Do any of you do online surveys?

**tracyq** · 10-26-2009, 11:04 AM

I'm not sure what it's all about, but I've heard about people signing up with companies to take online surveys, and getting paid for it, and/or trying out products. I am wondering about what this is all about. I have three main questions about it if anyone would know about it.

Is it worth the time to do for what you get out of it?

Is it difficult to do?

Are there any risks involved in giving your information out in signing up?

Thank you for any help you might be able to give me.

Tracy Q.

**sabrelvssammy** · 10-26-2009, 12:19 PM

i've been doing them for about 8 months now....

is it worth it ?? absolutely...but not EVERY company every time...

you need to weed out the ones that don't pay well...don't screen well (meaning you get tons of invites and don't qualify for 90% of them....and you don't find that out till you are already in the survey...wasting 2-3 mins of your time repeatedly is not productive)...

you have to sign up and be willing to 'work your way to the better ones'....meaning that i took alot of (what i felt to be silly and redundant surveys) that i got a dollar for here and there....and not understanding that there are really good 'serious' paying ones out there... i spent alot of time taking them for sweepstakes points, or earning prizes for things that were worth about 1/4 of what they were claiming and requiring tons of points to purchase...or the prizes i could purchase were just not anything i had any use for....

some of the surveys are super long taking up lots of time per survey so you have to know going in what your compensation will be (they tell you before you start)....and when you begin the survey some will give you a time estimate they think it will take to finish...make sure that the 'reward' matches what you are willing to do to receive it...

my biggest mistake going in was not to find this info out before i started.... only after taking alot of surveys, earning points and seeing what i could get for them (which was less than desireable)...and never winning any sweepstakes whatsoever...i started getting smart and i elimated those companies from my list (actually had THEM stop sending me invites so that i could concentrate on the ones that would pay cash).....

check out a site called 'survey police' as they list every survey company and usually have user comments from those having dealt with them...they have a link to every site and you can 'nose' around the site before signing up...most important-see what the compensation is !!......go for cash only paying sites....(unless you want over-priced stuff...that you could just buy yourself with the cash you get).....

after you sign up for some (i am signed up with about 40 sites)....you will start to receive 'invites' in your e-mail with a link that takes you directly to the available survey....sometimes though you still may not qualify after about 6-7 'classification' questions.... some sites survey's are strictly 'invitation only' and you have to wait for them to contact you...other sites you can drop by anytime and click on the 'surveys avbl' tabs and if there are any available that day you can try to take them.... (usually a good majority of the invites only you will qualify for coz these are the better companies and they pre-screen alot better (from info you provided them when you signed up) and the compensations are alot better too...

the thing to remember is it can take some time before you start getting the better surveys because they want you to 'prove yourself'... that you will jump right on the surveys when you are invited (alot of these companies have time frames and if you wait a day or two you will find the survey closed)....and that you will attempt to take all or the majority of the ones offered you... and that you will be truthful and honest the best you can....and when they ask for your opinion (in words, other than yes/no) you will take the time to actually fill in the boxes with more than just 'i don't know, can't remember, .....'....

if you can put up with all that then after awhile you will notice that the survey's start to get better, more interesting, better compensation, product testing, (the key here is if you test a product...as soon as they post for your comments...get right on it...and sometimes they want the product back so they can evaluate it...(they will send the packaging and postage)...but return it as soon as humanly possible (practically the same day).... if you can...and in addition to the free products...they usually pay you too...$5,10-20......

i am making about $100 a month on doing survey's now from all the individual co's and it is not taking nearly the time that it did in the beginning (less 'not-qualified', bigger cash rewards, etc).... and that does not include the 'special one's' that i am getting more and more invites to... just last week i participated in a 'focus group' (which comes once again with 'proving yourself') on health insurance.... we logged in once a day for 5 days and answered 2 questions each (not personal questions...questions on purchasing and carrying health ins and such) took about 1/2 hr each day to type your replies...and for that i got $100..... last month i was in another 'focus group'...talked with 6 other people across the country via skype (which i did not have so the company sent me a brand new web-camera (to keep) helped me set it up and then i spent 2 hrs one evening with these 6 people discussing 'shopping habits' via the skype...and for that-they paid me $100....(and i actually had a 'fun' time with these 6 other individuals...and a moderator asking the questions).... we laughed and cut-up the whole 2 hrs....definately worth $100 and a web cam.....

so yes, if you have the time and think you would enjoy doing them...i say it can definately be worth it...(if you hang in there)....after 8 months i am finding it is only getting better and better.... are you going to get rich? i doubt it...but you never know.... the best part about it all is i would have just been sitting here anyway doing something probably unproductive so it's been no sweat off my back....

as for is it safe ? i think so...i have not had any problems and i really thought that my e-mail box would be so full of crap from signing up to all these places but in reality...i get very little 'spam' from places i don't know....and at the end of each evening i 'clean my cookies' (ok-sometimes i do it many times a day...depending on how active i am on the puter and how many places i have been that day)...

there you have it.... and i hope this helped ease your mind some....good luck if you 'jump in'.....(maybe we will be on the same forum one day....).....

**freeze** · 10-26-2009, 01:21 PM

Wow you said it all. I agree sign up for several and then weed out the ones that do not pay well . I have gotten several products to try and earn gift cards. It's not lots of money but a little here and there is nice. Good luck.

**Luv2BeFrugal** · 10-26-2009, 05:09 PM

I've been doing e-poll for a while and just started doing another one 'yougov'. Both seem fine...don't pay a ton, but better than nothing...

I'd like to know what others are using!

**JoesMoney** · 10-27-2009, 03:28 PM

I haven't had much luck with surveys. I had signed up with one company (I can't recall the name) and tehy paid well. It was a points system. Each survey was worth XXXXX points and when you reach a certain amount, you could cash in. The catch was, they rarely had any surveys available. It probably would have taken a year to cash out. Not fun.