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last updated on 10/03/10

Mystery Shopping also know as Secret or covert shopping is a way for companies to find out more about their customers experience in their store/restaurant/other establishment. They want to know that their staff are knowledgeable, polite and helpful from the customers perspective, and if cleanliness is being maintained to a high standard and if the products being sold are of a high quality and if their rules and regulations are being followed, etc.

A Mystery Shopper is employed to enter the store/restaurant/other venue and follow a scenario set out by the company, whilst acting as a regular customer. You'll need to evaluate a store's quality of customer service, cleanliness and presentation of the store, product quality, the staff members' knowledge, presentation, helpfulness, names and descriptions, timing the various processes such as how long did you have to queue?, and the list goes on...basically everything!

You may be required to make a purchase and sometimes you'll be allowed to keep it for which you'll be reimbursed or you'll be asked to return the product so that you can evaluate the returns process too. Some companies pay additional expenses, like travel, petrol and car parking fees - but some don't, so you will need to make sure your trip will be worth while. On occasions there are opportunities to be a Mystery Telephone caller or have your address used as a Dead Letter Box Drop, for both of which you don’t even have to leave home to earn! You may even be offered the chance to take part in Video Mystery Shopping, whereby you'll wear a hidden camera to film your trip!

Some of the qualities you need to be a ‘mystery shopper’ are flexibility, discretion, a good memory for details, good communication skills - both oral & written, you need to be observant and objective and have the ability to blend in as a normal customer and report on the many details of your visit with accuracy. The reports can be extremely time-consuming and there will normally be a tight deadline for completed reports! And of course, as you can imagine, the competition for jobs is fierce! So you will need to be like "Quick-Draw McGraw" when it comes to applying for assignments. A car, credit/debit card and the ability to work at short notice are all advantageous, but not always necessary.

Mystery shopping won’t make you a fortune, but its well worth doing if you have some spare time on your hands and need some extra cash coming in. You can sometimes bag some great freebies too! You’re never obligated to accept a job and payment is generally either paid via cheque or into your bank account. You can expect to visit: fast food outlets, pubs, restaurants, hotels, cinemas, hairdressers, car showrooms, betting shops, banks, an array of high street stores, supermarkets and more! Don't forget to check out Hints and Tips!

**Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see a list of Mystery shopping forums!**

- Highly Recommended!

- Recommended!

- Still worth signing up for!

- Opportunities once in a while!

- Sites I'm ineligible for, so am unable to rate accurately.

- Work opportunities received!

**WARNING! MYSTERY SHOPPER SCAM!**
A fraudulent Canadian company is using the American Consumer Opinion® name (ACOP) to mail counterfeit checks for thousands of dollars, instructing you to deposit the check and then wire part of the money back to them. The company falsely claims the money you wire will go towards your training to become a mystery shopper. This is an illegal scam!. Do not attempt to cash or deposit the check or wire any money to anyone! Membership of ACOP is always free and you should never be asked to pay for training! If in doubt, please feel to email me (Added 16/10)

RETAIL MAXIM			SELF EMPLOYED	CLAIM FOR ALL EXPENSES	PAYS BY: CASH by BANK TRANSFER
Assignments are usually offered by phone or text and you’re required to fill in an online questionnaire or relay your findings over the phone after your visit. You can expect to shop high street stores, fast food restaurants, exam centres and even the hairdressers! The pay is quite reasonable and you can claim for additional expenses! Payment is made directly into your bank account monthly. click here

GAP BUSTER			SELF EMPLOYED	NO CLAIM FOR EXPENSES	PAYS BY: CASH by BANK TRANSFER
You can book your own assignments using their online booking system, you can also reschedule your assignments, see your assignment history, as well as complete your reports and undergo online training all on their website. You can expect to receive ‘shops’ for petrol stations, fast food restaurants, high street stores and more. Unfortunately, some of the pay rates for Gap Buster jobs are not very high and sometimes non-existent! You can’t claim for any additional expenses, though you are normally reimbursed for any purchases (barely though!). However, the amount of work this site offers and the regularity of the work available per month makes this one worth signing up for because as we all know – it all adds up! You will need to scan or fax ALL receipts for jobs and check the site regularly for new jobs. Payment is made directly to your bank account monthly. They also run competitions/additional incentives every now and again. click here

TNS GLOBAL			PAYE	CAN CLAIM FOR SOME EXPENSES	PAYS BY: CASH by BANK TRANSFER
You can book your own assignments using their online booking system. You can expect overnight stays in top hotels with an allowance for food & drink plus you get to use all the hotels facilities – all for free! You don't always get paid to do these jobs – its usually just full reimbursement. There are also the regular types of mystery shopping jobs: supermarkets, fast food restaurants, test drives and high street stores. You will need to check the site regularly for new jobs. The pay for some jobs is not great but you will be reimbursed for any purchases and you can sometimes claim for additional expenses. Payment is made directly into your bank account monthly. TNS are particularly keen to employ more Male shoppers! click here

RETAIL EYES			SELF EMPLOYED	NO CLAIM FOR EXPENSES	PAYS BY: CASH BY BANK TRANSFER
You can book jobs using their online booking system and can expect to visit pubs, restaurants, fast food outlets, places of interest and high street stores. The pay is not great but you are reimbursed for any purchases though they do not pay any additional expenses. Payment is made directly into your bank account. Don't forget to check the site regularly for new jobs. When applying please type in "beckie" when asked who recommended you. Many thanks. click here Shoppers from Ireland please register via email at Ireland@retaileyes.co.uk Update! Retail Eyes are looking for people who would like to complete assignments in Nightclubs! Just sign up using above link! (Added 06/09)

OLD ENOUGH 2 DRINK		NOT PAID OUT YET	SELF EMPLOYED	CLAIM FOR ALL EXPENSES	PAYS BY: UNSURE
NEW! (Part of the IMS group) This mystery shopping company requires 18-20 year olds to take part in Challenge 21 mystery shopping. You will be asked to buy age restricted products including alcohol, cigarettes, DVD's, etc which you will get to keep! Challenge 21 is a government backed scheme introduced by the British Beer and Pub Association, which encourages shops, supermarkets, pubs and bars to ask young people for proof of age identification when purchasing age restricted products. It's straightforward - they tell you where they would like you to visit with a form of photo ID and what they'd like you to buy. All you have to do is buy the product and note if you are asked for ID. You get paid to do the mystery shop as well as reimbursement for any travelling expenses, parking charges and reimbursement on purchases made. click here (Added 16/01)

CONSUMER INTELLIGENCE			SELF EMPLOYED	UNSURE	PAYS BY: CHEQUE
This company are currently seeking new members to join their mystery shopping panel. As well as standard mystery shopping, you may be invited to make mystery phone calls or evaluate websites. I don't have too much information on this company at the moment and will update as and when I find out more. (I have put a "paid" sign on this review, because I have been paid by them for something else). click here

GRG RESEARCH			SELF EMPLOYED	NO CLAIM FOR EXPENSES	PAYS BY: CASH by BANK TRANSFER
Assignments are usually offered by email or telephone & results returned by post or email. You can expect to visit banks, betting shops and more. The pay is quite good and purchases will be reimbursed, but you can’t claim additional expenses. Pay is made directly into your bank account monthly and expenses are paid in a separate transaction into your bank account a couple of weeks sooner. click here

ABA-i			SELF EMPLOYED	NO CLAIM FOR EXPENSES	PAYS BY: CASH or CHEQUE
There are separate application forms for ABA's clients! You can book your own assignments using their online booking systems and results can be returned via the web too. You may also be offered work by phone or email. The pay is quite good but they do not pay any additional expenses and reimbursements are not normally made. Payment is made either in cash or by cheque usually within a couple of weeks of completion. You can expect to ‘shop’ department stores and high street chain stores. You will need to check the sites regularly for new jobs, don't rely on them emailing you! click here 1 click here 2 click here 3 click here 4 click here 5

REACT			PAYE	CLAIM FOR ALL EXPENSES	PAYS BY: CASH by BANK TRANSFER
Assignments are normally offered by phone and results handwritten and returned by post. This one pays about average. You will be reimbursed and you can claim all additional expenses. You can expect to visit the cinema and various high street stores. Payment is made directly into your bank account monthly. click here Update! From July onwards React are moving to a new online system called Sassie, where you will be able to book some of your own assignments! (Sassie is a well known online booking and reporting system, used by many mystery shopping companies globally. (Updated 18/06)

E DIGITAL RESEARCH			SELF EMPLOYED	CLAIM FOR SOME EXPENSES	PAYS BY: CHEQUE
(Aka E Mystery Shopper) You can book your own assignments using their online booking system. You can expect a variety of work opportunities including: reviewing websites, mystery caller jobs, focus groups and online and offline mystery shopping! Payment is made by cheque on a monthly basis when you have earned a minimum of £15. Check the site regularly for new jobs. click here

MARKET CHECKER			SELF EMPLOYED	CLAIM FOR SOME EXPENSES	PAYS BY: CHEQUE
Assignments are offered by email. You can expect to shop mainly automotive and leisure outlets. The pay (on a self-employed basis) is very reasonable and on some jobs you can claim expenses. Payment is made by cheque when you have completed an assignment. Shoppers from Eire are paid via PayPal. click here

ASSOCIA			SELF EMPLOYED	NO CLAIM FOR EXPENSES	PAYS BY: BANK TRANSFER, CHEQUE
NEW! This company not only offer mystery shopping work, but also other similar field work such in-store audits, promotional material compliance checks, etc. (Auditing, promotion checking etc, is not done secretly like mystery shopping). This is a well respected company who regularly have work available. Work is on a self employed basis. The pay is reasonable and you are reimbursed for purchases. Payments are made twice a month. click here (Added 16/03)

CSR			SELF EMPLOYED	NO CLAIM FOR EXPENSES	PAYS BY: CHEQUE
This is a fairly new company that I have just signed up for and just received my first job! You will be contacted when they have suitable assignments based on your profile. You can expect to do mystery visits, mystery calling and dead letter box jobs. Payment is made by cheque. click here

BAI			SELF EMPLOYED	NO CLAIM FOR EXPENSES	PAYS BY: PAYPAL
(Aka Bare Associates International). This site is US based, but has regular job opportunities in the UK. You can expect to shop designer and top brand stores, exam centres, car showrooms and events as well as take part in the occasional dead letter box drops! Book your own assignments using their online booking system. Check the site regularly for new jobs. Please note: Payment can be in Euros or in US Dollars paid into your PayPal account. BAI particularly require more male mystery shoppers! If you would like me to refer you personally just email me stating your full name, or if you prefer click here

CUSTOMER PERSPECTIVES		NOT A MEMBER	SELF EMPLOYED	CLAIM FOR SOME EXPENSES	PAYS BY: CHEQUE
Assignments are offered by phone. You can expect to shop high street stores, estate agents & service organisations. This company also offer video and recorded telephone work (training & equipment provided), as well as home-based and online mystery shops! The pay (on a self-employed basis) is very reasonable and on some jobs you can claim expenses. Payment is made by cheque within 14 days of completion. click here

GFK/NOP		NOT A MEMBER	PAYE	NO CLAIM FOR EXPENSES	PAYS BY: CASH BY BANK TRANSFER
This company are seeking shoppers that fit specific descriptions. They ONLY need Males aged 18+, Females aged 18 - 25, Male or Female glasses or contact lens wearers aged 18+. There are also some other criteria which you must fill, such as your location before you can process an application. Payment is average and is paid monthly directly into a bank account. Please note: I am not eligible to join this company as I don't fit the above criteria, but I know them to be a reputable company which is why I have added this one to the site. click here

For more "Get paid to evaluate websites" opportunities click here

For current nationwide vacancies check out the job centre and enter 'mystery shopper' as your keyword click here

There are many more mystery companies out there, if you'd like to earn more! If you are interested in receiving a list of other Mystery Shopping Companies, just email me

MYSTERY SHOPPING FORUMS

MShopper The Office - This is a great mystery shopping forum where mystery shopping members, company reps and allocators have been invited to post work available messages! click here

Mystery Shoppers Tea Room - Another forum where mystery shopping members, company reps and allocators have been invited to post work available messages! click here

RPoints Forum - Now have a new mystery shopping section, where mystery shopping company reps and allocators have been invited to post work available messages! click here

Mystery Shoppers UK (aka MSUK) - By invitation only! Another great mystery shopping forum, but alas is by invitation/recommendation only. click here

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