Mystery Shopping - recommendations?

Dee2

Hi- this is my first posting ( I have been a lurker for several months) so I hope someone can help. I work part time as a sales assistant but due to the threat of redundancy for OH I wondered if mystery shopping was something worth thinking about for me to do. I have no idea of who is reputable etc but having been on the receiving end of mystery shoppers (yes we know who you are!) I thought it might be something I could do as well as my current job.
I would be grateful if anyone could point out the pros and cons and also reputable companies.
Many thanks, Dee.

jo_b_2

I don't think you'd be able to earn enough to make a living from mystery shopping alone.

I'm registered with the Arcadia group. They pay you £10 per mystery shop but you do have to buy an item instore. More for fun than for profit.

You can register to be a mystery shopper for the Arcadia group here:

http://www.counterintelligenceaba.co.uk/arcadia/

blindman

Register at this site to get the low down re mystery shopping, merchandising and auditing.

Read the simple rules and be nice.


IMHO it's not possible to earn a living MSing as the pay is usually very low (£5) for jobs but merchandising and auditing can reap better pay ( I think)

telly-addict

I have used Retail Eyes and Grass Roots Group with no problems, but as others say, you are unlikely to make a living doing mystery shopping alone. The maximum fee I have been paid is £12.

http://www.retaileyes.co.uk/login/index.php


http://www.grg.com/

margaret_3

There is another one that people use for hotels but I can't remember the site.

Dee2

Thanks very much for your recommendations, I'll take it all on board. I wasn't hoping to make loads of money doing it - just a bit extra. Like you said, its probably more for the fun of it rather than the money. But thanks very much for the info and I'll check out the links.

Becles

You can make a living from it. I'm a single Mam and my sole income is mystery shopping, merchandising and auditing. You need to apply to many different companies and then you'll see which ones pay best and which jobs you like. There are some which I refuse to do at all, and others which pay poor rates, but are quick and easy to do if you are in the area anyway.

If you want a list of companies, send me your e-mail address and I'll forward them on, or check out the site listed above.

Paul_Varjak

I have just signed up with Optimum Contact. ***Details removed at request of Optimum Contact***

Most of the work involves banks/building societies so, if you visit and speak to a financial advisor and the bank you cannot go there again!

Of course, it is different if you are ringing up a bank - you can adopt different identities! And I have learned, from this website, how to get free incoming internet phone numbers that would assist in this!

telly-addict

Becles wrote:

You can make a living from it. I'm a single Mam and my sole income is mystery shopping, merchandising and auditing. .

What does merchandising and auditing involve? I used to audit company accounts so I know what the usual meaning is, but in the context of mystery shopping? Thanks

Becles

Merchandising is going into the store on behalf of the manufacturer to increase sales of their products. Recent jobs I've done:

paperback books - changing the positions in the book chart, removing the chart drop outs and adding the new releases.

gardening products - trying to increase sales over the current busy season by making sure the shelves are full and trying to get secondary sitings, like putting lawn products by the turf and plant food by the bedding plants.

salad dressings - taking a flat pack display unit into store, assembling it and getting stock of salad dressings to fill it. Ideally trying to get the unit next to the salad vegetables for link sales.

Auditing is going into the store and reporting back exactly what is there. Recent jobs have been:

checking how much stock is in a display unit behind the counter and how many facings each product has

checking an aisle in a supermarket and noting how many bays are allocated to product type A, product type B etc., and finding out how management feeling about improvments to the aisle.

See this thread for a company list
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=561226#post561226

Paul_Varjak

Is auditing done 'undercover' or not?