How To Find Legitimate Survey Companies
Preparing online surveys for cash or merchandise and other
rewards are becoming one of the more popular ways to
earn money from
home. The great part about this opportunity is that research sites
need as many people as possible to complete their demographic
models, so they are always accepting applicants. Corporations
seeking market research on products or services is continually in
demand, so survey opportunities are abundant. It is, in an overall
view, the prime opportunity to earn income from home.
However, as with any opportunity, some offers are better than others.
By following these simple steps you can distinguish which survey
companies are legitimate, which offer the types of awards you desire and
which sites are just flat out scams.
- One of the easiest ways to avoid poor survey sites is to join a
work at home community. These communities are filled with people,
performing the same tasks as you are, and their knowledge and
experience is valuable. In these communities you can learn which
companies to avoid, which pay the most money for each survey and
which companies have the most survey opportunities. You can also
share on these sites any information that you have acquired in
finding good companies. This is also a great way to learn about new
companies that are going to offer the best paid surveys program.
- Read all the fine print. It is very common for people to
overlook the fine print on any website. They just assume that
everything is legal, or else it would not be posted on the Internet.
However, this is the furthest thing from the truth. You need to know
all of the following information about a site before you agree to
become a member.
A. Does the site have contact information that is more than a
web-based email address? Companies that do not have contact
addresses and phone numbers should be avoided at all costs.
- Does the company have a Privacy Policy? If the company does not have
a privacy policy posted you can guarantee they are going to sell all
of your information. You will be spammed, phoned, and watch your
mailbox fill up with junk. Avoid these companies just for your own
sanity.
- Does the company have an earnings disclaimer? A legitimate
company will have a disclaimer posted on their site stating
something to the fact that earnings are not guaranteed. This is a
legal protection. Websites without this disclaimer are not to be
trusted.
- Does the company explain in detail how it rewards its panelists
for their participation? Does it state if it pays in cash, points or
contest entries? Does it disclose any payment requirement, such as
need of a PayPal account? Does the site list a certain time period
before claiming your reward? These are all very important issues
that a legitimate site will disclose.
- Determine Payment Method. Payment will be rendered by either
cash rewards, point rewards or entries into a contest. Cash payments
will most often be sent through PayPal, though cheques may be issued
for a fee. Point programs will allow you to redeem your points for
cash, gift cards or merchandise. Contest entries will give you a
chance at a very large cash pay out.
It should be noted when you are collecting points as awards that you
understand how you may spend them. Some companies will require you to
purchase merchandise out of their overpriced online store. Make sure you
understand how the program pays before you agree to participate.
Avoiding The Scam
There are companies out there that are only interested in gathering
your personal information to resell. They are not legitimate survey
sites. While this list may not help you avoid all the scam artists out
there, these are some of the largest danger signs that the site is not
in your best interest.
- Any site that requests you to pay for membership in the survey
program - Survey sites are always free.
- Any site that requests you to participate in offers before
allowing you to have access to paid surveys
- Any site that wants to charge you for information on how to make
money from surveys
- Any site that offers a guarantee on the income you will generate
from completing surveys
- Any site that requires a credit card to be held on file
- Any site that asks for personal banking information, PayPal
passwords or access to your online banking.
- Any site that fails to have contact information, privacy policy
or legal disclosures posted on them.
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