor questions about your reports.
Here are some tips to get—and stay—organized.
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Looking for mystery shopper opportunities?
BestMark Mystery Shopping has teamed up with leading automotive manufacturers to launch a national research study that includes 14,000 lucrative mystery shops in October and November. BestMark has opportunities to both perform the mystery shops and to help recruit others to perform shops in your area at well reviewed locations such as Auto glass guru.
There are many different places that you can find a K20 Muscle Car. If you are interested in one of these vehicles, it is important that you first look at the type of vehicle that you would like to purchase. It might be helpful to get an idea of what you would like the muscle car to look like so that you will be able to decide which company to purchase it from. You can check out the rates From ZeCoverage if you’re looking for affordable car insurance. In some cases, these vehicles can be found at local dealerships, but they may not always have the best selection for you. Many people who are looking for a Muscle Car will also try to find a company that offers used vehicles because this is usually a good deal as well. It would be best if you had a pressure washer for cars for you to wash your car efficiently and fast while saving on cost and maintaining the clean standard.
Those who conduct shops for the Automotive Study receive a free minor auto service (oil change, tire rotation, etc.) and a $25-60 cash payment for performing a service evaluation.
What you need to do to get involved:
Any questions? Contact autostudy@bestmark.com or call 1-800-969-8477.
Having great relationships with schedulers means you will be on their minds when they have jobs to fill. Here are some ways to be one of their favorite mystery shoppers:
Be dependable. If you accept an assignment, do it. About 25% of the time, secret shoppers who accept jobs don’t complete them. Imagine having to do your job twice 25% of the time. You wouldn’t like it, and schedulers don’t appreciate it either.
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The folks running mystery shopper scams are becoming even more brazen. In Idaho, they used a job board operated by the Idaho Department of Labor to troll for victims.
Using a state-sponsored job board is just another example of the things criminals will do to make their scams appear to be legitimate. Many job seekers probably believe that companies and their postings are reviewed and approved by the state before a job can appear on the board. Not true. From this article about the mystery shopper scam, it sounds as if it was a job seeker who discovered the fraud and informed the state. Fortunately, the state did take action when they learned about the bogus jobs.
The lesson in this is not to be too trusting and assume that anything with a cloak of respectability is actually respectable. The people behind these secret shopper scams do things to make themselves appear to be legitimate. They use the names of legitimate mystery shopping companies. They claim to be mystery shopping for respected brands, such as McDonald’s and WalMart. And now they are soliciting victims through state employment agencies.
Learn more about mystery shopping scams.
Find legitimate free mystery shopper jobs.
Question from a mystery shopper:
In some recent articles, you talked about getting reimbursed for things you purchased on a mystery shop. I would like to be a mystery shopper, but I am a little nervous about putting out my own money then waiting (and hoping) to get reimbursed.
How long does it take to get reimbursed for mystery shopping expenses? Should I be worried about not getting paid? How much money will I have tied up in this, and for how long?Continue Reading