This is my review of Survey Spot based on my personal experience with this company. This is bay far one of the biggest and most well-known online survey sites amongst people who like getting paid for taking surveys. Which is why I thought it was time to do a Survey Spot review on BlogStash.
An overview of Survey Spot
The website Survey Spot has existed from 2000 until now, during which countless number of survey sites came and gone. SS was among the earliest survey panels online.
Try Swagbucks, the famous rewards program that pays you for watching videos, taking surveys, shopping and more.
The site is operated by a company called Survey Sampling International or S.S.I. This company facilitates survey-relevant sampling systems for companies engaged in market research. This basically means that they provide access to many different opportunities like drawings, product testing, games, and of course cash. Rewards points are distributed based on the type of survey completed.
The average survey you’ll take will be for about 50 rewards points, and you’ll need to get to 1,000 before you can request a payment. While it’s true there are some 1,000 point surveys available, they’re rare and difficult to qualify for.
Probably the greatest thing about Survey Spot is that they will still give you some kind of reward even if you ultimately don’t qualify for the survey. These rewards usually take the form of an entry into a drawing or a game token that can be used to win prizes. I have always appreciated these consolations as many survey sites don’t even bother apologizing for wasting your time.
These rewards indicate that Survey Spot actually cares about its members and doesn’t want anyone going away feeling their time has been wasted. Of course, these consolations are only associated with the non-cash surveys, making a strong case for taking on some of the rewards points surveys, if only to get to the cash surveys that will follow.
Cash Out Options
- PayPal payment
The first and my favorite option for cashing out is through PayPal. Once you have accumulated at least a 1000 points, you can redeem it via PayPal which will give you $10. You can expect to get paid within almost instantly.
- WebShop Rewards
This is where you can redeem your points (minimum 1000 points) for gift certificates from hundreds of online stores including Dell, Gap, Lowe’s and many other big brands. You will receive your gift certificate code in your inbox within 48 hours. You can use this code to shop online. Some of the With some of them, you can also print the voucher and use at physical locations.
- Amazon.com Gift Cards
Again, you need at least 1000 points to redeem for an Amazon gift certificate. 1000 Points will get you a $10 Amazon voucher.
- iTunes Gift Cards
The last and my least favorite cash out option is iTunes Gift Card. Your 1000 points will get you a $10 iTunes gift card which you can use to buy music, movies, TV shows, apps, games, books, and more on the iTunes Store, the App Store, the iBookstore, or the Mac App Store.
What I like about Survey Spot
- Lots of surveys available
Since Survey Spot works with lost of companies and businesses, it is always conducting marketing research studies on different topics. I found that it was full of several different types of surveys allowing its users to avoid the irritating “you do not qualify” messages rather frequently. This has a net result of saving you time for filling out surveys and earning points vs. wasting it on non-qualifying surveys. As a result I found I could reach the 1,000 point threshold very quickly and was working on the next tier of surveys in no time at all.
- Good selection of rewards
Naturally, the rewards were as diverse as the surveys themselves ranging from entries into drawings and going all the way to cash. The site actually had a virtual store as well where you could redeem your rewards points for different prizes, including but certainly not limited to things from Amazon, Barnes & Nobel, and Foot Locker. They also had what was called “Spot Challenges” which would earn you additional entries into drawings.
- Great and fast payout (at least with PayPal)
When I asked for payouts they tended to be prompt and left me feeling very comfortable in the knowledge that I would get the rewards I had earned. You can have payments sent directly to PayPal which is one of my favorite features or go with another option.
- Responsive and fast support
There were a couple instances where I didn’t receive points for completed surveys, but when I contacted customer service the errors were fixed right away. Assuming you’re at all familiar with online surveys sites you already know that sometimes a great customer service department can make all the difference.
- Survey Spot is legit
Based on my experiences, I think it’s safe to conclude that Survey Spot is no scam. I have gotten paid many many times and I have seen others get paid with no problem as well.
What I don’t like about Survey Spot
- Browser compatibility issues
There are also on occasion compatibility issues with the sites surveys and older versions of popular web browsers leading to an error screen at the completion of a survey. If you encounter these errors, make sure you’ve got the latest version of your browser and contact customer service if necessary.
- Occasional (wrong) account suspension
While this wasn’t a part of my personal experience, some users have complained of their accounts being suspended without probable cause.
- Rewards points problem
Others have noted that there were reports of unauthorized claims in regard to their accumulated rewards points, but as was stated earlier they have a quick and dedicated customer service team that handled these issues.
- Not accepting international panelists
Finally, there are restrictions on using the site based on age and geographical location. Unlike many other sites like Survey Savvy that accept international members, SS doesn’t. If you are under 18 years of age or live outside Canada, the United State, or the United Kingdom then you won’t be able to take part in Survey Spot.
Should you join?
That’s the question you are going to have to answer for yourself based on what I have provided here and based on your own research. I have laid out the good, the bad, and everything I know abut this company.
If you have to only sign up for one paid survey site to make money with, I recommend Ipsos-iSay. Ipsos is the most fun and well-paying panel. Give it a try to see how you like it. It is free anyway!
With that in mind, if you are one of those people who love the rush and excitement that comes with entering drawings or shooting for the huge prize, then Survey Spot’s got what you’re looking for.
At the same time, they also have lots of surveys that do pay cash. And one of the best things about becoming a panelist at Survey Spot is that their surveys pay much higher than other survey sites, so you average out higher earnings per survey completed with them vs other sites.
Considering all the positives and negatives and my personal experience with this company, I would give Survey Spot only an average score vs. other survey sites.