Mystery shopping (also referred to as “secret” shopping) is about getting paid for “pretending” to be a customer.

Retailers pay you to buy something from them to evaluate the quality of service in their stores.

You are thus an undercover reviewer who is assigned to make a particular purchase in a store or restaurant and then report on the experience.

But how far can it go? How weird cases may you come across when trying various secret shopping tasks?

This post looks at 3 really weird mystery shopping assignments.

1. “Mystery patients” of psychiatric ward

Three observers got themselves admitted as patients to a locked psychiatric ward to investigate conditions inside. They were professional actors who had an extensive back story, and the supposed family members who visited them.

The undercover patients developed their fictive biographies in months of meetings with an acting coach and a psychotherapist, rehersals and various trainings.

This case also encouraged TV producers to explore the potential in mystery shopping for reality television.

2. “Mystery worshippers”

The 13 inspectors were hired to find out how British churches could meet people’s needs.

The study was organized by the Christian Research Association and the results were very encouraging. Churches in Telford and Oswestry (UK) scored between 90 and 100% in tests.

According to the Christian Research Association representative, “Most of our mystery worshippers were genuinely surprised by the warmth of their experience in church and some were even keen to go back for more.”

3. Extreme mystery shopper

Sometimes mystery shoppers take the task too seriously. For example, one extreme mystery shopper “floods flats and crashes cars for a living”.

For example, to test a car insurance company he buys a car, insures it, then deliberately crashes it against a tree stump. Would you agree to an assignment like that?

Bonus: Mystery Evaluators of your Daily Life

Sensors Quality Management (SQM), a Canadian mystery shopping company, has published a series of videos called “Thankfully Only For Business”. The videos show what might happen if mystery shoppers were hired to evaluate your daily life.

The secret shoppers in the videos are to evaluate people in the shower, in the gym, on a date:

Post img by LittleMissCupcakeParis

We love good old humor, we love getting a hold of extra-ordinary things and we love collecting themes staff.

But sometimes things are too extra-ordinary, the “theme” is too gross and the humor is too gross?

Or is ut just me?

1. Utera Maxima Toy

The huge stuffed toy or a pillow is done in the form of female uterus. It can be “unstuffed” if you want to save on delivery:

Source

2. Plush Uterus

Very similar to the above, this one very much a plush toy. In fact, I am sure many kids love it: it’s pink and soft and they don’t need to know what it was inspired by (they won’t get it anyway)

Source

3. Breast Pillow

Two identical pillows in the form of woman’s breast “with rose pink areolas”. These pillows are very large – 14″ high and across. They are made of cozy, 100% cotton flannel.

4. Vagina Pillow

This 16″x15″ pillow is “soft, warm, and fuzzy” just like the part of the body used for inspiration.

5. Utera T-Shirt

This T-shirt says, “The Internet. The Series of Tubes” but seriously, who would wear that?

Source

6. Boobie Scarf

Now this one looks almost cute but where is this fashion bringing us?

7. Handcrafted Uterus Earrings

Are you ever in the mood to wear your uterus boldly on your ears? Then grab those earrings:

Source

8. Uterus Cake

On what occasion would one want such a cake on his table?

Source

9. Porcelain Uterus Vase

A limited edition vase styled like uterus might look stylish with orchids in it:

Source

10. Uterus Cup Pouch

This couls be a cool pouch for the phone if that were not uterus:

One of the best things we now have due to the Internet is the ease with which we can research anything, including any shopping-related questions.

There is no reason to ask all your friends and relatives for advice: all you need is sit in front of your computer and find if your question has been asked already (or, if not, ask it yourself and get plenty of replies from real people and experts).

This is why Q&A sites are so popular: they connect you to people who know how to solve your problem.

This post looks at 15 Q&A sites that answer shopping- and saving-related questions:

1. AnswerBag/ Shopping

• Shopping thesaurus terms and definitions
• Shopping images;
• Shopping blogs by members;
• Shopping Tweets;

2. Wiki Answers/ Shopping

• Wiki style (each question and answer can be edited and discussed)
• Each contributor has a popularity and trust score

3. Yahoo Answer/ Shopping

• See top Answerers in Yahoo! Shopping
• See open or resolved questions;

4. Askville/ Shopping: created by Amazon, Askville has a very strong shopping focus and unites very knowledgeable shoppers. Generally you’ll find the site very similar to Yahoo! Answers.

5. Fluther / shopping

• A huge variety of shopping related tags to browse: food, deals, price, gifts, etc;
• Fluther learns the type of questions you like to answer as you use the site and directs more relevant queries your way.

6. Grupthink/ Shopping

• “Open-ended topics”: answers form lists, e.g. Weird names of products
• Thumbnail photos and comments on each answer

7. Dizzay/ Finance

• A forum-like interface;
• The site has a few useful features but is generally stuffed with ads (and sometimes spam)

8. CashMoneyCommons

• A money-saving community;
• Every question and answer can be voted up or down

9. Guruza / Shopping

• Rather basic and limited in features
• Allows experts to earn money by asking the questions/

10. FunAdvice / shopping

• Shopping related photos;
• Shopping groups.

11. Fixya: a tech related shopping community discussing gadgets and computer hardware:

• Each member can have expertise in certain products and/or brands;
• You can ask a general question or a direct question to the expert that best fits your needs.

12. Ask.MetaFilter/ Shopping: a very basic and simply implemented q&a site (much like forum) with very useful and detailed advice given.

13. MothersClick / Fashion and Beauty

• Community by and for moms;
• Very detailed and useful answers for any question

14. Mamapedia / money

• Community by and for moms;
• Interesting discussions on a variety of money-related topics: budgeting, kids and money, saving, etc

15. IMshopping

• Earn money by answering shopping questions;
• See related products;
• Vote answers up and down:

Today you can find anything using a search engine; however to be able to use the full potential of the search engine you need to know various tips and tricks.

This post looks at most useful search shortcuts for Google, Bing and Yahoo to find what you need quickly and efficiently.

Note: a search shortcut is a set search commands (pre-defined combination of characters / words) allowing to see relevant information snapshot.

Google search shortcuts for shopping:

1. Find a product within the specified price range: use … operator: {laptop $400…$600}

2. Product overall pricing: search for the product name, e.g. {mp3 player}

3. Convert currencies: plenty of patterns are supported, for example just type {50CAD in USD} and hit the search button and you get the answer instantly!

4. Use Google as a calculator: for example, to calculate total including a discount: {25% of 39}

5. Find any store on the map: just drop the address in the search box:

6. Get the selection of stores for any product: search for your [product] + city and (optionally) street:

7. Track package delivery: just search for your shipping tracking number:

Yahoo! search shortcuts for shopping:

8. Product reviews : search for the product name, e.g. {mp3 player}

9. Look for coupon codes: search for [coupon code + seller's name]:

10. Convert currencies: this one is very similar to Google’s shortcut, so you may use any:

11. Use Yahoo! as a calculator (also very similar to Google): for example, to calculate total including a discount: {25% of 39}

12. Find any store on the map: just drop the address in the search box:

Bing search shortcuts for shopping:

13. Get product pricing, specifications, brands : {mp3 player}

14. Use Bing as currency converter: just like Google and Yahoo!

15. Use Bing as a calculator: just like Google and Yahoo!

16. Get the selection of stores for any product: search for your [product] + city and (optionally) street:

Post img by Scott McLeod

Let’s face it, we are never satisfied with our salary. No matter how much more we earn, we think it is high enough for a month or two; then we start thinking we are worth more.

This is natural and most people will agree with that, I think.

But it is hardly possible that every time we think we are worth a higher salary, we will be paid more.

So this post is meant to satisfy your appetite for some time – 3 fun things about your salary:

1. You earn MUCH more than most people in the world

Yes, no matter what you may think, your salary is really high when compared to many people around the world. You don’t think so, do you?

Then try this tool that shows how rich you are:

How rich are you?

All you need is to provide your current annual salary, choose the currency and hit button “Show me the money!”

After that you should feel much richer about yourself than you used to. Now, here are some ideas for you to spend that extra money that you appear to have:

• $8 could buy you 15 organic apples OR 25 fruit trees for farmers in Honduras to grow and sell fruit at their local market.
• $30 could buy you an ER DVD Boxset OR a First Aid kit for a village in Haiti.
• $73 could buy you a new mobile phone OR a new mobile health clinic to care for AIDS orphans in Uganda.
• $2400 could buy you a second generation High Definition TV OR schooling for an entire generation of school children in an Angolan village.

Note: the number stops updating at an annual salary of $200,001. Meaning that you can play around with higher numbers, but they’ll all say the same thing after that point.

2. Do you dream to become a millionaire? You are closer than you think!

How many of us think of one million dollars as of some crucial, yet unachievable aim. Now, this tool will show you that you are closer to that dream than you think:

When will you be a millionaire?

Provide the details:

• How much you have;
• How much you plan to save pre year or per month;
• Your federal rate;
• Your state rate;
• Some tax and growth details;
• Hit “Calculate” and you are done!

Now you can go plan how you can spend that million!

3. What was your salary worth 50 years ago?

If you are still not convinced that you are rich, go find out how much people in the same position as you earned 50 years ago:

This article (based on data from Marketing Worth’s calculator) lists 25 contemporary jobs and their current salaries* compared with their monetary equivalent 50 years ago:

You can find your job there or use the calculator to estimate your current salary (current data is only available till 2008):

Looks like with the current salary you would have been really rich 50 years ago! Now let’s just wait for scientists to invent a time machine.

Today’s consumer is smarter than ever before. With the mercurial nature of this economy, everyone is on the lookout for the best deals around. Thankfully, there are several websites that make it easy to get a bargain. With these 9 website for bargain hunters, you can feel confident that you’re getting the best deal with just a few short minutes of shopping.

1. FatWallet—The website for savvy consumers, FatWallet.com helps you find all of the latest deals and coupons from thousands of different retailers. You can often find leaked ads for sales that haven’t even been published yet. This really comes in handy when you’re trying to prepare for grabbing up the best Black Friday deals before everyone else.
2. Woot—The concept of Woot is simple: One great deal each day. These deals are typically for electronics, but there are other Woot websites where you can find daily deals on wine, T-shirts, and other products.
3. Slickdeals—Slickdeals.net is a community-driven website that publishes all of the latest deals from hundreds of different retailers. From promo codes to price comparisons, the Slickdeals website has everything you need to save big bucks on your next purchase.
4. DealCatcher—The DealCatcher community is committed to helping you find the best deals so you can make well-informed purchases. With updates all throughout the day, you can find coupons, sales alerts, product reviews, and rebates at DealCatcher.com.
5. AntiRebate—If you’re like me, you hate the hassle of mail-in rebates. When you’re looking to get instant savings, check out AntiRebate.com. You’ll find coupons, instant rebates, deal alerts, and more all designed to help you find the best bargains without the hassle or problems that come with mail-in rebates. The website features a simple layout, and it’s easy to use.
6. Overstock—The leader and most well-recognized bargain website, Overstock.com offers great savings by selling brand-name products at discount products. The website is able to provide these great deals because they sell excess inventory from other retailers. It’s kind of like the online version of Ross, Marshalls, or TJ Maxx.
7. CurrentCodes—Many online retail websites offer the option of entering a discount code in the shopping cart during checkout. CurrentCodes.com is your one-stop shop for all the latest coupon codes from retailers such as Barnes & Noble, 1-800-FLOWERS, American Eagle, Staples, and more. Always check this website before making your purchase online.
8. Shnoop—Okay, so Shnoop is basically a Woot knockoff, but it still usually publishes a worthwhile deal each day. I recommend subscribing to the RSS feed so that you’re alerted of each day’s new deal as these offers are obviously time sensitive.
9. Dealitem—At Dealitem.com, new coupons and deals are added to the website each hour. Dealitem.com makes it easy to search for the best deals and to compare prices. You can also submit deals and coupon codes that you’ve come across.

Tips for success:

• Subscribe to the RSS feeds of these websites to get the latest alerts as many deals expire quickly
• If you know what you’re looking for, use the search feature and price comparison features to save time on finding the best deal
• Pay attention to the details of the deals as sometimes the products are refurbished

Are there any great deal-finding websites you would add to this list? Leave a comment with your favorites.

A good sense of humor is always good. It gives you a reason to relax and even fuels your creativity and productivity.

Therefore it’s cool if you have plenty of funny gadgets around your home interior: they may keep your family members and friends in a good mood throughout the day.

But sometimes you just want to say “Enough is enough”.

This post is all about that “extreme humor” that can be used to turn your daily bathroom procedures into real fun: 10 funniest and gross bathroom gadgets:

1. Electric bath duck

Please don’t use this one; only store to amuse your guests:

2. Serial Killer / Psycho shower curtain

If you are a fan of those scary movies where all most terrible things happen in the shower, this “psycho” shower curtain should appeal to you:

3. Blood bath mat

A cool companion to the aforementioned shower curtain to create a most complete interior design:

4. Disgusting soap dispenser

Push on the nose, and you will get an opportunity to wash your hands with the green stuff that gets out of the nostrils:

5. Handsoap

Ever wanted to wash your hands with, well, hands? These would not look as odd to me, be it hands of an adult person… But babies!

6. Dog-end towel holder

If you think that stuffing a towel into this Dog-End butt is funny, this towel holder is right for you!

7. Excited man wall hook

Like the dog-end towel holder wasn’t enough! The both hooks will surely bring a whole lots of smiles for all members of your family and random friends who’ll come to visit.

8. Face / Butt towels

If you want to remember which part of the towel rubbed which part of your body, this towel will be your favorite one:

9. HELP! drain stopper

This drain stopper is a must-have if you plan to buy handsoap mentioned above:

10. Pet vomit toothpaste

These “Toothpaste Heads” claim to make teeth brushing more fun but I really doubt they do:

We’ve seen already how much help Twitter may be when it comes to online shopping:

Twitter is a great way to research the seller’s reputation, find new deals and ask for unbiased opinion. Besides, you can reach plenty of brands providing alternative customer support on Twitter.

And here are 5 more Twitter-based tools that will help you with daily shopping: 5 fun Twitter bots:

1. Buy it Later:

Buy it Later is the Twitter bot that The bot requires a FireFox addon to work properly. So here how it works:

• Install the FireFox addon;
• Follow BuyItLater on Twitter;
• Go to any item page on Amazon and click “Buy later” button;
• The tool then checks Amazon for updates every minute;
• If the item price and/or availability changes, the bot alerts you via Twitter DM or email.

2. TinyMassive

TinyMassive is a nice Twitter bot that helps you quickly find out what’s the lowers price for the given product. Here’s it how it works:

• Tweet your product search to @tinymassive
• The bot will reply with the Tweet containing: the minimum price found and the link to the product search results.

3. Track This

Track this is the fun Twitter bot that will track your online purchases while they are being delivered to you:

• Register at the site and follow the bot;
• Enter a tracking number and a nickname for a package;
• The site will continually monitor the package and each time the package changes location you’ll be getting a Twitter DM.

4. MindMeTo

MindMeTo is a simple Twitter reminder that will remind you of your planned purchases:

• Follow mindmeto on Twitter and wait for the bot to follow you back.
• @ or DM the bot what you want to remember to buy (e.g. d mindmeto buy some milk tomorrow);
• At the scheduled time, the bot will send you a private direct message to “buy some milk”.

5. MultiMap

MultiMap twitter bot helps you find any store nearby. Here’s how it works:

• Add the bot to friends;
• Send it the DM containing your current location + the shopping facility, e.g. Closest shopping to Tampa, FL (the syntax is described here).

We spend plenty of time online chatting with our virtual friends on Myspace or Facebook, tweeting, digging, etc.

In fact, we spend so much time online that it is sometimes hard to believe there’s an “actual” word where these networks do not exist.

However the virtual reality is growing fast and we have less time for the “offline” life – this is even reflected in the clothes we wear.

Today’s t-shirt collection is dedicated to all social media and web 2.0 users who already can’t live without social networking:

1. “I Submitted to Digg but All I Got Was This Lousy T-shirt”

2. “I’ll Google Your Yahoo”

3. “You Look Better on MySpace”

4. “You Are So off My Buddy List”

5. Anonymous Twitter T-Shirt

Source

6. “I am Huge on Twitter”

7. “Tom is not My Friend”

Who doesn’t know Tom of MySpace (who has recently joined Facebook by the way):

8. “I Have More Friends Than You (on Myspace)”

9. The Original Search Engine

10. “I Am Your Web Mistress – You Must Submit”

Source

Same idea for men:

So you don’t want to spend money but you still want some new staff. The desire is quite understandable but sounds unrealistic.

Well, actually, this is quite possible; and here are two ways to get something for free:

1. Free Offers

Ok, we have previously said that there’s nothing absolutely free under the sun but that doesn’t mean you can’t still be a smart freebie hunter.

Why is it such a great idea?

• You become a smarter shopper (taking advantage of many free offers, you try a lot of products and can compare their quality, prices, etc. You are also quick at learning about and trying new products and their benefits);
• You learn to save (freebies are often offered along with coupons. By becoming a smart freebie hunter, you also learn to find and take advantage of good timely deals).

Example?

ListFreeSamples is one of the best examples: it has a clear interface and structure: freebies are sorted into various categories like make-up, pet supplies, clothes, etc:

2. Do-It-Yourself

Has it ever occurred to you that you can make plenty of things you buy at home? Yes, this takes much time but why not spend less time watching TV and sitting in front of the community (twittering) and use it to make something valuable?

Why is it such a great idea?

The three best things about DIY is that:

1. It is free;
2. It is fun (especially if you take the opportunity to spend some valuable time with your family doing things together);
3. It is eco-friendly (because you recycle old stuff).

Example?

This blog I stumbled across recently lists an overwhelming number of DIY gadgets made from total waste, take these DIY iPhone docks and stands or this zipped plastic bottle box as examples. The resource has been a constant source of inspiration to me!

3. To Conclude: Avoid Scams

Getting something for free is always nice but for one important things: many scammers take advantage of the fact that people love free stuff. Therefore you should be aware of the fact that there is much scam in the freebie area.

Whenever you are offered something for free, make sure to research if the offer is valid.

Considering you have received an offer by email, here’s a quick infographic for you to make sure the offer is valid:

If in the end you arrived to “Give it a try” box, you may also consider running a quick search in Google to learn more about the free offer provider.

So feel safe when hunting for free stuff – good luck!