Mystery Shopper Contract for Services
Introduction
Thank you for choosing Mystery Shoppers Limited! We are delighted you’re offering your mystery shopper services to us.
Our company is passionate about providing excellent mystery shopping services to businesses across a wide range of industries. Our clients come to us when they need help improving their customer experiences and increasing sales, and we use mystery shopping to achieve this goal. And we rely on you and your services to make it happen.
Self-Employed status is defined as a person is a business owner or contractor that provides services to other businesses, either directly or through a personal service they will generally be considered to be self-employed. During your time with Mystery Shoppers, you are self-employed and you may be referred to as either “auditors”, “agents”, “inspectors”, or other similar terms in our communications and documents, these terms are for convenience only.
We provide mystery shops that can be carried out online, in-person (covertly or overtly), over the phone, through email, or even by post! We usually have a certain number of assignments per month for each client that we need help with. Accuracy, efficiency, and promptness are crucial to our clients, and that is why this Contract for Services is so important. It outlines what we expect from our mystery shoppers as well as what they can expect from us.
We believe that mystery shopping should be accessible to anyone who wants to provide these services. We welcome feedback on how we can improve and create a mutual environment of trust and open communication.
By using MSL Online, our mystery shopping portal, you will be entering into a Contract for Services between yourself and us, Mystery Shoppers Limited. It is important to understand that you may only use MSL Online in accordance with this Contract for Services. By accessing and using the MSL Online site or mobile application, you agree to accept all the terms within this Contract for Services. Please note, if you would like to negotiate on any of the terms within this agreement, you are invited to do so by contacting shopper.support@mystery-shoppers.co.uk.
We trust that you understand that in order to be a mystery shopper, you need to be legally authorised to work as an independent contractor in the UK, without requiring any additional immigration approvals and if this changes, we ask that you please notify us.
Please note we may occasionally ask you to use third-party systems to complete assignments; however, the same principles detailed in this contract still apply.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this contract or the registration process, please do not hesitate to contact us at shopper.support@mystery-shoppers.co.uk. We appreciate your partnership and look forward to working with you to provide exceptional mystery shopping services.
Upholding Our Environmental, Ethical and Conduct Standards:
Mystery Shoppers Limited is part of the Mystery Shopping Professionals Association (MSPA) and has agreed to follow their standards, which means we ask you to read and follow the Mystery Shopper Code of Professional Standards. We are also a Company Partner of the Market Research Society (MRS), so we ask you to read and follow the MRS Code of Conduct. You can find them here: MSPA Code of Professional Standards and Ethics Agreement PDF Download & MRS Guideline Conducting Mystery Shopping PDF Download
Whilst carrying out mystery shopping services, it’s important to understand the importance of conducting your duties with the highest level of integrity and trust. In all interactions, whether directly with target organisations or in the execution of tasks, you must uphold the principle of trust as fundamental to the success and credibility of our services. This includes providing honest, accurate, and thorough assessments and maintaining professional behaviour at all times. Upholding our standards will help the company to maintain its reputation and client contracts, ensuring we can continue to advertise our mystery shopping opportunities for all.
It’s important for our company reputation that we do not negatively impact the target organisation in any way.
While on site, we kindly ask that you ensure you act as a normal customer, abiding by all establishment instructions and health and safety regulations.
Your safety while on assignment is our priority. While the legal responsibility for maintaining a safe environment and reporting incidents under RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) rests solely with the client whose premises you are visiting, we want to ensure any issues are addressed.
If you experience a health and safety incident, injury, or a “near miss” during a mystery shop:
Prioritise your safety: Seek medical attention immediately if required.
Report it onsite: If possible, notify the venue management so they can record it in their official Accident Book.
Notify us: To help us monitor client safety standards and support you, please complete our internal Incident Report Form here.
Completing this form ensures we have a record of the event. Please note that notifying Mystery Shoppers Limited does not constitute a legal report to the HSE; this remains the duty of the site operator.
It’s essential that we work together towards environmental responsibility. We encourage our mystery shoppers to contribute by adopting eco-friendly practices during their assignments. For instance, when travelling to site locations, consider using sustainable modes of transportation, such as public transport or cycling, instead of driving. Additionally, please minimise printing and general paper usage whenever possible to support a greener approach. Your efforts not only benefit the environment but also enhance our shared commitment to sustainability and efficiency.
Available Assignments:
Applications: When you log in to MSL Online, you will see a range of assignments available for you to apply for, listed in order of proximity to your location. Payment details and reimbursement amounts will be clearly displayed so you can make an informed decision about which to pursue.
If you decide to apply for an assignment and agree with the advertised payment, simply click the apply button. Payment for services will be agreed before application acceptance.
After applying for an assignment, please check your MSL Online inbox to see if the assignment is there. This means your application has been successful. Please do not start any assignments until you can see them in your inbox. If your application is unsuccessful, we may not be able to notify you.
You have complete freedom to either accept or reject any assignment. If you change your mind about completing an assignment, please let us know by using the “decline” button on MSL Online or contacting us via phone or email. There are no consequences for not telling us if you’d no longer like to carry out the assignment even if you have accepted to proceed with the assignment but by doing so, you’ll help us ensure we meet our client’s requirements and not let them down.
While we do our best to offer assignments, we are under no obligation to provide them and on occasion we may need to cancel them at short notice. We will contact you as soon as we can (at the latest, 11 am the day of the assignment unless stipulated otherwise in the assignment brief).
Shopper Brief: For each assignment, we provide a Shopper Brief, Assignment Information and other instructions. These are based on what our client has agreed to pay us for so it is important to follow them closely. As long as the brief and any other instructions you are given are complied with, the precise way in which you undertake an assignment is up to you. We won’t be able to pay fees/reimbursements if the brief has not been complied with. If you’re unsure about any instructions, please contact us before conducting the assignment.
Please keep all notes, copies of reports, recordings and other documentation secure for 60 days after completing the assignment.
Substitutions: We understand that there may be times when you’re unable to complete an assignment. In such cases, you may use a substitute worker (over 18) who has the appropriate profile, skills, rights to work, security access if applicable and briefing. Please let us know if you plan to use a substitute worker for the first instance of each different type of assignment. Please note that you remain responsible for the satisfactory completion of the assignment and reimbursing the substitute. We recommend that you also provide them with a copy of the Mystery Shopper Contract for Services, so they understand the terms you have agreed to. You will be responsible for ensuring they comply with the MRS and MSPA codes of practice, as well as the confidentiality, data processing, ethical and conduct clauses within this document.
Completion Dates: Completion dates (deadlines) are set by the client, and it is essential to deliver within the specified timeframes. Please help us by adhering to these completion dates, so we can ensure client satisfaction and payment. Late submissions may result in non-payment to you the Mystery Shopper.
Unique Assessments: Please complete one assessment form per assignment, making sure that the interactions reported on are unique and not duplicated. If multiple people complete assignments for the same target organisation (e.g., family and friends), they must do so at different times/days to ensure each interaction is unique.
Fee And Expenses:
We will communicate all the information you need about fees and expenses for your assignments on MSL Online. We value our relationship with you and are committed to ensuring you are paid as quickly as possible. If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to discuss them with us at the earliest opportunity.
To receive payment, you do not need to send us an invoice – due to the number of mystery shops requiring payment each month, MSL has developed a system that enables the assessment form to act in itself as an invoice, displaying fee amount and date due, which you submit alongside the mystery shopping data.
Payments will be processed within 28 days of successfully completing your assignment in line with the shopper brief and other instructions. Please make sure to complete the Payment section of your profile before starting an assignment.
If you have any expenses that need reimbursing in line with the shopper briefing materials, please let us know when you complete your assessment or expense claim form and include the receipt/invoice.
But please remember, we can only accept claims up to 60 days after you submit your completed assessment.
Please ensure you only return or exchange goods if it is specified in the Shopper Brief.
Sometimes we may need to clarify some details with you, which could cause a delay in processing payments. Please respond to any communication from us as quickly as possible (Failure to do so may result in non-payment.). If you need clarification on anything, do not hesitate to reach out to your MSL contact or decline the assignment. Please kindly note it is your responsibility to ensure your contact information is accurate.
Self-Employed Mystery Shopper and Liability:
As a self-employed independent contractor, you are entirely free to provide your services to any other business/organisation.
You will be responsible for your Tax and National Insurance liability in respect of any payment received for services provided under this agreement. We trust that you will keep this in mind when calculating your income.
When handling/carrying/processing products/goods/equipment in order to fulfil the requirements of the mystery shopping task, we trust that you will handle the products with care and only use them in the way you have been instructed. Please be aware that you will be liable for any damage due to negligence. We also trust that any passes/tickets or equivalents provided to enable an assignment to take place, are not misused.
As a self-employed individual, you conduct assignments at your risk, and we are not liable for any personal injury or loss sustained. With this in mind, we advise you to take out any relevant insurance, such as public liability insurance. You are responsible for taking all necessary precautions to ensure your safety. Please follow all relevant safety guidelines. We trust that you will use your best judgment while completing assignments. If you have any concerns about any aspect of an assignment, please contact us, or decline the assignment, or both.
We believe that our mystery shoppers are honest individuals and trust you will not engage in any fraudulent activities. Sometimes people are not aware of what constitutes fraud in mystery shopping, so for the avoidance of doubt, please see a few instances below:
- Deliberate falsification of assessment forms, attachments or materials supplied
- Using a third-party identity whilst creating a shopper account
- Registering multiple accounts
In the hopefully unlikely event, a shopper is suspected of fraudulent activity. Their account will be suspended until further notice and any payments due will be withheld. Furthermore, the shopper would be liable for any damages, including loss of business, that may arise. Their details may be disclosed to the client for the purpose of investigating allegations. As you can imagine, we must take fraud cases extremely seriously and we will report all instances to the relevant authorities.
Confidentiality:
It is important that our assignments remain a mystery, so we trust that you will keep all the details of your assignments and experiences completely confidential. Please only disclose the information to close family and friends on a need-to-know basis.
Should you encounter any issued with your assignment, it is essential to note that you must never contact the target organisation or client in reference to your assignment under any circumstances. Please contact us in the first instance should any issues arise.
Please be aware that not all mystery shopping experiences will go as planned. The purpose of our work is to identify issues before genuine customers encounter them and to help the target organisation improve. While you may not always receive first-class service, your role is crucial in helping us make things better.
To ensure unbiased results and maintain confidentiality, please do not accept any assignment if you are personally (or becoming) an employee, shareholder or contractor of the target organisation or know someone who works there. If you come across someone you know during the assignment, please contact us for guidance. If you cannot reach us, please avoid assessing that person wherever possible and email us with the details following the assignment.
We may use your email address or phone number to send you updates, including assignment availability or an email newsletter. We may also occasionally use your address information for location-specific assignments, but we promise never to sell, rent, lend or distribute your personally identifiable information collected online.
The company will collect and process information relating to you in accordance with the privacy notice which is on our website and on the mystery shopper online portal.
We trust that you will protect your account by keeping it secure and not disclosing your username or password to any third party. Which does not apply to the chosen substitute that has been nominated to complete a current assignment.
Data Processing Agreement:
Under the UK General Data Protection Regime (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018, as a mystery shopper, you would be classed as a processor of personal data, and Mystery Shoppers Limited would be classed as a Data Controller. This means that you will be asked to collect and manage personal data under our instructions.
We both must ensure we maintain compliance with the UK GDPR at all times during the Term of the Agreement and ensure that the data you collect is kept confidential, stored safely and only used for the purposes set by us.
This means that you’re not able to transfer, publish, copy or duplicate any information without our written authority.
As a self-employed contractor, you must make sure you are familiar with GDPR and Data Protection legislation, and nothing within this Contract for Services relieves you of your own direct responsibilities under the UK GDPR.
We ask that after 90 days, you destroy all notes, copies of reports, recordings, and other documentation by shredding, tearing or deleting from electronic devices.
If there are any instances where any personal data you’ve collected as part of a mystery shop has been breached, we kindly ask that you let us know within 24 hours so we can undertake our own responsibilities under UK GDPR.
Termination:
You can remove yourself from our active database at any time by using the links provided in the footer of email communications or by logging into your online shopper portal and deactivating your account. Just remember that you must still adhere to the relevant sections of this contract for 90 days after deactivation.
If you would like to request the erasure of your personal information from our system, please contact our Data Protection Manager via email at dpo@mystery-shoppers.co.uk. Your privacy is important to us, and we will process your request promptly. To make a complaint about the way we use your personal data, please complete this form.
We reserve the right to terminate this agreement with immediate effect at any time and for any reason, including in the event of any suspected fraudulent activity.
We reserve the right to modify, alter or update this contract at any time. However, we will always notify you of any changes.