There are so many survey sites to choose from anymore, that it is getting hard to distinguish between legitimate paid survey sites and the number of survey sites whose only goal is to scam you out of your hard-earned money. It is extremely disappointing to see so many websites trying to fool people into believing they will be able to make $150/hour and make, or make up to $700 a week by taking surveys online. So, here is a little truth about paid surveys, survey companies, and how the survey sites work.

There are two kinds of survey database (aka “survey list”) sites on the internet — those that you pay a fee for, and those that are free. I have seen all kinds of sites and I don’t see a huge difference in the types of lists that are free (the good ones) and those you pay for. When I first started taking surveys I needed some extra cash and opted not to pay for the many sites out there. I am glad I didn’t. Later research into the differences showed me that, although some of the fee-based sites had a often had a greater volume of companies, most of them were junk. They also had some more geographical-specific survey panels, however they were not something that most people could take advantage of.

So, how can you avoid being scammed? Avoid the fee-based sites and sites that make unrealistic income claims, and avoid the sites that look like scam sites (if it looks like one, it probably is). Also, make sure that the website has basic information about your information and privacy rights, and whether or not your email will be rented or sold. This also includes the site where you obtain your list, and the individual survey companies as well.

Taking surveys online is truly a legitimate way to make extra money online. It just gets a little confusing when you are trying to figure out which ones are worth your time and which ones aren’t. The best way to find out if survey companies are good for your particular demographic? Register for all the companies that meet the “no scam” criteria (previous paragraph) and keep in mind that many legitimate survey companies are going to have varying compensation. So, sometimes one company will pay you well, they next time their survey opportunity may not be as great. In fact, even the survey companies that say the only give you sweepstakes entries sometimes send you product tests and great paying surveys. The bottom line is, if you register for all the legitimate companies you will never miss out on seeing an opportunity, and you can still choose after you get the invitation whether or not you want to take a survey. Either way, it is 100% your choice whether you want to take a survey or not — and you will never get penalized for skipping one.