How To Avoid Being Scammed
There are just a few simple steps to avoid being scammed. Most of all, just think critically about the offers you are receiving.
Step One: Beware of Unrealistically High or Easy Rewards
Mystery shopping is a price-competitive industry, and clients are always looking
to reduce their bottom line. Retail stores, restaurants, and service
providers can choose from a variety of different mystery shopping providers
(MSPs) and cost-compare. If you are shopping at a low-end retail store,
why offer a mystery shopper a $500 reimbursement if a $10 reimbursement would be
a typical purchase?
I have heard and seen mystery shopping ads advertising hundreds of dollars an
hour. Yet, most companies offer far less. Why would a company pay to
advertise such huge compensations in print or radio ads? They could easily post
free on mystery shopping forums online and get shoppers lining up at their door
if they had such high amounts of compensation.
There are some higher reward shops out there (such as high-end restaurants and
hotels, or cruise lines) but these are often reserved for experienced and high
performing shoppers. As always, if something sounds too good to be
true, it probably isn't.
Step Two: Beware of "Pay-To-Play" Mystery Shopping
Most mystery shopping companies, and indeed the good ones to work with, should
not ask you for upfront fees. Typically, most of these
companies are simply selling information that you can get yourself (much of it
false or misleading). These companies don't provide mystery shopping services;
they provide information about mystery shopping. Often, they will bait potential
shoppers with claims that if they upgrade a free membership to a "premium" or
"gold" membership, that they will provide them with more job offers in your
area. Some will offer trainings or certifications. The only
certification you are likely to benefit from is Silver or Gold from the MSPA.
Many of these companies also overstate the rewards of mystery shopping. You're
probably much better off simply applying to mystery shopping companies directly
and reading free informational sites like this one.
Other companies do have mystery shops available but require expensive
trainings or application fees. It is unwise to pay any fee until you know
that there will be a real benefit. You should not have to pay a fee to try
mystery shopping. To locate mystery shopping companies to apply for,
please try our Reviews section.
Step Three: Communicate
Keep in touch with other shoppers. Try joining a mystery shopping online forum like MSFreedom and ask
other shoppers about their experiences. This is much better than using a pay service - it's free and
also probably going to give you a truer picture of what mystery shopping is really like.