[OT] Mystery Shopping

Jon

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Several years ago I used to complete fast food mystery shops. I've not done anything since then with regards to mystery shopping.

Does anyone still make a decent amount each month from MS and what are the best sites to join as a shopper?
Pay for traditional mystery shopping is very mehhhhh

You may have more luck using smartphone task apps such as bemyeye and Roamler which offer similar work but a higher rate for pay for a LOT less time.
 

mabozza

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I would say no, it isnt any more, those doing traditional MS work are working insane hours to get by, and the Task Apps game has seriously died a death in past year... If you are just looking for some extra pocket money then its ok, but, certainly would'nt want to have to rely on it to live.
 

Karonher

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I have made £24 today for shopping at a supermarket and 2 fast food jobs. That does not include the food I bought and will be reimbursed for. It is not a fortune and clearly cannot be a full time job, but it is a nice little extra.
 

Jon

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I have made £24 today for shopping at a supermarket and 2 fast food jobs. That does not include the food I bought and will be reimbursed for. It is not a fortune and clearly cannot be a full time job, but it is a nice little extra.
How long would you say mystery shopping reports take to write these days?
 

katykicker

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I still use Marketforce from time to time. The fees are barely worth it though but it's reimbursement for a lunch or takeaway that I like
 

James Gill

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I wouldn't bother with it to be honest. I mystery shopped for a while but stopped because I found it too much time for not enough reward. To earn a decent amount you have to spend a lot of time on all aspects of it, that is signing up to pretty much every company there is, keeping tabs on the latest visits, organising your days efficiently so you can clear as many visits in one trip as possible, writing reports, remembering all of the details for each visit in case you’re contacted for more info. I also found that I would be bombarded with emails and calls every minute of every day, we’re talking up to 100 emails a day with various visits all over London and the South East, realistically the vast majority of those were in places that would never be worth my time to go to so I found myself bogged down and demotivated to look through and organise visits.

If you’re willing and able to dedicate a lot of time to it then there’s a fantastic Facebook group that has a great community of mystery shoppers that I highly recommend you join. They keep a list of all active companies on there for ‘beginners’, are happy to answer any questions and new jobs and opportunities get posted there all the time so it’s well worth joining and saying hi.

If you want to sign up for the big companies, do a few visits every now and then to earn a few quid or get a little freebie fine it might be ok, but you won’t earn much. When I stopped mystery shopping I still used Marketforce for a free breakfast/lunch on my way to work, somewhere I was going anyway and because the report was easy, but eventually even my interest in this waned and I have just abandoned my mystery shopping gmail completely.

There are easier ways to earn decent money online that don't require you to leave the house, I'd recommend spending your time on those instead.
 
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Karonher

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How long would you say mystery shopping reports take to write these days?

Most about 10 minutes or so. They tend to be mainly tick boxes and a summary at the end. There is the pictures to add, but again that does not take long. There are very few that take me 15 minutes or more.
 

Jon

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Most about 10 minutes or so. They tend to be mainly tick boxes and a summary at the end. There is the pictures to add, but again that does not take long. There are very few that take me 15 minutes or more.
That’s not too bad. I still have nightmare of trying to fill in reports on holiday once using my damn phone lol
 

maisiemog

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It won't make you rich but I always have a look on the sites I'm signed up to and see what they have. If I'm going to be there I will do them. I do a lot of the subway ones and the pet shop ones because I would be going to those places anyway, or it gives husband a free lunch. I don't go out of my way to do them as it isn't worth the time it takes otherwise. If you are signed up to a few sites then it can pay. I'm getting paid £9 tomorrow to pretend I want sky while I'm in town anyway getting my eyes tested.
 
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Karonher

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Subway have been great but I think they are finishing this month. Hoping Cheltenham brings in some good bookies jobs.
 

georginauk

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Well.. I started mystery shopping in September last year and have made close to £2500 from it (profit). Bearing in mind that I work full time in London so I only do visits every few evenings or on sundays is not too bad I think!

It keeps you busy.
 

saffi420

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It's like everything else I think and that is, it depends. If you have spare time it's ok because the mystery shop is the easy bit and sometimes the surveys aren't that time consuming although generally they are. I found the bug bear was always technical glitches so what would be a 20minute report was sometimes over 1 hour. I did a GrassRoots one recently, no outlay and nice easy pay. I often did Market Force which were simple reports. Good jobs are Footfall in shopping centres for £90 s day but never got any of those. The apps are overrated and can be ridiculously difficult to carry out covertly for what in most cases are for little pay. I bought s cheap smartphone thinking I'd cover the cost with these micro job apps at some point. Not so. Why would you trail over town for a £3.00 job when you can do the same at home on a few simple apps like Curious Cat, QMee, Poll Pay etc. And of course if you are really lucky you may get a prolific study thrown in. Mystery Shopping sounds great in theory but it's better for some people than others. Maybe merchandising is a better option, or shop audits that can pay up to £40.00 with a website not micro job app. Good luck everyone.
 

Tryingtosurvive

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I wouldn't bother with it to be honest. I mystery shopped for a while but stopped because I found it too much time for not enough reward. To earn a decent amount you have to spend a lot of time on all aspects of it, that is signing up to pretty much every company there is, keeping tabs on the latest visits, organising your days efficiently so you can clear as many visits in one trip as possible, writing reports, remembering all of the details for each visit in case you’re contacted for more info. I also found that I would be bombarded with emails and calls every minute of every day, we’re talking up to 100 emails a day with various visits all over London and the South East, realistically the vast majority of those were in places that would never be worth my time to go to so I found myself bogged down and demotivated to look through and organise visits.

If you’re willing and able to dedicate a lot of time to it then there’s a fantastic Facebook group that has a great community of mystery shoppers that I highly recommend you join. They keep a list of all active companies on there for ‘beginners’, are happy to answer any questions and new jobs and opportunities get posted there all the time so it’s well worth joining and saying hi.

If you want to sign up for the big companies, do a few visits every now and then to earn a few quid or get a little freebie fine it might be ok, but you won’t earn much. When I stopped mystery shopping I still used Marketforce for a free breakfast/lunch on my way to work, somewhere I was going anyway and because the report was easy, but eventually even my interest in this waned and I have just abandoned my mystery shopping gmail completely.

There are easier ways to earn decent money online that don't require you to leave the house, I'd recommend spending your time on those instead.
What is the faceboom group called
 

mabozza

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Tryingtosurvive

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There is a couple of large user groups.. Mystery shoppers UK forum https://www.facebook.com/groups/489715297793564/ and Mystery shoppers hideout https://www.facebook.com/groups/mshoppers/ in the UK forum you can expect to be treated like a bit of dirt by the "regulars" on there, dont ask for any help or advice..you will just be ridiculed.. TBH the group has absolutely no point existing unless you are one of its elite clique..but fire away :)
Thanks appreciate your help ☺
 

cofito

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Hey I havent commented for ages on here and a few years ago I was a lot more active on a lot of areas. One area I have always kept up with is mystery shopping. It wont make you enough to live on, although if you manage it correctly and you are happy to do pretty much any of the shops, I would say you could make a decent amount.

I have dipped in an out depending on my personal circumstances and work load. It serves the following for me.

1. a savings plan - may seem strange but the expenses I claim for and then get back are great to know I have coming so can plan my finances around them.
2. a nice (at times) if extra income dropping, some months I have made £200-£300 others £50 but it all helps.
3. Free meals, free shopping etc. I like doing clothes and shoe shops as I have been able to get some things I would not really buy and they are free. supermarket ones are great to get a few weekly shops done and paid for.
4. I tend to do schedule shops when I am due to visit areas, towns etc, so it is a benefit whilst I am there. Or I schedule a load in the same area, so it again means the day is beneficial.
5. Not for everyone, but I do them to get me out of my comfort zone and drive me on. As I can at times get bogged down with normal life and doing something maybe I am a little uncomfortable doing helps me to then tackle other things. Dont get me wrong the actual shops are not uncomfortable but sometimes the thought of doing them makes me apprehensive. The shops once done are normally straight forward and actually fun.

Overall I think you get out of it what you out it. Yes some I keep doing and the rewards are not great if anything once you purchase the items, but breakfast for free when I am heading to work i cant complain about :)
 
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Jon

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Hey I havent commented for ages on here and a few years ago I was a lot more active on a lot of areas. One area I have always kept up with is mystery shopping. It wont make you enough to live on, although if you manage it correctly and you are happy to do pretty much any of the shops, I would say you could make a decent amount.

I have dipped in an out depending on my personal circumstances and work load. It serves the following for me.

1. a savings plan - may seem strange but the expenses I claim for and then get back are great to know I have coming so can plan my finances around them.
2. a nice (at times) if extra income dropping, some months I have made £200-£300 others £50 but it all helps.
3. Free meals, free shopping etc. I like doing clothes and shoe shops as I have been able to get some things I would not really buy and they are free. supermarket ones are great to get a few weekly shops done and paid for.
4. I tend to do schedule shops when I am due to visit areas, towns etc, so it is a benefit whilst I am there. Or I schedule a load in the same area, so it again means the day is beneficial.
5. Not for everyone, but I do them to get me out of my comfort zone and drive me on. As I can at times get bogged down with normal life and doing something maybe I am a little uncomfortable doing helps me to then tackle other things. Dont get me wrong the actual shops are not uncomfortable but sometimes the thought of doing them makes me apprehensive. The shops once done are normally straight forward and actually fun.

Overall I think you get out of it what you out it. Yes some I keep doing and the rewards are not great if anything once you purchase the items, but breakfast for free when I am heading to work i cant complain about :)
I do miss the free meal side of MSing sometimes.

Back when I used to have a job I used to pick up at least one MarketForce job a week to get a free lunch out of it!
 

cofito

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I do miss the free meal side of MSing sometimes.

Back when I used to have a job I used to pick up at least one MarketForce job a week to get a free lunch out of it!
Last year I was averaging around £60-£100 a month on free food, from full on meals for the family to coffee and a pasty...
 
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Jon

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Last year I was averaging around £60-£100 a month on free food, from full on meals for the family to coffee and a pasty...
I used to be all about the Pret and subway tasks at lunchtime

Then FiveGuys came on their system................
 

Karonher

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I used to be all about the Pret and subway tasks at lunchtime

Then FiveGuys came on their system................

Is FiveGuys that good? I have been with my nephew and while he liked it I thought there was a poor choice of vegetarian options.
 

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