ALT-3 Are Paid Surveys a Scam
I don't think so. Paid surveys seem to be a useful way of earning extra income and I've never had any negative experiences with them. Doing paid surveys on-line is not really much different from answering questions when someone stops you in the street to fill in a market research survey, as far as I can see.
I would say though - as you should do with everything else you might do on the Internet - be aware of the information you are sharing about yourself and how much time you are spending on them.
'Don't give up the day job' is a good rule of thumb. The amounts you may earn are relatively small compared to the the time it takes to fill in on-line paid surveys, but if you remember this advice and enjoy them - I can't see a reason not to take part.
First find a company who carries out on-line paid surveys. There are usually a number of advertisements on Google Ads, which may be a good place to start.
Then go through the registration process. Basic information you will need to give includes: your name, address, telephone number and occupation. After that you can usually exercise some control over how much information you share about your consumer choices, your hobbies, your house and home and even your children.
I have noticed that the more information you do give about these, the more surveys you tend to get. From a market research point of view, this makes sense. A reputable company will want to record information about consumer choices accurately and pass this on to the companies who want this information. For example, your on-line survey company may ask you whether you do your shopping on-line or not. If you say 'yes' you might find yourself being asked to take part in a survey which asks you which on-line stores you prefer and why. This is exactly what traditional market research companies do anyway.
What else can I say that might be helpful for you? As with anything else you might sign up to on the Internet, check the terms and conditions. Yes, I know that's the boring bit, but it is important. It might give you some more information about how the company you are dealing with handles your personal information. You might think twice about the whole thing if the company is going to pass on your details to third parties for marketing purposes. Some companies may have a Quality Assurance system. Don't forget to check how, and with what frequency you will be paid. Some companies pay by Paypal and others pay you with a voucher system.
It's important to remember with these surveys that you should always have the option of saying 'no' to a survey you don't like. I enjoy most of them, but occasionally I get offered one which asks for my mobile phone number, or asks for too much information about my child, and then I don't have a problem enforcing my personal boundaries and rejecting it. Good luck!
