Avoiding Internet Paid Survey Scams by Jake Kennedy
Each day the number of market research companies seeking surveyors is expanding. Paid Online surveys attract people because of its fun element and the fact that they get paid simply for taking a survey or taking part in a paid survey group. The ease and convenience makes it a very lucrative option for stay-at-home moms and students wanting to make some easy money.
Many companies are paying for real people to test out their products and give them their opinions. But this trend is being wreaked by scammers who prey on naivety and online paid surveys are being commercialized by such people who make fantastical claims and net innocent people into paying for what should be free.
Sifting through all the fraudulent sites can be a very tough task indeed and many find that they have signed up for such scam websites.
Dead links, banner ads, lack of customer service and no refunds can be clear signals of the site being a fraud, but sadly many fall into these traps.
These are some of the ways you can tell the authenticity of any paid survey network:
How long have they been in business? Less than a year means that the site is still in the fledgling stages.
Are there any helpful resources and articles and/or feedback available to newcomers?
Is the site endorsing any company or product? Are they planning to send you promotional emails and newsletters? Sites like that cant be bona fide because market research firms cannot be biased towards any product.
What are their site terms and privacy policies?
Is their customer service response time more than 24-48 hours? And do they have a valid company address and other details?
Is their site updated frequently?
Do they ask for any personal details or ask you to make payments or give them any commission?
Are you eligible immediately or are you put in an indefinite queue?
Are you being offered fantastic prizes for signing up or promised thousands of dollars weekly?
If they satisfy these conditions the chances are high that they are a real market research company looking for genuine survey takers. If you see anything untoward do not sign up with the company or give them any details, chances are that they are a hoax.
Though you need to be careful about the people you interact with on the internet, there are genuine companies or paid survey administrating organizations and guides that can help you get real offers. Beware and have fun.
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1. A Domain Name
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Start by displaying your site at
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