Gift ideas click

You may have seen the advertisements in your Yahoo mailbox telling you that you can make a lot of money if you become a secret shopper. These have also popped up in spam emails. There is such a thing as a secret shopper, but these particular ads are not the real thing. You will be hard pressed to find a secret shopper that has made a lot of money doing it. Some make a decent living, but it is a lot of hard work, and they have to earn every cent. With commissions slowly going down, this is getting harder and harder to do.

There are many legitimate secret shopper companies, and you will rarely see ads for the real thing begging you to become a secret shopper. Most of these companies have more shoppers than they need, so they don’t need to advertise. If you really want to become a secret shopper, you have to do your homework. You have to find the legitimate companies and sign up. If you live in a small town or smaller city, don’t expect to find a lot of work in your area. In order to become a secret shopper that has a busy schedule, you have sign up for many companies. This might mean spending weeks on your computer filling out applications for hundreds of companies. You then have to wait to be approved.

When you become a secret shopper, you have to then search for work on a daily basis. Some companies may email you offers if they are in need of someone in your area, but for the most part, you have to search each particular site on a regular basis to find jobs. The jobs are so in-demand that your timing has to be just right or the jobs are swept out from beneath you. Be prepared to have long lists of website addresses and passwords if you become a secret shopper. It is very easy to get your information mixed up, so you have to be organized. If you are not organized, you will quickly find yourself in big trouble.

What most people don’t know when they decide to become a secret shopper is how bad the pay can be. The longer you do mystery shopping, the more money you can make, but when you start out, you will be lucky to get three or four dollars for three hours of work. One common job is going to a gas station for a purchase. You must drive there and back, on your own dime, and buy something. You must then come home and fill out a report. This report is often long and detailed. You may get reimbursed for your purchase but the rest comes out of your pocket. You may then get three dollars for your effort.

The choice to become a secret shopper is, of course, your own. Just remember that those who say you will be rich doing it are sadly mistaken or trying to scam you. You must work for your money, and many times, you are not buying products you want. If your job says you go buy duct tape that is what you buy.