Vegas Buzz

The Great American Survey Rip-Off 

 by Jerry Wilson

Vegas Buzz Consumer Advocate 

Ah, the dream of going to work every morning in your pajamas, unshaven, as you have your first steaming mug of coffee, taking a break whenever you feel like it, and just plain not working when you don't feel like it.  In the Internet Age, all these things are possible.  To be sure, people are making millions on eBay, and selling a variety of products and services online.  I am certainly one of the precious few that can truly boast of having achieved the American Dream online.  But I too searched for years, and bought every worthless course out there, until I wised up.  

There are many 'gurus' out there literally ripping people off with worthless courses that promise great riches with little or no work. That's a compelling promise, indeed, but the truth is, it takes money to make money, and quite a bit of money to create a money machine that will work flawlessly to fill your bank account. 

Some of these scams involve an incredible gamut of seemingly plausible business opportunities - including the standard MLM pitches where they promise to do all the work for a one-time payment of say $250, and then don't do anything and keep all your money. 

Get paid to read emails, take surveys, compile foreclosure property listings, generate $50 per lead for funeral homes, etc., etc., ad infinitum, ad nauseum.  And these are the 'small scams.' We haven't gotten into the 'Nigerian Email Scam' that is the legendary grandaddy of them all, bilking the unsuspecting - who should know better - out of tens of millions yearly.   But I digress...

The primary target of this article is the 'Survey Rip-Off Scam.'  The big fast-food companies that let their names be used should be ashamed of themselves for what they let their marketing companies do to the public.  If you're going to give people a coupon for a free sandwich, just do it, don't promise $500 worth of free coupons, or $10 off your next meal.  Don't make the trusting survey-taker wade through a 100-page questionnaire and then spend $25 or more on stuff they don't want. And, to add insult to injury, never mail out the certificates.

 If you do find an offer irresistable and still want to participate knowing what I've just told you, then by all means, go for it.

 But please, be careful.

Before participating in any survey that will waste both your time and money, take a few minutes to read the "Program Terms."

Although most these survey come-ons say 'F R E E,' nothing could be further from the truth.  After completing numerous surveys, and doing a survey ourselves, we've come to these conclusions:

1. Most surveys are rip-offs.

2. There is no 'FREE' lunch, or 'FREE lunch money,' and

3.  You never actually get what was promised, much like the 'Mail-in Rebate' offers that sell millions of products, and generate millions of dollars in Class Action lawsuits.  Hmmm... I see another one brewing here...

 If you click on 'Terms and Conditions,' you'll usually find  a clause like this:

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
To claim your reward you must complete a minimum of:

Two (2) offers from Premier Offers Group 1; Two (2) offers from Premier Offers Group 2; and Four (4) offers from Premier Offers Group 3 and submit your Gift Redemption Form within 60 days (Once it appears in your account).

Are you counting? That's a total of eight (8) offers that need to be completed, and each one involves buying something or signing up for a subscription service! 

We invite any survey company to show us how they are not ripping consumers off by promising 'FREE' when the terms and conditions require participants to participate in 4 or more monetary-transaction offers. And what 'Gift Redemption Form?' I've never seen one, and I'll bet most of these companies can't produce one. And furthermore, what 'account?'

The only bigger rip-off is the company that for $30 bucks or more will send you a list of companies that will send you these rip-off surveys.

They actually make money twice: Once when they sell you their worthless package, and again when they sell your name to the Survey Rip-Off company.  

Perhaps both companies are one and the same.  After all, both have your email address. 

If you are truly looking for a work-at-home business...

Here are a few we would recommend - that's only because we're actually involved in these ourselves.

Ebay - It's hard not to make money on Ebay if you do your homework and sell the right items.  Most people do well on Ebay if they apply themselves.  Ebay will even teach you how to do it, and become a certified instructor to boot. It's all on their site, www.ebay.com or CLICK HERE for the latest news.

Burnlounge - With digital music downloads expected to approach $3 billion per year by the year 2011 (according to Jupiter Research), this is definitely a field to get into.  Jay Michaels, host of "Rewind the Rhythm" (www.rewindtherhythm.com) has launched his own 'BurnLounge' at www.rtrburnlounge.com that enables listeners not only to download music he plays on the show, but make money with their own 'Burn Lounges.'  You can email him at jaymichaels@rewindtherhythm.com or find details at www.rtrburnlounge.com

Been ripped off by a survey promising $500 worth of fast-food coupons? Upset that they didn't say 'Purchase Required,' before you stopped at the 125th question?

We want to know.  Maybe together we can do something about it.  We've got a few vigilante attorneys that want to have a little fun.

Email me, Jerry Wilson, jwilson@vegasbuzzradio.com

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