Do you, or have you ever worked for GAPbuster as a mystery shopper?
Just wondering if they are a reliable company to work for? How does it work with purchasing items? Do they pay you in advance to purchase items? How long does each ‘assignment’ take?
I know they answer this on the site, but I would like to hear from somebody who has real experience. Also, it says the average payment is $9-$16; does it often get any higher or lower than this? Thanks heaps!!
I am a registered mystery shopper for a number of different mystery shopper companies in Australia. Gapbuster is so rigorous in its pre-shop testing surveys, that you have to read a package for each of its major clients (ie, Australia Post, McDonalds) and then if you don’t get 100% accuracy in the on-line “test” you cannot accept a job for those particular clients.
I consider myself to be reasonably intelligent, but have never managed to pass the exam because the questions are either badly written or ambiguous. I gave GAPBuster the big flick!
I prefer CBS, and have done more than 300 mystery shops for them since the start of the year. The income is not great, but you are are sent an email, telling you to check your job availablity on their website and then have the option of accepting or not. The jobs will be in areas that correspond to postcodes you have told them that you are available to work in.
Sometimes, you are required to make a purchase; sometimes you are just required to visit and collect a business card; sometimes it can be making a phone call and asking a number of questions and getting a name. If you are required to make a purchase (for example if you shop at a supermarket) then you are required to use your own money, and that amount is NOT refunded. You are paid the total cost of the shop, which generally means that any purchases you make, you are simply getting for free. Payment is usually made by direct deposit in the second Friday of the month following the month in which you made the mystery shop.
Each assignment takes about 30 minutes at the shop and then another 15 minutes entering the results on-line the same day as you do the shop. You must be able to scan and submit the receipt or business card and send it on-line as well. CBS pays between $12 and $25 per shop. Their customer support is fantastic and my pay is always in my bank account as promised. I make around $100 – $250 a month ($100 of which covers the cost of the groceries I have to buy and submit receipts for, but they are always things that I would have purchased anyway).