Chosen by Asker

Paid online surveys usually offer little pay or perhaps they give you a pay pal credit or some other type of gift card. From what I hear the pay usually starts off small (a few dollars) and gradually gets worse as you go instead of better - and in exchange for your opinions on the survey the company will usually first ask for and gain access to personal information about yourself, so for example if you have an older car or no life insurance you may in the future be getting sales calls from car dealers or insurance agents or mail solicitations because the survey companies dissect and sell your personal information to merchants. Secret shoppers are real and in rare occasions they are used by some retailers, but not as much as in the late 90's as many retailers close and some go out of business; I am not sure if they recruit them online, if some are insiders in the companies they are shopping at and/or different agency employ such folks - in years past, I know at some retailers the secret shopper received no pay - but was allowed to keep the items they shopped for within a certain price range.

by Island Paradise

5 months ago

Asker's Rating: 

If the surveys were as easy and rewarding as they claim to be, everyone would be doing them and no one would be working.

by Steve D- 5 months ago

Surveys pay by entering sweepstakes. Never won on 7 years. Secret shopper ads are mostly scams - they send you a counterfeit check and you are supposed to wire money to someone then the check bounces and you owe the bank all the money!

by knowitall- 5 months ago

I've personally never tried the online survey but my mother has done one before. No joke, they send her $50 every three months for taking a few surveys a week. It's not a lot of money but a fifty is a fifty. As for the "Secret Shoppers" offers you're receiving, just make sure that they're not asking you to send them money. When I was in high school I worked at an Applebee's that used to send those out, and even give them away at the mall, to people. All they had to do was give an honest opinion regarding the food, service and then overall dinning experience.

by Fierce- 5 months ago

they all are fakes It a total waste of time. they are trying to get you to buy something. they will lead you to one site to another and never getting what they promise so when you see them dont waste your time just spam them

by crescent moon- 5 months ago

yeah they are gimmicks don't do it you are waitsting not only time but money as well

by oh_jo123- 5 months ago

Don't waste your time with either, paid surveys are a scam. They are the only ones making money, they get paid for the hits to their onsite links that lead to more scams and more advertisers wanting you to buy their products.

by Dale M- 5 months ago

I guess it depends on the survey. About a year ago i had some time to kill and joined one and no I don't know which it was at this point. I earned and received about $30.00 and quit shortly afterward. They were generally honest but it was tremendously time consuming. Many survey's I started it turned out I didn't qualify for. Sometimes they are looking for someone who takes certain medication or drives a certain car and not all qualify. So if you have the time to kill go for it.

by steve w- 5 months ago

Looks like you have all the answers you need. I know nothing of it.

by Christian M- 5 months ago

Business persons are in business to make money. This will include, at times, gathering info. Read all paperwork Before! you commit to anything.

by jojokeeper- 5 months ago