Working as a mystery shopper—someone who rates quality and service for retailers as an incognito customer—can earn those with some spare time some decent spare cash, nothing to sniff at in this economy. A former mystery shopper at the Wise Bread blog points out, however, that there are a number of caveats that keep it out of the "Easy Money" pile, including the need to have, well, money:
Mystery shopping requires you to shop (in most cases.) Since they don’t mail you cash up front, it is your responsibility to be able to cover your purchases for the shop. It also takes between 30 and 90 days to get reimbursed. If you can’t spare this money, this may not be the job for you.
Having said that, the author still says it can work for those who would enjoy shopping regardless of reimbursement. Got your own mystery shopper mini-memoir? Share your experience in the comments. Photo by Clean Wal-Mart. 8 Truths from a Mystery Shopper You Must Read Before you Get Started [Wise Bread]


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