2008 Educational Conference for Shoppers--Our 5-Year Anniversary!

5th Annual Educational Conference for Shoppers
Friday, July 18 - Sunday, July 20, 2008
Pittsburgh, PA
Westin Hotel
Guest Room Rate: $119
Save $50.00 by registering on or before June 18th!
Go to http://www.mysteryshop.org/shoppers for more information.

The Mystery Shopping Providers Association has alerted its members of a potential scam. In response to that, we in turn are alerting our shoppers accordingly. You may visit the MSPA website at www.mysteryshop.org.

Shopper’s Critique rarely, if ever, conducts mystery shops involving check cashing or money transfers. We never ask shoppers to send us money for any reason. If someone posing as a representative of Shopper’s Critique ever contacts you with a cashier's check they would like to send you to have cashed, call us before you try to cash the check...it is a scam!

Click on the following link for more information: http://www.mysteryshop.org/news/article_pr.php?art_ID=73

DALLAS, Feb. 22, 2008 – The Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA), the largest professional trade association dedicated to improving service quality using anonymous resources, applauds the recent actions by the Competition Bureau and Toronto Strategic Partnership surrounding a mystery shopping check scam.

In a Feb. 21 news release, the Competition Bureau in Canada announced that it, along with law enforcement partners with the Toronto Strategic Partnership, arrested two alleged operators of a mystery shopping check scam.

In the mystery shopping version of the scam, consumers were asked to cash a cashier’s check and wire the money back to a specified address, while conducting a brief evaluation of the wiring service. In some cases, they were also asked to conduct evaluations of other retailers. The “reward” to consumers was keeping a portion of the original check as payment. In reality, the check bounced several days later and the consumer was held liable for the entire amount of the money wired to the international address – typically between $1,000 and $5,000.

Since the MSPA first learned of the scam in late 2005, it has made contact with the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Competition Bureau and Phonebusters, all of which were involved in the cross-border partnership that searched for the scammers.

The MSPA also took steps to warn consumers about this scam, including posting information on its Web site, issuing information to the media and asking its members to alert mystery shoppers. In addition, the MSPA worked with dozens of consumers who were victims or intended victims of the scam and urged them to contact the appropriate authorities.

The MSPA requires its more than 275 member companies around the globe to follow a strict code of ethics that prohibits them from charging mystery shoppers a fee or misleading applicants on actual mystery shopping assignment opportunities.

“As the voice of the legitimate mystery shopping industry, the MSPA has taken very seriously the tasks of working with officials to combat mystery shopping-related scams and warning consumers about them,” said John Swinburn, Executive Director, MSPA. “We are committed to maintaining the integrity of legitimate mystery shopping providers who offer quality mystery shopping services to thousands of businesses. In this particular case, a variant of a scam that has been in existence for many, many years was hatched to take advantage of the allure of mystery shopping. Even though it was not truly a mystery shopping scam, it threatened the image of the industry, so we were extremely anxious to put an end to it.”

Several of the MSPA’s members have also been victimized by the check-cashing scam. Their company names were falsely used, making the scam checks appear to come from a legitimate source.

We have built a new resource center for certified shoppers! Here, you can manage your certification account or use our new tools accomplish tasks such as creating your own personalized invoices to send to mystery shopping companies. Soon you will be able to create personalized business cards as well!

To login, go to http://www.mysteryshop.org/shoppers

You can search other mystery shopping company jobs at the following link:

http://www.jobslinger.com/mspa/exec/sfs/jobboard

The MSPA recognizes that Mystery Shopping is a profession, not just a hobby. As in the case of other professions we believe that a means of addressing shopper standardization, education and certification is necessary. In response to this need, we have developed this on-line Silver Certification program and a more in-depth Gold Certificate program to be offered in person. Companies are always looking to hire the best and brightest, and this certification is one method of setting you apart from the crowd.

For more information go to General Certification Questions.

Silver Certification

The Online Silver Certification Course has been in existence since 2003 and has certified over 50,000 shoppers since that time. The MSPA has responded to the comments and suggestions from many shoppers and shopping companies to make the course more extensive and educational, and in doing so have expanded it greatly. The MSPA is proud to offer our new and educationally improved 2007 Online Silver Certification course to every shopper seeking to be the best in their chosen field.

This is the first step in a two-step process. The Silver Certification consists of a $15 online test. If you pass this test, you will be given a confirmation number. You will be able to use your e-mail address and this confirmation number to sign up for Gold Certification conferences. Click the following link to proceed to online Silver Certification: http://www.mysteryshop.org/shoppers/silver.php

Gold Certification

In 2002, the MSPA debuted our first ever Gold Certification Workshop. This workshop was very successful and proved to be in high demand from both shoppers and Mystery Shopping companies alike. In 2003, we took the in-person workshop nationwide with an aggressive schedule of visiting 23 cities across the US.

For 2007, we will be visiting more than 30 cities across the US and will be hosting our 4th Annual MSPA Educational Conference For Shoppers in Grapevine, Texas (near Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport) in July.

You will experience many opportunities to learn, share and develop your business during our Gold Certification workshops. Another highlight of most Gold Workshops will be meeting Mystery Shopping company owners and/or staff members in the cities where they are based.

Gold Certification tells companies who want to hire you that you have been trained in the essentials of mystery shopping and you have agreed to uphold professional standards and ethics. You can obtain Gold Certification only by completing one of our in person workshops. Gold Certification demonstrates you've taken the time and made the effort to study and become an expert mystery shopper.

The Gold Certification Workshop will include 7 hours of classroom time and a one hour lunch and will cost $99 per attendee. Refreshment breaks will be included, and LUNCH WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE PRICE OF YOUR WORKSHOP!

You cannot sign up for a Gold Certification Workshop unless you are Silver Certified, however, you may view the locations Gold Certification workshops by clicking the following link: http://www.mysteryshop.org/shoppers/gold.php#dates

Please check into the new MSPA Gold Certification DVD.

Current Nevada law states that you MUST be an employee of a Private Investigator if you are going to perform shops in Nevada. It is illegal for you to perform mystery shops as an independent contractor. Mystery Shopping Companies and Shoppers caught shopping illegally face fines of $2500 per instance and more. While we still encourage you to educate yourself by completing the MSPA certifications, we want to make sure you are operating legally, as well.

Need help with your PC? Discounted Tech Support for Shoppers!

The MSPA has partnered with a nationwide computer support company that can help you get your computer, gadgets, email and home network back under control. The best part? You'll never have to leave your house, unplug your computer or cart that heavy box to a repair shop.

http://www.mysteryshop.org/shoppers/fixmypc.php