Online Paid Surveys - Scam Or Genuine Opportunity?

by Lynne O'Connor


A search on Google will bring up a mix of opinions as to whether you really can get paid simply for giving your opinion, no strings attached. Unfortunately, like any genuine opportunity, there are always people ready to take advantage of a situation, not only by raising expectations to an unrealistic level but also by charging for information freely available elsewhere, or confusing people into thinking they are carrying out market research when they are actually signing up for a variety of offers. This article attempts to clarify what you can realistically expect to achieve and how to spot the sites to avoid.
To understand whether you can indeed get paid for your opinion, you need to understand how and why the process works.

Many companies do not have any direct contact with their customers. In the retail sector for example, a company's immediate customers are distributors and major supermarket chains but their real customers are the consumers who pick up, or don't pick up, the product from the shelves of local stores. The manufacturer needs to know why a customer chooses one product above another.

The answer to this question is surveys. The manufacturer hires a Marketing Research firm to find out what potential buyers think. Traditionally that meant sending interviewers onto the streets or onto the phones to ask people for their opinions. Unfortunately, it is natural for people to be overwhelmed when they have to speak to someone on the phone or face to face and so traditional surveys can feel like an interview and the atmosphere can be quite threatening.

Online paid surveys are nothing like this, as the survey takers remain anonymous and can take them at their own pace as and when it fits their schedule, rather than the exact moment they're rushing out the door (subject to quota not being filled). Participants can be totally honest and truthful, as unlike face to face or telephone surveys, they don't have to worry about saying something stupid.

This means the product manufacturers and brand name companies find out what consumers really think rather than what they think the company want to hear. With thousands of companies needing the opinion of their (potential) customers the market research firms must have a large, stable list of survey takers available to send them out to, to ensure they can meet the demands of a diverse range of clients.

But how do they know that these people are qualified and that they will take the time to go to the website and fill out the survey forms?

They know that these survey takers are qualified because they have all filled out applications earlier giving their complete demographic information. And, they know that enough will complete the survey because an incentive is offered for their participation.

And this is where you come in. By signing up with a selection of these market research firms you will be contacted whenever a company needs your opinion about their products/services. Of course the amount you can earn and the number of invitations you receive will vary greatly depending on whether you meet the criteria. If, for example, a company are interested in opinions on a new cleaning product, then they will only want to question the member of the household who carries out housework, or a company producing baby products won't need you opinion if your children have all grown up.

Put simply, the more categories you fit, the more often you will be asked for your opinion, and the more "hard to fit" niches you meet, the higher the payout will be. Very generally then, the most in demand people are mothers of pre-school children, either in full time work, or in a relationship with someone in full time employment, who do the cooking and cleaning for the household in a large town or city. For higher paid surveys, your best chances arise if you either run your own business or are in a senior position in a large company, particular executive buyers or IT experts, or buy high ticket value products like new cars and designer gear.

Don't worry, if you don't fit any of these categories, as there are several market research companies that specialise in different sectors, eg teen survey panels, cinema goers, sports enthusiasts etc. You simply need to be realistic that you won't be able to exchange the income you'll earn from surveys for your current job.

So, if paid surveys are such a legitimate form of earning an additional income, why do they get such a bad press?

The first problem is companies that exaggerate the situation to persuade the uninitiated to part with tens of dollars for the information. You may have seen the offers; earn thousands a month just for giving your opinion. In effect, what they are offering is simply a list of these market research companies that need panel members. But unfortunately their sales pitch suggests that earnings are far higher than the average person can achieve, basing the earning levels on more specialised, in person or discussion group research. Additionally, most of the research firms listed are only looking for US residents, with only a handful needing the opinions of people living outside North America, Europe and Australia.

In other words, the opportunity is genuine, but unless you fit very specific criteria, you could become very disillusioned if you believe the hype. You should also be aware that there are now many completely free directories that provide as much if not more information, without any cost.

The second problem is companies that exploit the opportunity by paying you under the guise of market research, but are in effect simply offering you an incentive to accept a free or low cost trial product or service. You could easily find yourself billed for services you don't require if you fail to cancel within the trial period.

In summary then, remember the following simple rules and you too can start earning, just for giving your opinion:

1. Never pay any money, or give out your credit card details. Genuine market research will never involve any outlay. If they want you to test a product, it will be sent to you free of charge, and usually you get to keep it afterwards. 2. Be realistic. If you never do any of the cleaning, cooking or shopping in your household, you won't get asked your opinion about as many products, and if you don't live in Europe or an English speaking country, then you won't receive more than the occasional invitation. 3. Be truthful. Don't try to answer how you think the firm want you to reply, just to qualify. The firm have your details on file and put in questions to try to catch you out. You'll risk getting kicked off the panel, and losing any income already earned