Are surveys paying less and demanding more lately?

Topaz · Sep 29, 2017

I've been doing surveys online for over 20 years, and do quite well from them. But lately they seem to be asking for more of my time for the same amount of cash.

Surveys always used to screen out, but now they seem to be doing it further and further through - sometimes right at the end of a long and tedious session.

I'm sure that we are being expected to do more for less return. The points for many surveys seem to be staying the same, but the amount required for payment is rising.

I've been closing accounts of companies that screen out more often than not or don't pay well, leaving me with a much smaller core of the good ones.

Although I'm doing less than half of the surveys that I was a few months ago, I'm still earning about the same as I was before, because I'm not wasting time by being constantly screened out by the same companies over and over, which leaves me much more time to spend doing things that I love.

How you do good peeps feel. Have you noticed similar things happening?

Bow382 · Sep 29, 2017

I've only been doing them about a year, but have noticed lately they screen you out after 50% completion or more. It's something I feel needs looking into. They have gained a lot of information and then kick you.
IMHO you should be awarded a percentage of the total less a little equal to you participation.

Topaz · Sep 29, 2017

Bow382 said:
I've only been doing them about a year, but have noticed lately they screen you out after 50% completion or more. It's something I feel needs looking into. They have gained a lot of information and then kick you.
IMHO you should be awarded a percentage of the total less a little equal to you participation.

Yes I agree with you there. That's one of the reasons why I like MintVine - they award points even if you get screened out, so at least it isn't totally wasted time.

Mountainways · Sep 29, 2017

I'd say there's more and more companies out there, they have to compete with each other, and people will move to the ones that offer the best rates/fastest cashout etc. And the newer ones that use technology like mobile apps and notificatios, are more efficient which is better for us and them. So if you know what you're doing, like you do, you can still earn as much as ever because there's so many options out there.

Bow382 · Sep 29, 2017

I'm

Topaz said:
Yes I agree with you there. That's one of the reasons why I like MintVine - they award points even if you get screened out, so at least it isn't totally wasted time.

I'm with mintvine, but find it slow. That's one reason I'm an advocate of curious cat. Even a fail is worth a penny, some I purposely don't bother with, i.e. 30p for twenty minutes, but click the link just to earn 1 point. Such a low cash out of 100 points for a pound makes it so rewarding.

Christine2 · Sep 29, 2017

Surveys can be repetitive, i now only do prolific, pinecone, you gov and one poll- (takes long to cashout but short interesting surveys) populus live- screens out in a minute or so if not eligible and isay screens out with points.
I certainly dont have time for companies that waste peoples time.
I only do surveys when iam having a quiet matched betting day

MrsWebster147 · Sep 30, 2017

I used to find that Valued Opinions and Global Test Market used to do that to me a lot so after cashing out I closed them. Ipsos i-Say is pretty good, you get points even if you get screened out.

Jon · Oct 1, 2017

Good post this (sorry I've only just got around to replying to it!)

I think you are right and it's like many other markets in the 'earn from home' sector where it is just a constant race to the bottom.

If you had a survey that maybe a few years ago used to pay £2 each and now are being offered for 50p it tends to be because they will have chanced their arm and put it out at that price before and saw that the same amount of people probably apply to do it no matter if is 50p or £2.

Now the only area I think where there is a bit more 'people power' going on is in the task app (Roamer, Task360 etc.) world where the workers will hold out until the pay goes up for a reasonable rate and they end up forcing them to pay them a better rate of pay.

However as you've mentioned @Topaz it's not just about the pay that is dropping but also you are being asked to do more for less! I remember once getting sucked into some god awful 'listen to this and move the slider to show how you feel' type survey and it went on for OVER AND HOUR and obviously after 15mins of it you zone out anywhere so I can't imagine the data would have been much use to the clients.

Stuart · Oct 1, 2017

I agree that the rates are ridiculous; I've seen (but not done) some surveys paying 10p or less for 25 minutes. I also had one real beauty some months back where I completed the 25 minute survey with audio and video, got to the final question which asked for my telephone number; needless to say, I declined to provide it by ticking the appropriate box saying so. I promptly screened out. Very nice, very ethical.

As others have said, some companies now collect rather a lot of data before screening participants out, I wonder if they are trying to avoid even the pathetic payouts still on offer while still gathering statistically useful information (cynical? moi?).

At any rate, I'm pretty much through with surveys. I'm sticking with YouGov until I can cash out, then I'm gone from there. That leaves only Prolific, which to be fair has some interesting stuff and is also a steady source of beer money, I've made more from them in the past 2 months than 6 months worth of all the other survey sites put together.

In summary, surveys are just not worth the effort anymore. Maybe if you are in the "right" demographic, but I've got other, much better paid fish to fry.

Jon · Oct 1, 2017

Stuart said:
I agree that the rates are ridiculous; I've seen (but not done) some surveys paying 10p or less for 25 minutes. I also had one real beauty some months back where I completed the 25 minute survey with audio and video, got to the final question which asked for my telephone number; needless to say, I declined to provide it by ticking the appropriate box saying so. I promptly screened out. Very nice, very ethical.

As others have said, some companies now collect rather a lot of data before screening participants out, I wonder if they are trying to avoid even the pathetic payouts still on offer while still gathering statistically useful information (cynical? moi?).

At any rate, I'm pretty much through with surveys. I'm sticking with YouGov until I can cash out, then I'm gone from there. That leaves only Prolific, which to be fair has some interesting stuff and is also a steady source of beer money, I've made more from them in the past 2 months than 6 months worth of all the other survey sites put together.

In summary, surveys are just not worth the effort anymore. Maybe if you are in the "right" demographic, but I've got other, much better paid fish to fry.

Yikes, 10p for 25mins is just stupid (yet I bet there are people who will do it!)

You make a good point, if you are not happy with the price that surveys are paying then just jack them in do the other higher paying work that is out there!

You don't have to settle for work that pays so little!

Margot · Nov 1, 2017

Mturk went pteety low in the past year.

jane potter · Nov 1, 2017

agree with all that's said and the screening out is wrong.

DevilsMoJo · Nov 3, 2017

Unemployed/low paid workers are getting sick of the employers who want Superman/God for every vacancy for minimum wage and are looking for alternative ways to make money. So they sign up for all the survey sites and as a result the emails you get informing you of a new survey end up telling you the quota is full within five minutes after receiving the email and clicking the link.

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Are surveys paying less and demanding more lately?

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