Mystery Shopper?? - Oak Park,IL

It is honestly a lot of work and I found few rewards from doing it. I found I spent more in gas money than I earned back.

I've never done mystery shopping but I would research very carefully and even call the better business bureau to check out the company. Better yet, google the companies and put scams next to them and see what comes up!

I do know this: If you have to pay for a job, it IS scam! Never pay for something that promises money.

Check out http://www.mysteryshop.org/. It is reputable and you can find good companies to work for. Just know that NO REPUTABLE COMPANY WILL EVER MAKE YOU PAY to do a job for them!
And when in doubt, you can always check a company with the Better Business Bureau.
I found that it wasn't worth the time/money to do it personally but if you get with a good company (which I had at my last residence), it can be fun and give you a few extra bucks. Beware of making more than $600 though. Then you have to pay taxes on your earnings.

I was a mystery shopper for awhile. Was not worth my time. They would give you places to shop outside your area, and you would not get reimbursement for gas. You had to spend your own money first, and then IF your report was accepted, you would be reimbursement. The reports were very, very long, and you had to adhere to the companies guidelines to submit reports. They gave you a spending limit, and a time/date limit (ie. you had to do it at a certain time of day.) They sent me to a restaurant once, it was a awful experience. Food was nasty, service was ok, and bathrooms were nasty. When I submit my report, the company did not believe my findings and only reimbursement me a portion of my bill. Never again...

I signed up through an internet offer and it was a scam.

I got this "check" in the mail along with instructions. I was to go to three different stores and spend an alotted amount of money at each on anything I wanted. I was also told I got to keep whatever I purchased. The instructions also said that I was to take x amount of money (the largest allocated amount) and purchase a money gram and send the money gram to some address they provided.

Well, I was a bit skeptical (fortunately) so I opened a new bank account and deposited their "check" into the account. By the way, they tell you not to wait for their check to clear, just deposit it into your bank and shop right away. No way was I doing that, so I waited for the "check" to clear. Sure enough, three days later I get a notice from the bank that the "check" was not a proper financial instrument and I should not attempt to negotiate anything like that again.

So of course I never shopped. Then a couple of days after that, I get a telephone call from the "mystery shopper" people wanting to know why they hadn't received the money gram. I told them because their "check" did not clear the bank. The guy said "What? I'm going to check something and call you right back." I never heard from them again.

I do know that some are legitimate because I actually met someone who did this a few years ago, but I don't know how you tell the legit ones from the phony ones. Also, the gal I know that did it said that they don't give you much notice and actually require you to sometimes drive quite a distance to the store they want you to shop at.

There are a couple of honest companies out there who do mystery shopping. I used to work in retail, and we would get "shopped" several times a year. It is really worth it to the businesses that use secret shoppers.

That having been said, most of these junk emails you get about it are nothing but a scam. If it is something you are interested in, do some background research on the companies, practices, etc. Find one that is totally legit, and go from there. If not, press the "spam" button, and ignore them.

I sent in my $10 about 10 years ago to do this. I received a package of how to cultivate and contact folks/businesses who use secret shoppers. You have to do the work, etc.
I did follow through and contact a number of the companies on the secret shopper list and heard NOTHING from them. Note: this was a long time ago and contacting them may be easier now, but it was so shoddy I wanted to send the photocopied (bad photocopied) lists back to the company and demand my $10 back - LOL.
I'd be curious about other's experiences. . .

I did this when Iw as just out of college...one of the stores I had to shop was Dunkin Donuts-yum! I got this job through a temp agency not by one of those ads. I actually got a lot of cool jobs from temping-working at festivals and trade shows were some of my favs.

Oh where I am, mystery shoppers' reports are always accepted (you have to apply and be accepted like any other job), so it can be a bit of fun, and you are always reimbursed. No real income though.

I used to years ago and I still get "assignment" emails from DSG. Its a good gig if you have the spare money to spend up front and you are in the stores shopping all the time anyway. You dont get reimbursed until after you turn in your reports which could sometimes be weeks later.

I did it, IT IS A SKAM!!!
They will send you a check or money order that LOOK very real, the police and even the Attorney General said they have trouble telling the difference. The check I received was for $2800.00. I was instructed to deposit it into my bank account, and keep 200.00, then on the same day send the remainder to Mexico, all the time keeping notes about the Western Union office personnel. THE CHECK IS FAKE. What they want is for you to cover their bad check with your personal bank account, then your money is in their account in Mexico and non traceable and our law enforcement can not get it back. The other one is 2 very REAL LOOKING money orders totaling $1800.00. this one is the same deal. I told them not to contact me again and I haven't heard from them.

It is something that can be fun but don't expect to make money.

If you have to pay anything then it is a scam.

Keep in mind, some want you to make purchases and you also pay your own gas, wear/tear on your car.

You'd be better off finding a part time job while hubby watches the children and know you'll get paid.