Archive for the ‘Paid Surveys’ Category

Online Surveys: The Good, The Bad And The Really Ugly

Saturday, April 4th, 2009

If you have even a passing interest in the topic of Paid Surveys, then you should take a look at the following information. This enlightening article presents some of the latest news on the subject of Paid Surveys.

There are approximately 500 different Online Survey Companies advertised on the Internet. I’ve participated in several online surveys for cash and researched hundreds of them. I’ve found that, just like everything else in life, there are the good, the bad, and the really, really ugly.

The good survey companies consist of those that actually pay you a little bit of money for your time, don’t sell your information to telemarketers, don’t send you thousands of e-mails, most of which end up in your bulk mailbox, and tell you exactly what each survey you’re taking is worth in terms of dollars. The good survey companies are an excellent way to bring in a few extra dollars from the privacy of your home. They’re usually maintained by parent marketing research companies and confirm your acceptance via e-mail. Their website will provide extensive information regrinding the company and earning incentives.

The bad news about the “good” companies is that the surveys are few and far between, are usually only available by e-mail invitation and take a while to get a check or deposit into your Paypal account. If you’ve ever participated in a survey at the mall or through a neighborhood research firm, you know that you’re lucky to make $100 a year doing this.

The good news about the “good” companies is that you don’t have to worry about them selling your information to unscrupulous companies, charging your phone bill for something you didn’t buy or trying to “trick” you into buying anything. A good company doesn’t operate that way.

The “bad” survey companies are the ones that offer cash, actually pay cash, but fill your e-mail inbox up with so much spam that you end up spending a good 15 minutes a day deleting all of it. The “bad” survey companies are legitimate to the point that they actually do pay cash once you’ve accumulated a certain amount, but are also interested in getting you to visit the websites of their marketing partners, where you will be pressured into signing up to learn more about affordable health insurance. If you show any sign of interest, expect at least three calls a week from various telephone representatives.

I trust that what you’ve read so far has been informative. The following section should go a long way toward clearing up any uncertainty that may remain.

The bad news about the “bad” companies is that you have to keep on your toes. You’ll often find yourself directed to other websites, they will try to sell you many products that you don’t need or want. You have to stay one step ahead of them, or participating in a survey will cost you more than you’ll make.

The good news about the “good” sites is that they’re easy. And that you can make money by referring others to the site. And if you learn the ropes (never, under any circumstances, say that you’re interested in learning more about health insurance), you can earn a few bucks. Cashcrate is one of these sites. It’s bad because you’re constantly being barraged with ads during the course of the survey, but it’s good because you can pick the surveys you want to take and they pay cash once you’ve accumulated $20. You just have to make sure you empty your spam folder every day, delete your cookies each day and sift through a lot of junk e-mail.

The really, really ugly sites are just downright scams. They won’t offer you any money, instead, they’ll offer you a chance to win “thousands” in their sweepstakes. Or they’ll make ridiculous claims about making “thousands of dollars a week” on their site. They will attempt to get as much information from you as possible and then promptly sell it to third parties. They will try to trick you into accepting “free” magazines and charge your telephone bill for a subscription. They will ask for your cell phone number and charge you for ringtones. They’ll do anything and everything to try to weasel money out of you and you’ll receive nothing in return.

There’s nothing good about these really, really ugly sites except that they’re easy to spot for anyone with an IQ over 60. Unfortunately, the elderly, the young and the very greedy are their favorite prey. Beware of any online survey site that charges a “fee” to join, or has a bunch of “testimonials” from people claiming to have made $10,000 a month on their site. If it was that easy, no one would work; we’d all stay home and do surveys.

So enjoy the good, be careful with the bad and stay away from the really, really ugly. There endith the lesson.

So now you know a little bit about Paid Surveys. Even if you don’t know everything, you’ve done something worthwhile: you’ve expanded your knowledge.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson (Click on the link to learn more about me)

Survey Club

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

If you have even a passing interest in the topic of Paid Surveys, then you should take a look at the following information. This enlightening article presents some of the latest news on the subject of Paid Surveys.

A free online survey company that pays cash to people who visit websites and and fill out brief surveys about the websites. It’s an easy way to make a few extra dollars in your spare time. But you have to be careful with this site. Unless you want a bunch of magazine subscriptions delivered to your door.

I signed up for surveyclub.com a month ago. Since then, I haven’t really made any money. Although the site boasts a lot of hype about visiting websites and getting paid, I found that they were more interested in selling magazine subscriptions and health insurance than actually paying for opinions.

Click on to surveyclub.com and you will get an audio sales pitch. They tout themselves as the “Number One Online Survey Club in the World.” Several testimonials on their site from different people boast of making at least $1,000 to receiving $125 for a single survey.

I’m a little leery about any “get rich quick scheme” and this site reeks of that. I’m also leery of anyone who is making $1,000 a month sitting behind a computer doing surveys all day. Things that sound too good to be true, are usually just that – too good to be true.

Surveyclub.com boasts of people making “thousands of dollars a month” just for giving their opinions. Any halfway intelligent person would be skeptical of this. The only way you are going to make “thousands of dollars a month” sitting in your home without having a widely marketable skill is if you’re selling drugs from your home. I wouldn’t advise that any more than I would advise participating in this site.

Hopefully the information presented so far has been applicable. You might also want to consider the following:

Unlike the most other online survey companies, Surveyclub.com does not pay you for taking the surveys. Payment is made from a variety of alleged “Fortune 500 Companies” who will “send you a check.” You cannot pick the surveys you want to take, opportunities are sent to you via e-mail and they usually have some sort of catch.

I have received literally hundreds of e-mails from various companies promising me everything from a car to a luxury vacation. Although I am currently out of work, I am a halfway intelligent person. I don’t believe in “getting something for nothing” and can usually smell a scam a mile away. These e-mails are deleted. Since I have signed up for this website, I’ve received many e-mails (most of which are directed to my spam folder). The ones I get in the my regular e-mail folder get deleted.

The one survey I did respond to, in the very beginning, was for $8. That didn’t seem like an outrageous amount. Until I read the fine print. In exchange for my $8, I had to pick four magazines to subscribe to. I would get them for one month and then be able to cancel the subscription. Sorry, but that’s just a little too much trouble to go through for $8.

Online survey companies can be a fun way to make a few extra dollars while you are at home. But they can also be a way to lose a lot of money and have your inbox flooded with unwanted e-mails. Like everything else, there are good online survey companies and bad ones. Surveyclub.com is a bad one. It preys on people who want to get rich quick (aka, suckers).

If you are thinking about joining an online survey company to make a few extra bucks, skip surveyclub.com. Take it from someone whose been there – it’s really not worth the trouble.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson (Click on the link to learn more about me)

Blarry House Research

Friday, February 6th, 2009

The more you understand about any subject, the more interesting it becomes. As you read this article you’ll find that the subject of Paid Surveys is certainly no exception.

Blarry.com is the website for Blarry House Research, located in San Francisco. This company is an online survey company that conducts its research through focus groups, rather than questionnaires. The focus groups meet either on the internet or by telephone. Participants are asked to give their candid responses about their professions, hobbies and even breakfast cereals. The focus group is comprised of people from similar backgrounds or use the same products (for example, everyone who likes Captain Crunch cereal).

Blarry.com is open only to United States residents older than age 13. This is yet another way for your teenager to earn money; however only one person in the family can participate in each focus group. You can, as an adult, sign up for the site and have your teenager participate in a particular focus group, so even though you have one account, other members of the family can participate.

Payment for participation in a focus group ranges from $40 to $150. This is a nice survey company to join, the pay is good, although the focus groups generally take about an hour of your time. The company is based in California, so if you are planning on participating in a teleconference forum, you should have unlimited long distance service on your phone; otherwise you may end up paying more for the call than you earn in the survey.

The only drawback to participating in this site is that you can’t expect to participate on a weekly basis. But the more you answer “yes” to the general questionnaire you complete upon joining the site makes you eligible for more focus group participation. Payment is sent to your home in the form of a check.

If you base what you do on inaccurate information, you might be unpleasantly surprised by the consequences. Make sure you get the whole Paid Surveys story from informed sources.

There are many positive aspects about joining this site, besides the money. Blarry.com will never try to sell you anything. Since joining, I’ve received only a few e-mails and participated in one focus group, which was via internet. I have not yet participated in a teleconference. The internet focus group was conducted as a “chat session” and was quite painless.

In addition to not trying to sell you anything or spamming your inbox, Blarry.com maintains your privacy and will not sell your information to those who do want to sell you something. This cuts down considerably on unwanted telemarketing calls.

Blarry.com is very similar to survey groups I participated in years ago, before the advent of the Internet. A panel of people who fit the criteria is selected and they give their views about a different product or service. Yes, the chat session or teleconference is lengthy, but pays well. They also cater to people who work outside the home during the day as most of the focus groups meet in the evening; however, if you live on the East coast, you have to account for the three hour time difference.

I truly enjoy being a member of this survey company. It’s honest, professional and pays a decent amount of money to individuals for their time. Best of all, you are not limited as to how many focus groups in which you can participate.

If you are looking for a legitimate way to earn a few extra dollars (you aren’t going to retire on the money you earn from this site), and enjoy giving your opinion in front of other people, this site is for you.

The day will come when you can use something you read about here to have a beneficial impact. Then you’ll be glad you took the time to learn more about Paid Surveys.

About the Author
Check out Anders Eriksson’s latest articles: Travel To Exotic Places and Make Money With Adsense

Paid Surveys

Saturday, January 31st, 2009

If you’re seriously interested in knowing about Paid Surveys, you need to think beyond the basics. This informative article takes a closer look at things you need to know about Paid Surveys.

Lonely people looking to get a lot of spam in their internet mailbox will benefit greatly from paidsurveys.com. This site is merely a portal to “hundreds” of other internet survey sites that promise you everything from the moon to a $1.

If you decide to join this site, expect to receive up to 40 e-mails a day from a variety of online survey companies. Some of them legitimate, others not. It will be up to you to figure out. A better way to decide which online survey companies you wish to participate in is to do a little legwork yourself.

Paidsurveys.com is open to anyone in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada who is at least 18 years old. They promise a free membership and access to 30 different companies that will pay you cash and “prizes” for participating in online surveys right from your home.

Although the site promises security and privacy, I made the mistake of joining and began receiving e-mails from virtually every known site in the world that offered me money, prizes and trips simply for filling out a questionnaire. They do not offer to send you to corporations that “spend billions of dollars a year” finding out what the average Joe is thinking, they merely flood your inbox with hundreds of e-mails from different survey companies.

The information about Paid Surveys presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about Paid Surveys or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes.

One of the scariest things about this site is the offer to do “data work from home.” Anyone with an IQ over 60 can smell this scam. It is the internet equivalent to “stuffing envelopes from home.” It usually requires an upfront fee to “connect” the participant with people who are just dying to pay big bucks for someone to type all day into their computer. It’s a scam. And an old one, at that.

There are approximately over 500 internet sites that offer people “cash” for participating in surveys from home. Many of them are legitimate. You can usually tell these sites by their disclaimer that you will not “get rich” off of them and they normally tell you up front about what you can expect to earn and how you will receive your earnings.

Other sites simply exist to get your information so they can sell it to telemarketers. If you are taking a survey and frequently directed to different websites where you are asked about receiving a quote for health insurance, do yourself a favor and click out immediately. In the month that I’ve been participating in online surveys, I have received (and I’m not exaggerating here) at least 10 calls from people who want to sell me health insurance. One afternoon I received two calls, fifteen minutes apart, from the same company. Unless you are really desperate to talk to people on the phone or get e-mail from strangers promising you riches, stay away from these type of sites.

Paidsurveys.com is merely an information gathering website that will give your e-mail address and telephone number to a variety of different companies, all of whom will want to sell you something. If you are looking for a way to make money online, do so at a legitimate site. Check out the website, read as much of the information carefully before signing up and beware of any site that promises that you will get rich overnight. You will not make a living doing surveys at home. This is merely a way to supplement your income and buy a few extras. There are plenty of legitimate sites out there. Paidsurveys.com is not one of them.

As your knowledge about Paid Surveys continues to grow, you will begin to see how Paid Surveys fits into the overall scheme of things. Knowing how something relates to the rest of the world is important too.

About the Author
Check out Anders Eriksson’s latest articles: Travel To Exotic Places and Make Money With Adsense

StartSampling

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

If you enjoy receiving free samples of products in the mail and trying something new, sign up for startsampling.com. This site is absolutely free and will not release your personal information to telemarketers or anyone trying to sell you anything. They do not pay cash, but participants, in addition to receiving free products delivered to their home, accumulate points redeemable for gifts.

Signing up for the site is easy. You simply fill out a questionnaire and submit answers to the site. The questionnaire screens you for which type of products you can try. The trick is to answer “yes” to most of the questions they ask, this way, you can receive the most products and gain the most points.

Upon signing up for the site, depending upon your answers to the questionnaire, you’ll be directed to various websites where you will give your name and address so they can send you the sample product. Some sites offer more than just “samples” and give you a full sized product to sample.

The products participants can try for free include household items, personal hygiene items, pet supplies, beauty products and even music CDs. After you receive the product and try it, you simply fill out a short survey that takes about 10 minutes and give your opinion of the product. You never have to pay a shipping fee or send anything back to the company.

About twice a week, startsampling.com offers contests participants enter. About 20 winners each week collect 50 “Frequent Tryer Miles” points in their account. You can enter as many contests as you like and most people win at least once. When you win a contest, the site notifies you via e-mail. You can accumulate your points

Knowledge can give you a real advantage. To make sure you’re fully informed about Paid Surveys, keep reading.

Participants earn points simply for visiting the recommended sites and additional points for sampling the product. Some of the gifts they offer include gift cards, travel items, household products and other merchandise.

The best thing about this site is the “no pressure” sales. Startsampling.com does not attempt to sell you any products. There are no “elaborate” prizes, but gifts a normal person would expect to receive for doing a minimal amount of work.

Another thing I like about this site is the opportunity to sample different products I might not otherwise try. Unlike some sampling survey companies, you know what the product is and if you enjoy using it, you can purchase it in the store.

Probably my favorite thing about this site is that it doesn’t represent magazine subscription houses, insurance companies or online education companies. In my foray into the online survey world, I’ve found that these appear to be the main “hard sell” items most companies push. Since signing up for the site, the only e-mails I’ve received relating to startsampling com have been from their site; I have not received any unsolicited telemarketing calls related to this site. They keep their word when they say they will maintain your privacy.

The downside is that while the prizes and gifts are nice, there is no cash involved for participating in this site. But it’s fun, easy and takes only a small portion of your time.

Startsampling.com is a legitimate online survey/sampling company. You have nothing to fear if you decide to sign up to participate in this site and will have a lot of fun sampling their products.

About the Author
Check out Anders Eriksson’s latest creations: Online Marketing Succes and Make Money With Adsense

Ispos-I-Say

Wednesday, January 7th, 2009

If you’re a sucker for sweepstakes and think that every day can be your “lucky day” to get rich for sitting around doing nothing, than Ispos-I-Say is the online survey company for you.

The site advertises that 50 lucky people a day will win a “prize” worth up to $100. Some of the prizes include back-packs, kitchen gadgets and other “promotional” type items. After extensively reviewing the site and prizes, I’ve yet to see anything worth $100. Once a month, someone will allegedly win a prize worth up to 1,000.

All you have to do to be eligible for winning is to sign up for the site. You provide Ispos-I-Say with information and them promptly turn around and give that same information to telemarketing companies and e-mail spammers. Once enrolled, you can complete as many “no-brainier” surveys as you like. During the course of these surveys, you’ll often be directed to other websites. You’ll think you’re still taking the survey, but in reality, you will be providing dozens of companies with your personal information.

I have one word for this site: Scam. Unless you are in the market for health insurance, an online education or diabetic supplies, be afraid. Be very afraid.

Here’s a little true story that actually happened to me shortly after joining this site:

Truthfully, the only difference between you and Paid Surveys experts is time. If you’ll invest a little more time in reading, you’ll be that much nearer to expert status when it comes to Paid Surveys.

I signed up and began taking a survey. They asked a few simple questions, then directed me to a site where I was asked to “pick” something I was interested in learning more about. I said “no” to every item. This went on for several pages before I was admonished by a notice that said they were looking for “active” participants in their “marketing partners” products. Like I was mentally incapacitated, they directed me to “look again” at a number of options. And like a dummy, I did.

“Taste of Home” is magazine subscription I’ve held in the past. But as I stopped cooking long ago, and gave up the guilt of not cooking last year, I haven’t felt the need to continue reading this magazine. But I always liked the magazine and occasionally, I think about cooking. So I clicked that I was “interested” in this magazine. I was soon directed to the site and asked to give them some information, which I foolishly did. They said they would send me a free copy of the magazine. I figured I had nothing to lose; if they billed me for the magazine, I’d simply cancel the subscription.

Guess what? They billed me the next day. On my telephone bill. Lucky for me, the bill was due and I took the time to view it online as it seemed higher than normal. I didn’t even think that they could do this; but apparently, they can.

So I now have a subscription to “Taste of Home” and a “chance” to win a prize up to $1,000 in the Ispos-I-Say monthly sweepstakes.

If you are planning on participating in online surveys for cash, make sure that they offer cash and not “sweepstakes” prizes. And make sure you are not directed to other websites. Any survey company that requires you to “support their marketing partners” is not legitimate. And realize that even if you are not giving out your credit card information, you can be billed through your telephone bill.

Those who only know one or two facts about Paid Surveys can be confused by misleading information. The best way to help those who are misled is to gently correct them with the truths you’re learning here.

About the Author
Anders Eriksson use a network of blogs such as this one to market his articles: Blog 33 on CFFA.info

Vindale Research

Thursday, December 25th, 2008

If you’re seriously interested in knowing about Paid Surveys, you need to think beyond the basics. This informative article takes a closer look at things you need to know about Paid Surveys.

Vindale Research advertises that it covets “the finest minds” in online research. Signing up for this website was easy; I simply entered my name, e-mail address, gender and birth date and they sent me an e-mail. I opened the e-mail and clicked on the confirmation and was a member.

The site advertises that it has a “zero tolerance spam” policy. Vindale Research pays its members monthly through their Paypal account, but you have to have a $50 balance in order to get paid.

Surveys are easy, but some of them require you to test different products. One has to be careful with this. A survey to “test” a different online carrier pays $75, but how difficult is it to drop the carrier if it doesn’t work out?

There are many surveys, however, that pay in the $5 range and they normally last about 20 minutes to complete. They consist of the use of different household products, online shopping sites and cigarettes. Members can also earn $5 for every friend that they get to join the site.

I took a very quick survey for which I earned $2. This asked me many of the usual questions that most survey companies asked such as my average household income, occupation, number of dependants and ethnicity. I found it odd that they asked my religion and sexual preference, however. This was the first time that I’ve been asked such questions during any survey.

See how much you can learn about Paid Surveys when you take a little time to read a well-researched article? Don’t miss out on the rest of this great information.

Those who get easily offended can take comfort in the fact that answering these personal questions regarding your religion and sexual preference is optional. Vindale Research affirms that they will not share this information with anyone.

Unlike some survey sites, Vindale Research sends you surveys through your e-mail account that fit your criteria. If you truly like taking surveys, answer “yes” to anything they ask you. Tell them you eat at fast food places at least three times a week and smoke like a chimney. Answering “no” to any questions limits your survey taking ability.

Beware of giving them your credit card or billing information. Many of their surveys require that you “test” a product. Vindale Research will send you the product, charge your account for it, and then, once you return the product with the completed survey, refund you. For someone like me who doesn’t like running back and forth to the post office, this isn’t for me. Be careful of what type of survey you sign up for.

Vindale Research reminds me a bit of some of the survey companies that I joined years ago. These companies offered up to $75 in exchange for testing their products at their facility. In some cases, you had to bring the product home, use it for a certain period of time and return to the facility to fill out a questionnaire. The surveys offered by Vindale Research pay more than the average online survey companies, but are much more involved.

People who enjoy actually testing new products might enjoy participating in this research company. Those who are looking for a fast buck, however, are best to seek out other legitimate online survey sites.

This article’s coverage of the information is as complete as it can be today. But you should always leave open the possibility that future research could uncover new facts.





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