Where do you draw the line with surveys etc?

Planet_Switzerland · 20 June 2017 at 8:47PM

I think we can all appreciate that if we equated our time spent doing surveys to an hourly rate it would most probably be below the minimum wage.

Some surveys are pay ridiculously low though. I've seen 25 minute surveys on swagbucks for example which pay less than 10p before. Where do you draw the line though?

For me, I would rather do a large number of short surveys than a small number of large surveys. So with a site like One Poll which mostly pay 10p per survey, I don't mind the hourly rate being poor too much because the surveys are quick.

I think reliability of a site is important too. I've been offered 30 minute surveys from Opinion World for £2, which isn't a bad rate relative to survey sites, but they've screened me out after completing so many surveys for them that I daren't risk that happening on a survey that long.

Generally I would say anything under 10 minutes is short enough to not worry too much, anything over 20 I try to avoid unless it's over £1 on a reliable site, between 10-20 depends who its from.

MissPop · 20 June 2017 at 9:12PM

I've given up with Nectar Canvass - they offer 60 Nectar points (30p) for 15 mins. That's £1.20 an hour. The exact same surveys appear on Valued Opinions offering 75p - £3 an hour (I've given up with this as well).

I rarely bother with Swagbucks surveys now, 70 swagbucks for a 20 minute survey works out at roughly £1.50 an hour.

Personally, my favourite site at the moment is Prolific Academic - not least because it shows you a per hour average rate for every survey so you can decide whether it is worth it or not. Unless a survey is <5 minutes, I don't bother with anything that comes in at under £5 an hour (most are way above this).

So I guess for me £5 per hour is generally my rule (unless it is a very quick survey).

[Deleted User] · 20 June 2017 at 9:39PM

I actually quite like taking surveys which I find helps, although if the subject is cars, video games or banking I don't bother! I have a few favourites now but like Miss Pop Prolific Academic is a winner for me, very interesting studies as well as being well paid.

Wizzbang · 20 June 2017 at 10:24PM

I don't do surveys for peanuts, there are enough good payers out there that you can afford to screen out the crappy ones. I also avoid certain providers as I know they will screen me out, sometimes after completion. Other providers, I just can't stand the way they lay them out - makes it difficult and time consuming to fill them out - so they go too. Anything with pages of tick boxes it out in my book too - they need to design them well, if they want reliable answers. I will either close the window on those, or give them nonsense responses. That's what they deserve if they can't put the effort into making a decent survey. You get to know which ones to go for after a while.

mikep22 · 21 June 2017 at 8:58AM

I try to avoid the longer ones which dont pay particularly well on any site. MB'ing has allowed me to become more fussy over the surveys I do or dont take on, and also I dont take the time I once did with them.
However ultimately cash is cash so earning £2 an hour is better then earning £0 per hour. And 2 hours work would mean 1 meal...... I just wouldnt do it for a prolonged period

Mrs_Soup · 21 June 2017 at 10:39AM

I like taking the surveys on Prolific plus they do pay at £5 an hour which seems a reasonable amount to me for time when I would probably be sitting at the PC wasting time anyway- I am getting a bit obsessed with them though. I will do a really long survey with them if it is at a time I can do it eg evening, weekend or lunchtime- can't really do a 1 hour survey while at work. I most like the ones that are around a pound for 10-15 minutes. I do YouGov because you don't get screened out but am no where near a cashout- I haven't worked out the hourly rate on there though. I also do My Survey and Valued opinions when I am waiting around for something to show up on Prolific, the rate on there is a lot lower but there are plenty of surveys so you can accumulate a £5 voucher for Amazon every couple of weeks. My heart sinks with some of them though when its yet again about mobile phones, banks or similar and I'll only do it if I don't have anything more interesting. I don't do Swagbucks or mintvine or any of those.

surveyqueenuk · 21 June 2017 at 2:27PM

I'll attempt any survey which pays points on disqualification. So, MintVine, iSay, GiftHulk (max. 3), Swagbucks (max. 5), Opinion Bar, Peanut Labs through some offer walls etc. I'll also attempt any short & snappy survey from the likes of YourSayPays, OnePoll and Viewsbank.

Prolific is my favourite though, it's the bees knees : )

Ladykernow · 21 June 2017 at 9:35PM

I don't do the swagbucks surveys anymore. If I think it's going to be too long I don't bother.

dave2319 · 21 June 2017 at 10:58PM

Nice topic, and I think it's good to draw a line somewhere with survey sites. I think we should all boycott companies where the pay's too low, or the survey's too long or badly put together. Hopefully then it might inspire them to improve.

Always amazes me to see so many surveys of 20 minutes or more. Surely the most important thing for a researcher is to get good quality answers. If they set up long surveys they're guaranteed to lose probably most people's attention.
Having more surveys of 5 minutes or less would make me get more involved.

Girl_Overboard · 22 June 2017 at 6:33PM

It's not just about the money for me, it's also about how interesting the survey topic is. For example I love the YouGov surveys where you watch an episode of a new TV show (usually lasting 45 minutes) and then give your opinion. Even though it might be only £1 for an hours work (and even though the shows are often dreadful) I just enjoy being able to give my input. Same with surveys about current affairs, music or any of my other interests - if it's fun/interesting, I don't particularly care how little it pays.

Whereas an hour long, £1 survey about banking or alcohol, where you have to answer hundreds of tedious questions about the qualities and 'personalities' of various brands would be a big no from me. They can be completely soul destroying.

I also avoid the ones where they want me to install an extension on my browser to monitor the websites I visit. I never know how safe those things are.

mikep22 · 22 June 2017 at 8:42PM

Girl_Overboard wrote: »

It's not just about the money for me, it's also about how interesting the survey topic is. For example I love the YouGov surveys where you watch an episode of a new TV show (usually lasting 45 minutes) and then give your opinion. Even though it might be only £1 for an hours work (and even though the shows are often dreadful) I just enjoy being able to give my input. Same with surveys about current affairs, music or any of my other interests - if it's fun/interesting, I don't particularly care how little it pays.

Ive never had anything like this from YouGov :eek:

Where do you draw the line with surveys etc?

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