Why is there a fee?
This website started out as a simple information site for mystery shoppers and companies. It has quickly grown into what it is today by the high demand of companies needing mystery shoppers and people that have been interested in mystery shopping but never knew who to contact or how to get started.

It also helps established shoppers get in contact with more companies and to secure more than just a few jobs every couple of months.

The are a few reasons for the fee. The first is to weed out people wanting freebies.

The companies who use shoppers from this site trust that they will complete shops in a correct and timely manner. They do not have time to have shops done over and over again because of incomplete shops performed by those who are only in it for the free merchandise and easy money. A rescheduled shop puts a financial and scheduling strain on the overall continuity of business operations.

The second reason is that we cannot run this site with out some kind of revenue to offset our administrative, webhosting and password management system. There is also a great deal of time involved.

And last, our goal is to provide shoppers with a gateway so they can get a jumpstart to becoming a mystery shopper. We feel that the small sign up fee will pay for itself with just one or two jobs. Plus, companies will hire a shopper over and over again if the shopper does a good job. Because of this we feel that the small sign up fee is a fair amount.

I mailed in a sign-up form along with my payment, but, I haven't heard anything from you guys yet?
We reply to each mail in sign-up form by e-mail. If you have not received anything then you may have forgot to include your e-mail address or you gave us the wrong e-mail by an unintentional spelling error. Please e-mail the webmaster@usashopfirm.net for any problems concerning mail in sign-up forms.

How/when do I get paid?
After you complete a shop and submit your shoppers report you will receive a check in the mail in 15 days or 30 days depending on the company.

Are we paid from the stores directly?
No, your checks will come from the company that is managing the shop.

Who contacts us about a shopping assignment?
When you are asked to do a shop you will be contacted by someone called a scheduler. They will tell you every detail about the shop.

Do we use our own money upfront when we go shopping?
Yes. You will use your own money up front and will then be reimbursed after you submit your shoppers report.

How much are we allowed to spend?
It varies from shop to shop.

How are we contacted for shops?
In most cases you will be e-mailed information about a shop.

Is it required that you actually buy something?
Every shop is different. For some shops you will be required to buy something and for others you will not.

Are we told what to buy or can we buy whatever we want?
For some shops, yes, you can buy what you want. Then for others you will be required to buy what was listed in the instructions for the shop.

How are taxes taken out?
As mystery shopper you will be an independent contractor. You will be responsible for reporting all income.

Is this a scam?
No, this is not a scam. Mystery Shopping is a real job and it is done all over the world.

How often do I have to work?
This is the great thing about being a mystery shopper. You are your own boss you only have to do shopping assignments when you want. There is no minimum and no maximum.

How do you keep track of the hours?
The majority of all shops will take only thirty minutes to one hour to complete. You are actually paid per shop. Therefore, if you are paid $25 to do a shop and it only takes you 30 minutes to do the shop you are actually being paid $50/hour.

Are there mystery shopping opportunities in Canada?
Yes, there are mystery shopping opportunities in Canada.

Do I have to travel far distances?
You only have to travel as far as you want. Many times when you are asked to travel far distances you will be compensated for the extra time and mileage. If you are offered a shop and it is to far to travel or the extra travel compensation is not enough you do not have to do the shop.

How many jobs are in my area?
The amount of jobs that need to be done varies from time to time. This is a dynamic figure so there is no way to put a number on how many jobs are available at any one moment.

Can you guarantee that I will get an assignment?
Mystery shopping is done all over the US and Canada, in practically every city and town you can imagine. However, if a person signs up and then doesn't use the website at all or only puts forth a mediocre effort chances are they will probably not receive an assignment. Because we have no way of knowing who puts forth a full effort and who doesn't there is no way we can possibly give such a guarantee.

I may be moving soon do I have to pay again.
No, It doesn't matter how often you move. You can update your profile in our database as often as you wish. All you have to do is delete your old address and the locations you can shop, then enter your new address and new shopping locations.

Can I have a list of shops in my area that use mystery shoppers.
The only point in time when a mystery shopper knows the name of the company being shopped is when they have stated they can do the shop. For obvious reasons the shopper is then given the name of the business and the details of the assignment. The names of businesses that are actively using mystery shoppers is proprietary information.

Do I have to have my own computer?
No, you do not need your own computer. However you do need acces to one. Either the library's, a friend or family member. You will also need an e-mail address. You can use the e-mail address of the persons computer you are borrowing or you can get your own FREE e-mail address from www.yahoo.com or www.rocketmail.com

My credit card/online check will not go through or was declined. Now what?
Be sure the security settings in your browser are set to 3.0 and that you enter your information EXACTLY as it appears on your credit card/bank statement. If you are still unable to get through you can send your payment in by postal mail by clicking here.

I tried to sign up with my credit card/online check; when I hit "Secure Purchase" the screen went blank or turned red or turned blue. Now what?
This means that your transaction did not go through and you were not charged. You will need to re-submit your information. Enter your information EXACTLY the way it appears on your billing/bank statement. If you are still unable to get through you can send your payment in by postal mail by clicking here.

Did my credit card/online check transaction go through?
After you hit "Secure Purchase" if you did not see a screen the gives you a transaction number then your transaction did not go through. You will need to re-submit your information. Enter your information EXACTLY the way it appears on your billing/bank statement. If you are still unable to get through you can send your payment in by postal mail by clicking here.

What if I get charged twice (duplicate charges)?
Contact us and send us both transaction numbers and we will credit back one of the charges.

Can I use someone else's credit card/checking account to sign up?
Yes you may as long as you have their permission. When you pay through the secure server you will need to enter their information for payment. However, when you login to the shoppers website you will list yourself as the shopper.

If I use someone else's credit card/checking account to sign up how will you know that I'm the one that will be doing the shopping?
After you sign up and you login to the shoppers website; you will be prompted to set up your profile for the database. This form is where you will enter your name and information as the shopper .

When trying to pay online I got a message that says "the address information does not match your file". Now what?
Before any transaction goes through your address is cross checked against a national address verification system. If the information you enter does not match EXACTLY in every way to what is on your credit card/bank statement, the transaction will not go through. Enter your information EXACTLY the way it appears on your billing/bank statement. If you are still unable to get through you can send your payment in by postal mail by clicking here.

I have entered my payment information 100% EXACTLY to the way it appears on my credit card/bank statement and it still will not go through. Now what?
At this point you will need to send your payment in by postal mail by clicking here. To find out the exact reason your CC or online check did not go through you can send an e-mail to analyst@sharedglobal.com. Explain to them the situation and they will reply relatively quickly with an answer of why.

When trying to pay online I got a message that says "The decline limit has been reached". What does this mean?
When you try to pay online and the transaction gets declined a preset amount of times, the system will not let your card/check go through at all. You will have to try again 24 hours later.

I sent in my form by mail but I haven't received my username and password yet. When will I be receiving it?
If you have not received your username and password, then this means that we have not yet received your form or are in the process of setting up your password. As soon as we have you set up in the system we will e-mail you with this information.