Things to Avoid when Searching for Mystery Shopping Companies
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There are literally hundreds of mystery shopper companies out there and not all of them are as genuine as they claim to be. The need for mystery shoppers has increased dramatically over the past few years which is why so many mystery shopper companies exist today. Typically in America there are around 400 different companies that you can apply to. In order to find a decent company you will want to look at their customer satisfaction and how long they have been running for. To put it into perspective, in the year 2003-2004 mystery shopper companies increased by 11%. It is thought that the value of the industry is over $600 million.
While it may seem self explanatory of what factors you would want to take into consideration when choosing mystery shopper companies to partner with, we wanted to outline a few specific details to help you to make your selection. Unfortunately, just like in almost every business type today, there are a few bad businesses that make the rest of the industry look bad. So, when you are looking for mystery shopper companies to partner with, keep this in mind.
The most common issue that pertains to some mystery shopper companies is the issuance of fraudulent payments. This is most commonly done by using classifieds to find individuals willing to work, offering to pay them quickly, offering a cashier’s check or some other fraudulent payment and requesting an immediate forward of cash to a foreign address.
For handling, the shopper is told he/she would keep a percentage of the check. However, once the check is cashed, the shopper is advised within a few days by the bank that it bounced, leaving him/her with serious financial issues that could be as much as $5,000! One company, GFK Custom Research, explains through their North America’s marketing communication department that they are taking this personal, working to get the word out about this horrific crime. GFK is among a list of top mystery shopper companies and they do not want their reputation smeared.
If you are looking for one of the best mystery shopper companies then MSPA is one that you should contact. They aim to give businesses exactly what they need in order to improve and they are also constantly exposing various different fraudulent schemes.
In fact, MSPA give out tips to mystery shoppers to help them to avoid getting involved with fraudulent companies. They tell you to never pay a fee to join a company. Usually mystery shopper companies hire their shoppers for free. Also you should stay clear of companies who tell you that they will pay through money transfer or check cashing. If you follow those tips you should successfully avoid fraudulent companies.
You need money, they need shoppers. Mystery shopper companies need you to tell them what they are doing wrong. Your words, their money in you pocket. Free Mystery Shopper
June 01 2008 06:23 am | Work at home