It IS possible to find a legit job from home

Mystery Shopping Revealed

Jennifer — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 18:55:41 +0000

The Secrets of Mystery Shopping Revealed

Do you love to shop? If so, you may be tempted by unsolicited emails or newspaper ads that claim you can earn a living as a secret or mystery shopper by dining at elegant restaurants, shopping at pricey stores, or checking into luxurious hotels. But, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, marketers who promise lucrative jobs as mystery shoppers often do not deliver bona fide opportunities.

What is Mystery Shopping?
Some retailers hire marketing research companies to evaluate the quality of service in their stores; these companies use mystery shoppers to get the information anonymously. They assign a mystery shopper to make a particular purchase in a store or restaurant, for example, and then report on the experience. Typically, the shopper is reimbursed, and can keep the product or service.

Many professionals in the field consider mystery shopping a part-time activity, at best. And, they add, opportunities generally are posted online by marketing research or merchandising companies. Nevertheless, fraudulent mystery shopping promoters are using newspaper ads and emails to create the impression that they’re a gateway to lucrative mystery shopper jobs with reputable companies. These solicitations usually promote a website where consumers can “register” to become mystery shoppers — after they pay a fee for information about a certification program, a directory of mystery shopping companies, or a guarantee of a mystery shopping job.

The truth is that it is unnecessary to pay money to anyone to get into the mystery shopper business. The shopping certification offered in advertising or unsolicited email is almost always worthless. A list of companies that hire mystery shoppers is available for free; and legitimate mystery shopper jobs are on the Internet for free. Consumers who try to get a refund from promoters of mystery shopping jobs usually are out of luck. Either the business doesn’t return the phone calls, or if it does, it’s to try another pitch.

The Facts of Mystery Shopping
Becoming a legitimate mystery shopper for a legitimate company doesn’t cost anything. Here’s how to do it:

Search the Internet for mystery shopping companies that are accepting applications. Legitimate companies don’t charge an application fee. Many accept applications online.
Do some homework about mystery shopping. Check libraries or bookstores for tips on how to find companies hiring mystery shoppers, as well as how to do the job effectively.
Visit the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) website 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 in general.

In the meantime, the FTC says consumers should be skeptical of mystery shopping promoters who:

Advertise for mystery shoppers in a newspaper’s ‘help wanted’ section or by email. While it may appear as if these companies are hiring mystery shoppers, it’s much more likely that they’re pitching unnecessary — and possibly bogus — mystery shopping “services.”
Sell “certification.” Companies that use mystery shoppers generally do not require certification.
Guarantee a job as a mystery shopper.
Charge a fee for access to mystery shopping opportunities.
Sell directories of companies that provide mystery shoppers.

If you think you have encountered a mystery shopping scam, file a complaint with your local consumer protection agency, the Better Business Bureau, your State Attorney General, or the FTC (ftc.gov).

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

Greetings!

Jennifer — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 18:33:11 +0000

I thought that I would start out by introducing myself and letting everyone know why I started this page. I am a stay at home mother of 2 year old triplets and a 1 year old. Five years of infertility to have our triplets then surprise!…suddenly I’m fertile mertyl! Ever though I love my children more than life itself, I was definitely not prepared for that life changes that came with having four children so close in age. Image the quantities of diapers, formula, food, clothing, etc! We are still going through 15 diapers a day. Then add on top of that having three preemies who needed various therapies at home to get them caught up developmentally, and my family’s financial dynamics changed drastically. There is absolutely no way I could work out of the home any longer (and still can’t) so we dropped down to one income, but yet our bills had tripled. I knew I had to do something to bring in income from home, and that is where my journey began.This page is results a several years of searching endlessly for something I could do from home, either a telecommuting job, or starting my own online business, to even filling out surveys. I was desperate for anything. Unfortunately, the majority of the jobs I saw listed turned out the be scams, the majority of books I bought were useless, and every get rich pitch just ended me up more in the hole from forking out money time and time again for information that got me absolutely no where.

For all the people out there who are in the same position, and for whatever reason want or need to work from home, this page is for you!

I don’t guarantee anything. I don’t guarantee that the advice here will make you rich (although it is possible), and I don’t know if what works for me will work for you, but I do hope that my mistakes and learning process can help someone out there in some way. I am continuously researching new opportunities to make money from home, and I will continue to discuss what I have discovered here. I have managed to make my family more comfortable and I hope you will be able to as well.

Good luck and let’s all make some money!

Google Rocks!

Jennifer — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 06:28:59 +0000

I have to say that I love Google. It’s my homepage, and if I need information about anything it’s where I turn. My husband jokes that I would die without Google in my life.

The newest and greatest thing to come out of google is their Google AdSense. They have allowed a way for anyone with a website or blog to add relevant content to their site and to get paid for doing so. It’s a great way to get more information out there and for the average person who want to earn a little extra money it is an easy way to do so.

Very easy steps to get going:

Sign up for a free blog. I use wordpress and it has been great. Then start talking about anything that you think other people would be interested in. You would be surprised at the simplest ideas that can create a very active blog. You also need to customize the look and feel of your blog to make them your own. Here are a few a great places to find some free templates and information on how to install them.

BloggingThemes

WordPress Themes

SmashingMagazine

Then link to your favorite sites, blog away, and watch your traffic meter rise. Once you have some traffic, submit your site to Google’s AdSense and begin making money.

Paid Surveys

Jennifer — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 23:40:36 +0000

I have signed up for many paid survey sites, and have found that most are a lot of work for little, if any money. Most promise a lot, but usually you have to work up tons of points to redeem cash or goods. There are a few that pay decent, but they are few and far between. Here is a link to an excellent article that reviews paid survey sites and give information on how to avoid the ones that are purely out to scam you.

Click here for an article reviewing paid surveys