Paid for participating in marekting research - rip-offs?

[Studs Murphy]

Has anyone ever used any of those online companies that claim to pay you for filling in market research reports?

I have seen a few that claim to offer "gifts" and some asking for a "one-off registration fee", which always makes me think there's a guy on the other side with a mask an a big bag marked, "SWAG".

Amy I too cynical? Could I safely send off $30 and find that I would make even $30 over a year? Or would I pay my $30 and (a) never hear from them or (b) earn $2.27 which I can only collect when i reach $50?

[iwakura43]

Don't pay to take surveys: they're supposed to pay you. I've actually signed up for a couple of these things, though I've found it to be more of a hassle than it's worth, as you don't make very much money. I've made maybe $20 over two years, for maybe 3-4 hours of work. I've made money from: Greenfield Online (site appears down temporarily), and ACOP .

[Lsura]

I signed up with PineCone Research almost three years ago. I get e-mails to take a survey every 6-8 weeks, maybe - sometimes more often, sometimes less, and for each survey I get $5. There are also occasional products that I'm sent to test after a survey, but those are rare. I think I've been sent two products in all that time.

[Lips_Obsession]

I agree with the other poster - don't pay to do market research. There are free companies out there that you can sign up with on your own to do it. Most likely, that's all you'd get from that company - info on where to sign up.

Another reliable company is Pinecone Research. The don't regularly take signups, but will every few months. When they do, get in with them. I regularly get surveys from them. The normal ones are about 2 a month, $5 each. A check comes in the mail a few days after you get the email. If you get selected for an actual product evaluation, they'll send you the product to test, and another $5 check. I've gotten about 8 of the product evaluations so far, some pretty neat stuff. All of it made it to market too.

Greenfield is ok, although they don't seem to pay as well as they used to. My recent experiences with them are more "chances at a drawing" than actual cash. But they do seem to mail you almost every day.

I think they recently took over GoZing, who does pay cash for their surveys. Either that, or they're working together, becuase as you answer some GoZing surveys you now end up on URLs that are related to Greenfield.

Good luck...

[aruvqan]

Originally Posted by Lips_Obsession

I agree with the other poster - don't pay to do market research. There are free companies out there that you can sign up with on your own to do it. Most likely, that's all you'd get from that company - info on where to sign up.

Another reliable company is Pinecone Research. The don't regularly take signups, but will every few months. When they do, get in with them. I regularly get surveys from them. The normal ones are about 2 a month, $5 each. A check comes in the mail a few days after you get the email. If you get selected for an actual product evaluation, they'll send you the product to test, and another $5 check. I've gotten about 8 of the product evaluations so far, some pretty neat stuff. All of it made it to market too.

My roommate Phlip does Pinecone also. Right now we have a bottle of free shampoo, and have done a low acid coffee[not good] a healthy snack chip [sort of like those pouffy veggie chips like non cheese cheetos, *very* yummy] laundry soap [blargh, nasty smell, doesnt work in cold water like it was supposed to] a tv show [came on a nifty selferasing cassette, single watch and it erased as it played ] I think she gets a product about every 3 months or so, and a couple of online surveys / print surveys a week. It pays for her beer=)