Work from Home as a Mystery Shopper

Yes, it�s true, most everyone out there today would love to be able to work from home, but not everyone is capable of doing so. Sure, you have probably spent hours surfing the Internet, looking at all of the �great opportunities� you find there, and wondering if what they promise really could be possible. There are some truly good work at home jobs to be found on the Internet, but there are also many scams as well, so you do have to be careful about what you are getting into, as it isn�t always what it seems to be on the website.

One job that can be found online, and that is often legitimate, is mystery shopping. Many businesses use mystery shoppers to get feedback about their stores, and improve customer service. They know that their success depends on the happiness of their customers, so they do everything to ensure that their customers are treated well, so they want to return. As a mystery shopper, you pose as a customer, and then fill out a form, giving the owner the feedback he has requested. It is a simple job, in most instances, but is not really something that you should depend on for your sole source of income.

Mystery shopping jobs are better suited to stay at home moms who need some extra cash, students, and retirees. These people have other sources of income, or in some cases only themselves to support, and can get by with only working part time as a mystery shopper. You should know that not all mystery shopping jobs will pay the same, and some only reimburse you for the actual money that you spend, and that is it. For example, if you are assigned to give feedback on your local movie theater, then you may only be reimbursed for the cost of your ticket, and receive no other funds. The same holds true for many other jobs, such as reviewing restaurants, gas stations, retail stores, etc.

When you are looking for a job as a mystery shopper, you need to keep your guard up, and be on the lookout for potential scams as well. You shouldn�t be asked to send in money for an application fee, filing fee, information fee, etc. If a company truly wants you to work for them, and is on the up-and up, they are not going to ask you, the potential employee, for money. So if you find these situations, you should immediately look elsewhere, regardless of how good the job may sound.

You may have better luck going around to some local businesses, and letting them know that you are interested in becoming a mystery shopper, and asking them what company they use, if any, to provide their mystery shopping services. Then you, on your own, could contact that company about becoming a potential employee. By using this method, you know that you are not going to be scammed, and that you are in deed working for a legitimate company, that will pay you, in some form or fashion for your time.

No matter how you find your mystery shopping job, just keep in mind that you won�t be able to depend solely on that job for your income needs. It should be done in your spare time, and used as an extra source of money. If you are one of the few people who can make a living doing this type of work, then consider yourself lucky, and don�t let go of it!

You Blog, You’re Out (San Diego Reader)

Solana Beach, summer 2002. A job interview. “So you like to post on the Internet a lot,” said the human resources person. “Yeah,” I said. “How do you know?”

Droppin' the 'Baum: Paying for college in a dismal job market may not be worth it (Montana Kaimin)

For the past two weeks, I’ve been scouring the streets in search of a job. When this goes to print, I will have handed applications and résumés to 26 different businesses. At a low point last week, I signed up with one of those mystery shopper scams where they “pay” you to report your shopping experiences. Not only did they double charge my debit card for the initiation fee, but I then had to ...

Summer Sanity: It's easy to become a shopping Sherlock (The Star-Ledger)

If you're in the market for some cheap goods, a free dinner out and some cash on the side, consider a side job as a mystery shopper. Mystery shoppers are hired by store owners and managers to visit their shops, experience the services and report what they find.

BestOf 2008 (Palo Alto Weekly)

The Weekly editorial staff’s informative and lively summary of who our readers think is “Best.” We are pleased to offer Midpeninsula consumers the results of this popular poll in a variety of useful formats.

Police warn of 'mystery shopper' ploy (San Bernardino Sun)

REDLANDS - Working as a secret shopper for a global company and getting paid well would seem to be a dream job. But when that company is actually a front for fraud, visions of easy money and early retirement quickly become the reality of identity theft and large losses of cash.