New Shopper Questions

New shoppers have all sorts of questions regarding:

• How to become a shopper
• What a legitimate company looks like
• Whether they have to pay anything
• Security of their information

AboutFace™ wants to educate you about our requirements, other reputable mystery shopping companies and the most common scams. We hope this will ensure you are not susceptible to unfair practices.

Do you have a fee to shop for your company? What about other companies?

No. There are no registration fees or other fees necessary to become a mystery shopper. You should never pay anyone in order to become a mystery shopper. Some companies sell lists of mystery shopping companies. Technically, you do receive a list, but you can also find lists on sites where all the information is free and available online:

• volition.com
• Mystery Shopping Providers Association
• ncpmscenter.org

You can also check our shopper orientation in the resource board section for more details.

How much money would I make on a shop?

Each assignment varies from another, and they are priced as such. Pricing a shop is based on the following factors:

Evaluation process

The complexity and length of the shopper evaluation, along with the requirements of the shop, are the most important factors in pricing. Less flexibility in the following areas increases the price:

• Turn-around time
• Wait time for follow-up or mailed pieces
• Demographics limitations of the shopper
• Days of shops
• Times of shops
• Loss of shopper anonymity
• Level of secrecy needed

Payments to the shopper

If the shopper uses his or her own money in the shopping process, this increases the fee. Some shops can require you to put a significant amount of money on your card. Sometimes the shopper is asked to wait for a credit, other times we reimburse directly. If you are performing an assignment like this, look for the following company attributes:

• Members of the Better Business Bureau
• Members of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association

For example, if the shopper must pay for admission into the amusement park, SSC will reimburse that shopper within 10 to 30 days. The higher the reimbursement, the quicker we pay.

What do I need to do to become a mystery shopper?

How will I know if you have shops within my area?

Once you become registered with us, you will start to receive notices if we have shops falling within a certain radius from your zip code. We may not have any shops in your area, but our company is growing so rapidly, it changes monthly. You may enter multiple addresses for the system to search, for example home and work.

I work full-time; can I still shop for you?

Anyone can work for us providing they are over 18 years of age, strictly follow the Terms of our Independent Contractor Agreement and meet our requirements for the shop. The ideal shopper will be reliable, detail oriented and organized. A sense of fairness is also helpful. You must be able to objectively discuss the shop and be able to effectively put it down on paper.

How much work can I expect?

This is unknown. The variables for AboutFace™ and other mystery shopping companies are as follows:

• Location, location, location
• Projects within an area
• Demographics
• Shopper's history, ranking and reputation
• Certifications

No company can or will guarantee you work. Once you receive work, do a great job and chances are you will become a regular. Regarding AboutFace™, it is not an advantage to contact our schedulers.

Can I bring people with me when I shop?

If you are shopping an assignment where you would normally bring a child, such as a department store or a low impact service company (cell phone, cable), it is acceptable unless the directions specifically state otherwise. You can also bring a friend if it is something logical, as long as YOU perform the interaction. However, please be reasonable in who you bring and to where. Others need to follow dress code and professional code of conduct standards as well. It would not seem logical to bring a friend if you were doing something like a new home shop if that person was not purchasing with you.

Is there anyone I could speak to further about this before I register?

After you have read through our online shopper orientation, if you still have questions, please email our Shopper Ambassador: Email the Shopper Ambassador. She is here to help!