Paid Surveys

Hello,

I am increasingly hearing about paid surveys from a few random sources. I was wondering does anyone on the boards do any of the uk ones? Or is there any known catches?

I have plenty of free time between classes this semester and i usually work at the computer anyway, i was considering trying a few of them out if it means a little extra pocket money.


If anyone could recommend any trusted sources etc that would be awesome.

However, would I need to create a new bank account for "secure" payments, just in case there is a risk of some sort of fraud?


Thank you

I look forward to your responses
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Comments

  • Sugar_Coated_Owl
    Sugar_Coated_Owl Posts: 12,379 Forumite
    I would recommend YouGov and Ciao.
    --><-- Sugar Coated Owl --><--

    If you believe, you will survive - Katie Piper

    Woohoo! I'm normal! Gotta go tell the cat.
  • StStevo
    StStevo Posts: 25 Forumite
    I found Ciao through a student website. I am now registered but read that surveys can take up to 2-3 weeks to arrive ... and also payment cleared.

    But i will give both a go,

    Thank you for your feedback !
  • si1503
    si1503 Posts: 551 Forumite
    All a big waste of time. I tried one site and it took about 30mins per survey all for just a £. They are really not worth the hassle IMO. And thats after checking you are actually in the quota for the survey, a lot of them I'd spend a few mins doing only to be told my quota had already been filled.

    You want quick money from a few clicks on a computer screen check out matched betting.
  • spanner82
    spanner82 Posts: 122 Forumite
    some are great others are pants

    lightspeed is very good - I got £10 within a couple of mths - go via quidco as you get some cashback for signing up

    testandvote were pretty good too - though they have now limited your choice of where you can soend so not as good

    pinecone reasearch are great you get £4 booklet of vouchers - can use them in asda, tesco, off your food bill in some restuarnts, macdonalds etc - the surveys are not hideously long and you often get sent a product to test - such as loo cleaner as well plus another £4 vouchers when you fill in the follow up survey

    Juicy brains - ok but don't send surveys very often

    The ones I hate are valued opinions and ciao - they send lots that make you answer tons only to tell you you don't qualify. Ciao took 11 weeks to send payment also.
  • chezza262
    chezza262 Posts: 291
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    Forumite
    I agree! I've been with lightspeed since the middle of Jan and have earnt enough for a £5 voucher for HMV - not a lot but it all helps!

    Dont forget if you buy online Quidco are excellent for cash back.
  • melancholly
    melancholly Posts: 7,457
    Combo Breaker First Post
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    i only seem to get 1 YouGov survey a month for about 50p - need another few years to get up to £50 before they will send any money!!
    :happyhear
  • William_H
    William_H Posts: 82 Forumite
    Hey,

    I've just started this survey madness - 4 weeks in and no cash in hand as yet. I'm writing a blog of my exploits, more because I like writing than anything else - trying to keep it a little lighthearted. I'll only be putting sites on that pay out...don't click on any of my links to sites that I suggest unless you want me to be the referrer, they've all got my user id associated with them. I don't like this backhanded stuff on some of the dodgier survey sites. Anyway, I did some research and have a few tips as to how to get started...I've signed up for about 70 sites and get about 10 surveys a day for which I qualify for about 50%. I found some very good honest websites listing the best paying survey sites, surveystar and surveycritic to name a couple. Just nice people I reckon. Sign up to the ones they suggest first and see if you like doing surveys. Anyway, if you can't be bothered to go see my blog (although a recent survey of one says you should) then my top 10 tips in no particular order are:

    1. Sign up to as many as you can, because although they pay small, if you save the pennies, the pounds will look after themselves
    2. Get a separate email address because you will got loads of emails (no spam for me yet surprisingly enough) and you don't want to lose that invitation to tea from your mum in amongst all your survey stuff
    3. Get a Paypal account - I think it will make getting paid easier and you'll be able to keep track of all that cash that comes in. OK, you'll be able to see when you reach a tenner.
    4. Be honest in your replies. Don't create multiple profiles like a prat.
    5. Be creative in your answers when you have the chance - it makes it much more interesting.
    6. Do it because you're primarily interested in making some extra cash, but also because you want to have an opinion that is heard and occasionally you may even get a chance to test some product or other. Like nose tweezers.
    7. NEVER EVER pay for any of these things over the web. My opinion is that if you do, you deserve to have your ID thefted. Nicked. Schtollen. Which I can imagine is a real pain in the wallet. There are plenty of free websites with survey lists.
    8. Check your email regularly and do the surveys you receive asap. From what I've read from others, the more reliable you are, the more surveys you'll get, and the more times you'll be able to take your loved one out for a nice meal.
    9. Get roboform to fill out all the registration forms. Otherwise it can a bit dull when you're asked if you have pets for the 50th time. Also use the same userid and password - it just makes life easier.
    10. Keep records of what surveys you've done, since I've also heard that some 'market research companies' are a little less willing than others to pay out.

    Other than that, don't give up your day job just yet. Have fun and good luck. I'll see you on the Dark Side.
  • Get a job!!!
    Please note: I am NOT Martin Lewis, just somebody else called Martyn that likes money saving!
  • William_H
    William_H Posts: 82 Forumite
    I did think about getting another job, but it's nice just to do a couple of surveys after dinner when the kid's gone to bed and not have to go out of the house and leave the family behind. This survey thing is probably paying around minimum wage for not a lot of effort and it's somewhat interesting, allows me to have a cup of tea whilst catching up with current affairs on the beeb and listening to a few decent tracks. Stacking shelves/bar work/other part time work doesn't really afford those benefits, and I'm a bit past it anyway. The surveys would be good for students/stay at home mums/retirees too for those reasons too I imagine.

    That said, I do feel I have the shape of an 'L' on my forehead. But my party days are over. Staying in with the wife and a nice bottle of plonk is my idea of a crazy night out these days. I just ordered 24 bottles from Waitrose, delivered free right to my front door. I love this new fangled World Wide Web thing. And I do enjoy writing the blog, even if it's on a dullish subject. I try to make it as amusing (for myself) as possible.

    WH.
  • William_H wrote: »
    I did think about getting another job, but it's nice just to do a couple of surveys after dinner when the kid's gone to bed and not have to go out of the house and leave the family behind.
    WH.


    You're right William H, I'd much rather be at home in the evening to put my kids to bed than to head off to an evening job just for a few more quid a night. Family is invaluable and as a nation we seem to be spending less and less time with our loved ones.
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