Could you be a Hoed Mystery Shopper?

The infomation in this section applies to Australian Mystery Shoppers only.

How does Mystery Shopping work?

Our computer allocates assignments to our Mystery Shoppers throughout Australia, matching the assignments in each area with the Shoppers who live there.

Shoppers must log onto the Hoed website to review assignments allocated to them. Every assignment you receive has its own instruction sheet explaining the enquiry you are to make, the location you need to visit and any other information you need.

You are given a certain time frame in which to complete this work. Generally, within that period you can plan and complete the work when convenient to you, although specific dates and times may be requested.

After you have completed your assignment you enter your results via the Hoed website before the return date.

What do I need to be a Mystery Shopper?

A Mystery Shopper must have:

A Mystery Shopper must be able to:

Where will I carry out Mystery Shopping?

We will ask you to nominate the areas in which you want to carry out Mystery Shopping. Work can be allocated to you automatically in your local area. If the need arises and you are prepared to travel out of your local area to complete a survey, you may qualify for a travel allowance which will be negotiated with you before completing the survey. Some mystery shopping assignments are conducted by telephone or the web, meaning that you can conduct them from your own home.

How much work will I receive?

The amount of work for you to do each month will vary and is affected by where you live. If you live in a rural area there may be some months when we do not have any work for you at all. This is because our clients may want a different area surveyed from one month to the next. We also rotate work between shoppers in an area, so that the same shopper is not sent to the same store month after month.

How much will I be paid?

You receive a fee for each job you complete. This can range from $6.00 to $35.00 depending on the length and complexity of the survey. After your survey forms have been checked by our Quality Control team, payments are made directly into your nominated bank account. Because we cannot guarantee the amount of work you receive, you should consider the payment as supplementary income (pocket money), not a regular income you could rely upon.

How am I paid?

Shopper payments are usually processed each Friday except at the end of the month when this may vary by a day. Your pay is credited to the bank or credit union account you nominated. The more promptly you return your completed surveys (after observing any special date/time requirements), the sooner you will be paid. Although payments are credited weekly, you will be issued with a pay advice slip detailing these at the end of the month.

Do I always get paid for assignments?

If you do it correctly, then yes. If a survey has been conducted in a manner contrary to instructions or is incomplete and unable to be used, you will be asked to re-do the survey correctly at your own expense. Alternatively payment may be withheld. Where payment has already been made, this payment may be deducted from future earnings.

What if it's not my fault that I couldn't conduct an assignment?

If you find that a site is closed, so that you cannot complete your survey, you are still entitled to be paid for the visit. If you have made a genuine attempt to conduct the assignment but have been unable to do so for other reasons outside of your control you will still generally be paid for the visit, although this remains subject to Hoed's discretion.

What about taxation and insurance?

Hoed Mystery Shopping is a PAYG employer, covering you for workers' compensation and superannuation. You will receive a group certificate from us at the end of the financial year. As a Mystery Shopper there are certain tax issues that may be to your advantage. In bringing these to your attention, please note that we are not tax advisers. It is your responsibility (and your accountant's) to understand your individual tax situation. The survey fees you receive are taxable income. A taxpayer is assessed on taxable income, which is total assessable income less allowable deductions. Deductions are allowed if they are incurred in producing assessable income.

The sort of Mystery Shopping surveys you can expect are:

How do I become a Hoed Mystery Shopper?

You can become a Hoed Mystery Shopper by applying online.