The legitimacy of some sites are easy to figure out than others. For example, if you see a bikini model flashing a “win-me” card, step back because this is definitely a scam. No survey site has listed down “models” on the prize list (yet!)
“Earn $30,000/week just by filling out this paid survey!” Folks, such special offers are not to be relied on.
However, it’s not always this black and white. Sometimes you will not be able to decide whether the survey panel is legitimate or not. What now?
Here are 3 things you should look out for when you are unsure of how reliable the site is.
1. Beware Of Over-Simplified Sign-up Forms
A surveyor who has gone through the fatigue of designing a complete survey will not settle for information from just about anyone! That is why they not only ask qualification questions but also give out a detailed sign-up page to gather as much of related information as possible.
If you come across a survey website that is only asking for an e-mail ID and your full name to give out rewards, that is not reliable enough and must be considered a major red flag.
2. Unreliable Marketing Research Companies
It’s not just about your information. Make sure that the site you will taking the survey has provided enough details for itself too.
Many scam websites do not give out any information at all regarding the kind of business they are handling. However, you should look for the company’s history, information about their panel and headquarters before option for any survey.
To simplify things, just try finding out whether the website has an “about us” page. That would say a lot about the reliability of the survey.
In addition to this, a reliable website will always give out a legitimate privacy policy. They will also give out a detailed description of how they will use the respondent’s information.
Any website that has not included this important page is a big red flag. A privacy page will be further linked to terms and conditions. Both of these are important for developing trust between the survey taker and the surveyor.
3. Some Promises Are Just Too Good To Be True!
$150/day? That’s way too much for a company to pay in exchange of your services and opinions. Surveyors do pay! But they only reasonably compensate for your time and effort.
No authentic survey site will offer you huge sums of money. Any website claiming to do so should be investigated before use.
In A Nutshell
It’s easy to differentiate between a legit survey website and a scam if you just keep a handful of tips in mind. They are a fun way to voice your opinion and also be compensated for doing so.
Another thing you can do is keep a separate e-mail ID for taking surveys. In this way, even if your decision regarding the site authenticity was incorrect, you will not end up with spam in your account
