Paid Surveys - Are they legit?

Paid surveys are not new, despite all the hoopla. Marketing research firms have been paying consumers to participate in surveys, focus groups and such for some time. But the Web has granted them a more-efficient way to collect data. So, many now conduct legit, online paid surveys and other types of paid, online marketing research.

But many questionable, "middleman" paid survey sites are poisoning the well, by hyping easy money for participating in online marketing research from home. When there's competition for selling an easy-money scheme working from home, you can bet that there's also exaggeration, if not outright scams.

Many questionable middleman sites charge "membership" fees for access to lists of marketing research firms that conduct online paid surveys. But you can find many for free, by searching the Web. It's how this writer found 60+ to review for this article. It's also likely how the membership sites found most they list. Regardless, some try to dupe you into believing their lists are special. But, according to messages on scam forums, their lists are essentially the same as others. Worse, some also list other membership sites, trying to dupe you into buying essentially the same list over and over again. They include sites that seem to be their competitors, because they earn referral fees or commissions when you click the links or buy memberships. A couple mentioned in scam forums even try to dupe you into buying the same list at other membership sites they own under different domain names. So, natch, these sites have incentive to exaggerate how much you'll earn from online paid surveys.

Other middleman paid survey sites provide free lists. But, many are effectively in cahoots with the questionable membership sites, because they too earn referral fees and commissions by hosting links and ads for membership sites. So, they too have incentive to exaggerate.

If anybody is earning a living from online paid surveys, it's considerably more probable to be middleman-site owners than participating consumers. Of the 60+ paid survey sites reviewed, most "pay" only token rewards in the form of goods, services, coupons or samples. Many pay cash only through sweepstakes. Even if you're lucky enough to win several sweepstakes, it likely won't lead to early retirement. Prizes at most reviewed sites range from $5-200 in cash or goods and drawings are only occasional. Some pay with points that are redeemable for cash or goods. Typically, you must rack up a bunch to redeem them for anything of significance. Most pay nothing or only sweepstakes entries for completing screening surveys, that determine your eligibility to receive certain paid surveys. A couple don't pay much of anything, unless you recruit others as in pyramid schemes.

A few paid survey sites reviewed do pay relatively well in cash. But questionable middleman sites hype hypothetical, best-case scenarios that can't possibly apply to each and every consumer for each and every hour he or she participates. In the real world, the likelihood that you'll often earn the higher of the hyped amounts is slim. Besides the reality that most simply don't pay much, you must be invited to complete paid surveys. To be invited, you must fit targeted demographics. That alone limits your earnings right off the bat, as you can't possibly fit every demographic.

Consequently, despite what questionable middleman sites imply in their "dream job" hype, it's unlikely that you'll earn a living from paid surveys and other marketing research. You might, however, earn or win some extra spending money, or free or discounted goods or services.

Most reviewed paid survey sites effectively promise not to share personally-identifiable information or not to share it without prior consent. It's an industry standard, by which legit marketing research firms are bound. But many membership sites reviewed don't make either promise, or do so only in a limited or wishy-washy way. Unauthorized go-betweens such as membership sites don't have to honor the marketing-research industry's privacy standards.

Consequently, by joining, you might have also rolled out the red carpet for the membership site or its unnamed "marketing partners" to solicit you. (Some who joined membership sites reported in scam forums that they were swamped by spam only minutes later.) Your personally-identifiable information is worth a small fortune to direct marketers, especially since the U.S. Federal Trade Commission pushed for legislation in 2002 to stop unsolicited telemarketing calls. Ask yourself if a few extra bucks, iffy sweepstakes and other token rewards are worth the aggravation of dealing with potentially dozens of pestering privacy invasions that offer nothing for your time.

All things considered, it's no surprise that some of the marketing research sites reviewed disclaim any connection with membership sites. Real paid survey sites pay you, not the other way around.