Mystery Shopping
When a retail store owner needs to evaluate the quality of their store, they often times hire the service of a marketing research company. Marketing research companies hire people to conduct mystery shops in various retail stores. They take careful notes about the overall quality of that store. Many clients give marketing research companies strict instructions to follow, and the mystery shoppers must be able to follow these strict instructions when conducting their shop.
Often times, the mystery shopper is reimbursed for their purchase and even allowed to keep what he or she bought. These benefits often outweigh the low compensation or lack of work.
Though many mystery shoppers consider their job as a part-time activity, they also admit that it is a very fun and rewarding experience. Because of this, there is a high demand for mystery shopping jobs. Unfortunately, some people take advantage of the high demand for mystery shopping jobs and scam people who are looking for a job as a mystery shopper.
Mystery shopping interests many people; however, there are a few basic principles one should understand. Knowing these principles can help applicants avoid scams and a waste of time.
Don’t Ever Pay to be a Mystery Shopper
True marketing research company managers don’t charge their employees to work for them. Mystery shoppers should never be asked to pay for a membership or list of companies that will hire them. Sites that charge people to become mystery shoppers are scam sites.
Moreover, people who fall for one of these scams will not get their money back. Many people admit to trying to get a refund for their paid membership and the scam company does not return phone calls, or they simply try to upgrade the scammed person’s membership.
Avoid Companies Asking you to Participate in Fraudulent Wire Transfer
Do not ever be tricked into depositing a cheque and resending the money to the company via wire transfer or Western Union. The cheques are fraudulent, but the banks are required to process the cheques and pay you the amount of the cheque if you request it. However, once the cheques are returned as fraudulent, which can sometimes take weeks, it is the depositor’s responsibility to pay the amount of the cheque to the bank.
Avoid Companies that Require You to Pay for Certification
Mystery shop companies should not require applicants to pay for certification before they can accept any job offers. However, they may give them an opportunity to achieve certification, opening up more opportunities.
Search Reputable Places for Legitimate Marketing Research Companies
Due to the overwhelming amount of mystery shopping scam sites, it can be hard to find a legitimate mystery shopping company. However, applicants who educate themselves on the types of mystery shopping scams online will have an easier time sorting the scam sites from the legitimate sites.
