by Janet Farricelli CPDT-KA

Created on: April 17, 2009

''Make $40 dollars an hour filling surveys''. ''Fire your boss by doing surveys'' . ''Generate great income with surveys''. Everybody has very likely seen some of these very promising ads scattered around the Internet. As anything that sounds to good to be true, it is highly recommended to be very wary of these sort of ads. Yes, you have nothing to lose to give them a try as many are free to join, but do not expect to become rich over night and head to the bank to make daily deposits!

-You need to Pre-Qualify

So you joined a survey company and you are glad to find a bunch of surveys in your in-box. You already smell the money, but once you start filling them you notice that a good amount has declined you because you did not pre-qualify. In other words, many surveys look for certain types of people to answer their survey, for instance they may be looking for Caucasian men over the age of 35 living in the Chicago area. When you do not meet their criteria you are therefore, unfortunately declined.

-You will Not Get Many Surveys

-Do not expect to get an in-box over flowing with surveys. Once you are discarded by a bunch because you did not qualify, the remaining valid surveys may be just a handful. It is very difficult if not impossible to make the dollar figures most survey companies advertise. Yet, mysteriously some survey companies claim that someone in a small remote town, is really making quite a good sum allowing them to retire.

-You May Not Earn Cash

Many surveys may advertise that you may make money but then the majority of their surveys will only give you points for stuff they offer on-line or entrances in their sweepstakes. While points may get you a nice set of roller blades or an Olive Garden gift card, the number of points necessary to get these items are often ridiculously high and certainly not worth the time.

-You may Have to Pay a Fee

Some survey companies especially those that claim to make you extra wealthy, may ask for some money in order for you to have access to hundreds of survey opportunities. They will claim that the fee is to allow you to have access to lots of survey companies. However, many times all these companies are already available for you to join free by simply doing a google search! This is a scam, they are simply asking money for something that is already out there and free!

-You May Spend Quite Some Time

Surveys that pay are not a walk in the park. Many times they are tedious and long. Many may take an average of 30-45 minutes to complete for a compensation of a few dollars. While this can seem like good income, it is a shame that it is very difficult to get access to enough surveys to make more than a few dollars a week.

-You Will be Asked Personal Information

Most surveys may ask you about your sex, age, and city of residence. This is mainly for classification purposes. However, not many people may feel comfortable in revealing what financial institution they use for banking and how much is their yearly income. Yet, these questions are quite common. While most survey companies protect your privacy, it is never a bad idea to do some research on the Better Business Bureau website.

As seen, surveys are a far cry from what they claim to be. While there are some serious survey companies out there, the chances of becoming wealthy filling up surveys all day while sipping on a coffee may be quite slim. Yet, this is what most of them want you to believe.

Learn more about this author, Janet Farricelli CPDT-KA.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.