The existing problem with these so called free survey list companies is their outrageous “how much money can be earned” and “how quickly one can earn it after buying the list” claims that are being made.  What a huge let down to immediately realize it’s not as simple and easy as these companies have proclaimed.  Due to the misrepresentation and heavily exaggerated claims, getting paid for online surveys have earned much less than positive recognition.  So I encourage you to be mindful of that before diving head first into misconceptions about paid surveys. I intend for my review to offer you a realistic perspective of what to presume in order to make a sound judgment as to whether MySurvey is right for you.  Count it a blessing that my recommendation won’t cost ya one thin dime.  lol

As previously mentioned, I’ve graced MySurvey with my membership a handful of years ago.  Well, I didn’t say it quite like that, but you get my drift no doubt.    Being that it’s now 2010 and I’ve maintained an active membership, this should pretty much speak clearly everything you need to know.  MySurvey is listed with the Better Business Bureau under their parent company NFO / TNS Customer Research, Inc., and is therefore not a scam.

Can you earn money with MySurvey?

Absolutely!  But please be mindful of the fact that like any getting paid for online surveys opportunity, your earnings are going to be based on if you fit  a specific profile for a survey.   Surveys are only generated when a company is interested in conducting research on or about a given topic or group of people.  So If you are not a match for the specific group or topic, you won’t be selected.  But don’t get your Victoria’s Secrets or FOTLs in a wedgy LOL, be patient, eventually you’ll fit the profile of what is being sought after.  My personal experience with  MySurvey, gives me confidence to say they do tend to offer a lot more surveys than other companies I’m a member of.  So you’ll definitely have plenty of opportunities to earn some money with this program.

Earn even more $$$ with MySurvey.com …

In addition to getting paid to do online surveys from MySurvey, another great way to really earn some consistent cash with the program is to refer others. For each referral that results into an actual membership, you’ll be rewarded 150 points!  It should be relatively easy to refer people to this great program because of it’s BBB listing and it’s a legitimate way to make some extra cash on the side. Now as a reminder, it’s unwise to expect that you’re going to make tons of money just taking surveys.  It ain’t gonna happen folks. lol  However, it is wise to become a member of several survey companies at once, and other easy money making programs.  Don’t forget to take advantage of paying referral opportunities that are included with many of the programs.

The cons need to have their say …

My review would be less than honest if I didn’t include the bad and ugly about the company. Quite frankly, the only thing I can see turning potential members off  from joining this company is that the rewards are via a points system rather than cold, hard cash! But before you disregard and start hatin’ on MySurvey, allow me to continue by saying the points can be converted to cash/PayPal deposit. So if you take a survey and they’re paying you 150 points, that equates to $1.50. Of course it’s not much but it all adds up.  And in this economy, it all should be counted as a blessing.  The points can also be used or redeemed in these ways as well:

1. A Check – You can request a check to be snail mailed to you.  Checks usually arrive in very good time.
2. Charity Donations – For the philanthropist side in all of us, there are 41 of the most recognized and noteworthy organizations to choose from.  Surely one of yours is included in the list.
3. Shop, Shop, Shop! – Getcha online shopping on.  eStores from 1-800 Flowers to Zippos.com and everything in between.  Amazon gift certificates too!

The pros will have the floor now …

Here are a few of the top positives of MySurvey that I love so much:

1. Plenty Of Survey Invites – Please keep in mind it all depends on demographics, personal profiles, etc., but I tend to be satisfied with the amount of survey invites I receive.  Surely you will as well.
2. No Pre-qualifying Screener – When you do receive your invites, you’re already screened and accepted to take the survey!  In some cases you will also be pre-qualified to take an additional survey that is already attached to the current survey you’ll be taking.  And, the additional survey will have a reward too.  So, you will end up with a higher overall point value.  Sweet!
3. Daily Reward Extravaganza! – Just for logging into your MySurvey account, you’re automatically placed in the daily drawing to win!
4. $10,000 Sweepstakes! – Just for logging into your MySurvey account, you’re automatically placed in the daily drawing to win!
5. Excellent email and toll-free phone support – Gotta love that!
6. Easy and fast point redemption process.

Payment proof …

I know, I know … there will always be skeptics not only in reference to paid surveys, but in general.  That’s life.  When it comes to paid surveys though, some skeptics just need to see a little proof of payment to get ‘em going. lol So for those who fit into that category this is just for you ===> Guess what? I just got paid again!  Take a look see here http://www.screencast.com/t/ZWU4MjUx

Would I recommend?

You betcha your top dollars I would!  MySurvey is the real deal, they are totally legit, have it goin’ on, and they do pay.  So there you have it pretty much in a nutshell.  I hope you found my review helpful.

Questions or comments? Don’t be so quiet … talk to me below. lol

What is Swag Bucks? That’s the best question of the day so far.  I’m so glad you asked and even more glad to provide an exceptional answer in my review …

Swag Bucks is a “Hot & Happenin’” search engine, that pays!  Now please don’t think you will be able to getcha swag on in the sassy, classy way that I do.  Every member has to do it in his/her own way, but rest assured you will easily earn some nice free  “bucks” and prizes doing yo Swag Bucks thang.  Personalize it to do you!  With Swag Bucks you’ll want to make EVERY search count because you never know which search will be a Swag Buck reward.  Swag “bucks” randomly come in a variety of amounts.  And, there’s so many other ways to earn Swag Bucks, their site is poppin’!.  Your bucks can add up pretty quickly too!  So let’s go a little more in depth …

How does it work?

1. Simply sign up for free and begin doing all your routine web searching via the Swag Buck site.  You’ll be thrilled to know the search results are powered by Google and Ask.com so search results are of good quality.
2. You’ll earn Swag Bucks randomly while routinely searching the web like you normally would on any other search engine.
3. Your Swag Bucks can be redeemed via the Swag Store in a variety of ways (PayPal, apparel & accessories, books, tech gadgets, music, health & beauty, office & school supplies, and the list goes on!)  Lots of great stuff for sure.

So that’s pretty much it.  Now that was easy. lol

Maximize your earning potential!

Swag Bucks is loaded!  Now check this out … not only will you get paid for surfing the web, but in addition, here are other ways to rake in the bucks …

1. Participate in special offers – Sign up for limited time offers.  Win Swag Bucks via no obligation offers too!
2. Get the easy to download tool bar.  Each day you log on, that’s an instant “buck”
3. Shop ’til ya drop! – Find hundreds of coupons. Shopping categories range from apparel for the whole fam to weddings/parties.  Shop right from the Swag Bucks portal
4. Go green! – Recycle old cell phones, MP3 players, etc.  Trade in old vid games & consoles.  Swag Bucks even pays for the shipping!
5. Daily Polls – Answer each day’s poll question = 1 instant “buck”.  Have a poll idea?  Submit it and if it’s accepted and used that’s more Swag Bucks!
6. Trusted Surveys – All you avid survey takers … gotta love these surveys!
7. Swag Codes – Find hidden swag codes on randomly selected websites
8. Referrals – Invite fam, friends, and everyone else to Swag Bucks. Earn from your referrals’ Swag Bucks!
9. Share your winnings – Submit pic or vid of you unveiling your Swag Buck prize, etc

The pros rule!

What I love about Swag Bucks:

1. The ease of use
2. So many ways to earn bucks daily … and it just keeps gettin’ better and better!
3. Great customer service
4. The blog rocks!
5. Ease of redeeming bucks into gifts/prizes

Gotta respect the cons …

What annoys me (like a dang mosquito, lol) about Swag Bucks:

1. The fact that EVERY web search is not worth at least something.  Heck I’d settle for a “buck” for each search
2. Swag Bucks is not currently open to countries outside the US.  Having something for everyone is always nice.  But unfortunately that’s not how it is folks.
3. There may be other annoying thingies about the program but hey, I’m not knit picky or maybe it’s just that I’ve not come across anything further yet.

Who can join?

Currently, Swag Bucks accepts free memberships from the US only.  Sorry rest of world, I wish you all were included as well.  If it were my program, you’d be in!  Swag Bucks is definitely moving forward.  With that thought in mind, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it’s on their upper agenda to add more countries.  We can always hope.

Swag Bucks definitely pays! ~ See Proof …

Now you know my review wouldn’t be complete without payment proof.  I ain’t mad atcha for needing to see it. lol  Redeeming my Swag Bucks for the Amazon gift card was streamlined and done in a snap!  Take a look-see here:

SwagBucks_GiftcardProof_2010-06-21

Be sure to immediately load your giftcard reward to Amazon account!

As explained in my proof of payment vid, the Amazon gift cards do have an expiration date!!!!   So what you’ll need to do after converting points into the gift card on the Swag Bucks site is to immediately load the gift card onto your Amazon.com account.  There’s no worry of it expiring and it’s there when you want to spend it towards your next Amazon.com purchase.  Oops!  Sorry for not pointing that out in my vid.

Would I recommend Swag Bucks?

You betcha!  The program is “hot & happenin”, lots of fun, easy to use, has oh so many ways of earning “bucks”, and they PAY!!  So what are you waiting for?  Go and getcha’ swag on!

I hope you found my review relevant and informative.  Questions or comments?  You know what to do below. 

American Consumer Opinion (Acop) – No Fees!

Hey all!

It’s no secret that I love free getting paid for online surveys.  I’ve even been called a Survey Queen. lol  After taking action by joining a handful of paid survey sites, there was no stopping me!  I soon realized just how easy it was to be nicely rewarded for expressing my opinion.  I quickly turned those few sites into what is now several that keep me busy, no doubt.  I’m a VA (Virtual Assistant) mostly by day then transform myself into survey taking mode usually at night.  Now don’t worry, the transformation is nothing like Jekyll & Hyde or anything monstrous. lol Survey taking for me is relaxing and fun.

One of the first free getting paid for online surveys programs I joined after the initial 5 was American Consumer Opinion (Acop).  It’s owned and operated by Decision Analyst, Inc., a major international marketing research firm headquartered in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.  Acop is strictly legit and is rated A+ by the BBB.  It’s one of the best and largest paid survey programs available.  The program not only offers very good surveys, but product testing, a monthly cash drawing, and focus group invitations as well. Occasionally, there might be mail or telephone surveys offered, but generally most will be the popular web-based surveys.  The surveys on average are about 10 minutes or so long and are usually simple to answer.  Acop sends out routine screeners approximately every 6 weeks.  For those who are not aware, screeners are very brief questionnaires to see if the panel member will pre-qualify for an upcoming Acop survey.  Acop rewards with a cash amount or sweepstakes entry.  Minimum cash-out threshold is $10.  My checks arrive relatively quickly … a couple of weeks or so.  Nice!

Something for everyone – Worldwide memberships welcomed!

I love the fact that Acop accepts worldwide memberships.  Everyone’s feedback is important. We all are consumers of products and services regardless to where we live.  Acop certainly appreciates and recognizes this by offering their paid survey program to people from all over the world. International participants are welcomed!  The sign up page is user friendly with a simple “Choose Country” drop down menu displaying selections from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe and every other country in between.  Two thumbs way up for not leaving anyone out!

Hide & seek, where are the surveys?

Unlike other free getting paid for online surveys programs that post available surveys on the site via panel members’ area, Acop does not do this.  Whenever your demographics are a match for a survey, Acop will send you an email invitation to complete the survey.  These emails are inclusive of important survey details such as screener/survey access link, length of survey, amount of response time you have to complete the survey, and a reference number.  Based on my personal Acop experience, I don’t get a ton of survey invitations, but the ones I do get are of good quality and I sure do enjoy spending a few minutes taking them.  The new product evaluations and product studies are great!  My kiddos have taken some too.  They love them as well.    So basically, once you receive an actual survey invitation, you’re already qualified for it.  Just sit back, relax and get yo survey on!  You know you’ll already know you’ll be rewarded for it.

Show me the money – How am I paid?

When receiving a cash reward, the amount typically ranges in value from $2 to $50, per survey or focus group, depending upon the length of the questionnaire and the time it takes to complete it.  Not bad huh?  I certainly don’t think so.

• US or Canadian Members – Once a cash out has been requested, US or Canadian panel members receive postal mailed checks.
• International Members – Most international panel members will receive a cheque in their currency. For international panelists in countries that are unable to receive these types of cheques, an American Express gift cheque is sent to those who complete surveys or win the drawings.  The nearest American Express Foreign Exchange Office is involved to help streamline the process.  Further information about this can be found on Acop’s FAQs page.

Here comes the con …

Acop is without doubt one of my faves.  And although in my opinion it’s a great paid survey program with plenty of “pros” on it’s side, an existing con is the check option being the only method of payment at this time.  I’m a PayPal gal all the way!  Now don’t get me wrong, I’m so thankful for and very appreciative of every penny I earn online or off and am even more thankful when I actually receive it regardless to how or by what method taken to reach me.  With today’s technology, and keeping up with competitors, etc I would be willing to bet top dollar that Acop will soon offer PayPal as an additional payment option just like MySurvey recently has.

The proof is in the pudding …

I am no different from anyone else when it comes to showing proof of payment. I can spend an entire day telling you how wonderful Acop is, or any other paid survey company for that matter, but without confirmation of pay, many (if not all) of you would be like, “yeah, uh huh, sure Callie” lol  It’s something how our skepticism seems to diminish when the “pudding” is put before us.  By the way, I happen to love pudding.  Chocolate and coconut cream are my faves … mmm, delish!  Ok, ok, we didn’t come here to discuss that kind of  pudding. lol  Let’s focus on one of my payment checks from Acop:

Would I recommend?

Absolutely!  Acop has quite a bit going for themselves:  Free worldwide membership.  Good, quality surveys.  A+ BBB rating. And last but certainly not least … they do pay!

I hope you’ve enjoyed my review.  Happy surveying!  Questions or comments?  You know what to do … holla atcha girl below 

Take surveys for cash sites are huge, and everyone should know that by now.   Ask some folks’ opinion about these types of sites and they will immediately call them, “pretty good money makers”, but on the other hand sites in the same industry have been classified as, “scam”.  Having said that,  I’d like your attention while I share my thoughts about Paid eSurvey. I was not at all skeptical when I initially checked out Paid eSurvey because I’ve been a Paid Market Research Panelist long enough to know how sites of this type function.  Even though you do not pay these sites, they will be making some moolah off of you.  Don’t sweat it, lol, it’s a win-win situation for everyone because you will also be making some money.  Sweet!  You see, take surveys for cash sites like Paid eSurvey are basically databases of approved market research companies all in one place.

Convenience, and also a nice jumpstart

- Convenience:  Program sites like Paid eSurvey provides you with both convenience and a nice jumpstart to taking surveys.  It’s nice to have a handful of paid survey sites all in one place.  Now some may prefer to search all over the place to find legitimate paid online survey sites one at a time.  And that’s coo’ , to each their own.  But if that’s you, I highly recommend using Swag Bucks for all of your searching needs.  It’s free to join and you’ll earn nicely as a result of using it daily.  

- The Jump Start:  Well let’s just say when it comes to making money online from paid surveys, I’m all for getting started with a few great programs at a time rather than just one here and another there.  So since the work of finding the list of programs has been done by someone else, why not take advantage of that?  Rhetorical, no answer required. lol

Free and oh so easy to use

We all love freebies, and the fact that the Paid eSurvey site is free to join gives it brownie points in my book.  “Now that was easy” is what can be said about the site’s user friendliness.  Oh, and by the way, shout out to Staples for that catch phrase that I’ve always loved. lol Navigating around Paid eSurvey’s site is a breeze.  Once logged in as a member it takes only a moment or so to recognize the free to join programs that make up the group listing.   Never pay to take surveys!  Reputable programs like InboxDollars (get paid for your normal web activities) and SnapDollars (get paid to try products, services, etc) are currently giving away FREE money to join.  Act now to receive these instant cash bonuses … Cha-ching!  I’m now pulling the “Scam Free” stamp out of my home office desk drawer so that I can clearly label Paid eSurvey accordingly, lol.  But seriously folks, one of the very first indicators to me that a program is not a scam is a free sign up with absolutely no investment or fees.  After all, market research companies are supposed to be making the payout, not the panel member who will be on the receiving end.

No fee = nothing to lose

Database take surveys for cash list programs like Paid eSurvey has prepared the group of market research companies as a no cost service to you.  It is so nice and convenient to have several approved survey sites all on one page.   However, as sure as my name is Callie, you can believe there are similar sites that do require a fee.  It would just be foolish to pay for this service elsewhere.   So stay wise and smart like me and enjoy this little luxury. lol

Would I recommend Paid eSurvey?

Yes,  I certainly would.  The program is:  Legitimate and is NOT a scam.  Free to join.  Convenient.  A great jump start to maximizing your paid survey income.  Keep in mind folks that you are NOT obligated to join each paid survey panel offered to you as per the Paid eSurvey list.  Use your own good judgment when selecting the panels you want to be a member of.  If you have reservations of joining certain panels, then simply don’t join, no worries.

Happy surveying ~

Any thoughts or comments?  Don’t be shy.  You know what to do … talk to me below.