How many of us are mystery shopping now and for how long?

**mustang80** · 01-08-2003, 08:18 PM

I've been shopping for nearly a year. My fave shops are restaurant shops. Free meals will do it for me every time, lol. I've done a few retail shops, but will pass them up now and again. Grocery store shops are great too (again free food, see a pattern with me?)

**SewCrafty** · 01-09-2003, 08:11 AM

I signed up with a bunch of places back in July, and so far have only had 1 restaurant shop from Jancyn. They have offered me another one this week, but Chi Chi's isn't our favorite.

Not many places in my area?

**mustang80** · 01-09-2003, 08:14 AM

Chi Chi's isn't our favorite, either, but DH will go there every once in a while for free

**SewCrafty** · 01-09-2003, 08:24 AM

Danielle, they paid the $40 into my paypal acct. when they said they would, so they were prompt. But Chi Chi's is a 40 minute drive and it ended up costing us another $15 on top of the $40. So not being our favorite choice of dining, we decided not to do it again for now. If they offer me a lunch shop we might do that, now that dh is retired he can go with me.

What other companies do you shop for? Would you give me the web addresses? Maybe I'm not signed up with the right ones. I'm willing to do the 40 minute drive, as everything is that far away.

TIA

**debbiepete** · 01-09-2003, 09:06 AM

I have been mystery shopping for 6 months now and love it. I also like the lunch shops. but my alltime best has to be my eye center shop where I got a free exam and glasses

Its such a fun way to get free items and make money!!!

**crdurham** · 01-11-2003, 11:32 AM

I have been doing it for about 4 months. I have only done about 4 shops through Bestmark. Its a great way to be able to have some extras and getting paid back for them. Now that I am out of work again, I am going to get signed up for some more.

**aylasmommy** · 01-11-2003, 12:15 PM

I think I've been doing this almost a year by now..

I love the clothing shops, and the food shops the best

I just tried to get in on a mexican place shop, this one would have paid 10$ on top of the reimbursement but I don't think I was quick enough (dang spam clogging up my mail!!!)

I haven't done many shops, but they are fun and a great way to get more funds into paypal so I can order more coupons if I need them

**Daphne** · 01-11-2003, 01:14 PM

I have just signed up for several companies and I'm hoping and crossing my fingers I get some. I could really use the money right now.

**Ellise** · 01-30-2003, 09:13 PM

How do I do this? Sounds quite interesting. Hey maybe I can buy new clothes for myself this year!! woohoo!. I just hate spending money!

**KathiS** · 01-31-2003, 02:34 AM

I signed up for several but, they only offered me shopping that was like 40 miles from home. I am still hoping I will get some a bit closer.

**rhiana** · 01-31-2003, 10:59 AM

I've been doing this off and on for 5 years now but really only steadily for like 6 months. For the last few months I've been getting up to 7 shops a week. I have two tips to getting the shops you want and more of them.
1. Sign up for as many companies as you can, even if they say they don't need anybody from your area right now.
2. Take as many shops as they offer you at first, even if you don't really want them or they are a little far away.

If you take the shops you don't really want at first you will eventually get on the schedulers lists as a dependable shopper and they will start to offer you more and better shops. This seems to work even on the sites that you self schedule yourself. For the first couple of months I got assignments that didn't pay very much and were kind of far away. I took them all anyway and now I get tons of offers for really nice paying ones that are close to my house and really worth my time.

**SierrasMommy02** · 02-01-2003, 09:03 PM

I have seen plenty of these paid to shop offers but they usually want you to pay a fee of this much before they tell you the real deal-Could you all tell me some of the websites you all get the offers from- I have been out of work for 3 weeks now and running low on funds and need something quick please help!!!

**sunshine** · 02-02-2003, 09:17 AM

I also shop for bestmark. karlisangel- I do two Lowe's exit interviews each month in different towns! I also do Lone Star with them once every 3 months. I love it- a free dinner for dh and I. We don't drink beer, but we order it and leave it sit on the table.

**CountryMom** · 02-02-2003, 09:30 AM

I have been shopping for 8 months and I love it. I don't know if I can pick a favorite..... The restaurant shops are nice because you get free food, but the forms are usually longer than some of the other shops. I do some monthly convenience store shops that take 5 minutes to do and the form takes another 5. They are probably my favorite because they are so easy. I did a couple of hotel shops and that was fun. I really like the clothing shops, I generally spend my entire reimbursement and shoppers fee and get something nice for me. Technically it is still free right.

My best tip is to apply, apply, apply. The more you apply the more shops you will get. Also with some companies you have to take the less desireably shops at first in order to get the good shops.

I currently have 20 shops scheduled for Feb and plan on getting at least 5 more. I like to pick one day a week and do a lot of shops at once.

Good luck to everyone.

BTW-The best place to sign up for shops and read about mystery shopping is www.volition.com

**dolphin** · 02-02-2003, 09:25 PM

SierrasMommy02 don't ever sign up for the ones that want you to pay them first. The legitimate ones pay you!

Follow the links the girls have listed and you won't go wrong.

I have done one pizza shop and thats it. We just don't have enough business's here and I'm competing with another person here in my town that seems to catch the pizza place everytime it comes up.