Surveys and Mystery Shopping

I've talked about this with a few people recently and I realized that maybe some of you are interested. For the past few years I've been taken surveys online and doing some mystery shopping when I had the time. I've joined LOTS of groups but now participate in only a few as I've weeded out the best ones. I don't buy those claims about making thousands of dollars from home, but I earn enough for a gift certificate or two a year and about $100 in my free time...not to mention all the product tests I get!

So, if you're at all interested, here are my recommendations and advice.

1. Surveyspot

This site is the best for getting paid outright. You receive email invitations for surveys that tell you outright how long it's expected to take and how much you will earn for completing it (usually 3-5 bucks per survey). There are a few catches: not all surveys are paid, though you know that upfront. You usually have to complete a few for free before you get paid invites, but trust me, i really do get paid from this site. You have to qualify for a survey to complete the whole thing, so if they're doing a survey on smokers and you answer "no" to first question of "do you currently smoke?" than you won't qualify and you won't get paid. Also, it takes a few weeks for the survey to show up in your account, and another month before you receive your requested check. Not for people in need of fast cash! Still, I consistently receive 3-5 paid survey invitations a week.

2. Synovate (if you want to join this one, let me know and I'll email you an invitation)

This is the best for product tests. Surveys are not paid, but you earn points for completing them which can then be redeemed for cash. For me, the occasional checks are just a perk, I really belong to this for the products. In the past year I have received a TON to evaluate: toilet paper, Nyquil, shaving cream, shampoo, mouse, gel, toothpaste, fruit juice, skin care, face wash, soap, candy, deodorant....an added bonus: the companies that invest in product testing aren't the Kroger kind--this is nice Neutrogena and Pantene stuff!

3. Certified Marketing (mystery shopping)

I see ads all the time, but I know this one is legit. You have to actually fill out information and fax in paperwork, but it has some great opportunities if you have the time (I haven't since I had Scotty). Mostly what I did was mystery shops at stores like Abercrombie and Hollister because I can pass for a teenager, but the movie jobs are amazing! They pay you to record which previews were shown before a film or count patrons at a specific showtime. I got paid to spend a day watching The Nativity Story when it came out to count patrons, and I also got reimbursed for two adult tickets for each showtime so Eric and I had a date that actually PAID us :o)

4. MyPoints (only if you get bored at home or shop online a lot)

This one I don't really recommend unless you shop online a lot or have lots of time on your hands. You earn points for clicking on ads (I click through 20 ads about once a week) and eventually redeem those points for gift cards. I don't shop online often, so I never spend money through this but it does take time. I spend a few minutes a week doing this to earn probably two $25 cards to Chili's a year. If you work a regular job your time is probably better spent there, but if you're a stay at home mom with a few random minutes a week, this might be a good perk for you. Let me know if you want an invite to this one (you get points for referring people and accepting an invitation).

My words of advice
1. NEVER pay to sign up for any survey club, group, site or shopping. They'll pay you if they're worth anything!
2. Use e-mail filtering or a separate email account because all survey invites and shopping assignments are sent through email.
3. You probably have to do some surveys that don't pay in order to qualify for those that do. In the beginning, I did almost all surveys that were sent. Now, I simply delete the ones that don't include a dollar sign in the subject line.