Safe shopping
30.10.2006 15:00 Food And Wine
Retailers hire mystery shoppers to anonymously shop in stores, dine in restaurants, stay in hotels or work out in health clubs, then report on the experience to provide feedback. Typically, the mystery shopper is reimbursed and can keep any products. Mystery shopping companies abound worldwide. The Federal Trade Commission offers these tips to help consumers distinguish legitimate mystery shopping companies from bogus ones, which are common:
Visit the Mystery Shopping Providers Association Web site at www.mysteryshop.org for information on how to register to be a mystery shopper with a MSPA-member company, a database of available jobs and additional information on the industry.
Legitimate companies don't charge an application fee, don't guarantee a job as a mystery shopper, don't charge a fee for access to mystery-shopping opportunities, and don't sell directories of companies that provide mystery shoppers. It should be unnecessary to pay any money to become a mystery shopper.
If you think you've been a victim of a mystery-shopping scam, file a complaint with your local consumer protection agency, the Better Business Bureau, your State Attorney General, or the FTC (www.ftc.gov).
Source: Federal Trade Commission
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