Paid Surveys

Panda Research

2008-02-02T12:06:00.000-08:00

I love Pandaresearch.com. Ever since I began doing surveys at home for money, Pandaresearch has been one of my favorite haunts.

There are literally hundreds of online money making schemes. Many of them are just that - schemes. The trick to finding a legitimate online survey company is to do a little research. If a site promises $10,000, chances are it's a scam. A trip to the Bahamas? It's a scam. But when they offer you $3 to do a 10 minute survey, chances are it's legitimate.

I've been participating in online surveys since I got laid off from my job two months ago. While these sites will not pay your mortgage, or make you wealthy, they are a good way to earn a few extra dollars in between job interviews.

The thing I like about Pandaresearch.com is that it's easy. The surveys generally only last about 10 minutes and pay anywhere from $3 to $10. It's not a lot of money, but it sure beats watching daytime television.

Signing up for this site is easy. If you are thinking of having several e-mail accounts and doing repetitive surveys, don't. Only one person per address can sign up for this site. And IP addresses are easy to check. Take it slow and realize the process for what it is - a chance to earn a few bucks while sitting at home.

There are a variety of surveys to choose from at Pandaresearch.com. Many of them are free, but be wary of those who offer $45. The surveys that pay more than $10 often have a catch. Like switching your telephone carrier. Unless you are seriously thinking of doing this, avoid this type of survey. You might end up spending more in transferring your telephone service than you make in the survey.

The best thing about pandaresearch.com is that they pay through Paypal instead of by check. Signing up for a paypal account is easy and the site has a link to Paypal that will walk you through it. For those of you who are leery of Paypal, don't be. I've been using Paypal for a number of years and have yet had any money stolen. Paypal is a free service and you can request a debit card from them for no charge. In addition, you can transfer money to and from your bank account without any fees. The debit card has a Mastercard logo and can be used anywhere credit cards are taken. Best of all, for each purchase you make using your Paypal card as a credit card, you get money back into your account.

The only problem with pandaresearch.com is that you have to accumulate $100 in your account before you receive payment. But it's not difficult to do. Unlike some survey companies, they will not "kick you off the site" for inactivity. So you can participate in surveys at your leisure. Then, when you have accumulated $100, simply ask to have the money transferred to your Paypal account. It's really very simple. However, the process does take four weeks for completion.

The surveys range from vacation getaways to shoes. You will not be turned down for any survey. In order to qualify for to be a pandaresearch panelist, you must be a United States resident at least 18 years of age and have a valid e-mail address. They will not accept an anonymous e-mail address, such as a hotmail account or yahoo account. No proxy servers will be accepted. And, again, only one person from each household can qualify.

Online surveys can be a fun way to make money while sitting online. If you have an opinion and like to shop, this is an excellent way to make some extra money in your spare time.

Work From Home

2008-02-02T12:03:00.000-08:00

There are over 500 online companies offering money for people who want to work from home doing surveys and earn a full-time income. Beware of such sites that promise you riches for nothing; they're a scam.

While there are some legitimate sites that pay a few dollars to take a ten minute survey, there are others that are not legitimate. Many of these sites simply exist to gather your personal information and sell it to telemarketing companies. A few of them are downright scams that require a "sign-up" fee in exchange for the privilege of working from home.

One of the sites I've run across is workfromhome4dollars.com. This site not only offers you "up to $75 an hour" for completing surveys in the privacy of your own home, it also advertises just about every "work from home" scam there is. Most of these schemes are aimed at women who are trying to make a few extra dollars while staying home with the kids.

I've written many articles about paid surveys and was happy to find that there are some legitimate companies out there on the internet. But I'm halfway intelligent and can usually smell a scam from a mile away (two miles on a clear day). And as soon as I clicked on workfromhome4dollars.com, the stench overwhelmed me.

P.T. Barnum said there is a sucker born every minute. Unfortunately, he was spot on in his assessment of human nature. Sadly, there are many predators out there who are only too glad to take someone's hard-earned money with the promise of a "get rich quick" scheme.

Workfromhome4dollars is only too glad to hook you up with surveys that promise to pay $5-$75 an hour. For $34.95, the site will direct you to a survey site where you can participate in surveys. What workfromhome4dollars.com doesn't tell you is that these sites can be accessed by any individual with internet experience without paying a dime.

In addition to offering "opportunity" for paid surveys, workfromhome4dollars.com offers other "opportunities" such as "typing from home," "medical transcription from home," "data entry from home" and other schemes aimed mostly at uneducated women. All of these "golden opportunities" cost the participant anywhere from $35 to $75 to enroll.

The site is merely a money making portal. Of all the sites on the internet I've investigated while researching this topic, this is the worst. I implore anyone who is interested in participating in paid surveys to beware of the following:

- Do not give out your credit card number, social security number or bank information to any online site.

- Beware of any site that promises "thousands of dollars a month" for working from home. I've done a lot of research into paid surveys; if it were that easy, no one would work outside the home.

- Do not pay "upfront" for the privilege of doing a survey. Legitimate companies will not ask for a fee.

- Paid surveys are a way to make supplemental income; not a living. You can expect to make maybe $200 a month doing this.

- Before signing up for any online survey site, do a little bit of research. The honest ones will tell you that you won't make a lot of money and will have stringent privacy policies.

- Do not, under any circumstances, ever participate in any survey about health insurance. I made this mistake once and now get about five calls a day from people trying to sell me health insurance.

- If you are participating in a survey and are directed to another website, do not feel you have to answer any questions on that site. Many times there will be "fine print" that charges your telephone number for trying a product. In addition to this, keep close tabs on your telephone bill.

- Each time you log on to your computer, clear your cookies.

Participating in paid surveys can be a fun way to earn a few extra dollars, gift cards or discount certificates. Do not expect to "get rich" doing this. And under no circumstances ever pay for the "privilege" of doing a survey.

Qsamples

2008-02-02T12:01:00.000-08:00

A more sophisticated online survey company is qsample.com. This site pays anywhere from $1 to $15 for each survey completed and, best of all, deposit's the money into your paypal account.

This unique company allows the participant to decide just how many surveys they would like to complete in a month, meaning that your e-mail inbox will not be spammed by hundreds of e-mails each day. Unlike other disreputable sites, they do not promise you a way to make a living, but a way to make a few extra dollars. Payments for completed surveys are deposited into your Paypal account every other month by the site, not by their clients.

Qsample has a variety of clients, ranging from Microsoft to Nike. Surveys generally take anywhere from five to fifteen minutes to complete, depending upon the pay. Once you sign up for the service, you will receive emails when your surveys are ready to be completed. Anyone over the age of 18 can participate in the surveys and participants from all over the world are encouraged to sign up.

Although signing up for Qsample requires you to give some personal information, they will not ask for a bank account, social security number or credit card. Your privacy is guaranteed and they do not "sell" your information to telemarketers. This site is 100 percent legitimate and offers an interesting way to earn a few extra dollars every other month, simply by filling out questionnaires.

In some cases, Qsamples clients will insist upon offering a prize or free giveaway. You do not have to participate in such surveys or provide additional information. You will still get paid for participating in these surveys, however the amount is usually nominal.

One caveat is that Qsamples clients are software companies. A little bit of knowledge about different types of software is helpful if you wish to sign up for this site. Actually, Qsamples is a computer geek's dream. A survey company that will poll them about virtually every new software on the market.

The site is owned by Survey Analytics, LLC and is primarily in the business of providing software to companies to conduct research online. Their website indicates that they have over 2000 clients, most of them software companies, with Microsoft being their largest client.

The surveys are far more sophisticated than most of the other online survey companies. One of the surveys that I was asked to participate in involved demographics and employment details in Calgary, Canada. This was way beyond the scope of my knowledge, but an absolute dream come true for anyone who knows anything about software development. Another survey involved ways to draw people to the Arthur Ashe foundation.

Unfortunately, although I signed up to participate in this site, many of the surveys offered were way beyond my field of comprehension. They might as well have been written in Chinese. And although it's easy money, and I just love giving my opinion about everything, I am hesitant in providing them with information that is way beyond my scope of knowledge.

But the site is legitimate. I can truly testify that I have not been plagued by phone calls or spam. It is the ideal way for someone with a little more computer knowledge than me (which encompasses just about everyone I know, even little kids) to earn a few extra dollars at home while investigating the fascinating world of software.

If you decide to join Qsamples, do so without worry. You can also receive bonus dollars for referring any friends to the site as well. It is a legitimate company and you have nothing to fear.

Survey Club

2008-02-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

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.

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.

Start Sampling

2008-02-02T11:59:00.000-08:00

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

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.

Blarry House Research

2008-02-02T11:54:00.000-08:00

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.

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.

How to Really Make Money With Online Survey Companies

2008-02-02T11:52:00.000-08:00

With over 500 "paid survey" companies on the Internet, it's clear that this is a business that's here to stay. Some of the sites offer you an opportunity to "get rich quick" while others offer you a chance to earn a few extra dollars in your spare time participating in panels. Can you make a living off of these sites? You sure can - but not by taking surveys. There simply isn't enough time in each day to earn a viable living off of the online survey gig.

So how can you make real money with these websites?

It's very simple. You create a "survey portal." While not easy to set up, once established, it's a way you can earn money and not even have to fill out one survey. The set-up fees are minimal, but some computer knowledge is required.

Most of the online survey companies offer a "referral" fee for directing those who want to earn money by taking surveys to their site. And this is where the money is.

The first thing you need to do is purchase a domain name. You will want to get one that is catchy and easy to remember as well as spell. Once our domain name is secured, you'll need to set up a website. It doesn't have to be elaborate at all, but should be attractive to the viewer. And, of course, you'll need to have a host. Most host companies charge about $25 a month. You want to make sure you acquire a host that allows ads. Some hosting sites like Yahoo are very user friendly, but don't allow advertising.

You'll have to do a bit of research into the various survey companies that offer a referral fee. You can sign up for each site and you'll receive a "referral link." This link will be posted on your website in the form of a "hyperlink." You'll want to get as many referral links as you can to post on your website. When researching the companies, make sure that referral payments are made in cash, not points, and that you can receive them by check or through Paypal. If you decide to accept those that offer points, you'll have to monitor that site to make sure you cash in the points for cash periodically. Do not bother with any site that offers points in exchange for sweepstakes entries or prizes; you're wasting your time.

Some survey sites offer "affiliate" programs. This is where you can actually post an advertising banner on your website. It won't cost you any money, and every time someone actually clicks on the banner and signs up for the survey company, you'll get paid.

You'll want to use a lot of visual effects in your website giving the impression that anyone can make a living online doing surveys. I've seen a lot of survey portals, many of them have photos of large homes, pools, exotic vacation spots and fancy cars. Be careful that you don't use any images subject to copyright.

You can also add some "testimonials" to your portal site. You have to be careful not to deliberately mislead people; but an ambiguous statement such as "I was working 56 hours a week at a dead end job and now earn over $10,000 a month - Brenda K." are not illegal. Because you're not directly saying that doing surveys is the reason Brenda K. is now earning $10,000 a month. Brenda K. could have won the lottery and is taking her winnings in a monthly payout.

In addition to having several hyperlinks directing people to the survey sites for which you will receive a referral fee, you can also add other advertising on your website. There are several companies that offer pennies on the dollar every time someone clicks on their ad that's on your website. This is just another way to generate income for your survey portal site.

The most important thing you need to learn how to do is market your site. In addition to hundreds of paid online survey sites, there are also hundreds of free blogging sites. Sign up for them, make as many "friends" as you can and tout the success of your online business daily in your blog (providing a link to your site, of course),

While this method of making money may be just this side of the law and takes a bit of time, a small initial cash investment and periodic updates, this is the only way to make money in the online surveys for cash game. PT Barnum knew it; other people know it and now you do, too. There is a sucker born every minute.

Just make sure the "sucker" isn't you.

Online Surveys

2008-02-02T11:51:00.000-08:00

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

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.

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.

Online Survey Scams

2008-02-02T11:48:00.001-08:00

Anyone who's ever been online should, by now, be aware of the hundreds of "work from home" internet based companies that are consistently advertised in various websites. One of the more popular is "doing surveys for cash."

There are literally hundreds of online survey companies. Most of them are not legitimate ways to make money, although a few of them can earn you a few bucks. These companies target stay at home moms who want to make a few extra dollars while taking care of the kids, the unemployed who want to make a few extra dollars while watching dozens of daytime court TV programs, the elderly who are not afraid to use the computer and teenagers who think they know everything, but aren't yet wise to the ways of the world. And let's not forget the very greedy people of low intelligence who think they can get rich by answering a few simple questions to which a five year old can respond.

These people are prey to unscrupulous methods used by some online survey companies. These scams include the following:

1. The fee for joining. There are some sites out there who charge a "fee" to join. They promise you an opportunity to earn up to $100,000 a year, sitting home at your computer taking surveys. The fee is usually less than $50. These sites are always a scam. If it was possible to earn $100,000 a year doing surveys online, the roads would be empty because no one would be going to work. Everyone would be home, in front of their computers, earning easy money. These sites prey on the greedy and/or lazy people of little intelligence. By the time they figure out that their "get rich quick" scheme isn't working, they're out $50. It's not a crime to be greedy, lazy or stupid. And, unfortunately, it isn't a crime to prey upon them in many cases. These sites are careful to add "disclaimers" stating that not everyone will earn this amount of money. They promise nothing, but include testimonials on their site from people with no last names who claim to be living the high life from the comfort of their homes. They usually have photos of flashy cars and huge houses on their websites. People need to stay away from these sites like they would avoid the bubonic plague. Unfortunately, PT Barnum was right when he said that there was a sucker born every minute. Which is why these sites continue to exist.

2. The cell phone scam. In this popular scam, you'll be asked for your cell phone number to "confirm" your membership. Seconds later, you will receive a call on your cell phone. The call will end up costing you anywhere from $1.95 to $4.95; depending on the company. These companies don't usually end up charging you too much because they figure you'll never miss a couple of bucks. But it adds up for them and that's how they make their money. They will then periodically send you text messages telling you you've won a prize and to claim it, you simply need to reply to the text. This will end up costing you more money. Do not give out your cell phone number to any website.

3. The Switcheroo. In this scam, you will be participating in a survey and then be directed to another website. They will ask you to show an "interest" in obtaining more information from one of their marketing partners. You will continue to answer "no" and keep getting more offers; the survey will never end until you answer "yes." Now this scam might not cost you any money, but it will cost you time. Because when you say that you are interested in learning more about health insurance, expect to receive an average of 10 calls a week from telemarketers trying to sell you health insurance. And the insurance they are trying to sell you is a lot more than you can expect to pay than if you contact an insurance agent in your area. I know this for a fact as I've actually done price researching. And the telemarketing company will ask you for both your social security number as well as your bank information (so they can send in a deposit with your application). It's dangerous to give out such information to anyone over the phone; legitimate companies will send you any information you require by mail.

4. The phone bill scam. You'll sign up for a survey company and provide your telephone number. Then you'll proceed in completing a survey and receive an offer for a free issue for a magazine. You'll think to yourself - what's the harm? You'll give your name and address for the magazine and hardly notice when a fee for a year's subscription shows up on your telephone bill,. If you read the fine print, however, you will see that when you provided the company with your name and address to receive your "free" magazine, you authorized them to bill you via your telephone bill. They figure that you won't even notice the extra $12.95 attached to your phone bill. And many people don't.

These are just four of the scams that I've actually encountered during my foray into the world of online survey participation. I consider myself a half-way intelligent person, but I got caught for $1.95 for the cell phone scam and $12.95 for the magazine subscription. I've also been called about 20 times so far by different "health insurance" company representatives who requested my social security number and bank information over the telephone. These companies have yet to send me anything by mail. Luckily, I know better than to give such information over the telephone.

Online survey taking can be fun, but be careful. Do not give out your cell phone number under any circumstances. Do not give out your social security number or bank information. Do not ever express any interest in receiving information from health insurance providers. And avoid the "online education" inquiries as well. Do some research prior to joining any company, do not pay a fee, and beware of anyone or any website that promises to make you rich.

Paid Surveys

2008-02-02T08:58:00.001-08:00

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.

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.