Secret Shopping

Posted by Mike Smith :: November 8, 2007 @ 6:09 am

It sounds like a shopaholic’s dream job: get paid to shop. As with most things that sound too good to be true, there’s more to secret shopping then the perks typically advertised. While you may make some money, a recent article provided a reality check for those dreaming of making it big as a secret shopper. You’ll also see that the process may be setting you up for a scam.

What It Is
Secret or mystery shoppers are paid by companies to shop at their stores to report on their customer service. So you might be paid to go to your local Starbucks, place an order, and then provide feedback on the experience. The idea is that because you are just another customer, the service you receive should be representative of typical service received.

What it isn’t
The idea that you’re going to get rich as a secret shopper is one that you can forget. You’re better off putting some funds into a person-to-person loan portfolio on Lending Club than relying on secret shopping as a way to make money. Advertisements tout secret shopping as a way to make loads of easy money with little or no education or training. They also say that you’ll get to keep tons of high-end products that you purchase. But loyal readers of the Lending Club blog know better than to believe in the old something-for-nothing ploy.

According to the article, the Mystery Shopping Providers Association reports that typical mystery shopping assignments pay between $10 and $20. While the costs of the item you purchase should be reimbursed, other expenses, like gas are not. With gas around $3 a gallon, the trip to the store could quickly eat into your profit.

What to Watch Out For
While secret shopping can be a legitimate business, you can still get scammed if you’re not careful. The trouble stems from the fact that it’s often difficult to tell the legitimate secret shopping opportunities from the fake ones. A dead giveaway that an opportunity is a scam is if you are required to pay money up front for information about becoming a mystery shopper. Lists of companies looking for mystery shoppers are widely available, free of charge. While it may not be illegal to provide these lists for a fee, it is certainly exploitation.

We here at Lending Club want our readers to be informed about legitimate ways to make and save money. For those interested in secret shopping, it’s important to have realistic expectations about what it is and what it is not. It is more of a hobby than a career, and while it won’t make you rich, it might be a fun way to make a few extra dollars on the side. Those interested should start with a reliable information source, such as the Mystery Shopping Providers Association.