Do online surveys that pay you even work?

I see a lot of people asking questions on survey oppotunities. Survey's require a lot of time, and you won't make what they claim you will. A few friends of mine put a bunch of survey's sites to a test to see if they really work.(14 a peice, different sites-do the math on how many we went through, including the ones you had to pay to get into.) We spent six months on these sites. They're not anything what people say they are. They are fun and you do receive free items. They're not "scams" but I just want you to know that there's more to them then what your being led to beleive. Yes they are easy to do, but very time consuming.
You can make some money, however the time required in doing survey's is more then you think when you add it all together. Plan on spending 8 to 10 hours a day and average out at minimum wage. Sometimes you will hit good surveys that will pay you a lot, but what's required to get that is a lot too. In calculating what you got paid and the time involved in these higher paying, still averages out to minimum wage, and usually less. It's a psychological thing because the time is spread out on these, so it doesn't seem to be long. But we did the documentations and figured the time vs money.

Here's how the survey's work. You have to spend aprox 10 to 15 minutes per each site to register. (this is non paid) Then you'll start receiving emails for surveys. Each survey you have to complete a 15 to 20 minute pre-qualifying survey. (you dont get paid for this) Then if you do qualify for a survey (which majority of the ones you don't qualify for. so you've wasted this 15 to 20 minutes and sometimes longer of non paid time.) Then if you don't qualify for one, they offer another and you have to do the same thing, and the same thing happens.) You waste approx 45 minutes to an hour until you finally qualify for a survey. You take a 30 to 45 minute survey and make under $10. Normally it's $1 to $3 a survey that they claim takes 15 minutes. That's not including the 15 minute prequalifying survey. So you've now spent thirty minutes and made $3. And the process between each of the survey sites is the same. So you can pretty much do the math. It averages out to be between $2 to $6 an hour. Sometimes you do come across a survey that will pay you $25 to $75 a survey.

Here's how they work. It could be a telephone survey or a internet survey. You get the prequalifying part of 10 to 20 minutes then if you qualify for it another 15 to 30 minute survey or a telephone survey about the product your about to try to see if you qualify to try it. Even though you took a 10 to 20 minute "prequalifying survey" that said you qualify for. When you qualify for it, they send you a product out to try for 7 to 10 days and you do some daily documentations on it. Depending on what the product is and the documentations it's usually 2 - 15 minutes (you got a free product to use around the house, this is a good part of it) after trying the product out you have to complete another survey that takes between 15 to 30 minutes to do. Now you do the calculations on that. You don't get as many of these types of survey's. They use the hype on getting paid $25 to $75 dollars for 15 minute surveys. (notice the plural in "surveys". What they don't tell you is that there is more then one survey involved in these. Now calculate from your prequalifying survey to the next pre-qualifying survey from the company carrying the product, to the trial and documentations, to the last survey on these products. Then you receive a check four weeks to six weeks later.
Another way to earn money on survey sites, is to refer people over to the sites. Some survey sites will give you a percentage on what the people you refer buy off the sites as they get a percentage back off of what they buy. It's about 1% or less. You either get a lot of points for this that when you reach a curtain amount of points you can exchange it for cash or prizes. (Cash amount is usually $30 before you can cash out- do the math on how many pre-qualifying surveys and the surveys you get, the time involved etc this is what it takes to earn the $30) Other survey sites you complete shorter surveys (5 to 15 minutes) and your entered into sweepsteaks or lottery things for prizes or money.
Okay, I'm starting to write a book. I can go on about all the other types of survey's available and what was in volved in that if you'd like me to elaberate on it.

I do survey's because it does help the marketing on different products and they do use the opinions of what things look like and what not. So I do it for the principle of the matter.

If you'd like some links to various survey's, feel free to email me and I'll send them over to you. You really have to register for a lot of different sites. The paid survey sites offer the same survey's as the non paying ones. Granted calculate what you spent on this site to what you received, it averages out to be below minimum wage. If your doing this to make a living off of, you will be disappointed. But just for some extra cash, it's a good source and like I said, the companies do document the feedback and use it to better advertise their products and in some cases come out with new products based on the imput of the surveyers.

If you want to work from home, (assuming this is why you want to do survey's) I suggest you start your own home based business. Not a home "job", they only pay minimum wage as well. There are so many different home based business to start up. Most home based business cost under $500 to start. They have the same income opportunity as traditional businesses without alot of over head expenses and they are easier to run and manage.

Not knowing what you like to do, I'm not sure who to refer you over to and get information from. I can tell you what my husband and I have for the past 6 years and refer you over to my blog that I created on Home Based Businesses on my 360 page. Your more then welcome to go and take a look for some more ideas. We have our own home based business and it supports our entire family of 6 (we have 4 children ages 10, 6, 3 and 1)

We got involved in the Telecommunications industry, like I said a little over 6 years ago. We picked this one because the income opportunity is just incredible, as it is in most home based businesses. But in this, it seemed more practical. We partnered up with a 15 year old world wide company that offers services that people use every day and pay for anyway. Services like Local and Long distance telephone services, Internet, digital, video, VOIP, Satallite TV, and all the major cellular phone providers as well. Wireless Phones and services from Verizon, T-mobile, AT&T, Spring, Alltel, Nextell etc.
How many people do you know, or know of around the world that uses one or more of these services? We save people money on services that they are already using and paying for, and offer them services that they don't have. Every single month these people pay these bills that they are going to every month anyway, we make a percentage. You get paid every single month for these services over and over again. This is a very profitable business to get involved in.

Tiffany