ALT-8 Are Paid Surveys a Scam
Paid survey sites promise a lot of great rewards, just for answering a few simple questions.But do they really give you what they say they will?
There are 2 types of paid "survey" sites to be discussed in this article.The first, those "Your Opinion Counts, Answer Now For a Free Trip To Europe" ones.These often appear as spam e-mail, or pop-up ads. They may also be displayed on banners and ads on web-pages that you visit for other reasons. "Coke or Pepsi?""Which Fast Food Do You Prefer? Click here for $50.00 McDonald's Gift Certificates."There are also some "registration required" survey sites which will send you these types of "surveys" as part of their "freebies and awards programs."The second type of site we will discuss are actual survey sites, such as "Greenfield On-Line" and "Global Test Market." These are sites that are paid to collect information from larger businesses about your buying habits, and product interests. These sites require you to register to take surveys, and will often send you e-mail invitations to participate in a new study.
The first type of survey is the one you will spend hours trying to complete. You will be required to sign up for certain offers or purchase something, in order to "earn" your reward. The advertisers lists go on and on, and you are generally required to check yes, or no, if you want information from at-least 100 different companies who want your name and e-mail address.Yes these sites are SCAMS.Do not fall into the trap of trying to complete one of these types of surveys, or you spend at least an hour on-line, clicking and clicking, and sending your private information to every company who sends out e-mail advertising on the web, for absolutely no reason whatsoever.No, I'm sorry to tell you, but you won't get that free X-box live. You won't ever take that free trip to Europe. You will never receive that $100.00 gift certificate. All you will get for your time and energy is a whole of e-mails from the people who just wanted your address in the first place.
The second type of site is not as complicated or frustrating, but also is really not very rewarding, monetarily, either.You can register with any number of Internet companies who will ask you to complete surveys from time to time, about new products and/or about how you shop for certain items. You will receive a small credit to your account for each survey you complete. Many of these surveys, however, will have you answer up to 3/4ths or more of the questions, then determine by your answers that you are ineligible to receive a payment for that survey.If you do complete a survey with a company, the pay will be very low scale. The number of invitations you will receive to participate in surveys will generally be pretty low, so that your chances of making any "real" money are pretty slim.
The truth about on-line surveys and paid survey sites is that they aren't what they profess to be. Even the best ones out there, that offer real surveys from real companies who want to know about your opinions and ideas, do not really make it worth your time to register and complete surveys with them.
