There are a lot of mystery shopping service providers out there. The service providers list available shopping missions through their job boards. But how do you find a reputable provider? We do the research for you so you have confidence in your choices. Read our evaluation of the mystery shopping service provider, Shoppers Confidential.
Service provider company:
Shoppers Confidential
www.shoppersconfidential.com
Shoppers Confidential was founded in 2006 and their head office is in Toronto, Ontario. They focus mostly on mystery shopping. But they also work with customer and employee satisfaction surveys.
They operate throughout North America. They’re involved in a number of industries including restaurants, hotels, retail, automation, banks, and also government.
Mystery Shopping Professionals Association (MSPA):
Shoppers Confidential is a member of the MSPA.
Better Business Bureau (BBB):
Shoppers Confidential is listed with the Better Business Bureau and has been accredited since 2014. They do not have any complaints listed but they also don’t have any reviews. They have an A+ rating.
Pay range:
Shoppers Confidential pays you for each mystery shopping mission. Most missions or shops pay you a set fee. Plus, you are reimbursed any expenses incurred. Note that the expenses must be approved in advance.
Some shops pay you in reimbursements only. This could be free products or services such as restaurant meals or event tickets.
With Shoppers Confidential, you are generally paid between $15.00 and $30.00 CAD. There are more premium shopping missions available that offer higher rates. You can apply to those when you’ve established yourself with a good reputation.
Payment method:
Shoppers Confidential pays only by PayPal regardless of the country in which you perform the shop. To ensure you receive payment:
- When registering as a Mystery Shopper, ensure the email you use for registration is the same email you use for PayPal
- If you registered with a different email, then ensure you add that email to your PayPal account
Payment frequency:
Shoppers Confidential pays you each month (on the 15th) for the work you completed in the previous month. As an example, if you’ve completed shops during the month of June, then you’ll be paid on July 15.
We’ve completed a few missions for this mystery shopping provider and we can confirm they pay on time.
Report submission:
You need to submit a report or survey for every shopping mission you perform. Shoppers Confidential needs you to submit that mystery shopping report within 12 hours of performing the shop.
This is a bit more aggressive than other service providers. Generally, other providers require you to submit your reports within 24 hours.
You should only accept a shop if you are certain you can complete the report within 12 hours. Your report is a critical component of the shop.
Website usability:
Shoppers Confidential provides a portal or website for their mystery shoppers. You use that site to search and apply for available shopping missions. You also submit your reports through this portal. The website contains all the necessary elements for you:
- Profile section
- Job board – identifying both available shops (“Open Opportunities”) and shops you’ve requested (“My Applications”)
- Certifications – many shops require you to pass a training module before you can apply to ensure you understand the requirements
- Pay History – list of your completed shops and monthly invoices
- Inbox – where you can view communications received directly from the provider
Social media:
Shoppers Confidential has a number of social accounts: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. And they also have a number of videos on YouTube.
Shopping mission availability:
In our experience, Shoppers Confidential doesn’t have a large number of shops available.
In the Toronto area, we see an average of about 30 shops available on any given day. This is lower than other providers we’ve reviewed.
We recommend you register with multiple service providers so you can choose from a variety of shopping missions.
Shopper support:
Shoppers Confidential uses schedulers to assign and coordinate shopping missions.
When you are assigned a shop you’ll also have an email contact within the instructions for that shop. If you have any questions or challenges before or during your shop, you should contact your scheduler using that email.
You can also use the toll-free number listed on the website. However, that number appears to be primarily for the mystery shopping clients.
How does it work?
- You register on their website, www.shoppersconfidential.com, by selecting “MYSTERY SHOPPERS” from the primary navigation menu at the top
- From the new page displayed, you enter your email address and a password. You then complete the registration process by entering your profile details.
- Once your registration is accepted you’ll want to complete the “Shopper Basic Skills Test.” It’s found under the “Certifications” section on the mystery shopper site. This certification helps you understand the expectations and requirements before you perform your first shop.
- Now you can search for available shops in the “Open Opportunities” section. The default list is displayed based on your profile address. You can modify the filters to display different types of surveys or proximity to your location.
- You apply to the shops you want but you must wait for a scheduler to assign the shop to you before you perform it
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Recommendation:
We have performed a number of missions for Shoppers Confidential and it’s a decent option:
- Shopping mission availability – we have not seen a lot of shops listed with this provider
- Shopper support – you can reach the schedulers by email and they’re fairly responsive
- Pay range – you are paid more when you have to do more work. But this provider is pretty fair with the compensation.
- Payment – you are paid on time as advertised
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