I suggest visiting the MysteryShopForum. (Just Google it.) It is a forum all about mystery shopping, but run by shoppers and not sponsored by a particular company. You'll find a ton of information about the world of mystery shopping - beyond what iSS offers. There is also a list of well over 200 companies.
Most MSC's do not allow using a phone for video shops for just that concern. I use a hidden button camera....
Absolutely - if you are willing to take the time to learn to be good with it. It can be frustrating at first, but after a few shops, you can be pretty efficient.
Brenda -
The work offered on through iSS is real. I have been mystery shopping for about three years and promise that it has been a very significant boon to my family's budget. Most of the shops that I do are through companies not affiliated with iSS.... I work full time and, through shopping, brought in close to $25,000 (not including reimbursements) for my family last year.
Yes, this is very real. You do have to be careful as there are also a lot of scammers who claim to be offering mystery shopping. However, this site weeds that nonsense out.
Hello!
I went to high school in Portland! (Wilson) I've been doing this for about three years as a way to add to my income from my full time job. There are 200-300 companies that offer shops - all very different. Most are great companies - they just have different personalities. Some are here on iSS, but others are use different platforms, so I don't like to recommend them here out of respect for the companies that support this site. However, if you do want to find out about mystery shopping beyond iSS, I suggest you check out the MysteryShopForum (just Google it.).
Can you make a living doing this? Yes. However, you won't get rich and it will take work. It will also take some time to establish yourself well enough to before you will pick up too many high end jobs. I made close to $25K plus reimbursements last year doing this part time. I know of a number of folks who work full time shopping.
There should also be a link to the shops written guidelines. Those guidelines should tell you how to access required video instructions. “Start Shop” is used to start your report and, at times, time stamp your arrival at the location.
Hi! Your score will only go down if:
* You fail to complete assigned shops.
* You fail to do assigned shops correctly and they are rejected.
If this is not happening, I suggest you PM Ivan. He's on this forum sometimes and is an administrator with iSS. He should help you get to the bottom of it.
Hi! Your score will only go down if:
* You fail to complete assigned shops.
* You fail to do assigned shops correctly and they are rejected.
If this is not happening, I suggest you PM Ivan. He's on this forum sometimes and is an administrator with iSS. He should help you get to the bottom of it.
Hello!
Cirrus 360 is a company that I would only recommend for organized shoppers - specifically for shoppers who track their work and payments well. I have worked with over 100 companies and Cirrus has the slowest payment schedule as you noted.I have done about 20 shops with them since I started shopping three years ago and have always, eventually, been paid. However, about 50% of the time, after the payment date has past, I have had to chase them down and ask for payment, despite having properly submitted the invoice on time. Talking to other shoppers, I know that my experience is the norm, not the exception. I have found that I get an immediate response when I contact Monnie Howard, the company owner.
Due to these payment issues, quite a few shoppers simply refuse to work for them. I approach them like this: I'll work for them, but they need to be offering $10-$15 more for a shop than other MSC's are offering for similar shops. I avoid shops for their Swedish furniture client like the plague. I did once once and spent about six hours on the shop between the visit to the store and the report.
You will have to contact the specific company that assigned you the shops to know why they were cancelled. "ISS" is a platform on which may companies post work. Contact the specific company to find out about issues with specific shops. Sometimes, when you are assigned a shop ,you are required to confirm that you know that you are assigned. Sometimes, shops do get cancelled by the client.
Very few actual mystery shopping companies pay within two days. Most take 6-8 weeks (some longer, some shorter).