YouGov came to my attention when a reader emailed me to inform me YouGov failed to pay her when she reached the $50 payout goal. After this I did a bit more checking. Though YouGov has done quoted surveys for CNN and other news and government agncies it does not make them wise to deal with. A number of others have informed me that payouts for surveys completed were never sent, be it Amazon Gift cards or cash. Here are some clues as to when to stay away from a site. They have no help link on the Home Page, (just on the emails they send out). $50 dollars is way to much for a payout goal in my opinion. With the likes of Pay Pal it can be instantaneous as is the case with some of the better sites. This said, I work with a few very reliable sites that send checks in the mail with goals of $10 and even $25. But that is my limit. The sweepstakes site are your choice to take or not. Sometimes the ones offering sweepstakes at the start link turn into well paying rewards if you qualify for that first sweepstakes one. So it is your call.
You Gov has some interesting surveys so if you just want your input heard, that could be a reason to go to You Gov.
PS, my friend finally got paid but it took a lot of emails, phone calls and complaining.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Test Spin
Test Spin is a quirky little site, an online market research company. Test Spin prides themselves for having an extremely diverse panel group, (that would be us) Test Spin says they have more than 11,000,000 testers who review Test Spins client's product or service for which we answer questions regarding our experience with the item. This great number of "us"might be the reason for my only grief with Test Spin, but more on that later.Test Spin pays out in what they call Test Spin Bucks. Their surveys are mostly of the $1 to $4 nature. You will see higher ones pretty regularly, but seeing them might be the only thing you do. Anyone who has taken more than a half a dozen surveys already knows the frustration of not qualifying for a survey. Too many companies credit, an attempt is made to to send out surveys you have a pretty good chance to qualify for. (That’s why so many survey sites ask you to take general, non paid surveys so that they can put you into demographic niches.) Test spin just seems to send every bleeding survey they have at you. You will get a lot of Sorry screens’ from these guys after just a few questions. I've gotten quite a few Sorry Screens after just the typical first page, you know, name, rank, and serial number. So for this reason I will often leave Test Spin email till the end of my night; if I have time I will go through it.Make no mistake about what I am saying. Test Spin is legit all the way. They pay. Those Test Spin Bucks I told you about; each Test Spin dollar you earn for a completed Spin survey will show up in your balance. Every time you earn $10, the "payout" button on your login page will turn green and you are allowed to cash in. Test Spin pays you in $10 Amazon.com gift certificates up to $600 a year. No more than that. They don’t want the paper work of sending the government a 1099 on anyone. (Who can blame them) Any remaining balance will continue to appear until you reach $10 again and make another payout. It is $600 each calendar year (from January through December). It can take up to 4 weeks for the credit to show, but so far it always has.So Test Spin is not the greatest, but it is honest, consistent, and they pay what they say they will, what more could you want? Not so much junk invites, a quicker payout; don’t get me started. Check them out. http://www.testspin.com/infoHome/type/whatUpdate: My suggestion is not to take their survey from the way to many emails they send out, it will waste to much time. Just go to their site and go through their list and take a chance on the ones that interest you. You might even have a better chance of qualifying and save you time.Remember, at best taking surveys should be a hobby that actually pays out a little. Don’t thinkit will be a full time career. For what it is, its okay. Have fun survey takers.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Opinion Outpost
Hi all,
Todays featured survey site is Opinion Outpost. The Outpost offers what they call Opinion points, these points can be redeemed for cash. Working for marketing research companies, the Outpost gathers info on how consumers, think about products, ideas and issues of the day. The registration process is short and simple. Membership is free. All pretty standard for a survey sign up. Their privacy policy states that they do not sell or otherwise use your email expect to contact you. They belong to all the right organizations that try to monitor ethical marketing behavior: (MRA, AMA, AAPOR, CASRO, ARF).
To check them out follow this link.
https://www.opinionoutpost.com/join?affiliateId=af7205-7487 Yes it's my link, if you don't want to give me the referral that's up to you. For every referral you get additional points.
You will always earn Opinion Points for each survey you complete. Opinion Points are redeemable for cash. 10 Opinion Points = $1.00. This is one of the more common sense approaches you will find out there. In addition, some surveys may offer other payments, such as a sweepstakes or other prizes. Each survey invitation will have details about the Opinion Points possible as well as other reward details. When you join, you will sent an e-mail welcoming you to the panel. After which, you will be contacted periodically by e-mail to ask you to take part in a survey. The e-mail will contain all the information you need to participate, including the URL to visit to take the survey. If you have selected to participate in research via the phone as well as e-mail, then you will receive phone calls on occasion asking for your participation.If you ever need to change your information, they make it simple and it is done withing 24 hours most times. And you want to make sure your address is right because these guys do send checks. Maybe not that often, but they do send them. They have a Refer-A-Friend option, it allows you to invite friends and family to join the site. You earn an award for each person you refer who joins the panel and completes at least one survey.Panel members must be at least 18 years of age and reside in the United States or Canada to participate. Outpost is user friendly with an OLD WEST motiff. Take a look and you will see what I mean. A simple click will unsubscribe you if you wish.The amount of surveys you will get always depends on you demographic and the needs of the studies.But when you reach the minimum they pay out. The check is in the mail, as they say.They are what they say they are. They are straight forward about what they offer. If your demographic is what they are looking for you will earn points that you can then redeme for cash which they send you in the form of a checkClick this link and give them a try, there is never any cost to join.https://www.opinionoutpost.com/join?affiliateId=af7205-7487That it for now.Eileen
Posted by Eileen Fox at 12:28 AM
Todays featured survey site is Opinion Outpost. The Outpost offers what they call Opinion points, these points can be redeemed for cash. Working for marketing research companies, the Outpost gathers info on how consumers, think about products, ideas and issues of the day. The registration process is short and simple. Membership is free. All pretty standard for a survey sign up. Their privacy policy states that they do not sell or otherwise use your email expect to contact you. They belong to all the right organizations that try to monitor ethical marketing behavior: (MRA, AMA, AAPOR, CASRO, ARF).
To check them out follow this link.
https://www.opinionoutpost.com/join?affiliateId=af7205-7487 Yes it's my link, if you don't want to give me the referral that's up to you. For every referral you get additional points.
You will always earn Opinion Points for each survey you complete. Opinion Points are redeemable for cash. 10 Opinion Points = $1.00. This is one of the more common sense approaches you will find out there. In addition, some surveys may offer other payments, such as a sweepstakes or other prizes. Each survey invitation will have details about the Opinion Points possible as well as other reward details. When you join, you will sent an e-mail welcoming you to the panel. After which, you will be contacted periodically by e-mail to ask you to take part in a survey. The e-mail will contain all the information you need to participate, including the URL to visit to take the survey. If you have selected to participate in research via the phone as well as e-mail, then you will receive phone calls on occasion asking for your participation.If you ever need to change your information, they make it simple and it is done withing 24 hours most times. And you want to make sure your address is right because these guys do send checks. Maybe not that often, but they do send them. They have a Refer-A-Friend option, it allows you to invite friends and family to join the site. You earn an award for each person you refer who joins the panel and completes at least one survey.Panel members must be at least 18 years of age and reside in the United States or Canada to participate. Outpost is user friendly with an OLD WEST motiff. Take a look and you will see what I mean. A simple click will unsubscribe you if you wish.The amount of surveys you will get always depends on you demographic and the needs of the studies.But when you reach the minimum they pay out. The check is in the mail, as they say.They are what they say they are. They are straight forward about what they offer. If your demographic is what they are looking for you will earn points that you can then redeme for cash which they send you in the form of a checkClick this link and give them a try, there is never any cost to join.https://www.opinionoutpost.com/join?affiliateId=af7205-7487That it for now.Eileen
Posted by Eileen Fox at 12:28 AM
A quick note about surveys
First published by me Saturday, July 7, 2007
I will start with one survey company at a time with the next issue. Outline, review, what can be expected, and what others are saying about the survey sites will be featured. When I can, I will get comments from a site's representative. As I will just be picking arbitrarily from my list of survey sites; please feel free to drop me a line. If you want one particular site showcased sooner, just say the word. There will always be a link to featured survey site, so if your interest is peeked, feel free to check it out. If you can't wait, and you want a large list right away, I can set you up, just drop me an email listed on the blog.You can make some extra bucks it just takes a bit of time to set up and the realization it won't make you rich. I've have other ways to help you on that course. If your interested, drop me a line, no obligation, no worries.Next up Opinion Outpost see ya.Eileen FoxPosted by Eileen Fox at 7:58 PM 0 comments Labels: free surveys, Paid Survey, work at home
I will start with one survey company at a time with the next issue. Outline, review, what can be expected, and what others are saying about the survey sites will be featured. When I can, I will get comments from a site's representative. As I will just be picking arbitrarily from my list of survey sites; please feel free to drop me a line. If you want one particular site showcased sooner, just say the word. There will always be a link to featured survey site, so if your interest is peeked, feel free to check it out. If you can't wait, and you want a large list right away, I can set you up, just drop me an email listed on the blog.You can make some extra bucks it just takes a bit of time to set up and the realization it won't make you rich. I've have other ways to help you on that course. If your interested, drop me a line, no obligation, no worries.Next up Opinion Outpost see ya.Eileen FoxPosted by Eileen Fox at 7:58 PM 0 comments Labels: free surveys, Paid Survey, work at home
You paid for that?
You paid for that?
Paid surveys, by their nature are free. You are providing a service to research entities; that need timely and truthful information for their clients. In return for your opinions and statistical makeup they offer incentives to you for sharing that information..Having said that, let me state there are quite a few companies, universities, and other organizations that desperately want to know what you think. That is, if you fit the profile they are looking for.With this bit of background out of the way lets get going.There are many websites out there with names like !@#$%Monster, !@#$%!Review , #$@Advise (I can't really name them, lawyers and all) and other Survey somethings willing to sell you a list of numerous paid survey sites, or what they call survey sites. Be warned; you never have to pay a fee to acquire a list of free survey sites. Note the have to, you can of course do anything you like. The truth is, you will get nothing for your hard earned cash that you could not get for yourself with some time, effort, and a bit of web surfing. That's how I did it.Word to the wise; there is no such thing as making hundreds $ a week taking surveys either. On any given day you could qualify for a $25 survey about Jello and nothing but sweepstakes the rest of the week. You could make a few hundred a month, it's not unheard of. Note the could.As I mentioned, the paid survey sites themselves are free to join (always). The site operators compensate you via redeemable points, sweepstakes, coupons, gift certificates or cold hard cash (checks or PayPal). It all depends on the company, time involved in the survey, and always if you qualify(fit demographic profiles) for that study, aka survey. I know the ads say make $25 to $75 per survey. I wish. More on this later.These paid for lists often go for$39 to $59. I don't know about you, but I like my money and I don't want to give it away for something of no real value. There is also the well documented (on numerous forums) the problem of the lists being full of dead links, repeaters (some sites go by more than one name), and just plain sites of no use. Ciao, for instance, won't be of much use to you unless you live in the right geographic location. Some won't be of use unless you are a medical professional or some other specialty. These lists often use outdated information and web addresses. The rub is they have given you what you have asked for; a list of sites so,' no harm no foul', as they say.There is another type of site that offers these list to you, but for free. The fact all these sites seem to name the same 20 plus sites on there lists is not lost on those of us who take this stuff seriously. Many of these list are nothing but what I like to call buy and try. For a short survey you can have this computer. P.S. you need to complete one offer from column A and two from column B and one from column C. But after that and about three months, if you stick to it, you can get last years model computer. These are offer sites, many are quite legitimate but they are not survey sites. The free list provider gets a fee for the referral, nothing wrong with that either, I just happen to think they need to be up front about what they are offering.One other thing they could be more clear about. Its all there in their terms; where they tell you about what they do with your information. It is just kind of hard to read the legalize. It comes down to what is called 'address harvesting'. A list of names that might be interested in web offerings is worth a lot to most any marketer, myself included. When you sign up with these sites I guarantee you will have bulk mail out the you no what. This is not spam, you signed up for it; you did, read the fine print. Did you really want it, is a whole nother story.So do your due diligence, do the work, you will find all the sites you can handle. One more reality check, point sites have there own logic. Some take forever to earn enough points for a $5 gift card, others send you just a few surveys and they are sending you a $10 check in the mail or a draft to your PayPal account. You could make $50 in one 90 minute session and not hear from them again for a month. Generally most surveys earn, in value, $1 or $2 a shot. Those much coveted $75 focus groups are out there as well. It also takes time to establish yourself with the company itself, there will be a lot of free surveys before the big ones show up.You can make extra money, you most likely won't get rich. Surveys can be a great deal of fun. Free product to test at home is kind of cool. Movies and their trailers to judge, now that's fun. Its out there.Next time I will start reviewing some of the most popular sites. Always some do and don't.Welcome to 1 paid survey at a time.
Posted by Eileen Fox at 7:33 PM 0 comments
Paid surveys, by their nature are free. You are providing a service to research entities; that need timely and truthful information for their clients. In return for your opinions and statistical makeup they offer incentives to you for sharing that information..Having said that, let me state there are quite a few companies, universities, and other organizations that desperately want to know what you think. That is, if you fit the profile they are looking for.With this bit of background out of the way lets get going.There are many websites out there with names like !@#$%Monster, !@#$%!Review , #$@Advise (I can't really name them, lawyers and all) and other Survey somethings willing to sell you a list of numerous paid survey sites, or what they call survey sites. Be warned; you never have to pay a fee to acquire a list of free survey sites. Note the have to, you can of course do anything you like. The truth is, you will get nothing for your hard earned cash that you could not get for yourself with some time, effort, and a bit of web surfing. That's how I did it.Word to the wise; there is no such thing as making hundreds $ a week taking surveys either. On any given day you could qualify for a $25 survey about Jello and nothing but sweepstakes the rest of the week. You could make a few hundred a month, it's not unheard of. Note the could.As I mentioned, the paid survey sites themselves are free to join (always). The site operators compensate you via redeemable points, sweepstakes, coupons, gift certificates or cold hard cash (checks or PayPal). It all depends on the company, time involved in the survey, and always if you qualify(fit demographic profiles) for that study, aka survey. I know the ads say make $25 to $75 per survey. I wish. More on this later.These paid for lists often go for$39 to $59. I don't know about you, but I like my money and I don't want to give it away for something of no real value. There is also the well documented (on numerous forums) the problem of the lists being full of dead links, repeaters (some sites go by more than one name), and just plain sites of no use. Ciao, for instance, won't be of much use to you unless you live in the right geographic location. Some won't be of use unless you are a medical professional or some other specialty. These lists often use outdated information and web addresses. The rub is they have given you what you have asked for; a list of sites so,' no harm no foul', as they say.There is another type of site that offers these list to you, but for free. The fact all these sites seem to name the same 20 plus sites on there lists is not lost on those of us who take this stuff seriously. Many of these list are nothing but what I like to call buy and try. For a short survey you can have this computer. P.S. you need to complete one offer from column A and two from column B and one from column C. But after that and about three months, if you stick to it, you can get last years model computer. These are offer sites, many are quite legitimate but they are not survey sites. The free list provider gets a fee for the referral, nothing wrong with that either, I just happen to think they need to be up front about what they are offering.One other thing they could be more clear about. Its all there in their terms; where they tell you about what they do with your information. It is just kind of hard to read the legalize. It comes down to what is called 'address harvesting'. A list of names that might be interested in web offerings is worth a lot to most any marketer, myself included. When you sign up with these sites I guarantee you will have bulk mail out the you no what. This is not spam, you signed up for it; you did, read the fine print. Did you really want it, is a whole nother story.So do your due diligence, do the work, you will find all the sites you can handle. One more reality check, point sites have there own logic. Some take forever to earn enough points for a $5 gift card, others send you just a few surveys and they are sending you a $10 check in the mail or a draft to your PayPal account. You could make $50 in one 90 minute session and not hear from them again for a month. Generally most surveys earn, in value, $1 or $2 a shot. Those much coveted $75 focus groups are out there as well. It also takes time to establish yourself with the company itself, there will be a lot of free surveys before the big ones show up.You can make extra money, you most likely won't get rich. Surveys can be a great deal of fun. Free product to test at home is kind of cool. Movies and their trailers to judge, now that's fun. Its out there.Next time I will start reviewing some of the most popular sites. Always some do and don't.Welcome to 1 paid survey at a time.
Posted by Eileen Fox at 7:33 PM 0 comments
Friday, September 5, 2008
What we are about
As a compainion to "The Grand Experiment" blog, I hope you find this examination of the various survey sites helpful. Original article written Sunday, July 1, 2007 by me.
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Surveys can be a nice diversion when your bored. Surveys can be a way of influcencing the way companies market their wares. Surveys can earn you gift certificates, free samples or a few extra dollars. Surveys can finance your home based business or they can be your home based business. Surveys can also be the biggest rip-off on the internet.That's what were here for. We'll talk about the surveys out there, good, bad, and the ugly. We'll also go over the money you can make and the problems of getting to that point. We'll try to answer readers questions and endeavour to help you avoid the pit falls.The truth is, you can find anything you want to know about surveys online. It would only take you a few minutes to find the survey companies that everybody else is using. Hours, sometimes days, going into months can be wasted looking for all the surveys out there especially the good ones. Sadly, a good deal of time can be wasted on survey sites that are nothing but online stores that will suck you down the rabbit hole.So hang out, learn a little, hopefully make a little money (hopefully alot) on those surveys. If your serious, we will even save you time and effort and show you how to get a 50+ list of responsive, paid online survey sites as well as sweepstakes, points, and buy and try sites.Come back often and check out the diamonds and the fakes. We will take them all on.
Posted by Eileen Fox at 1:19 PM 2 comments
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Surveys can be a nice diversion when your bored. Surveys can be a way of influcencing the way companies market their wares. Surveys can earn you gift certificates, free samples or a few extra dollars. Surveys can finance your home based business or they can be your home based business. Surveys can also be the biggest rip-off on the internet.That's what were here for. We'll talk about the surveys out there, good, bad, and the ugly. We'll also go over the money you can make and the problems of getting to that point. We'll try to answer readers questions and endeavour to help you avoid the pit falls.The truth is, you can find anything you want to know about surveys online. It would only take you a few minutes to find the survey companies that everybody else is using. Hours, sometimes days, going into months can be wasted looking for all the surveys out there especially the good ones. Sadly, a good deal of time can be wasted on survey sites that are nothing but online stores that will suck you down the rabbit hole.So hang out, learn a little, hopefully make a little money (hopefully alot) on those surveys. If your serious, we will even save you time and effort and show you how to get a 50+ list of responsive, paid online survey sites as well as sweepstakes, points, and buy and try sites.Come back often and check out the diamonds and the fakes. We will take them all on.
Posted by Eileen Fox at 1:19 PM 2 comments
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