The Benefits And Pitfalls Of Paid Online Surveys

By Cacey Taylor

Are paid online surveys scams? This question has two parts. The first part being market research companies have been in business since the 1920's. When the internet came into existence in the 1990's it reshaped the industry into a more online presence.

Before the internet, companies would utilize marketing research companies to utilize surveys by going door to door, sending them out via postal mail, using the phone to conduct them, and in person groups.

Once the internet came along, it totally revamped the industry. Now, companies are able to deliver paid surveys right into an email inbox. This invention created even more companies that operates mostly online and added another element and job force to existing market research companies.

The online companies that were created are not scams. The existing companies that existed before the internet came along are not scams either. Market research companies are very generous and go beyond the scope of what exists on the internet today in regards to making money online. Most companies want to extract some sort of payment from people. The opposite is true with paid market research companies. They pay you for signing up and may even offer a sign on bonus just for joining. What appears to be a scam is actually a legitimate way to do business.

The second part to the question are paid online surveys scams is the actual websites that are scams and use the nature of free paid online surveys as a way to attract people into the scam.

People who are looking for survey websites to join or trying to earn some money online might run into a website that appears to be a real survey promising them some reward like gadgets or cash at the end.

The scam is for the people to end up paying some sort of price for a product or service. The unsuspecting party may also run into an endless loop of websites with ads on them. Another scam may try to have you enter an email so they can spam your email with ads and offers. Worst case scenario being they steal your credit information, mess up your credit, and steal money from you.

These are just some of the real scams that exist. The scammers utilize a paid surveys front because they are free to join. Anytime a program is free to join to make money it will attract visitors. Unfortunately scammers will utilize this great way to make money and turn it into a way to commit fraud to unsuspecting parties.

The best way to avoid scams is to check the about us pages. They might have a phone number and/or email on the contact us page so you can ask questions before joining. Also check with the Better Business Bureau to find out if they are registered and rated their. Another great way to find the legitimacy is to check to see if they have any accreditations on the site. Usually on the bottom of the website they will showcase a certified label such as TRUSTe Certified label.

For the most part the paid online surveys are real and legitimate. Market research companies have been in business over 60 years and now utilize the internet as a way to help people to earn money online without having to pay anything. Businesses spend billions on market research each year and you will find many companies pay out millions to its members as a reward for completing paid surveys with them. Unfortunately scams really do exist to bring harm to you or your computer.

Read more about avoiding scams at   Get Paid Surveys on my website   Surveysboy - A website that discusses paid surveys in greater detail and outlines a plan for people to earn extra income online or even start their own home business