You've almost certainly have seen web advertisements saying that if you complete surveys that you can receive some cash. Here's my story.

The ad said that I did not need any knowledge or preparation. It also said that I would be paid for completing the survey. The ad further went on to imply that my services are greatly in demand and that I could do all the surveys I desire and make thousands of dollars a month.

As I was between jobs plus needed money I thought, "What have I got to lose?" So I responded to the advertisement.

I was taken to a page where I started answering questions. A lot of questions. They seemed to want to know everything concerning me. In some ways it was worse than applying for a job. They wanted my marital status, how far I had gotten in school plus a bunch of other stuff.

Then they wanted to know about what I spent money on. What kind of laundry detergent did I use? Did I color my hair? Did I ever use a dating service? Was I overweight? How often did I buy jewelry? The questions never seemed to stop. They asked some questions several times.

The questions were often very personal but I reasoned that this was what completing surveys was all about. After all, they had to know something regarding me to be able to do a statistical analysis didn't they? It all seemed rational if rather intrusive.

Then, after about forty five minutes of answering questions, I found myself at a page where I was supposed to select from among products to purchase. They didn't just want my opinion, they actually wanted me to purchase something.

If I purchased one product from each category I would be on the "gold" level and I would get a check for $250. If I bought fewer products, I would go down in level and receive less money. No matter what level I was on they always asked me to spend more than the money I received. At this point I wasn't at all sure that they would ever send me money anyway. I quit the entire thing.

A couple of months later I just happened to be checking the details of the charges on my cell phone bill. There was a charge on there for "downloads". It was $9.99. I didn't remember downloading anything. So I called my cell phone provider.

It turns out that the "survey" company had placed that charge on my cell phone and it had been there for several months! I had been paying $9.99 a month for three months and didn't know it.

I do remember the survey company asking me for my cell phone number. They also sent me a text, which I ignored. That was all they needed to bill me. Obviously I should have paid more attention. Lucky for me I was able to get the charges removed. I was in a ninety day window.

I want to say that there are reputable surveys that people can to do make money. They are even sometimes advertised on the web. They are just a little harder to find than I thought.

Companies desiring real surveys won't ask you to purchase anything. Get a free e-book. Just click on the following link: get paid for your opinion

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Filed under: Paid Surveys