| Author |
 Topic  |
|
Bob Good
Trainee
Scottsdale, AZ
USA
7 Posts |
 Posted - 06/25/2003 : 3:39:44 PM
|
It has been a while since I visited the forum but am interested in the latest feelings on Shadow Shopper and their for pay membership either Gold or Silver. The price is high and can they can really produce shops for all registered shoppers in an area? Please send your opinions Bob
Shadow Shopper
|
|
|
NatrinaNC
Valued Contributor
High Point, NC
USA
159 Posts |
Posted - 06/25/2003 : 11:46:02 PM
|
Interesting you should post this, I just received an email from them saying that my membership was going to expire tomorrow.
I think the general consensus here is DON'T PAY TO SHOP! With that being said I paid for Shadow Shopper before finding Volition. I found that in my area most of the shops listed there I had found other places or were with companies that I was currently registered with. To my knowledge a company never contacted me from my profile with shadow shopper. The majority of the companies I saw posted on SS, are listed here on Volition.com or other free sites.
I never got any work from Shadow Shopper and I didn't pay that much when I joined either. The thing about the pay sites is they can't guarantee work; they may can get you advance notice but every thing I saw posted was last minute or shops that had been cancelled, and I saw other places.
I would pay for education; not to be listed or find lists. The wealth of information here is free…just take the time and use it.
|
MSPA Gold Certification #icw3ir
MSSIC: NatrinaNC
Shopping the Triad, Triangle and Charlotte Areas: High Point, Winston Salem, Greensboro, Burlington, Durham, Cary, Raleigh, Concord, Charlotte, Matthews, Kannapolis, Salsibury |
 |
|
|
DarleneFL
Star Contributor
Tampa Bay Area, FL
USA
343 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2003 : 09:27:58 AM
|
Hello Bob --
As a general rule, I disagree with the concept of paying to work. As for Shadow Shopper, like other shoppers (including Natrina) have stated here on Volition, the vast majority of jobs that I saw posted on Shadow Shopper I also saw posted on other job boards. At times, such jobs were posted on Shadow Shopper first, but sometimes they were posted somewhere else first. Sometimes such jobs were posted here on Volition first!
After my 1-year-free membership to Shadow Shopper expired, I did not pay the fee to renew, based upon disagreeing with the principle of paying to work and also the fact that most jobs that I had seen on Shadow Shopper were also posted elsewhere. However, I chose to leave my profile on Shadow Shopper, as there is no charge to do so. Therefore, I now have a Bronze (free) membership. I no longer receive email notifications of posted jobs, and I am unable to look for jobs on the website, but companies still have access to my profile and the ability to contact me. After my original membership expired, I received an email from a company that stated that they found me via Shadow Shopper, and it turned out to be a great company! I received six extremely well paying relatively easy assignments, received payment in a timely manner, and now wish this company had tons of shops in my area!
Based upon this experience, I reconsidered upgrading to a Silver or Gold membership with Shadow Shopper. However, I find the annual fees a bit steep for me at $59 and $99, respectively. I find validation in the fact that the best jobs that I received via Shadow Shopper were from a company that found me in the database, rather than by my responding to a job post notification. By the way, there is no guarantee that you will receive any jobs or even that any jobs will be posted for your area with a Silver or Gold membership.
|
|
|
|
PaulinePitman
Apprentice
CA
USA
3 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2003 : 09:56:57 AM
|
I have had no luck with ShadowShopper. I am sorry I paid to join.
I have never received a job through them and I haven't seen anything I didn't see on Volition or another site.
|
|
|
|
ElaineHN
Star Contributor
Georgia
USA
462 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2003 : 11:35:24 AM
|
Add me to the 'thumbs down' list.
I won't go so far as to say it's a scam or worthless ... but I personally didn't benefit from it. I debated whether or not to join (at $30) for several months. When I finally did join, I did get several job offers on a few occasions, but every one of them was either something I'd already seen elsewhere or way way out of my way or were for some other reason out of the question for me.
Before registering, I'd read messages from other shoppers who state that it was beneficial to them and I figured at $30 even one or two shops would 'pay' for the membership fee ... so I was willing to risk it. Unfortunately I didn't even benefit from one or two shops from the service so I feel that I wasted my $30. Had I accepted all of the shops that were offered to me, then I would have made my money back atleast 20-fold.
If you already have lots of contacts with schedulers and if you check all the sites on the daily check list ... and if you obtain MSPA certification ... I personally don't think Shadow Shopper is going to be a big benefit to you. Of course things could be different in different geographic areas ... I can only speak for what I was offered in rural west Georgia ...
Have a SUPER day!
Elaine
|
~*~ Shopping West Georgia (Carrollton, Douglasville, Newnan, etc.) & Metro Atlanta ~*~
MSPA Gold Certified Shopper |
|
|
|
PennyW
Contributor
NH
USA
68 Posts |
Posted - 06/27/2003 : 07:26:01 AM
|
Hi,
I too am not overly thrilled with Shadow Shopper. I did end up paying the $30 fee required for membership, and I must say that I have gotten a few shops from them. BUT the key word is a few. Certainly not high paying shops, and I have not made back the money that I initially invested. As other MSers have noted here, many of the shops SS posts can be found elsewhere. It does take a little more time, but it is certainly worth the effort.
Good luck!
Penny |
Penny |
|
|
|
Terri-CA
Star Contributor
CA
USA
272 Posts |
Posted - 06/27/2003 : 08:15:48 AM
|
| I won't be renewing here either. I think the same jobs have been listed in my area for the last year. I did get one job from the service in August of last year for a shop, but the other few offers were either repeats of jobs I have already looked at elsewhere or for merchandising...which I don't do right now. I am sure someone has benifited a ton from the service...just wasn't me. |
|
|
|
.KaBryant
Inactive
Scottsdale, AZ
USA
31 Posts |
Posted - 06/27/2003 : 08:43:29 AM
|
| I was not impressed by them. I did their free for a year deal and got lots of offers but they had a problem with me not accepting everything regardless of distance. Something about shipping gear out and how much it cost them. They weren't making it any more worth my while to drive a lot of distance either. I recently received an email from them telling me it was my last day as a shopper unless I signed up again, needless to say, I am not going to at this time. |
|
|
|
Janice-NoVA
Star Contributor
Reston, Virginia
USA
298 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2003 : 04:05:28 AM
|
I had the free first year at Shadow Shoppers. I did get a few jobs from them and see some jobs that are not listed anywhere else. I renewed and felt the fee of about $30 was worth it. It is tax deductible.
Janice Porter |
Janice Porter
Shops Northern Virginia, Maryland and DC
Gold Certified June 2003 |
|
|
|
JillshopsTX
Member
Hurst, TX
USA
16 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2003 : 12:59:06 PM
|
I am one of the people that regret paying for shadow shopper. I haven't gotten any jobs from them and would not recommend paying for a shopper site to get jobs. Hope this helps! |
Jill in N.Central Texas
MSPA Certified#77o35v |
|
|
|
Angel
Member
Mobile, AL
USA
25 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2003 : 3:05:02 PM
|
I am one of those who signed up, during the free trial period, when it first started. I was contacted by a company who found me through Shadow Shopper. I have since been doing an on-going monthly MS assignment.
Edit: With the renegotiating of contracts, that one assignment was lost to another company a few months ago.
I received an email stating that my trial membership was ending and chose not to renew it. The other assignments listed available, at shadow shopper, were ones that I had already seen and chosen not to do.
There are those who has found shadow shopper helpful, because of their location, and others who do not. It is an individual decision to be made and you are the only one who knows your situation. Good luck!
Happy Shopping
Angel |
Angel |
|
|
|
Stacy Greengold
Member
VA
USA
19 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2003 : 4:14:03 PM
|
I found Shadow shopper a few weeks ago and signed up for their Bronze membership. I won't be joining. Here is what I realized:
If you spend more than 15 minutes a day searching for assignments, you probably have a pretty good idea what's out there. With Bronze membership they tease you buy only letting you see the first 5 letters of each section of the job. I found that even with only 5 letters, I recognized what job I was looking at. I could pinpoint for you which company offered it and what the approximate pay was. As many people have said, this may vary geographically. BUt I see no reason for ME to pay for this service. SS might be helpful if you are willing to pay to have the list of assignments come to you. Otherwise my opinion is to pass. If you are on volition then you probably check the volition job board and find the same jobs. |
My word is my bond ~ Shopping in Northern VIRGINIA - McLean, Fairfax, Reston, and Dulles |
|
|
|
MissAnita
Member
Greensboro, NC
USA
25 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2003 : 6:11:38 PM
|
| I have the bronze account with Shadow Shopper. And I agree with the others about not paying. With the bronze account you will still receive emails about job offers but their usually not in your area. |
MSPA Gold Certified |
|
|
|
DM Griffin
Valued Contributor
Hayward, CA
USA
112 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2003 : 6:54:28 PM
|
I have never paid for the use of Shadow Shopper. I had my first year free as a trial membership. This year I just chose the free service as well. But, all the shops that I get contacted about are listed on this board or other ones as well. I don't think it is worth it to pay for Shadow Shopper. There is plenty of work out there and you don't have to pay money to find out that these jobs exist. I will not be renewing my membership in the future, whether it is free or not.
Diane
Shopping the East Bay in Northern California
MSPA Gold Certification: crcaxm |
|
|
|
Sheraldyne
Member
Sidney, IL
USA
18 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2003 : 03:31:59 AM
|
Help! I just signed up for only the bronze membership. I just received an e-mail about a digital shop on my area, but when I go to the job # and description it says I have to upgrade to get details. Am I not looking in the right place, or do they expect me to take the job without even knowing the name of the shop? Kinda confused on this.  |
Sheraldyne |
|
|
|
WendiMobileAL
Valued Contributor
Mobile, AL
USA
233 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2003 : 04:16:44 AM
|
I just came here to post an "I can't believe this" message, and figured I should "search" first.
I CAN'T BELIEVE that SS is charging that much money. I am not one to talk down about a company, but come on!!! My membership is up in s few days, and I WILL NOT pay to renew. If the price were still the $30, I probably would continue my membership, as I have gotten enough jobs due to the listing to recoup my money. However, $59-$89 is a little much for me, for thos few jobs.
Thnaks for letting me vent-
Wendi
|
Serving the coast of AL, North West FL, MS and inland areas
MSPA Gold Certified Shopper |
|
|
|
JasonTX
Member
Pensacola, FL
USA
33 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2003 : 11:54:12 PM
|
| Sheraldyne: Aha! You have found the catch. You don't anything for free from this company, therefore, run as far away as possible. Let that job fly by, there will be many more to replace it from any of the free 200+ companies listed here on Volition. You are the worker, you should not have to pay to work. |
Shopping Pensacola, FL and surrounding areas
MSPA Silver Certified
|
|
|
|
NatrinaNC
Valued Contributor
High Point, NC
USA
159 Posts |
Posted - 07/26/2003 : 5:53:23 PM
|
Sheraldyne, Shadow Shopper isn't an actual mystery shopping company. They have a job board that other companies use to post what I consider hard to fill shops. They charge you a fee to see details about the company and the shop, and after paying and viewing more info you still have to apply with the MS company who actually made the post.
|
MSPA Gold Certification #icw3ir
MSSIC: NatrinaNC
Shopping the Triad, Triangle and Charlotte Areas: High Point, Winston Salem, Greensboro, Burlington, Durham, Cary, Raleigh, Concord, Charlotte, Matthews, Kannapolis, Salsibury |
|
|
|
Dee in AZ
Star Contributor
Tucson, AZ
USA
662 Posts |
Posted - 07/27/2003 : 5:43:56 PM
|
 I have a bronze membership after my first free year ended. I never saw jobs there that were not posted in other places and never much in my area at all. I am considering canceling my bronze membership because of the emails they send out trying to convince me to upgrade. They are probably not a "scam" but their emails promoting free meals etc sound an awful like some of the spam I get. They don't paint a realistic picture of mystery shopping but enforce the idea that it is free meals and merchandise without much effort. As anyone who has actually been a shopper can tell you there is plenty of work involved.
The golden rule has always been and should continue to be:
Don't pay to shop!
|
Dee
Ardent Services |
|
|
|
Ray Sola
Volition.com Staff
Prescott, AZ
USA
3042 Posts |
Posted - 09/27/2003 : 01:04:17 AM
|
Can I get some current feedback on them?
Charles Tinsley sold the company a few months ago. Since then I have been e-mailing the new owners to see what their intentions are for the site, etc. They have not replied to any e-mails to any address I have or listed on the site.
Today I tried calling them. No numbers are available but I was able to talk to someone at Charles' other former company Shadow Agency. They thought that Charles sold Shadow Shopper to his web development firm. If that is the case, then they have no knowledge of the Mystery Shopping industry.
I also know that they changed ISPs a few months ago.
So,
A) If you are a member, have you seen any changes in the last few months?
B) If you have a way to contact them, please let me know. |
|
|
|
SharonQ
Star Contributor
Bluefield, WV
USA
867 Posts |
Posted - 09/27/2003 : 08:02:24 AM
|
Hey Ray,
Well here's my two cents worth. I live in a small town. I don't see a huge amount of things on Volition and wasn't sure if there aren't many jobs in my neck of the woods, or if I'm just missing them somehow.
So I heard about the Shadow Shopper website, and paid the fee (which you can get refunded if you don't like the site). Within a day or so, I got an email that there was a new job in my area. YIPPEEEE!
I logged on, and lo and behold this "new" job was one that I had seen on Volition, applied AND had been accepted for.
Needless to say, the information is not fresh. Even if something is posted that I may have missed on Volition, I can rest assured that it was probably already taken before it was even posted on Shadow Shopper.
Sharon Q in Small Town, USA
|
Call me crazy, but I LOVE resets! 
Yes, even cosmetic resets. |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
Feedback Requested: Shadow Shopper / Shadowshopper