Mystery Shopper

From time to time I participate in various surveys and test panels. This morning on my way home from work I heard an advertisement on the radio for becoming a mystery shopper. I would get paid to shop and report on different aspects of my shopping experience. So I called the number, 1(800) 299-0405, and I was signing up. The man explained to me that the shopping trips would last between 15 and 30 minutes, and would earn about 10-50 dollars each. After I gave some personal contact information, he went into his spiel. As he was going through his fast talk, he slipped in that there is a $99 annual membership fee. At that point I told him I wasn’t interested. I don’t like the idea of having to pay for membership, since there are no guarantees how many studies I will qualify for. I also didn’t appreciate him implying that I was cheap for not wanting to pay 27 cents a day to be able to do this. If it’s only 27 cents, why charge? This may be a perfectly legitimate deal, but I say, “Shopper Beware”.