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USAShopFirm.com - "mystery shopper" gimmick and rip off!
I read an ad for this company in the local Pennysaver. I did a little research and didn't find anything negative about the company.
Supposedly, you join this website, and they send you out as a secret mystery shopper. According to their ads, you go eat at a restaraunt or shop at a certain store, file a report of your experience, and then earn $25. per hour.
ALthough it sounded too good to be true, I decided to just go ahead and see whether it was a scam or not. It cost $23 to sign up, which didn't seem like that big a deal.
Here are the facts, just to prevent somebody else from throwing away $23!
First of all, very few companies have actually signed up who WANT mystery shopppers. In my state, there were only two or three, and they were both several hours away.
Second of all, I don't know where they come up with the $25 per hour- the two ads that I looked at were offering $13 for each visit, which entailed sitting through a sales presentation, then going home and writing up a detailed report.
Third- one of the questions on the F.A.Q. is about whether or not you can get a refund once you join if there aren't any job postings in your area. It says that you can't, simply because the bulletin board and job postings are public access and you don't have to pay to join. (This wasn't true. You can only access the listings once you give your credit card.)
I joined because I wanted to see if it was a scam or not, so I paid $23 to find out that it was. I just want to prevent other people from wasting their money!
4 Updates & Rebuttals
Tonja
Ortonville,Michigan,
U.S.A.
Client rebuttal
#5Consumer Comment
Wed, October 27, 2004
I am a 4 year client of this service. I have continued to use this service and profit for 4 years. If you are not succeeding, you are not following the tips and suggestions provided.
I live in a small town and never travel out of the way of my weekly errands to the mall to complete my assignments. I have done MANY assignments from $10-75. Some are brainless and some are creative and fun. This type of income is what you make of it. As a Mom of 3 who works part-time, this is a fun way to get pocket change and entertain my family.
4 years later, I made a great investment from my small $25, and have made an average of a hundred dollars with a few hours work a month. I'm sorry someone had a bad experience, but I have told many others and know of people who also use the company with NO complaints.
Alexias
Richmond,Virginia,
U.S.A.
Refund,, They gave me a fake number... Customer Service Run around
#5REBUTTAL Individual responds
Wed, July 14, 2004
The number they gave me for a refund was false. I have'nt started a job yet. I want my money back
Charles
Tinley Park,Illinois,
U.S.A.
False Rebuttal
#5Consumer Comment
Wed, July 14, 2004
I continuously see this on www.careerbuilder.com and I have seen this listing many many times. I have to come in and state that their listing does say "how would you like to get paid for being a shopper?" Go out to eat at restaurants, shop at stores and get paid for doing them? Their listing does state that you will get paid for basically being a consumer at various stores and dining places.
Thank you.
Brandt
Orange Park,Florida,
U.S.A.
This customer did not READ the information
#5REBUTTAL Owner of company
Thu, February 13, 2003
We do not state that we send out people as mystery shoppers. Our site clearly states that "This is not an offer of employment", that we are offering an "Online database of Mystery Shopping Information"
The companies on our website are Mystery shopping companies not the business that are actually being shopped. The Mystery Shopping comapnies do the scheduling of the shops. It does not matter where they are located. A mystery shopping companies offices do not need to be in the state or city where a shopper or the business is located.
For example a mystery shopping company located in California may have a chain of resturants on the east coast that wants to have their stores shopped. They will then find shoppers in the cities where those resturants are located to do the assignment. All correspodence is done on-line by e-mail or the submission of forms through the mystery shopping companies websites.
The fee that is paid for doing assignments can be any where from $10 to $100. Most assignments take 30 min to an hour. The fee for most shops averages from around $20 to $40. Therefore, to simplify things we list the payment as being $25. Not on the low side and most certainly not on the high side of the spectrum.
We do not state that the job board is public access. That is on out right lie by this consumer. What we state is that the job board is provided as a courtesy for schedulers from the mystery shopping companies to post assignments. There may or may not be jobs posted in all areas. If there is then great you can apply for it if not then it is irrelevant because the job board is only a supplement to the site it is free.
We do not state anywhere that the customer is paying for a job board or a job service or job postings. We clearly state that what is being paid for is mystery shopping information and a list of companies.
If this customer would have taken the time to read everthing throughly it is clearly explained that jobs are obtained by contacting all of the companies from the COMPANY LIST PAGES and that they are not to rely on the schedulers job board to get assignments.
Thank You,