Survey Company Discussion & Review Thread

Quote from GA_FREEBIE_LOVE : Anyone ever have problems with Lightspeed panel. I absolutely love them, but I tried signing in in and it said my email and stuff isnt right but I have been signing in for along time and know my info. I have sent them 2 emails and no replies as to what is going on. I have even tried to sign back up with them but dont know where to go to to fill out the info.

I've had this problem too and haven't received a response from them. I don't know if it's a dnq thing or what.

Quote from mahgobbi : people like you are the reason why surveys don't pay like they did years ago! if the survey companies know that suckers will work for free (or for a few bucks an hour), they'll continue to decrease the pay offered on their surveys.

Quote from mahgobbi : surveyhead and focusline are ok for some random surveys that pay about $3 - $4 for 15 minutes of work, but most of the surveys they offer aren't much better than GF and SS. Sure, they pay for each survey, but $1 or $2 for 20-25 minutes of work is slave labor. The suckers who complete them are the reasons why survey companies can get away with offering so little pay now. if you're registered with 130 survey companies, then surely you know which ones are the good ones and they offer a heck of a lot more compensation than surveyhead and focusline!

I've read a few of your posts stating this. My personal opinion of this is that you are discouraging people from taking surveys period. Your idea of what is a good paying survey may not be what other peoples idea is, regardless of the fact that you have been taking survey's for YEARS. The fact remains that you personally aren't going to change what survey companies pay. Times change....
I appreciate that your are trying to give good advice, but calling people who take these surveys for little money suckers isn't going to change anything. It just discourages people. You never know for sure if a survey is going to lead to something else or not. Just my .02 worth....

and Happy Thanksgiving. I started taking surveys because I was laid off last January. I appreciate the kind advice that I've received on this forum. I'm thankful to have found a good job, and my prayers are with all who are still looking.

Quote from MustangChick : I've read a few of your posts stating this. My personal opinion of this is that you are discouraging people from taking surveys period. Your idea of what is a good paying survey may not be what other peoples idea is, regardless of the fact that you have been taking survey's for YEARS. The fact remains that you personally aren't going to change what survey companies pay. Times change.... I appreciate that your are trying to give good advice, but calling people who take these surveys for little money suckers isn't going to change anything. It just discourages people. You never know for sure if a survey is going to lead to something else or not. Just my .02 worth.... and Happy Thanksgiving. I started taking surveys because I was laid off last January. I appreciate the kind advice that I've received on this forum. I'm thankful to have found a good job, and my prayers are with all who are still looking.

I'd never discourage anybody from taking surveys altogether. It's a great hobby, which earns a little extra spending money. However, I certainly discourage people from doing them for free or slave wages (e.g., $1 for 20-minute survey), because the people doing these surveys are killing it for the rest of us!

While I agree that I personally can't change what survey companies are willing to pay, I can assure you that thousands of people united can (and have). Times may change, but the massive change that's occurred with survey-taking over the years is not typical. Since you just started this 9 months ago, you've seen very little of the change.

The first survey site that I joined was Pinecone. This was back in 2001 I think. At the time, Pinecone paid $5 for every screener, $5 for every follow-up, and $5 to return the product packaging in a pre-paid envelope (most products required this step). In the end, each PT was worth at least $10 and most were worth $15. Now, 8-9 years later, you're lucky to make $6 grand total on a Pinecone PT. Try comparing that pay DECREASE to the average salary increase over the past 8-9 years! And at least Pinecone still pays...this is becoming more and more of a rarity...sites like SS and GF have migrated to not paying AT ALL for 90% of their surveys and PTs.

Most of the other sites are exactly the same. Surveys (from all of the companies) used to last 15-20 minutes AT MOST and they averaged about 8-10 minutes. The shortest surveys paid about $3 - $5 and the longest ones (20 minutes) paid $8 to $10. Over time, surveys became more popular, so there were fewer opportunities to go around. The survey companies began to realize that people were still willing to take the survey, even if they paid a dollar less, so they lowered the pay. Then another dollar, and then another. They reached a point a couple of years ago where the pay was down to about $2 for the average survey, so they started making them longer and longer without raising the pay. This didn't stop the suckers (and yes, I consider them to be suckers) from completing the surveys. Eventually, the length of the surveys leveled out, so they started cutted pay again...this time, down to FREE for most surveys. Which brings us to where we are now...the average survey length is about 20 minutes now and the typical pay ranges from $0 to $1. And guess what? There are STILL suckers out there who will complete the surveys for free, hoping that it might lead to a PT that isn't there.

You've been doing this for 9 months now...how many PTs, focus groups, or big projects have you come up with in that time where the initial screener was longer than 15 minutes and it didn't tell you up front that there was the potential for something good at the end? I'm guessing your answer is zero, but let's assume that you actually found one or two this way. Was it really worth the hours upon hours spent completing surveys for FREE, just to get that little container or body wash from a random 25-minute free survey? The suckers have ruined it for all of us! FACT: 90% or more (probably a lot more) of PTs, FGs, BBs, etc. come from qualifiers that last 15 minutes or less...and MOST of them last 12 minutes or less. It's rare to see a 15-minute qualifier, but they do occasionally happen. Personally, in my 8-9 years of internet survey experience, I don't believe I've ever had a survey of more than 15 minutes lead to anything good, except in rare instances where they tell you UP FRONT that they are seeking out people to participate in a community or something like that.

Have you happened to notice that SS and GF now expect PT follow-up surveys to be completed for free too? That's a new low that they've just reached this year. Why did they make that change? They did it because they know there are enough suckers out there that they'll get the number of responses they need without paying.

There are still a few good companies out there, so I don't want to rag on all of them. Their opportunities are few and far between, but Johnson & Johnson deserves a plug. This is the only company I'm aware of which has not only not decreased it's pay rate over the past 5-6 years, but it's actually increased it. I can remember getting $15 per PT from them, but now they are all worth $20.

The rest of the companies have all let the market determine their rate of pay. Honestly, I can't say I blame them. Obviously, they're in it to make a profit and they're going to pay as little as the market is willing to accept. The blame doesn't lie with the survey companies...it lies with the suckers who are willing to complete their surveys without adequate compensation.

Quote from mahgobbi : I'd never discourage anybody from taking surveys altogether. It's a great hobby, which earns a little extra spending money. However, I certainly discourage people from doing them for free or slave wages (e.g., $1 for 20-minute survey), because the people doing these surveys are killing it for the rest of us! While I agree that I personally can't change what survey companies are willing to pay, I can assure you that thousands of people united can (and have). Times may change, but the massive change that's occurred with survey-taking over the years is not typical. Since you just started this 9 months ago, you've seen very little of the change. The first survey site that I joined was Pinecone. This was back in 2001 I think. At the time, Pinecone paid $5 for every screener, $5 for every follow-up, and $5 to return the product packaging in a pre-paid envelope (most products required this step). In the end, each PT was worth at least $10 and most were worth $15. Now, 8-9 years later, you're lucky to make $6 grand total on a Pinecone PT. Try comparing that pay DECREASE to the average salary increase over the past 8-9 years! And at least Pinecone still pays...this is becoming more and more of a rarity...sites like SS and GF have migrated to not paying AT ALL for 90% of their surveys and PTs. Most of the other sites are exactly the same. Surveys (from all of the companies) used to last 15-20 minutes AT MOST and they averaged about 8-10 minutes. The shortest surveys paid about $3 - $5 and the longest ones (20 minutes) paid $8 to $10. Over time, surveys became more popular, so there were fewer opportunities to go around. The survey companies began to realize that people were still willing to take the survey, even if they paid a dollar less, so they lowered the pay. Then another dollar, and then another. They reached a point a couple of years ago where the pay was down to about $2 for the average survey, so they started making them longer and longer without raising the pay. This didn't stop the suckers (and yes, I consider them to be suckers) from completing the surveys. Eventually, the length of the surveys leveled out, so they started cutted pay again...this time, down to FREE for most surveys. Which brings us to where we are now...the average survey length is about 20 minutes now and the typical pay ranges from $0 to $1. And guess what? There are STILL suckers out there who will complete the surveys for free, hoping that it might lead to a PT that isn't there. You've been doing this for 9 months now...how many PTs, focus groups, or big projects have you come up with in that time where the initial screener was longer than 15 minutes and it didn't tell you up front that there was the potential for something good at the end? I'm guessing your answer is zero, but let's assume that you actually found one or two this way. Was it really worth the hours upon hours spent completing surveys for FREE, just to get that little container or body wash from a random 25-minute free survey? The suckers have ruined it for all of us! FACT: 90% or more (probably a lot more) of PTs, FGs, BBs, etc. come from qualifiers that last 15 minutes or less...and MOST of them last 12 minutes or less. It's rare to see a 15-minute qualifier, but they do occasionally happen. Personally, in my 8-9 years of internet survey experience, I don't believe I've ever had a survey of more than 15 minutes lead to anything good, except in rare instances where they tell you UP FRONT that they are seeking out people to participate in a community or something like that. Have you happened to notice that SS and GF now expect PT follow-up surveys to be completed for free too? That's a new low that they've just reached this year. Why did they make that change? They did it because they know there are enough suckers out there that they'll get the number of responses they need without paying. There are still a few good companies out there, so I don't want to rag on all of them. Their opportunities are few and far between, but Johnson & Johnson deserves a plug. This is the only company I'm aware of which has not only not decreased it's pay rate over the past 5-6 years, but it's actually increased it. I can remember getting $15 per PT from them, but now they are all worth $20. The rest of the companies have all let the market determine their rate of pay. Honestly, I can't say I blame them. Obviously, they're in it to make a profit and they're going to pay as little as the market is willing to accept. The blame doesn't lie with the survey companies...it lies with the suckers who are willing to complete their surveys without adequate compensation.

To answer your question, I have completed a few surveys that lead to something else whether it be a phone interview, BB, PT or whatever else that was longer than 15 minutes. Granted they may be few and far between, but if I choose to complete them its my right.
My only point is that not EVERYONE is into this to get rich. Some people actually enjoy taking surveys and helping make a difference with product development, testing products, etc.. I'm sure they don't appreciate being called "suckers".
I respect your years of experience, but I am entitled to my opinion and dwelling on what used to be will not change how things are today.

i started in april 09 and have learned alot since then
i know that these companies are getting out of control with the payouts
i dont do many 1$ surveys anymore
i get 3 to 5 $ surveys from surveyhead all the time ,im cashing out once a month now
i ceratainly know there are some that pay better but they dont send surveys as often, thus i dont make as much money from them
i do this for extra income so i dont do the freebies anymore
i will not do the 1$ ones either unless they are under 5 minutes
gf ans ss are getting rtdiculous
clearvoice is getting to be just like them as well
it seems most of the "regular sites" are following the trend


in reference to : mahgobbi

surveyhead and focusline are ok for some random surveys that pay about $3 - $4 for 15 minutes of work, but most of the surveys they offer aren't much better than GF and SS. Sure, they pay for each survey, but $1 or $2 for 20-25 minutes of work is slave labor. The suckers who complete them are the reasons why survey companies can get away with offering so little pay now.


if you're registered with 130 survey companies, then surely you know which ones are the good ones and they offer a heck of a lot more compensation than surveyhead and focusline!


point taken respectfully .i am self employed in the residential construction field ,and everybody and there brother is claiming to be a contractor these days.well, its driving the price down because most of these guys are willing to work for wages .the same thing is happening with surveys and all other business .its a cruel world out there

Caution: FocusPointe Dallas not paying out...
Hi everyone.
FocusPointe Dallas has undergone some changes in administration and are not paying out. I was told by the office the backup of payouts will take weeks. I am owed over $200.
Just wanted to give you a heads up.
Nothing suckier than taking time to do studies and then not getting paid in a timely fashion. Especially if you are counting on the income for the holidays!
So, if you are owed $$ by them, I suggest you call and if you are asked to do a survey by them, just know you may or may not get paid.

thanks for the heads up!!
repped

Thanks to you all for the surveys info as it helps me
& others on which ones pay or not. I have noticed that
GTM has alot of surveys for sweepstakes entries instead
of pts. Why did they change? I dont waste my time on those
surveys as my time is valuable & only do the pts & $$ surveys.
I also dont like when I am like 5 or 10 mins into the surveys & then
they tell me that I dont qualify for them. Wow that makes me mad
for wasting my time.What do you all think about those wasted surveys?

in my opinion ,they are all trying to save money.since the economy has been so bad ,people are trying to make a buck any way they can. so ,the member numbers have accelerated big time.more and more people are finding out that taking suveys is a way they can earn extra money, when i first started i did alot of freebies, thinking it would get me recognized as a loyal member,now i dont do the freebies hardly at all . i think GTM changed to the sweeps thing to save money.its common sense to me ,if they pay 5cents for a survey that fails and there are 50000 falied in a month thats 2500 dollars in payout .other companies are getting surveys done for nothing or for for next to nothing to save money in payouts.as long as people are willing to take them for little or nothing , the payouts will probably not change. some companies still pay decent or atleast a reasonable amount for your time ,but they are becoming fewer all the time.its sad but thats the way it is.so we will just have to pick and choose as it states in the terms section of most all the companies agrrements we sing when joining them

Quote from brcklyr111 : .................when i first started i did alot of freebies, thinking it would get me recognized as a loyal member,now i dont do the freebies hardly at all ...........

I believe it would be a safe assumption that many of us did the same when we started doing surveys unless one was fortunate enough to have the "A-Z Guide of Survey Taking". I admit that I signed up with every phoney out there when I started and all I did was spin my wheels in hopes of making a quick buck.

It was not until I stumbled upon this site that I learned the "do's and dont's" of how to make the most out of surveys. With time invested in this forum reading the threads, one can become knowledgeable with the form of 'art' of survey taking and can provide a nice secondary income.

With that said, I resent some of the posters here insulting our newbies as being suckers. They (WE) just didn't have the proper guidance going in.

Quote from alayna : I've had this problem too and haven't received a response from them. I don't know if it's a dnq thing or what.

I had this problem with signing in to Lightspeed quite some time ago and was then told they deactivated my account - didn't have multiple accounts in the household, always took time and answered honestly, so I don't know. But that's why I couldn't sign in to my account.

thanks

Quote from minifigg : Caution: FocusPointe Dallas not paying out... Hi everyone. FocusPointe Dallas has undergone some changes in administration and are not paying out. I was told by the office the backup of payouts will take weeks. I am owed over $200. Just wanted to give you a heads up. Nothing suckier than taking time to do studies and then not getting paid in a timely fashion. Especially if you are counting on the income for the holidays! So, if you are owed $$ by them, I suggest you call and if you are asked to do a survey by them, just know you may or may not get paid.

They sent you an email stating this?

has anyone done any of the offers for the 1000 dollar or 1500 dollar shopping cards
you have to do the 20 or so offers to get them????

im considering it but i dont want to do it unless somone else has done it with success