Many people beyond the average get-rich-quick internet junkie have investigated the potential of earning an income by doing what comes so naturally to most, expressing their opinions. Unfortunately, because of the excessive payouts on so many of these systems, honest reviews have gone by the wayside in favor of thinly-veiled sales pitches which are laden heavy with affiliate links.



So, here's the no-nonsense, no-affiliate linked, totally non-profit review of almost ANY "paid surveys" product:

The first thing people want to know is if this is some kind of scam. Of course, as in any area of business, especially online business, scams abound and the buyer should take the appropriate precautions. So yes, some of them are. And no, some are not. For many, it's going to be a matter of exactly what the marketer promised when she sold it to you.

The next question is this: will companies really pay you for your opinion? The short answer is yes, but keep in mind that it is rarely very much and it is usually NOT in cash.

Question three is, can you make tens of thousands of dollars a year? month? day?

Put simply, No. Though it is a nice dream.

When you purchase a system/e-book/private database from another online marketer, you're really just paying for a bunch of links that you could probably hunt down yourself if you were so inclined. The marketers that sell them always claim that all links are updated and guaranteed live, but the plain fact is, that's an impossible task.

Marketers are much more interested in scanning their Clickbank sales page than they are in maintaining a database for which they've already been paid. They're gambling that you'll find some value in it and that you're decent enough not to return it if you do, or at least that you'll forget about it until after the trial period has expired.

So here's the simple truth: if you have the patience to maintain a database of companies and contacts, and you've got a pretty clear schedule (i.e. no day job) that enables you to run off to focus groups on short notice, AND if you have the patience to wade through hundreds of surveys awarding contest entries in lieu of cash, AND if you like giving your personal information away dozens of times a day to various companies (from whom you will hear for a long time to come), then by all means, plunk down your 20-100 dollars, fire up your copy of Microsoft Access or Filemaker for Mac, and knock yourself out.

Even at their best, paid survey programs are not for everyone. If you enjoy number crunching, detailed administration, and maintaining and designing databases, you may just enjoy this. You might even make some cash (but don't quit your day job just yet). If you're more of an artistic free spirit, I advise you not to get within the proverbial mile of one of these programs, no matter how convincing the sales copy.