Anyone a Secret Shopper?

[Dizneydaz]

So basically I'm wondering if anyone here has been a Secret Shopper?

How does it work?
How much did you get paid?
What ones are reputable?
Was there a maximum reimbursed amount?
How long did you wait to get reimbursed?

And anything else you can tell me. TIA

 

[Shmily1]

Yep!!! It's pretty fun way to make money, but you have to have a great memory and be very dicreet. The best place I can tell you to look is on volition dot com. They have forums where you can read about which companies are the best and which are slow payers. There is also a list of alot of the reputable companies there. If you have questions that I might can answer, PM me or ask them here.

 

[NYCDiane]

I did that for a short time and it was okay... I can't remember the name of the company I worked for, but they paid you once a month, reimbursed mileage, and (of course) reimbursed whatever money you spent. The pay was a flat-rate per assignment, plus reimbursement of any expenses.

The company I worked for dealt mostly with hotels and restaurants. You would go in at the appointed time, stay for the amount of time you were told to stay and write a report about your experience. You would have to email your report within 24 hours of your assignment. Some of my assignments included restaurant dining, hotel bar visit, and even staying overnight in a hotel (your CC would be reimbursed within 3 days).

It was pretty cool, but not enough $$ to live on. Mainly a nice little monthly bonus to buy some groceries or put gas in the car.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I used to do one for Shop N Check (I think it's called Market something now...Market Force, maybe?). They deal mainly with fast food places. They would pay for your meal and then $7-8. It takes about an hour. I would pick a time on their website I would have to go to a specific fast food place (i.e. McDonald's located at xxx between 5:15 p.m. and 6:45 p.m.). Then I would have to go through the drive thru and start timing them from the time I got in line to the time I got to the speaker to order, how long it took me to get to the first window, the name of the person that takes the money, how long it takes me to get to the second window, what their name was, if they gave me a receipt, how many napkins/straws were in the bag, and the time at which I left. You were required to order a specific combo meal usually. Then you drive away (by the way you can have no one else in your car as you do this) and eat (taste) the food at a nearby location. They have a list of questions to fill out like if the food is visually appealing, how hot it is, etc. Then I had to go back to the restaurant and go inside and pretty much do the same thing but be much more discreet. Then you eat (taste) a different combo meal inside and you're required to check out the restrooms, the seating areas of the restaurant, etc. When you leave you finish answering the questions of the inside and then fax them the report as well as the receipt. It usually only took a few days for them to reimburse you for the food and the $7-8 but they were VERY picky about the reports being complete. I stopped doing it as they really only offered fast food places (which I didn't want to have to eat all of the time) and cell phone places (which I don't even like going into when I'm not getting paid for it).

 

[Dizneydaz]

Thanks for the responses. Sounds interesting. My DM was checking it out since a co-worker of my DSis says she does it. Looks like more research for me.

 

[akcire]

My husband and I were secret shoppers for Bob Evans for a couple of years.

They would give specific instructions, such as you must order a pie, then you would get reimbursed for your meal only. You did not get paid for your time nor would you get milage.

They paid quickly, and we had to fill out a report, it was very easy. Honestly, the reason we stopped doing this was that even for free we could no longer eat Bob Evans. For the last year I only ordered the fruit plate, and even that was gross.

We just didn't think it made sense to get food that we would only eat half or just throw away.

My mom secret shops for the post office, needless to say we all get stamps in our Christmas stocking because she has so many.

 

[JoiseyMom]

DItto to www.volition.com everything you ever wanted to about msytery shopping and lists of companies.

To do this you need to sign up with LOTS and LOTS of comapnies..there is a lot of "leg" work. You need writing samples for lots of companies. You need a stop watch you have to keep track of times down to the second for some shops. All want details. And the pay for most shops..isnt that high, once you factor in your time for finding the shop, time to drive to and from the shop, time to do the shop, time to write up the report and submit the shop. Most companies do not give you milage, you need to take it off on your taxes as a business dedcution. You are considered an Independent contractor and will only receive 1099's if you earn more then 599.00 with 1 company. You have to keep track of all your fees etc.

It is alot of work for not that much compensation. It is fun for a while!

Good Luck!

 

[dixie lolly]

I do a lot of "secret shopping" i also do some marketing for a few companies. I really enjoy it. A lot of the jobs dont pay a lot but then some pay really good and besides I get lots of free food, free movies, and some require a minimum purchase and i always get things i needed in the first place and am reimbursed for things i need. To me that is a win - win situation. I am not making enough to live on by any means but it does give me spending money.

 

[momejay]

I do secret shopping. Around here the jobs I get are for ice cream places & chain drug stores. (like Rite Aid, Walgreen's, etc...) I don't make much money, but what I buy I need anyway & they reimburse me for what I buy up to a certain amount. I get shampoo, conditioner, diapers...I look at it as having a $10-$20 off coupon for filling out a lengthy survey. I do bring a notebook & take notes as some of the surveys are detailed. (Was the clerk wearing nail polish & if so what color? How long was the gentleman's hair? What color were his shoes?)

 

[A&N829]

I also found jobs on Volition.com.
I have shopped grocery stores and restaurants. To me the amount of recall and time to complete the survey was not worth the flat fee ($8?) of grocery visits. However, the day after Thanksgiving they offered double the money, so I booked several jobs and got a more worthwhile paycheck at the end of the month.
I loved the restaurant work. You can get a pretty expensive meal and drinks for two, plus the manager took care of the bill. No waiting for a paycheck or payback to come, just a nice, free date night for me and my husband.

 

[fantasia73]

I have been a secret shopper for a couple of years now. Once you get hooked in with a good company that shops in your area, it ends up being pretty good. I will only do restaurant and bar shops, with a couple of hotel shops now and then. If you have a good memory and enjoy writing, it's easy money and it usually provides me with a free night out every couple of weeks.

 

[jenseib]

Does anyone know which company to look at for the Rite aid shopper? That one would work out great for me!