Today, I'm talking about something you may have never thought of... eating out for FREE! For about 10 years now, I have been a Mystery Shopper. You may have seen emails about this or a small ad in the newspaper about shopping or eating out for free. I'm here to tell you that it does exist, and it is real!
So what exactly is Mystery Shopping? There are hundreds of online companies that hire customers to write about an experience at a retailer or restaurant. Sometimes you are simply reimbursed for the meal(s) you bought. Sometimes you receive just a few dollars for a shop that doesn't require you to make a purchase. Sometimes you get both a fee (taxable) and a reimbursement (not taxable). All you have to do is complete a report describing the experience. That's it.
I have had SO many different shops over the years in SO many different industries. I have eaten at every type of restaurant from Taco Bell on up to The American Restaurant. I have taken pictures of toilets at convenience stores. Yes, that's true! I don't really do many of the shops requiring photos anymore, but with the fact that everyone pretty much has a camera on their phone - it's really easy to do! I used to use a tiny camera that fits in the palm of your hand - about the size of a package of gum. I have loads of funny stories about other customers reacting to seeing the camera. Very rarely did a store employee ever see this, but it happens occassionally.
Other types of shops I've completed are test drives at auto dealerships, hotel shops (where you stay overnight and review all the employees in different areas of the hotel), casinos (yes, I've gotten money to gamble with), automotive services (free oil change, car washes, etc.), bowling, movie theatres, and jewelry stores. I've shopped at Home Depot, Joann's Fabrics, Target, Walmart, JJill, Coach, KCI Airport, The US Post Office, Bed Bath & Beyond, Walgreens, and Harley Davidson. You name it, I've probably at LEAST shopped in the industry! It's been really fun, and I see no reason to really stop. At one point, I was registered with about 50 different companies, but now I'm concentrating mostly on the higher end shops. Having said that, I just did a shop at Taco Bell last week and have regularly eaten at Sonic.
You can't get rich on this type of employment (actually you act as an Independent Contractor), but you absolutely can eat out regularly for FREE! Most companies will require you to pay for the meal and then reimburse you. Most use PayPal to get you your money. Some use direct deposit, while others send you a check. I have NEVER, once, had ANY problems getting paid. It's easier once you have been with a company for awhile, because you start getting paid regularly and it doesn't feel like you're putting out money up front anymore. Sometimes the reports can be a bit "hairy" - I'd suggest starting with shops on the low end so you don't have a high-end restaurant report denied. I think maybe once in my 10 years I've had a shop completely rejected, but fortunately it wasn't one where I had to purchase anything, so I was just out for my time.
I hope this has been interesting to you - it's been fun for me and I'm off to The Capitale Grill on the Plaza for dinner... with a $150 budget! If you want to know more about the companies I work for, just email me at ShrnLT8-blog@yahoo.com. I'll hook you up.
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