INDEPENDENT CONTACTOR QUESTIONS
GENERAL
1. What mystery shopping is and is not
2. How do I reset my password?
3. How do I change my personal information?
4. I recently received an e-mail/text asking me if I want to be a mystery shopper. Is this a scam?
5. How do I get an assignment?
6. Shopping in Nevada
CERTIFICATIONS – All Certifications and Pricing available here.
1. Is certification required?
2. Am I guaranteed more opportunities or higher pay if I am certified?
3. How do I find my certification number?
4. I have always been told, “Do not pay to shop.” Why is this different?
5. What if I fail?
6. Are the certification courses expenses tax deductible?
7. Once I am certified, how do I notify the companies?
GENERAL
2. How do I reset my password?
When you attempt to log in, click on “Forgot your password? Click Here” and then enter your login ID which is your e-mail address. A link will be sent to your e-mail to reset your password. If you don’t see it shortly, be sure to check their spam/junk folder for this e-mail.
3. How do I change my personal information?
Click the “Edit My Information” link from your Member Profile. From there, you will have the ability to update your profile.
4. I recently received an e-mail/text asking me if I want to be a mystery shopper. Is this a scam?
By signing up for an independent contractor membership with MSPA Americas, you are not registering to be a mystery shopper. You must still register with mystery shopping provider companies to be a mystery shopper. MSPA Americas does not hire shoppers directly. We connect you with our member companies who can post assignments online and we offer certification to increase your potential as a mystery shopper.
If you have received checks or communication recently concerning conducting a mystery shop for which you purchase products and send them to a specified address or wire money from checks that were sent to you in the mail, it is a scam and we strongly suggest that you do not waste your own time and money carrying out the illegitimate assignment. We also share scams that we hear about at https://www.mspa-americas.org/scam-alerts/.
You will also not receive solicitous emails requesting personal information or promising payment for jobs that have not yet been completed. For a listing of all of the member companies, go to www.mspa-americas.org/member-companies. If you have received correspondence from a company that does not appear on this listing, please proceed with caution as we are not affiliated with this company and do not have information concerning their business practices. If you’ve received correspondence from someone that seems like it could be a scam and they are claiming to be affiliated with a member company, further research the person’s email domain and the member company’s website.
5. How do I get an assignment?
MSPA Americas does not hire independent contractors directly. We connect you with our member companies who can post assignments online. We offer certification to increase your skills but you do not need to be certified or an independent contractor member of MSPA Americas to get assignments. You can also search our member companies and search for assignments by visiting the Independent Contractor Tool Box section of the website and click on the Opportunity Board link. By joining the independent contractor membership of MSPA Americas, you are not registering with a company. You must still register with companies to get assignments.
6. Shopping in Nevada
ATTENTION NEVADA SHOPPERS! – 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 $2,500 per instance and more. While we still encourage you to educate yourself by completing the MSPA Americas certifications, we want to make sure you are operating legally as well. Current MSPA Americas members that are licensed to shop in Nevada can be found by clicking this link.
We encourage you to contact these companies and let them know about your certification status.
CERTIFICATIONS
No. MSPA represents more than 400 mystery shopping companies worldwide. We do not know of any company who will not hire you (assuming you are qualified) if you are not certified. However, each company has the right to do as they see fit. If you are a good shopper for a good company, the MSPA does not see you losing shops because you are not certified. However, it may help you get your foot in the door with other companies and expand your business.
3. How do I find my certification number?
MSPA no longer uses individual certification numbers. Instead, we are creating a system that will recognize all of your certifications tied to your MSPA Account Number. This system creation is still in-progress and all IC members will be notified when it is online. In the meantime, all MSPA member companies can see and validate your earned certifications by searching your account in the IC Database.
When completing a certification, please allow up to one business day for your certification to post to your MSPA profile.