(For an update and a differnt opinion from a professional mystery shopper visit Mystery Shopping Revisited.)
You like to shop so why not get paid big bucks and get free merchandise too? It sure sounds good, but is it for real or just a bunch of hype?
Mystery shoppers, also known as secret shoppers, do earn money for shopping. They also sometimes get free merchandise or meals. The catch is that mystery shopping may require a lot more time and effort for a smaller return than is advertised.
Whatever you do don't pay someone for information on mystery shopping or to be put on a list of mystery shoppers. The people selling these "services" are the ones shoveling the most hype. I've seen ads from these people saying you can earn $60 an hour mystery shopping. That is nothing more than pure hyperbole. The only way this could be true would be if you only counted the time you spent interacting with the sales clerk. This is a small fraction of your total time investment in a mystery shopping assignment.
You can check out this page for more of the details of What is a Mystery Shopper. And for my real life experiences as a mystery shopper please see A Typical Mystery Shopping Assignment.
So, should you try mystery shopping? My general recommendation is that if you have plenty of spare time, really like to shop, don't mind a lot of paperwork and don't expect to earn a lot of money or get a lot of free goodies out of the deal -- Go for it. I have to admit I have enjoyed the mystery shopping I've done, but for me there just is not enough of a payback for the time it takes.
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