If we took a hand-raising poll to know how many people actually read the terms and conditions and the privacy policy of websites before joining them, only about one percent would raise their hands. Although we believe that reading the entire document is a waste of our precious time, these things are so important. Whenever we create an account or profile on any website, we trust the website with our personal information that we cannot afford to be mishandled. The question is how do we know for sure that the website is going to keep our information? The document that we always (yes always) ignore is what informs the users of their rights on the website and how it will use their personal information. It is like a contract between you and the website and signing the contract without reading can make you problems. Creating a good and strong privacy policy is the company’s way to enhance customer relationships and gain their trust. As a matter of fact, more and more people will join the website knowing how well the company practices their privacy policy. The privacy policy protects the users of the respective website. The Internet is too vast as well as the transmission of information on it, to be controlled; there are no specific strict rules for this information. Hence this document is even more vital; because it notifies how our information will be protected and how much. Therefore careful reading of the privacy policy is essential before registering to any site.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN THE PRIVACY POLICY OF ANY SURVEY WEBSITE
When it comes to survey panels and surveying websites, there are some particulars one should look for in the privacy policy before registering to the website. Pointing out the following can help you identify a scamming website. Survey panels require you to create a profile by filling out a profile survey with your information. Thoroughly read the document and what it says. Here is a list of the most important things you have to pay attention to:
They won’t resell your personal information. Be careful to check and make sure the website will not transmit your personal information to any thirty parties. If the privacy policy does not cover this, it will be better to not register to this site. Scammers typically sell your personal information. Here you probably understand that not all free surveys are legit. Some surveys can register you for free, but then you can have problems.
Make sure they will never ask you to buy products. Keep in mind that survey websites are only concerned with getting surveys filled out; they will not try to sell you something or make you try some product. No legitimate survey company will sell goods and/services to its participants therefore be sure to recognize this as a scammer’s identification by understanding the terms and conditions agreement.
How they will contact you? Check exactly how they will contact you for surveys, whether by telephone calls or through the Internet etc. Usually such information is present in the privacy policy document. If they can contact you by phone, make sure you can opt out at any time.
Make sure there are no obligations. Keep in mind that the terms and conditions is actually an agreement and not an actual contract. Meaning to say, that no legitimate researching website will bind you to the panel; you should be given the freedom and choice to walk out from the panel completely or stay inactive for a while. By no means shall the terms and conditions include the clause for obligations for a user hence check your rights in the agreement before saying yes to it.
Make sure they are not a freebie site. There is a difference between surveys and freebies. Freebie sites offer gifts or money for completing offers. This is totally different from paid surveys. Before actually joining a survey panel, make sure you know how it is supposed to work. Understand with clarity that your job is to complete questionnaires (answering questions). You are not obliged to complete offers or trials etc. That is not a part of your job therefore make sure the website does not want you to do these tasks that you are not meant to do on a survey website company.
WHICH DETAILS ARE OK TO SUBMIT AND WHAT ARE NOT
As mentioned before, signing up on a survey research panel requires one to fill out a profile survey. This is basically a series of questions that collect information about the user. Sort of like an identification. Another purpose of a profile survey is to help direct the research topics that are most relevant to the user. For example a research based on women’s products requires input from women only hence all the male users will be filtered out from the survey. There are usually three sets of questions in a profile survey. The first set is basic details such as name, age, height etc. The second and third sets of questions include gathering your work information such as occupation, income or income level etc and the experience with products. The experience with products, include sharing with the company every product you have used over the years. It is very important to keep in mind that even though a research company can inquire a user’s name and bank account details, they will not and cannot under any circumstances ask for your social security number or your credit card number. These are strictly forbidden and if any survey website asks for these, it is a scam and illegitimate so quickly walk away and do not look back. To know further what details are required to complete the profile survey, read the privacy policy of the website carefully.
THE AFTERWORD
Although reading the long and detailed description of Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy takes up a lot of our time than we care to spend on reading a document, it is very important to be familiar with.
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