I'm away in Aruba at the moment. (Yes another trip. As an affiliate marketer I work hard but play harder. lol) In any event, never fear, I have someone filling in for me for this week's useful and helpful content. The following is a guest post by my right hand gal Callie Boyd of SurveyFavs.com. Callie is also known as my VA (Virtual Assistant) and the Survey Queen as I playfully refer to her. So enjoy the post! If you like what you'e read or have questions, be sure to post a comment below. See you soon!
Hey all!
Anyone that's been hangin' out here knows that I love free paid surveys. I've even been called a Survey Queen. lol After taking action by joining Eddy's Top 5 Paid Online Survey Websites, there was no stopping me! I soon realized just how easy it was to be nicely rewarded for expressing my opinion. I quickly turned 5 paid survey sites into what is now several that keep me busy, no doubt. I do most of my VA work by day then transform myself into survey taking mode usually at night. Now don't worry, the transformation is nothing like Jekyll & Hyde or anything monstrous. lol Survey taking for me is relaxing and fun.
One of the first paid survey programs I joined after Eddy's top 5 was American Consumer Opinion (Acop). It's owned and operated by Decision Analyst, Inc., a major international marketing research firm headquartered in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Acop is strictly legit and is rated A+ by the BBB. It's one of the best and largest paid survey programs available. The program not only offers very good surveys, but product testing, a monthly cash drawing, and focus group invitations as well. Occasionally, there might be mail or telephone surveys offered, but generally most will be the popular web-based surveys. The surveys on average are about 10 minutes or so long and are usually simple to answer. Acop sends out routine screeners approximately every 6 weeks. For those who are not aware, screeners are very brief questionnaires to see if the panel member will pre-qualify for an upcoming Acop survey. Acop rewards with a cash amount or sweepstakes entry.
Something for everyone!
I love the fact that Acop accepts memberships worldwide. Everyone's feedback is important. We all are consumers of products and services regardless to where we live. Acop certainly appreciates and recognizes this by offering their paid survey program to people from all over the world. International participants are welcomed! The sign up page is user friendly with a simple “Choose Country” drop down menu displaying selections from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe and every other country in between. Two thumbs way up for not leaving anyone out!
Hide & seek, where are the surveys?
Unlike some paid survey programs that post available surveys on the site via panel members' area, Acop does not do this. Whenever your demographics are a match for a survey, Acop will send you an email invitation to complete the survey. These emails are inclusive of important survey details such as screener/survey access link, length of survey, amount of response time you have to complete the survey, and a reference number. Based on my personal Acop experience, I don't get a ton of survey invitations, but the ones I do get are of good quality and I sure do enjoy spending a few minutes taking it. The new product evaluations and product studies are great! My kiddos have taken some too. They love them as well. 🙂
Show me the money!
When receiving a cash reward, the amount typically ranges in value from $2 to $50, per survey or focus group, depending upon the length of the questionnaire and the time it takes to complete it. Not bad huh? I certainly don't think so. Once a cash out has been requested, US or Canadian panel members receive postal mailed checks. Most international panel members will receive a cheque in their currency. For international panelists in countries that are unable to receive these types of cheques, an American Express gift cheque is sent to those who complete surveys or win the drawings. The nearest American Express Foreign Exchange Office is involved to help streamline the process. Further information about this can be found on Acop's FAQs page.
Here comes the con
Acop is without doubt one of my faves. And although in my opinion it's a great paid survey program with plenty of “pros” on it's side, an existing con is the check option being the only method of payment at this time. I am a PayPal gal all the way. But don't get me wrong, I'm so thankful for and very appreciative of every penny I earn online or off and am even more thankful when I actually receive it regardless to how or by what method taken to reach me. With today's technology, I would be willing to bet top dollar that Acop will soon offer PayPal as an additional payment option just like MySurvey recently has.
The proof is in the pudding …
I am no different from anyone else when it comes to showing me proof of payment. I can spend an entire day telling you how wonderful Acop is, or any other paid survey company for that matter, but without confirmation of pay, many (if not all) of you would be like, “yeah, uh huh, sure Callie” lol It's something how that skepticism seems to diminish when the “pudding” is put before us. By the way, I happen to love pudding. Chocolate and coconut cream are my faves … mmm, delish! Ok, ok, we didn't come here to discuss that kind of pudding. lol Let's focus on one of my payment checks from Acop:
So now, would I recommend Acop? Absolutely! They have quite a bit going for themselves: Free worldwide membership. Good, quality surveys. A+ BBB rating. And last but certainly not least … they do pay!
I hope you've enjoyed my review. Happy surveying 😉
Hi Eddy: I `m writting from México and I want to share my own experience; Last mont i cash an ACOP cheque (mexican currancy and mexican bank ¡ ¡). It wasn’t fast (I’ve started as a member since 2013) but the most of the points I made were done in above 6 months.
It may be not a BIGG $$ DEAAL ¡ But here in Mexico, nobody gives U a $ for things like this. It wont pay the rent but it`s quite enough to pay electric bill.
I hope this review can help somebody to find a way to earn a goog money and I would like to know if anybody knows other sites to make money from Mexico. Thanks ¡
Hey Gerardo,
Great to hear from someone in Mexico. I didn’t think ACOP was available in your area but it sounds like it is and that’s good. I’m happy you like what you’ve earned with ACOP. I believe every bit counts and adds up. So congrats on making money with this. Take a look at some of my other options here and here. They may be able to help you as well. Thanks for sharing your positive experience.
Today is 11/14/2014 just to update you that at this time
Mindfieldonline.com is not accepting any more participants I would appreciate since you keep track of these survey sites if you cold let me know when they re accepting participants. I want to say to those that are not with Pine Cone Crest, I have been with them a while, when I first joined I would get a survey seemed like every 3 weeks but now I am getting them more frequently they pay $3.00 each survey and if you want you can let the points sit till it build up and have it sent it Paypal or by Check.. I personally use it when I have to pay pal any money..
Debra,
Thanks for the heads up. I would suggest just checking their website regularly.
However you might want to look at the following other companies that are legitimate as well: InstaGc, PaidViewPoint, InstantCashSweepstakes.com
As you said PineConeResearch.com is defiinitely a good one I personally recommend as well.
I have been with ACOP for many years and when they used to send checks I always got paid in a reasonable amount of time but 5 weeks ago I cashed out and it should have been in my Paypal account no later than 4 weeks. I have yet to see it and no one is answering any of my emails. I am about done with this site. Also their BBB rating is a B not an A+
Sorry to hear about your latest experience Heather. Unfortunately I’ve seen the decline of companies that were legitimate at one point. Sometimes they get new management and things take a turn for the worst.
Fortunately there are other legitimate survey companies out there. By the way the BBB ratings can change at any time. So keep that in mind. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I cashed in on May 17,2014… I received an email from ACOP on June 12,2014 Saying my reward had been processed and I should receive it in 8-10 business days..Here it is July 15,2014 and still nothing..I am going to file a complaint with BBB
Wow that’s crazy. Thanks for sharing your experience. Let us know what happens.
I’ve recently registered for this site. I haven’t recieved a survey or anything yet. I think I need more patience though as I have only registered a week or so ago. From what I’ve seen in reviews, there doesn’t seem to be many problems with the company or the site so that’s good. I don’t like using the internet for personal information like checking infor so I think it’s good that they send checks.
Hi,
Surveys are based on demographics. So you’re not guaranteed to get any surveys unless companies want opinions from people in your profile. So it’s not something you can really depend on for consistent money. So keep that in mind. That’s why we cover many other ways to earn money that don’t depend on your demographics to get started:
https://www.workathomenoscams.com/2012/07/02/what-type-of-work-at-home-seeker-are-you/
This company is a con. A recent survey was to transfer money. A check was sent to me, in which I would take out my payment and transfer the rest. I waited for the check to clear my bank, it of course bounced. No response back from the company.
Unfortunately a lot of scam artists use legitimate company identifies to promote their garbage. So if you do your research you believe they are legitimate. But the legitimate company’s aren’t actually involved. I suspect this is exactly what happened here. We’ve seen it happen many times with another scam which is just as shady know as the repackaging scam here:
https://www.workathomenoscams.com/2008/10/07/package-forwarding-reshipping-job-or-scam/
So just keep that in mind.
I worry about trying those places that could possibly be a scam. I’d rather just stay away from them. Seems like a couple people like paid surveys by Opinion Outpost. Maybe I’ll have to try them out!
Jane, it’s a totally justified concern but it’s simply remedied by doing your research before joining any company which we make easy with our scam video: http://www.workathomenoscams.com/scams I haven’t been scammed in years just following the basic principles in that video. So as long as you do your research before doing anything you should stay safe. Being on this site and reading the articles is also a good thing. 😉
Beware! I registered in this site, made the huge mistake of registering with the same password I use in my email and my email account got hacked.
I’ve never had my email account hacked because of joining this site and I’ve been a member for years. However I have had my email hacked randomly but that happens all the time all over the web. And this is why they say you should create strong passwords and not use the same ones every where. Either way its an unfortunate situation but I doubt it happened because of this company.
Acop is just okay. I’ve taken many, many surveys since I signed up months and months ago but only have $6 in my account (they say I’ve only taken 2) I contacted them with all the proper information to fix this and they have not. This was 2 months ago. The surveys turned out to be a waste of my time.
I have been wondering about all of these online survey opportunties. It’s nice to be able to find out if they’re a scam or not. My husband is a full-time student and I stay home with our 2 little boys. All we have for money is our student loans. I’ve been trying to find a way to make a little extra money without having to put any money out. This seems like a good way. I guess I’ll give it a try. Thanks!
Angollie,
I’m glad this may be an option for you. But just keep in mind not all survey opportunities are legitimate. You should always do your research before joining them. A lot of folks get excited after finding a company like this and then assume they’re all legit but they’re not so be sure you do your research.
That being said, as I’ve said many times on other survey companies I’ve reviewed don’t expect to live off this or make consistent money. Surveys are purely based on supply and demand. If you fit the demographic that a given company wants then you’ll get a survey. If you don’t then you won’t. That being said some demographics are less desirable and in demand than others.
So surveys should be viewed as a nice to have not something to depend on. For something more consistent you need to focus on a traditional work at home job like the ones we list daily here:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/jobs
or a legitimate home based business. We also list some other non-traditional ways of making money that you may want to consider here:
http://www.workathomenoscams.com/recommendations
I hope this helps. Good luck.
@Joshua:
Hmmm, Sharon’s comment slipped right past my radar. This is the first I’ve seen it.
At any rate, thanks Joshua for your same address/location input. Your thought process is correct. According to Acop’s terms and conditions page, #8 item H. “Panel-Member Account Restrictions”
http://www.acop.com/Terms.aspx?L=1&PID= the company does allow only one account per household. In a brief, anonymous phone call to Acop (1-800-262-5974) it has been confirmed that Acop may very well deem it necessary to cancel accounts that are in violation of the one account per household rule. So I agree that this may have been the case.
Sharon’s post is worded to give an impression as though she was not aware of the reason Acop canceled the accounts. However, to my knowledge Acop will indeed provide reason to the member when the company warrants cancellation IF the member wants to know why the account was canceled. So I wonder in all of the “back and forth” did the member actually ask. We may never know. lol
Hopefully my information will be helpful to others because sometimes folks just want to bash a company based on a one-sided review or experience. Reputable companies are usually not in the practice of deleting accounts without good cause. Acop is no exception.
@Sharon:
One could get frustrated about, but then again it could make sense. Do you and your husband reside in the same address and location? If so, this could very well be the reason neither of you have an account anymore. Most survey panels only allow one panelist per household, and I think ACOP is one of the many who do enforce this.
I did like acop at first and did receive a check for a diary I did for them. Now for the bad news!! I completed a product test for them and when I went in to look at my account, magically, they said my account didn`t exist. I went back and forth with them and finally they wrote and said “oh you used to have an account but you don`t now”. How can I have one and the day after I do the survey for the product, they say I don`t have one? They did the same thing to my husband recently.
@Mary:
Hey Mary,
Thanks for swingin’ on by with your feedback, it’s greatly appreciated. I feel your excitement all the way over here! Lol
Yes indeed, survey income is nice to have. I like to call mine my Mad Money.
Happy surveying Mary, and many more checks to you! 😉
I firstly had received ACOP check , Wow!! I thought ACOP is doing great job on survey. I also received other Outpost Opinion checks twice. I love to have a survey job. It helped me what I needed for foods or transportation etc. Well’ I thought Outpost and ACOP is best rather than IPOSO. There is no scam
Hi Ganda,
Welcome aboard … we’re glad you found us!
It’s wonderful that you’ve experienced sign up success with Acop. I’m actually relieved to know that since I was questioning whether any international residents had experienced any sign up issues. I’m happy to report Acop just communicated to me there were no issues on their end and the link works just fine from all countries. Yay! lol
You’re right about it being difficult for international residents to find and enjoy free opportunities. It tugs at my heart strings for sure. That’s why the following resources were created to assist our international job seekers with finding work from home. Hopefully there’s something there that will be of further help to you:
https://www.workathomenoscams.com/international
https://www.workathomenoscams.com/jobs/browse_by_category/International/
All the best, and thanks for chimin’ in!
@Callie:
Hello all.
I would like to let you know that i am currently residing in Jordan and was able to participate in signing up with ACOP. I stumbled on this site thru google and was really looking for a business opportunity or might as well say,something I can actually be productive just by being active online per se.As like anybody else resided at the other end of the world,its very hard for somebody living outside the U.S to enjoy the free opportunities of online and other freelance jobs.But I could say that ACOP is one of the few which actually accepts people from anywhere around the globe.So I guess it will be worth giving it a shot,there is nothing to loose at the end of the day as it is all free.
Good day to everyone.
Hey all,
I’m very interested in learning if anyone living outside the US has experienced any sign up issues. Your feedback would be very helpful. A buddy of mine residing in Mexico has unfortunately had problems while trying to sign up. 🙁
I’m currently in communication with Acop to try and find out if there may be a glitch with the link itself when my international visitors are accessing it. If I’m able to find something out I’ll definitely swing back by to report it. In the meantime please feel free to share. I’m all ears … well, actually eyes. lol
Happy surveying 😉
@Alexander:
Hi Alexander,
Thanks for bringing up the fact that reward checks come quickly. Another tidbit of info I forgot to mention. lol
I love this site and they’re definitely legitimate, but I wish they sent me more surveys! I hardly ever receive surveys from them. 🙁 I just recently received my second check from them, though. I can’t complain about check being the only payment option as long as it comes. At least it comes quickly. 🙂
Cheri,
Thank you! I know what you mean in reference to Acop’s surveys being few and far between, but when they come, they are good ones for sure. As we know it’s about the demographics and specific profile that is sought after at any given time. And it more than likely also has to do with their pre-screen process that weeds us from all the long, drawn out pre-qualifications that we tend to get with other programs. I’d much rather get a few quality surveys that I’ll be paid for than a bunch of ridiculous non-rewarding screeners taking up all of my time. lol
As for Opinion Outpost, they have been one of my faves. In times past I received a relatively decent amount of surveys and pay. But lately, I’ve not had time to stay consistent with them. Oops! lol However, I wasn’t aware of Eddy’s updated review referencing the pre-qualification reports:
https://www.workathomenoscams.com/2007/11/28/is-opinion-outpost-opinionoutpostcom-another-paid-survey-scam/
So at this point I should swing by and see what’s going on. Maybe I’ll have to take a few brownie points away. lol
Larry,
Thank you! Lol, yeah … move over Eddy, here I come!
Acop is surely worth giving a try. To answer your questions: In my experience with Acop, yes, once you receive an actual survey, you will be compensated for it. I appreciate Acop for conducting their pre-screens the way they do. My time is valuable and not wasted on pre-qualifications as with other survey programs. I also love the fact that Acop’s pre-screeners inform you of the short length of them and even come with a sweepstakes entry whereas other programs’ screeners do neither. With Acop, it’s refreshing to not have to deal with those annoying pre-qualifications that some survey programs have.
Oh, my bad. I did forget to include the cash-out threshold info in my review. lol $10 is Acop’s minimum. With Acop’s pre-screening process, yes it is pretty much like Pinecone’s. Gotta love that too! Hope these answers help.
Jim,
Hey there my Aussie buddy! So glad you dropped on by.
Thank you for the kind words. Wow, me a legend at 46 … that’s “Au-some” lol I’m elated to know that I saved you from having to pay for great survey programs. We are paid, not the other way around. lol It’s wonderful that you’re experiencing some good results. Much continued success! 😉
Marckie Marc,
You’re welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed the review. Two thumbs up to your wife for gettin’ her surveys on. lol I’m sure she’ll be pleased with Acop. Thanks for swingin’ by, the recommendation, and all your kind words. Much appreciated my friend!
Vickie,
Thanks girl! Acop does have it goin’ on. ^5 to ya for taking action! I’m sure big bro has already told you that. lol
Lee,
Thank you! I’ll certainly take credit for that. lol
Eddy,
Now you already know there is no need to apologize. I knew you’d get around to the comments sooner or later since you had nothing better to do than enjoy yourself on vacation … AGAIN!! Lol No doubt Aruba is being good to you. It’s agreed that you do deserve to play hard due to all your hard work that we appreciate so very much. You go on boy!
There you go being modest again. lol As your protege, I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor gently shoving me into those fiery flames to help enhance my natural abilities. Applaud you Sir!
Enjoy the balance of your vacation!
Nice Post Eddy, another great point of view working hard at first brings easy to life later on..
Enjoy
Have a Fantastic day..
Lee
Great Article Callie!!!
ACOP sounds promising definitely will sign up !!!
Thank You
Hi Callie,
I want to thank you for your well written, humorous and insightful review. It was FUN to read.
Normally, I don’t frequent Survey sites, but my wife has and I will recommend Acop to her.
I have worked with you before with advertising for my online biz and you have ALWAYS been
tremendously helpful, knowledgeable and professional. So, I know if you recommend Acop, it is legit and
worth looking at.
Thanks again for your review…
Marc
Callie your a legend without your wealth of Knowledge we would be still fishing around the internet looking for free surveys and would of certainly paid for them your my saviour.
We have had good results with Survey savvy.and other surveys for Australia
Best wishes Jim
Perth Western Australia
Good fill-in article (look out, Eddy! 😉 ). Although I’ve seen Acop around, it’s funny that I’ve never signed up for it. I may have to give it a try. I had a few questions… Since the surveys are given by e-mail invite only and you mentioned that you only get a few a month, does this mean that their pre-screen process ensures that those you are invited to, you will get paid for? Or is it still hit or miss as to if you’ll get paid once you start a survey? Also, is there a minimum threshold that you need to earn before you can cash-out, or do they send you a check as soon as you complete a survey?
What I’m really getting at is whether they operate more like another favorite survey site of mine, PineCone… With Pinecone, their pre-screen process ensures that you get paid whenever you take a survey, and they pay you soon after you take a survey. Most other survey sites have a pre-screen process built in to the survey itself, so you may not get paid or paid very little for spending 5 minutes answering questions only to find you don’t qualify. Also, other sites usually have a minimum amount you need to earn before you can cash out.
Larry,
She’s pretty damn good huh? I would love to think it because she’s studied under me for all these years. But alas that’s not the case. lol Callie is just naturally good at this stuff. I’ve been gently trying to shove her in the fire for years now. But I think now she’ll see what I’m taking about based on the feedback of this article. So I’m glad you appreciate it.
Callie,
Sorry for the delay in approving these comments. Get on and interact with your adoring fans. lol
Great article Callie! I am a member of ACOP but rarely receive any surveys from them 🙁 I have however received many checks from Opinion Outpost. They send me at least 2-3 surveys a week..