We follow the spirit of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association code of professional standards and ethics: shoppers are honest, do not entrap, and report facts. We are not an MSPA member or certified provider yet, and we say so on purpose (see GAPS in the launch docs).
The most common mystery shopping scam is a fake cashier's check that a "client" asks you to deposit and wire back. We do not do that. We never send a shopper a check to cash, never ask for money up front, never charge fees to join or to receive assignments, and never ask for a bank account number on an application. If anyone using our name does, it is a scam: stop and tell us.
Every shop needs photo, receipt and time proof where the checklist asks for it. Consented location is recorded only if the shopper says yes. A reviewer checks duplicates, impossible timing, receipt mismatches and missing proof before a score counts. High-severity flags block approval until a reviewer records a reason.
Audio notes are off by default. Federal law allows recording with one party's consent, but many states require every party to consent. We treat these as all-party states and keep audio hard off there: CA, CT, DE, FL, IL, MD, MA, MI, MT, NV, NH, OR, PA, WA. Where audio is available at all, it is only the shopper's own voice memo recorded after leaving the location. Shoppers never record employees or customers. This is a conservative policy and not legal advice.
These audits check whether a clerk asks for ID. We use adults aged 21 or older, verified by our vetting step, who present their own valid ID. We never use minors, fake IDs or another person's ID. If the clerk refuses the sale, the shopper stops and reports it. Clients must confirm the location sells age-restricted products. Results go to the client for training and policy. They are not sent to any regulator by us.
Shop results are for coaching and process improvement. We recommend clients tell employees that mystery shops happen, and we do not let shoppers collect employee personal details beyond what is on a name tag.
If a client describes its target customer, we use shopper attributes the shopper volunteered to rank candidates by fit. We do not use this to exclude anyone from work in general.
Apply to be a shopper or contact us with questions.