Get A Real Mystery Shopping Gig With Consumer Reports
Hey Consumer Reports is hiring actual mystery shoppers to do actual mystery shopping. You can earn some coin, help out other consumers at the same time, and help with the results that end up in the Consumer Reports magazine. Pretty swell. The job posting is inside.
Consumer Reports, published by Consumers Union, is currently looking for Mystery Shoppers throughout the United States. These freelance mystery shoppers are called on to survey stores for product information; buy and ship products; and act as our "in the field" representative of consumers in a variety of marketplace situations.
To be a Mystery Shopper you must have a means of transportation from your home to stores in your assigned area; be organized, detail-oriented, reliable, flexible, reachable, able to meet tight deadlines, and be proficient with email and spreadsheets (Excel). Much of the work consists of seeking out specific products and writing down label details, including dates and lot codes. You may be required purchase and ship large quantities of products, sometimes using dry ice for perishables
We are currently looking for people who live in the metropolitan areas of the states listed below.
Arizona
California
Connecticut
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Missouri
Michigan
Nevada
New York (North and West of Albany)
New Jersey
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Texas
Virginia
Washington
As part of your application process, please submit the following:
• Name, address, city and state, plus nearest metropolitan city(ies)
• Resume (optional but helpful)
• If currently employed, include name of employer and indicate full-time or part-time; or indicate if you are a student.
• 3-5 retailers for each of the following, all within 20 miles of your home: supermarkets, drugstores, discount or department stores, and 1-2 warehouse clubs.
• A paragraph (up to 300 words) on why you think you would make a great mystery shopper for Consumer Reports. Include the challenges you think you'll face.
Assignments can be sporadic. Our mystery shoppers may receive 1-2 projects a month, or none at all. Projects generally take several hours and often require fast turnaround, so you'll need to be flexible, reachable during the day by email and telephone, and available when called upon. Results need to be emailed to us, often with Excel attachments. If you are selected as a candidate, you will be given a test assignment to assess your skills in accuracy and following directions.
Mystery shoppers are paid at a rate of $12/hour for their work, and are reimbursed for travel and any purchases. They are required to follow project guidelines very carefully. As part of their role, shoppers are required to demonstrate the highest ethical behavior, which includes never using the name of Consumer Reports to obtain special or preferential treatment. Because of the highly sensitive and confidential nature of this role, all offers are contingent upon you signing a Confidentiality Agreement.
Interested? Please send the above requested information to shoppers@cro.consumer.org. Because of the volume of emails we receive, we cannot respond to all emails received.
(Photo: geoff_hazel)
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Comments:
damn, i wish my job didn't have me out of state for 3-5 days a week.
Boo no Utah on the list.
It seems like they're looking for people who don't have jobs? If they call at 1 pm on Tuesday, I hope they're not expecting me to be in a store the next day during my office hours. Or is it okay to apply if you're a full time worker?
Yahoo! Jersey!
I sure love living in the middle of nowhere in Idaho!
Oh man, nothing near Salt Lake City? I'd be all over that!
I have all the info filled out and ready to send, but yeah Im a little weary.
I work full time, are they gonna sick the cops on me if I cant drop my full time job and go buy something? Or are they expecting a realistic turnaround, like 12 hours.
And I dont even know where to find dry ice around here :) AND and, do you submit expense reports to reimburse your cost for items? Or are they handing you a credit card (LOL)
@pecan 3.14159265: I'd imagine they'd want you to do it in a rasonable amount of time? Maybe right after work?
I'm off work between 2pm and 3pm, so I'd have plenty of time after work, woo.
Haha, I live North of Albany, but I lose out in the fact that there ARE no retailers within 20 miles of my home.
None.
Bummer.
I take it you would get reimbursed for buying and shipping the stuff?
I'd watch out, guys. These things are notorious for being scams.
~_^
@chrisexv6: I'm interested in knowing why they want to know whether you work full time and where you work. If they want to know so they can arrange their schedules accordingly, and contact you and make sure you have time, shouldn't they just need you to tell them what hours you work? Why do they need to know where you work?
I love doing mystery shopping type of things, but not being anywhere close to what anyone would consider a "metropolitan areas", I would guess that I would not be a good choice.
No mention of being reimbursed for the items you buy. I'm assuming reimbursement will be included in addition to the 12 an hour. Not that it matters to me, Mississippi isn't on the list, but I'm sure it matters to others.
Im wondering if its some sort of conflict of interest thing (like, do you work at one of the retailers they expect you to mystery shop at? or one of their competitors, which could force you to "accidentally" skew the data?)
Ah, Nebraska isn't on the list...
@pecan 3.14159265: My guess is they want to make sure you're not working for one of the stores you're checking.
Be sure to include a cashier's check for $500 when you submit your resume. ;)
No love for Massachusetts. That is sad.
ah i might consider this.. work from home. have plenty of stores here and my state is on the list.
boo no Massachusetts.
For each job you do, do you get a free cat? :)
Kinda makes me wish I still lived in upstate NY...well, maybe...especially if I had an attractive redheaded young lady as a shopping partner.
Also ... is that Natalie from the Dixy Chicks?
First Mystery Shopper Job:
Test Western Union Wire Service.
We will send you a check in the amount of $1400. $1000 of this is your fee. Please use Western Union to wire the remainder to TheRedSeven at 123 Fake Street.
Then, please fill out this survey, including your credit card and bank account information, so we can accurately track your experience.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Prince Narwizi of Uganda...um, I mean...
Sincerely,
Consumer Reports
Damn, north and west of albany only. How about south and west? :3
Well really. I thought the same thing. I work 8-5 Monday thru Friday and it's NOT flexible, because I'm the front desk. (I'm actually home sick today, and even THAT was a pain in the ass - I still had to work half a day!)
So much for moonlighting. Back to writing. I can do that at work when things are slow.
$12 an hour? C'mon!
@minsky: That's pretty typical for this kind of job, you know... It doesn't take a whole lot of skill...
@ChChChacos: I agree, needs more Massachusetts... Cause then I'd be so over this like white on rice...
@Frank Murphy: Consumer Reports will send you a check. You cash it, use some of the funds to make your purchases and you get to keep the balance as a "thank you" for a job well done. Happens all the time, I received two similar offers from Nigerian companies just this morning!
Good for nothing Montana didn't make the list. No surprise, Montana really isn't good for anything. Unless you're a bear.
I've been mystery shopping for 3 years now, I have fun doing it. As long as you do not try to make a living at it, it can be fun and you'll have a little extra spending money. I also work 42 hours a week, and the 5 or 6 companies I shop for are always accomodating in regard to my work schedule.
Metro VA? Does that mean I have to live in VA or just part of the NoVA metro region (I live in MD, just over the border)?
Are they paying via Western Union?
I'm a prime candidate! Hopefully my application gets accepted...
Sad, no MN. I'd love this. :(
Yeah, I don't want to be fronting the money for all the items, the dry ice, the shipping- I'll pass.
$12 an hour ? no thanks
Forget the money. I'll take a date with the redhead.
Okay, this really bugs me...
We are just called "Washington" not "Washington State."
That *other* place is "Washington DC" or just "DC" if you're into brevity.
"Washington State" is the name of a college, not a state.
Fuck mystery shoppers. You people are goddamn evil. My wife basically got demoted at a job one time because some bitch ass mystery shopper was too stupid to pull the left side door instead of the right side one, assumed starbucks was not open on time and left.
I got an angry email from my Regional Director over a mystery shop one time, and when my DM and I got to look at they report, we had to laugh. The guy came in when I was by myself, completely swamped with incoming shipment AND the phone would not stop ringing.
In both my and my wife's cases, the mystery shop report read very condecending, and with the most bitchy sense of entitlement you could manage.
Mystery shoppers are people who DON'T DO MY JOB OR KNOW HOW TO DO MY JOB, but get to critique my performance.
Fuck that. Get a life.
Oooo, so doing this! I live smack dab in the center of Phoenix.