Friday, October 31, 2008

Paid Online Surveys: Can I Really Get Paid?

By Victoria Tsau

Paid online surveys have been lurking around the internet for a long time now, and many consumers are participating in them hoping to get some extra cash for payment of monthly bills, everyday expenses or get a new cell phone or iPod. Companies are basically spending some time and money for researching the capabilities and potential of their products and services through these surveys which also includes focus groups. A number of paid for surveys are available in the internet and one must be able to pinpoint which site is genuine and which is fake.

There is actually some light behind paid online surveys in the web; you get paid for sharing what you think about their products. Companies big or small are aware of how significant consumer opinion is because it is what would help them make betterments on the quality of their products and services and in turn provide better income. These online surveys are part of a bigger marketing campaign that companies are paying a big sum for.

Paid for surveys can come in a wide range of topics. From your favorite restaurants, to new movies and shows, upcoming products, foods, drinks and even the latest gadgetry, every one of these can be the topic of surveys. No matter what age group, work category or hobbies people are into, there are a lot of surveys available for them that can help companies in their quest for producing better products and services.

The moment you register in genuine paid online surveys, you will be required to relay some important data that will basically include your age, gender, profession and income or salary range. Once the survey site has gathered all the necessary information, you will then be waiting for their email whenever there is a survey that you qualify for based on the data you have given. An invitation will be sent to you containing the direct link to the survey form itself.

Participating in paid online surveys has its benefits, and these benefits can come usually in cash rewards, but can also come in the form of gift certificates and discount coupons. The reward system will vary from one survey site to another; some will immediately credit you with a particular amount of cash upon completion, and some will require you to gather enough points by completing more surveys and exchange these points for cash or freebies.

With the birth of paid online surveys also comes deceitful websites determined to lure people into scams. These websites boasts the cash incentives that can be earned from them upon signing-up. They tell you that they have a collection of paid for surveys which you can access only upon being a member.

It is from this membership fees that these websites are getting a jump at unwary consumers. Membership fees will usually range from $25 to even more than $100, with a promise that they can give their members huge monthly income that will make them leave their jobs and stay at home doing surveys.

Most of these suspicious websites will try to entice people to sign-up with the promise of huge daily or monthly earnings, from $300 to even more than $1000 daily! They will also tempt you with their great stories of success of people that have joined their website and how their life has changed ever since. They will give you exaggerated claims that are too good to be true, and say anything just to get you to join.

It is important to keep in mind that you can never get filthy rich by just participating in paid online surveys. Yes there are some legitimate sites offering great deals for completing surveys, but it can never be enough to replace your day job salary or business income. Be warned that many websites offering paid for surveys is capable of luring you into their hoax programs and take advantage of you. Just remember to stay away from those sites that require payment on your part and those that have offers that are too good to be true. - 15465

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