Is is really possible to earn a bit of extra cash as a mystery shopper?

[lissieloucifer]

I have an extremely painful and unreliable condition that flares up at the most inconvenient times. As a result I am unable to work fulltime and am far from an ideal employee, due to the amount of time I spend writhing in bed.

However, I really hate the fact that at 32 I feel like Im on the scrapheap. my job pre-ds was as a restaurant/bar manager. I was bloody good at it too and am the worst person to go out with because I notice every little thing. after ds was born I worked in retail and was often subjected to mystery shops, for which I got 100%. I think I would be pretty damn good at it, and it would be flexible. however, Im worried that its a bit like stuffing envelopes, sounds like a good deal, but in reality is a bit of a scam. anyone do it?

I did mystery shopping for a while after having DD2 - it was more finance, banking and restaurants than shopping. The conditions were terribly restrictive IMO - for eg I had to sign up to visit a certain pizza restaurant between certain times on certain days, or go to a bank and ask about applying for mortgages or loans. Not easy when you have small children.

I only earned a tenner here and there, it's certainly not regular cash.

Honestly?
Depending on where you live, it's pretty rubbish money, and you end up trawling round a lot. You do also have to sign up to be in places at a set time - not maybe ideal for your condition...
But nothing to stop you having a little go - it's very much a short term thing, so you can sign up to a couple and see how you get on :-)

ah, its just that there arent many things i can physically do, especially if im having a flare up. and something as simple as filling the kettle can start one.

You got 100% every time when you were mystery shopped?

yep am a stickler for the rules and was always a pretty strict manager.

I have done it but it was an awful lot of work for the odd tenner. You had to go and apply for a mortgage or go shopping in Asda and then fill out quite a lenghty questionnaire.

I didn't do it again as I didn't think it was worth all the effort...also recently I found that as soon as a job came up it wasn't available anymore as they are so many people now doing it!

ok, thank you. i'll look for something else then

I think they ask for too much work, for too little money..

I signed up for a couple of companies and to be honest, like posters have mentioned before me, didn't think it was worth my time and effort in the end..

I have done some - used to do quite a few in banks but haven't had any of those for ages. The best one was where I had to open a basic account and got given £45 for it.

Did a buying painkillers one and a test driving a bicycle one recently, but they only gave me £5. Keep being told about one I could do in a nightclub but am rather about that one