Survey Center Online

Survey Center Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Why should I participate in online surveys?

There are two main reasons. First, the information you provide helps companies and other organizations to improve their products, services, policies, and marketing communications to better serve your needs and preferences. The fact that these companies/organizations are conducting a survey indicates that they want input from people like you.

Second, most of our surveys offer a monetary reward for answering the questions. When a monetary reward is offered, the amount and eligibility requirements are stated in the e-mail message used to invite survey participants. Typically, each survey participant is given something as a token of our appreciation. (This policy differs from many online research companies that offer their survey participants a sweepstakes entry.)

How will the information I provide be used?

The information you provide is used only for survey research. It will never be used to try to sell any product or service to you personally. The purpose of each survey varies. We conduct surveys for manufacturers, retailers, trade associations, publishers, non-profit organizations, and others. Generally, they want to know what consumers know and believe about various products, services, and companies. They want to know about consumer needs and preferences. They want to know about people’s lifestyles and shopping habits. Sometimes, they want to get reactions to new ideas for products, services, or advertisements.

Do you protect my confidentiality?

Yes. When we conduct a survey, your answers are combined with those of many other people to produce statistical reports. When a report includes examples of individual answers to survey questions, these answers are presented anonymously. No one outside our company can associate your answers with your identity. As a research firm, we take very seriously our obligation to keep the identities of survey participants confidential. For more information, click on Privacy Policy.

How did you get my e-mail address?

The e-mail addresses we use come from three types of sources. One source is opt-in e-mail lists that are available for rental, in which case we try to match the topic of the survey to a topic of interest to consumers who opted into a particular e-mail list. Another source is the company for which we are conducting the survey, which may have its own e-mail address list of users or customers. A third source of e-mail addresses is our own panel of consumers who have given us their e-mail address for survey invitations.

How often will I be asked to participate in surveys?

If we obtained your e-mail address came from a rented opt-in list or from a company’s customer list, you are unlikely to be contacted by us again for another survey. If you subscribe to participate in future surveys, you will probably receive five to ten survey invitations in a twelve-month period. There is no set schedule, because surveys are conducted as needed.

How can I sign up to receive more survey invitations?

If you are interested in participating in future surveys, please go to Subscribe For Future Surveys and answer a few questions online to register. It's easy and it's free. When we have a survey ready for you, we will send you an e-mail.

After signing up for surveys, what should I do if my e-mail address changes?

To give us your change of e-mail address, please go to Subscribe For Future Surveys and follow the instructions there.

What if I don’t want to receive any more survey invitations in my e-mail?

If you do not want to receive any more survey invitations from our company, please go to Unsubscribe From Surveys on our web site and enter your e-mail address. We will then exclude your e-mail address from future surveys.

What will I get for participating in surveys?

For most surveys, each participant who is eligible and answers all of the questions is mailed a check. The amount of the check varies from one survey to another and is stated in advance in the e-mail used to invite participants to the survey. The majority of surveys pay $3 to $5, but some pay more and others pay less.

Will I have to give my name and address in order to receive payment?

Yes. Since we mail a check to each survey participant, we have to know your name and address in order to pay you. In the future, we may be able to offer an electronic payment option.

How long does it take for my check to come?

After we have enough participants for a survey, it is closed and then the checks are processed and mailed. Because a survey may be open for one to three weeks, it may take up to 30 days for some participants to receive their check in the mail. If you do not receive your check within 30 days, please Contact Us.

How much of my time will it take to participate in a survey?

Your e-mail invitation will give you an estimate of how long that particular survey will take. Most surveys range from ten to twenty minutes.

How soon should I respond after I receive a survey invitation?

Please try to participate as soon as you can after receiving a survey invitation in your e-mail. If you wait too long, you may find that the survey has ended before you had a chance to participate.

What if I can’t or don’t want to participate in a particular survey?

We understand that not everyone is willing and able to participate in every survey. If you would rather not participate, simply ignore the e-mail invitation. If you do not want to receive any more survey invitations from our company, please go to Unsubscribe From Surveys.

Why did I get a message saying the survey was completed when I didn’t answer the questions yet?

Most likely, the survey ended before you clicked on the link in your invitation. Because each survey has a certain budget and schedule, we have to close it as soon as we reach a certain number of participants or run out of time.

After you invited me, why did the survey tell me I cannot participate?

Some surveys can only be conducted with specific groups of people. For example, if we conducted a survey of swimming pool owners, the first question might be “Do you own a swimming pool?” Participants who do not own a swimming pool would have to be excluded from the survey. If you are excluded, we cannot send you a check; however, it only takes a few seconds to find out if you qualify for a survey.

Why did I receive only one check when two of us participated in the survey?

Because we want to represent as many households as possible in each survey, without duplicating information, only one household member can participate in each survey. If two members of the same household accidentally participate in the same survey, only one of them will receive a check. Different household members are allowed to participate in different surveys.

May I see the results of the survey?

We rarely have the opportunity to share survey results with survey participants. A specific company or organization sponsors each survey for its own use in planning and decision-making. Companies often conduct surveys to gain a competitive advantage, which would be lost if the survey results became public knowledge.

Can you tell me who is sponsoring a particular survey?

We tell you who is sponsoring the survey when we can. Often, though, the sponsor of the study has to remain anonymous, because knowing the sponsor could influence how you answer the questions either consciously or unconsciously. In some surveys, the sponsor is hidden in the initial questions but is revealed in later questions.

What is Survey Center Online?

SurveyCenterOnline.com is the web site where Survey Center LLC conducts online surveys. For more information about the company, please click on About Survey Center.

Do I need any special equipment or software to participate in online surveys?

No, all you need is an Internet connection and a computer or other device that lets you surf the Net. When you receive a survey invitation in your e-mail, just click on the link to the survey. (If clicking doesn’t work, copy and paste the link to your browser.) You should be able to participate using any Internet browser. If you experience any technical difficulties with our surveys, please Contact Us and include specific information about what happened and the type of browser (including version number) you were using.

If you have any questions not answered above, please send your question to: service@surveycenteronline.com.