Source of the picture  – https://www.facebook.com/mspa.europe.africa/

Today mystery shopping is a huge sphere, the main mission of which is to improve the quality of service in various establishments. Mystery shopper job is an interesting and fascinating activity. But with the growth of the industry, mystery shopping has become the subject of fraud. Recently, rise in the number of illegal companies that deceive mystery shoppers, using various schemes and means to contact their victims (telephone, mail, social networks). At first, they gain trust, ask for money, take them away and after this they disappear, that’s it. They constantly develop and change the schemes by which they try to lure their new victims.

Scammers use different ways and platforms to find people: websites for free ads, posting fake ads, send letters by mail with fictitious job offers, and also they pose as  representatives of fake credit companies, using fake documents, emails or websites that look plausible at first glance.
Hundreds of people are victims of fraud every year. You have to be extremely careful when choosing job offers in mystery shopping, as a mistake can lead to the loss of your money.
It is necessary to be carefully when choosing a mystery shopping company.
Avoid companies that require payment in order to become a mystery shopper. Remember that you do not need to pay anything to get a job. On the contrary, you earn money.

But the most important difference, showing the high level of mystery shopper company, is membership in MSPA
MSPA is a representative association of companies providing mystery shopping services. Activities of the association are carried out around the world, in different regions. The companies-members of the association are united into one in order to strengthen the mystery shopping industry, thanks to joint efforts.
The main objectives and tasks of the MSPA are setting the basic professional standards, as well as the ethics for the mystery shopping sphere, to train providers, customers and shoppers to improve the quality of service and improve the industry through public relations and behavior.

Being a member of MSPA is a great value for the mystery shopping company. Be in the list of companies-members means that the company has several criteria that are fundamentally important for MSPA:

  • a reputation for excellence in operation;
  • agreement to observe and to apply the  MSPA Code of Professional Ethics and the MSPA Code of Professional Standards;
  • provide an official confirmation of the business existence  (articles of incorporation, insurance records or business license).

Members of the association are obliged to abide the Code of Professional Ethics, as well as to operate according to the developed and accepted a set of Guidelines, which helps to increase the level of service in the sphere of mystery shopping.

Membership in the association is a guarantee for clients and mystery shoppers that they will be dealt ethically, transparently and honestly.
In the past few years, there are a lot of companies, requiring payment from mystery shoppers for apply the applications for access to their websites. In most cases, payment entitles you to access the websites of other mystery shopping companies. Therefore, remember that MSPA members do not require such a payment. It is forbidden.

On the official website of the association you will be able to find a list of MSPA members to be sure about the choice of provider.