How long have you been mystery shopping? My first assignment was in April of 2005. I decided it was too much work (as many newbies do!) for the amount of money I made. I did not do another until 2013 when I had some spare time, needed some extra money and decided to start back up. …
Written by elcarev68 In 2009 it had been ten years since I had run a marathon, so I figured I ought to check off another item on my bucket list. I still couldn’t afford a Karmann Ghia convertible, so I skipped to the next item on the list: try being a secret shopper. My first…
Forum Alias: lrjonesmshopper How long have you been mystery shopping? I have been shopping on a part-time basis for over 6 years now. Initially, it was more off than on and over the last three years it has become more of a permanent part-time job. Where are you shopping? Generally, my shops are centrally located…
How long have you been mystery shopping? I have been shopping since May 2013. Where are you shopping? I mainly shop in Denver, CO and its surrounding area. On occasion, I shop in the cities south of Denver, such as Colorado Springs and Pueblo. Whenever I travel, I also find shops that are convenient and…
As any at-home parent can attest, restarting a career after well over a decade can be a daunting task. Not only are you throttled by an enormous hole in your resume, but the very thought of spending all day in an office thinking like an adult, acting like an adult, and just generally doing grown-up…
Forum Alias: Stormcloud How long have you been mystery shopping? Currently, since October 2010. I previously did some mystery shopping in 1997-99. Where are you shopping? Northwest Oregon, centered from the Wilamette Valley area. What got you started? Back in ‘97-98, my sister came across a couple of mystery shopping companies (don’t know/remember how, but…
I had to make a career change due to an injury and started out doing Demos. Back then, being under-employed, NCIM gave me my first chance at Demos. I excelled and ending up joining a few other Demo Companies. I did quite well and grabbed every opportunity. While I was searching for Demo Companies, I…
Forum Alias: LJ How long have you been mystery shopping? I’ve been mystery shopping off and on for 8 years. Where are you shopping? I started in the Tampa Bay area, but now I’m in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon. I also enjoy picking up a shop or two when I travel. What got you…
Forum Alias: LIJake How long have you been mystery shopping? I started researching mystery shopping in September 2013 and completed my first shop in October. Where are you shopping? I live on Long Island, NY and normally shop within 20 or 30 miles of my home. Anything beyond 30 miles puts me into the boroughs…
Forum Alias: Jaymo How long have you been mystery shopping? I completed my first shop about nine months ago. I was hooked right away, and wish I would have started years ago. Where are you shopping? Southern Ontario, Canada. What got you started? I stumbled across Mystery Shopping a few years ago. I signed up…
Forum Alias: CureMS How long have you been mystery shopping? I have been mystery shopping for 1 year. Where are you shopping? I currently shop in the Dallas Texas Metropolitan area. What got you started? I got started because a friend told me that she had shopped when she first moved to Houston as a…
Forum Name: Pammie8223 How long have you been Mystery Shopping? I have been shopping for 2 years. Where are you shopping? California What got you started? I was laid off from my job and started researching work at home projects when an ad for mystery shopping popped up on my computer. I thought about it…
Agent99 has been spying on hapless clerks and bankers for five years. She does this spying to earn money for travel to Europe, to which she has traveled three times in recent years, visiting Italy, Switzerland, and France. “I haven’t done any overseas spying, because it’s harder now to get false passports since 9-11,” she…
Written by jpgilham I’m not from round these parts. I’m from a country called New Zealand where our closest neighbors are Australia and the Antartica. In fact, from my home in Timaru, New Zealand, I could look out my kitchen window onto the beach and see penguins. Pretty much everywhere in New Zealand is next…
I’ve been mystery shopping for 10 years. I found it, as I think many people did, through the proverbial back door. I had had a career in the editorial field, serving as an editor of publications for an international non-profit group, a business trade publisher and, lastly, a publishing division that produced books and magazines…
I started mystery shopping during a time when I was between full-time jobs six years ago. After researching the subject online, I discovered the MSPA and their list of companies. As you might imagine, I signed up for a few and searched the job boards. The first shops I did included many gas stations and…
Written by Michael C I started shopping in late 2011, or maybe it was 2010. I have changed the story so many times, I honestly don’t remember. I had heard over the years that legit mystery shopper work existed. I didn’t bother to look until a friend, who is an attorney, told me she was…
I dabbled briefly in mystery shopping in 2009, which I should not really count, since I had no idea what I was doing and it was such a short-lived venture. My specialty was Maritz and whatever they dared to send my way. Fast forward, four years later: We relocated from the frozen tundra of Illinois…
Forum Alias: GeauxCJ How long have you been Mystery Shopping? 4 years Where are you shopping? Georgia and Florida. Occasionally Louisiana. What got you started? My friend told me that she signed up with this company called Market Force. She explained what she did, but I thought it was a scam. I waited until she…
Forum Alias: Lisa4984 How long have you been mystery shopping? I started a little over a year ago when I lost my full-time job. Where are you shopping? I shop Eastern Washington and North Idaho. What got you started? After losing my job, I went through a major mid-life crisis and decided I never wanted…
Forum Alias: topaz74 How long have you been Mystery Shopping? Since January 2008. Where are you shopping? Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and West Virginia. What got you started? When I was in college, all the way back in 2000, one of my business professors in college mentioned mystery shopping to us and told…
Forum Alias: TowerOrchard How long have you been Mystery Shopping? I did a few shops about 4 years ago, but I seriously got back into mystery shopping during the last week of November, 2012. Where are you shopping? I primarily shop the Tulsa, Oklahoma area, but I have done routes in Kansas, Missouri & around…
Forum Alias: jpgilham How long have you been mystery shopping? I’ve been mystery shopping for 5 years now. What was your first assignment and how did it go? My first assignment was a gas station for a whopping $4. I picked up 4 of them and just thought that was amazing that I could go…
How long have you been Mystery Shopping? I have been mystery shopping for over 7 years. I was a starving college student when I started. I was so glad to eat something other than ramen noodles I didn’t know what to do. I thought mystery shopping would be a great way to earn free meals…
Forum Alias: 57 Carol How long have you been Mystery Shopping? About 18 years. Where are you shopping? The greater Seattle area. What got you started? I first started mystery shopping about 18 years ago when I answered a small advertisement in the newspaper. I remember it was for the New England shopping company. You…
Forum Alias: ShopperBob How long have you been mystery shopping? Since 2003. What got you started? During the winter of 2002-03, I began searching for a profession that could supplement my upcoming retirement from 39 yrs. in direct commissioned sales. After considering several opportunities, the idea of being paid for an everyday task caught my…
Forum Alias: SunnyDays2 How long have you been Mystery Shopping? I have been mystery shopping for about 2 years now, since 2011 Where are you shopping? South Carolina. I will go up to 80 miles in any given direction. I even shop North Carolina, if the bonus covers the gas! What got you started? When…
Forum Alias: James Bond 007.5 How long have you been mystery shopping? I started on August 1, 2012, and I’m signed up with 136 companies right now. Where are you shopping? Based in Myrtle Beach, SC, but willing to travel in the southeast and New England. What got you started? I was looking for supplemental…
Forum Alias: GraceR How long have you been mystery shopping? I started shopping two years ago but didn’t get really serious about it until a year ago. Where are you shopping? I shop all over Northern California. What got you started? I had always seen those mystery shopping ads that were obviously scams. I always…
Forum Alias: Irene_L.A. How long have you been mystery shopping? About 6 years. Where are you shopping?The Los Angeles area and surrounding suburbs. What got you started? I started shopping after retiring and becoming quite bored. I discovered shopping through Shadow Shopper, signed up, and did a few jobs in my area through them. I…
Forum Alias: miketfse How long have you been mystery shopping? I’ve been shopping for part time pay since December 2012. In my FT career, I have done competitor comparisons, some mystery shopping, and franchise standards compliance for over 5 years. Where are you shopping? Southern Alberta and all over Saskatchewan, Canada. It depends where my business…
Forum Alias: Walesmaven How long have you been mystery shopping? Since 2005. Where are you shopping? I regularly shop routes from Virginia to New York, occasionally getting into the Carolinas and Florida. What got you started? I was planning to travel the country in my retirement years. No matter how I tweaked my anticipated budget,…
Forum Alias:itsasecret How long have you been mystery shopping? Since September 2012. Where are you shopping?Northern Arizona and the Phoenix area. What got you started? I have a friend who started shopping after losing his job, and after hearing about the shops he did I decided to give it a try too. …
Mystery Shop Forum Alias: Traveliz How long have you been mystery shopping? About 14 years. Where are you shopping? Central Illinois and Central Florida, with occasional longer routes. What got you started? I always knew about mystery shoppers as I worked at Arby’s in high school and we were drilled on never saying, “is that…