News

**MSE Wendy** · 17-02-2009, 1:52 PM

Updated June 09

What's this all about?

Consumer Intelligence, a consumer research company, recruits shoppers to help carry out insurance market research throughout the year. If your car or home insurance (must be both building and contents) is due to be renewed and you're willing to spend around 1.5 hours taking part in market research you could earn up to £50 for your time.

It's unlikely that everyone who registers will be asked to take part in an insurance survey but you may be contacted about other mystery shopping surveys in the future.

How to register

Go to the recruitment page and click through to the sign up page. Here you need to enter your name, email, details on your car and home insurance and a few questions on your shopping habits. This takes about 1 minute.

Your details will then be screened by Consumer Intelligence, to check when your insurance expires etc., who will send through details of any surveys you can take part in.

You should be contacted within a few days if you’re selected. If you’re not selected you should get an email within a week or so letting you know about other surveys going on. All emails have an unsubscribe option if you no longer want to be contacted.

What you’ll need to do

If you’re asked to take part, you’ll be asked for your opinion about 5 or 6 insurance companies, and will then need to get quotes directly from them in one of two ways depending on which survey you're asked to complete:

Phone: Quotes are usually carried out by phone, and you’re asked to record the calls using a special call recording system so that the way the call centre agent handled the call can be analysed.

Online: If you’re asked to get internet quotes you’ll need to pass on all of the quote references.

The insurance companies tend to be major UK brands but may not be companies that you would normally get a quote from.

Once you’ve got each quote you need to complete a short questionnaire about what happened and at the end you’re asked to fill in a wrap-up questionnaire to see if your initial opinion has changed and what you think the companies could do to improve.

Importantly you do not need to buy insurance from any of the companies you have contacted. You can still renew via a comparison site or by using cashback (though ensure you delete your cookies first, for more info see AboutCookies), if this is what you normally do.

What about people with unusual circumstances?

You can still take part if you have unusual circumstances, such as motability issues, lots of points on your licence etc. This actually gives a good range of results to the survey.

For more info on doing surveys and mystery shopping to make cash see the Boost your income guide.

Enter e-mail to get it:

View Past Emails, FAQ

Privacy Policy

redmandarin · 18-02-2009, 3:13 AM

Thanks for this MSE Wendy,

Fingers crossed I'm recruited!

raskazz · 18-02-2009, 8:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSE Wendy

Phone: Quotes are usually carried out by phone, and you’re asked to record the calls using a special call recording system so that the way the call centre agent handled the call can be analysed.

If it's just pure market research (i.e. the companies involved haven't asked or agreed to participate) I'm surprised that they are asking people to do this. Recording any phone call without informing the other party is legally dubious:

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archi...qs/prvfaq3.htm

"Can I record telephone conversations on my home phone?

Yes. The relevant law, RIPA, does not prohibit individuals from recording their own communications provided that the recording is for their own use. Recording or monitoring are only prohibited where some of the contents of the communication - which can be a phone conversation or an e-mail - are made available to a third party, ie someone who was neither the caller or sender nor the intended recipient of the original communication. For further information see the Home Office website where RIPA is posted.

Do I have to let people know that I intend to record their telephone conversations with me?

No, provided you are not intending to make the contents of the communication available to a third party. If you are you will need the consent of the person you are recording."

justpeyton4now · 18-02-2009, 8:15 AM

Thanks very much, MSE Wendy.

I'm hoping I'm recruited.

philhuff · 18-02-2009, 8:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raskazz

"...Recording or monitoring are only prohibited where some of the contents of the communication - which can be a phone conversation or an e-mail - are made available to a third party ... provided you are not intending to make the contents of the communication available to a third party. If you are you will need the consent of the person you are recording."

You would probably find that the terms of employment for the agents mean that permission is explicitly provided for calls to be recorded for quality and training purposes, and covers such recordings being made by a contracted third party.

joegw · 18-02-2009, 10:59 AM

Good post, thanks Wendy!

jobbingmusician · 18-02-2009, 12:28 PM

Don't forget if you do any work as a mystery shopper you will have to sign up as self employed with HMRC.

Kaos · 18-02-2009, 5:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jobbingmusician

Don't forget if you do any work as a mystery shopper you will have to sign up as self employed with HMRC.

Are you sure? I used to be a mystery shopper and worked for over 20 different companies and was certainly NEVER self employed. You work for the Market Research companies that carry out the mystery shopping and pay tax accordingly

(Remembering to claim it back at the end of the year if it is your only income as it is highly unlikely to exceed your personal allowance!)

raskazz · 18-02-2009, 5:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philhuff

You would probably find that the terms of employment for the agents mean that permission is explicitly provided for calls to be recorded for quality and training purposes, and covers such recordings being made by a contracted third party.

I know, that's why I started the post with "If it's just pure market research (i.e. the companies involved haven't asked or agreed to participate)..."

I only brought it up because some mystery shoppers were recording calls to a previous employer of mine without the company's consent.

Yogibear · 18-02-2009, 5:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jobbingmusician

Don't forget if you do any work as a mystery shopper you will have to sign up as self employed with HMRC.

aye ,right

lkmc01 · 18-02-2009, 7:01 PM

has anyone else had an email back from them yet. I have, done understand it thou.

I went though the questions and it said yes you have qualified and someone will be in touch, give us your name and address, so I did. I thought it had finished and I'd qualified,

but then it said, on a new page would you be interested in Halal car insurance and I ticked no. Then it said sorry you are not applicable.

So where do I stand?

do you think I am applicable for the first phone surveys and then it is asking me about a completly different mystetry shopper study?

lkmc01 · 18-02-2009, 7:02 PM

it was the same company I checked first. Has anyone else experienced this??

2smithy · 18-02-2009, 8:21 PM

looks like c-- would not exept more than 3 digits of e/a then said i had declined then loooks like trying to sell

janetsmove · 18-02-2009, 9:53 PM

just applied to be a mystery shopper, let you know if they get back

2smithy · 18-02-2009, 10:53 PM

if it sounds to good to be true ?

helping_hubby · 20-02-2009, 9:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaos

Are you sure? I used to be a mystery shopper and worked for over 20 different companies and was certainly NEVER self employed. You work for the Market Research companies that carry out the mystery shopping and pay tax accordingly

(Remembering to claim it back at the end of the year if it is your only income as it is highly unlikely to exceed your personal allowance!)

Yes this is true. Or at least the 10 or so I work for is Self Employed. NOP, now GfK used to be PAYE but is now self employed.

Back to the OP. I signed up to this and have been accepted - my car insurance is to be renewed in March. I don't know if the company is legit, but it can't hurt. I have to phone up 6 insurers (all of which I've heard of, so I might even find my quote that I'll accept), and fill out 8 questionnaires. It says you get a cheque in the post in up to 4 weeks after completion.

The calls are to be recorded. Which is not unusual for a MS. They provide you with a free phone number.

HTH

LilacPixie · 20-02-2009, 9:23 AM

I have also applied.

lisahobden · 22-02-2009, 12:06 PM

I have completed my phone calls and questionnaires so will let you all know if/when I get the money!!

dacouch · 22-02-2009, 12:15 PM

Back to the OP. I signed up to this and have been accepted - my car insurance is to be renewed in March. I don't know if the company is legit, but it can't hurt. I have to phone up 6 insurers (all of which I've heard of, so I might even find my quote that I'll accept), and fill out 8 questionnaires. It says you get a cheque in the post in up to 4 weeks after completion.

The calls are to be recorded. Which is not unusual for a MS. They provide you with a free phone number.

Ringing six insurance companies for quotes....that will be fun, you gonna spend a long time on the phone / on hold....

helping_hubby · 22-02-2009, 1:07 PM

I did my 6 calls yesterday. It was no different to my usual hunt for insurance - just didn't have a choice on who to phone, although 2 of the companies I had I would normally have called. I got through to 5 of them straight away - it was only one that I was in a queue for 10 minutes - but just put the phone on speaker.