Is doing online surveys a legitimate way to making money -- ScamBusters.org subscribers speak out...
ScamBusters.org subscribers feedback on online surveys
As we predicted, we got a LOT of feedback
from subscribers on our article on online
surveys. Here are a few of the best comments we got on doing online
surveys:
From Blake:
I work for a legitimate online survey market research company.
But you can't just cruise over to our site and take some surveys. Surveys are
by invitation only, and the invites are only sent directly to our client's customers.
And we certainly don't pay anyone to take our surveys. Either of those factors
would make the data so tainted as to be useless.
From Jo Ellen:
You gave some good advice!
I've been filling out online surveys for several years. I do so because I enjoy
it. Once in a while I'll get $5 or $10 for filling out a survey but those types
of surveys will generally take 30 - 45 minutes. (The time it takes also depends
upon how quickly your computer can change from one screen to the next).
Not everyone will qualify for every survey. For example, there might be a survey
regarding a man's product and they only want men to answer the questions. Survey
sites will offer you money only IF you qualify to finish the survey. Lately,
I've been getting a lot of surveys regarding investing or financial services.
I'm told I don't qualify shortly after I tell them the income category I fall
under. :-)
From Tom:
What i missed in your article about online surveys, is that
there are real companies out there that collect date for commercial companies.
I use [Names deleted].
Although it doesn't pay as much as the scammers claim, it is a fun way to spend
some time.
Some companies have other things than money. You can get new products to test
before they actually hit the stores (great way to impress friends), you can
do a tasting for various products, or you can be entered in a savings program
(points redeemable for gifts).
I agree that it is not a sure way to earn an income, but it IS a sure way to
have some fun, and keep something from it :)
In 5 years of me doing online surveys, i have gotten an amount of roughly US$
500 in cash. BUT, i also got software, (MS office 2000 & XP complete, Windows
98 and XP home complete) A travel voucher for $250 .. and about $100 worth in
gift coupons. Fun thing is, my wife has joined me the last year, and we see
an increase in surveys, and in points and gift coupons.
From Marge:
There are some legitimate survey companies where you do
not get paid in dollars but in points.
I've been doing 3 for a couple of years now. After accumulating a certain amount
of points, have been able to choose what I want from groups of products. Have
never had a problem with any one of them, and have been sent name brand telephones,
clock radios, toasters, gift certificates that I've redeemed, etc.
The surveys that I've filled out for these companies do not take that long...
anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes of my time. My email address or home address have
never been given out by these companies either as I coded each one differently,
so I would know if they did. :o)
From Dianne:
I was surprised by the statement in your newsletter (Issue
#150 October 26, 2005) that doing medical transcription is a scam like stuffing
envelopes or doing surveys and that you can't make money doing it. This is definitely
not correct.
There are legitimate, reputable companies who hire medical transcriptionists
to work from home over the internet. I have been working for one company (MedQuist)
for four years (and know at least four other women in my city who work for the
same company) and also worked for a different company for a short time. It's
not a "get rich quick" scheme, it's a real job with a regular pay
cheque based on production. You can make a comfortable living doing it, but
it is work, and you have to have training and experience. It's not a scam. (I'm
sure there probably are companies out there that take advantage of people, too.)
From Karen:
As a medical transcriptionist who has worked on line for
the last 7 years, I take slight exception to your statement that you can't make
money on line doing medical transcription. I assume that you are referring to
those spaham ads that say you can make over $5000 a month doing medical transcription
- which is absolutely not correct, you won't make that much unless you own the
company. Those are definitely illegal setups, and I have never dealt with any
of them.
However, it really wasn't clear from your newsletter that you were referring
to that particular setup, as opposed to the many legitimate companies that have
online setups.
Thank you very much for listening.
[Editor's Note: We were talking about the spam medical transcription offers.
This is a huge area of Internet fraud. Sorry for any confusion.]
From Diane:
This isn't a claim for a scam, i have been doing online
surveys for several years, if i have to pay them, i don't do them.
There are several out there that you CAN earn money doing, and like you said,
it takes time and patience. There are several online survey companies that are
legit, and you earn points, which can be cashed in - that's the main type i
do. I also do several that pay me real money through paypal.
I have earned a lot of money doing them, would like to earn more, but most i
don't trust, especially the ones YOU have to pay a fee to get the surveys. Those
i agree these are scams. That's all i have to say, thank you for the opportunity
to put in my 2 cents.
From Bob:
I'd only add one thing to your article on avoiding online
survey scams. I have participated in some legitimate surveys from Harris, A.C.
Nielsen, and other, so I do know a bit about these things.
Like many folks, I get a lot of these spam/scam messages from bogus survey companies
and the easiest way to tell which are legit is that they promise almost nothing.
At best, they offer to enter your name in a drawing for some sort of reward,
but you're even given a chance to opt out of that.
The rule of thumb is that if they promise you any sort of significant reward
- be it cash, an iPod, a laptop computer, or whatever - they're bogus.
