CASE STUDIES Mystery Shopping Investigation Service in Japan

Mystery Shopping Investigation Service in Japan

In today’s market, business success relies on trust. You trust your employees to represent your brand, you trust your distributors to follow compliance, and you trust that your customers are having a good experience. But how can you be sure what really happens in an online store, on a social media page, or in a physical shop? A Mystery Shopping Investigation, also known as a test purchase investigation, is the only way to get unbiased, real-world data. At FAM Investigation Agency, we are a private investigation company that specializes in these discreet operations. We help businesses verify service quality, check for fraud, and ensure brand compliance. Our expert investigators act as real customers to give you the facts you need.

Table of Contents

What is a Mystery Shopping Investigation?

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A mystery shopping investigation is a professional service where a trained investigator acts as a normal customer to test a business’s sales process from start to finish. The goal is to provide you with a detailed, factual report on the entire customer experience. This service is a key part of our corporate investigation and due diligence work. It gives you a real-world snapshot of your business that you cannot get any other way.

Our Investigation Capabilities

We can design an undercover retail investigation for any sales channel.

A woman in a striped shirt looks at her phone while shopping in a clothing store.

Online Mystery Shopper

We perform an e-commerce test purchase through your online platform to verify:

  • The actual ordering process and payment security.
  • The product’s authenticity and quality on arrival.
  • The real shipping times and the condition of the packaging.
  • The ease and efficiency of the customer service and returns process.

Social Media Test Purchase

We conduct covert test purchases through platforms like Facebook. This social media test purchase is crucial for:

  • Simulating a real customer interaction via chat or messenger.
  • Identifying unauthorized sellers or brand impersonators.
  • Verifying prices and sales tactics used by your social media team.
  • Documenting the entire conversation as legal evidence.

In-Store Mystery Shopping

For physical retail compliance audit needs, our investigators will visit in person to assess:

  • Employee behavior, product knowledge, and professionalism.
  • Store cleanliness, layout, and brand compliance.
  • The accuracy of pricing and promotional displays.
  • How your staff handles specific questions or problems.

Answering Your Needs: Our Specialized Service

We are not just a generic service; we are a detective agency that builds custom operations to answer specific questions, such as the ones you may have. Here are direct answers to common, detailed client questions:

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  • Can you conduct test purchases on online stores, Facebook, and in physical retail shops? Yes. We are fully capable of conducting undercover (mystery) test purchases across all of these platforms, from Facebook mystery shopping to in-person retail visits.
  • Can you arrange for investigators of specific nationalities (e.g., Chinese or Vietnamese)? Yes. This is a key part of our service. We understand that for a natural interaction, especially when targeting businesses selling to specific non-Japanese communities, the investigator must be a native speaker or of the same nationality. We have a diverse global network and can arrange native-speaking investigators for many languages, including Chinese, Vietnamese, English, French, and more, to ensure a natural and effective test.
  • Can you provide several investigators for the same store? Yes. If you need to make multiple purchases to test different scenarios or avoid suspicion, we can provide several different investigators. We will outline any additional coordination fees for this in our cost estimate.

Why This Investigation Matters

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Without a regular, objective test purchase investigation, companies risk:

  • Brand Damage: Inconsistent customer service or poor product handling can damage your brand’s reputation. This is a key part of a brand protection investigation.
  • Lost Revenue: You may be losing customers due to a difficult checkout process or unprofessional staff.
  • Fraud and Non-Compliance: An employee or retail partner may be committing fraud, violating your policies, or breaking the law.
  • Legal Exposure: If your partners are making false claims or selling unauthorized products, your company could be held liable.

A mystery shopping investigation is the best way to get objective insights into your real-world performance. It helps you improve quality, build customer trust, and ensure compliance.

Our Process: How We Guarantee Quality and Confidentiality

Your questions about our process and confidentiality are important.

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  1. How is the payment for the purchased items handled? We require prepayment for the item to be purchased. Our investigators cannot use their personal funds for client work. You will send us the funds for the item and any related costs (like shipping) before we begin the purchase.
  2. Are the investigators your employees or subcontractors? To provide a wide, flexible network of profiles (including specific nationalities, ages, and genders), we use both direct employees and long-term, fully-vetted subcontracted agents.
  3. How do you ensure confidentiality with subcontractors? Our information security is our highest priority. Every agent, whether an employee or contractor, is bound by a strict non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and confidentiality contract.
    • All communication and evidence are handled by a single, secure channel managed by your FAM case manager.
    • The agent is only given the minimum information needed to do the job. Your company’s identity is never revealed to the field agent.

Cost, Timeline, and Policies

We believe in being clear and transparent.

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  • How is the item payment handled? We generally require prepayment for the cost of the item to be purchased. This is a standard policy, as our investigators cannot use their personal funds for client work.
  • What are your service fees and timeline? The cost and timeline for an investigation depend on its complexity. A simple online purchase will be faster and less expensive than a complex, in-person investigation requiring a specialized native-speaking agent. We will provide you with a detailed cost estimate for your specific project after our free consultation. This estimate will clearly list our service fees, investigator arrangement fees, and any handling costs. For more information on our pricing structure, please see our general guide to investigator costs.
  • What is your cancellation policy? Our cancellation policy is straightforward:
    • You may cancel at any time before our investigators have begun their work.
    • If you choose to cancel after the investigation has already started, you will be billed for the time and any expenses that have been incurred up to that point.

Why Choose FAM? (A Detective Agency, Not a Shopping Service)

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When you need reliable, factual evidence, you need a professional.

  • We Are Licensed Investigators: We are not a simple shopping service. We are a fully licensed private investigation company. Our work is held to a high legal and ethical standard.
  • We Are Experts in Discretion: Our team is trained in covert operations and evidence handling.
  • We Have a Diverse Network: Our WAD affiliation and experience give us the resources to find the right investigator for your job, including native Chinese and Vietnamese speakers.
  • We Provide Factual Evidence: Our job is to provide you with a clear, unbiased, and detailed report that you can use to make real business decisions.

Conclusion: Get a Clear View of Your Business

Don’t guess what your customers are experiencing. A mystery shopping investigation is the only way to get the facts. It is a powerful tool to help you improve service, ensure compliance, and protect your brand.

If you are looking for a reliable and discreet company to conduct test purchases in Japan, please contact FAM Investigation Agency today for a free and confidential consultation and a detailed cost estimate.