Putting Out Fires

Friday, April 10, 2009

SECRET SHOPPER SCAM!

When I was in junior high and high school, my parents were secret shoppers for Applebees. It was bad ass. The company sent money and at least 2 people had to go to the restaurant and had to first sit at the bar and order something, then ask to be moved to a table and you had to order at least 2 courses (appetizer, meal, dessert). We were given more then enough money to cover the food of two people, and all we had to do afterward was fill in a very specific questionnaire. You had to time each item ordered, verify that you were greeted within 2 minutes of being seated and that they put a drink napkin in front of you, you check the bathrooms, check the out back trash area...

The coolest thing about this (besides the free food) was just how strict Applebee's customer service guidelines were. There's no way they could have known that we were scoring them, so to them we were just regular customers. And STILL, if any part of our meal took a second longer then their internal specified time limit, we got our meal free. FREE! Sounds great, except we had to submit receipts to the company to show we'd spent all the money, so when they unwittingly gave us free on TOP of free, we had to order MORE FOOD. omg.

When my parents couldn't go, they let me take my friends. I was one popular girl! :-)

So imagine my surprise when I open a letter in the mail and it's an invitation to be a secret shopper. WITH a check for $4984.00. A cashier's check. It can't be true! I need that money so badly right now!

Hold up, it CAN'T be true. Of course it's not. It's a scam that's been making the rounds here in the Valley, and it landed in my mailbox.

I can see how people get sucked in. I mean, I'm holding RIGHT NOW a REAL check for almost $5000. Oh so tempting. D*mn it.

Did you get your 'check' in the mail yet?

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