subject: The Risks And Benefits Of Paid Online Surveys [print this page] With so many people facing tough economic times right now, it is really no wonder that more and more people are turning to the internet for a way to earn some extra cash in their spare time. Perhaps the most popular of all internet opportunities is paid online surveys. This is because, virtually anybody can take advantage of the opportunity that paid online surveys present in as little as 20 minutes a day. Unfortunately, if you do not know where to turn, you may end up becoming the victim of an online survey scam. Today I would like to talk to you about both the benefits and the risks of paid online surveys, and what you can do to help avoid the risks.
Make Money in Your Spare Time
The most beneficial aspect of paid online surveys is the opportunity for individuals to earn money in their spare time. Since you are able to log on and take a survey virtually any time and any place, this opportunity is perfectly suited to people with busy lifestyles. You can choose to complete surveys after work, on weekends, or in the middle of the night. The best part is, dedicating just a few minutes a day to completing these paid surveys really can make a difference in your overall budget. In fact, completing just 3 surveys per week can easily add up to $100 of income to your monthly budget. I don't know about you, but I could certainly use an extra hundred dollars each month.
Beware of Scams
Scam artists know that the major draw of paid online surveys is the ability to earn money quickly and with very little effort. In order to scam people out of their time and money, many scam artists seek to use this fact against you. By offering incredibly high payouts for relatively simple surveys, scam artists have no problem getting thousands of people to take their surveys everyday. The problem is, while these scam artists are being paid by the marketing companies in order to obtain survey results, these scam artists are never paying the individuals who take the surveys. Often times, these sites will shut down before the word can get out that they are not paying. This however, does not mean that these scam artists are going away. Instead, they will simply set up shop under a new domain name. In order to avoid this risk, it is important that you take the time to verify that a site is legit before you begin doing any work for them. Sticking with sites that have been around for at least one year can also help to minimize this risk.
Never Reaching Payout
One of the biggest reasons that people never benefit from taking paid surveys is that they fail to every reach the account minimum to request a payout. While most online survey sites will require you to obtain a minimum balance in order to request payment, it is important to understand that this minimum balance varies greatly from one site to the next. In order to ensure that you are always paid for the work that you do, it is important that you choose sites that offer a realistic payout level. For instance, if you are working for a site that offers you $1 per survey that you complete, having a $200 payout level is not very realistic. With a payout level that is so high, it will likely be several months before you are able to request a payout. Waiting this long to request your first payout can also add to the risk that you will not be paid at all.
