YouGov.com is a website that allows anyone to become a panel member for free, in order to collect real peoples’ opinions from across the nation.
YouGov conducts polls and surveys about politics, public affairs, brands, and other topics of general interest. Once you become a member, you will begin receiving invitations for surveys. For every survey you complete, you will earn points.
The points you earn can eventually be exchanged for a variety of different rewards, including T-shirts, tote bags, gift cards, movie tickets, and sometimes even cash.
Not all surveys award points upon completion, however. Some surveys simply enter you into a monthly drawing for cash prizes.
A Different Kind of Market Research
Most market research companies are contracted by major corporations in order to discover what their target market is looking for in product development, advertising, or just general wants or needs.
YouGov.com, on the other hand, has a decidedly political aspect to their market research. They claim to be a non-partisan organization, whose surveys do not represent either a Republican or Democratic view.
However, YouGov does partner with outside organizations to gather opinions from their members. These surveys are completely confidential, and though your responses will be provided to an outside organization, none of your contact information will be.
When you sign up with YouGov, though, you must provide your accurate home address for two reasons. First, they need to know where to send your prizes once they’ve been redeemed. Second, some of their political surveys are specific to a region or voting population.
YouGov Surveys and Prizes
The average survey at YouGov.com will only take about 5-7 minutes to complete, though surveys can vary in length. YouGov says their longest survey will not run longer than 20 minutes to complete.
As for their rewards and prizes, you must become a member of YouGov before you can see how many points you must accumulate in exchange for a prize. Currently, though, they are giving new members a welcome bonus of 1000 points, so hopefully it won’t be too time consuming to earn a prize.
BIG issue with actually getting any money. I requested payment by bank transfer and 4 weeks on there was nothing. No response from emailing support[at]yougov[dot]com and they refuse to respond over twitter as well.
YOUGOV IS ONE BIG SCAM - They're never going to pay out.
I never get political surveys as I believe that I am too left wing nor right as others complain.
I have 4850 points and not had a survey since August, when I mailed them they just said I had been suspended.
I am of the opinion that they don't want or can't pay up
Looks like scam but, from the other hand, I never answered trustfully, just clicked at random on their answers without reading. Sometimes my 3-yr old clicked. :)
Then I stopped getting surveys for the last two months. I wrote to them to ask why and I have been told that I have entered my date of birth incorrectly 3 times, so have had my account suspended.
Poppycock.
Reading the newer reviews, it seems that I am not alone. Others are getting their accounts suspended for similar reasons. I also never received a notification to tell me this, just silence.
I have 2000 points earned. I have just written to them to keep my points because they obviously mean so much to them. And I have asked them to delete my account. I would say to everyone - avoid avoid avoid! I suspect that youguv are now in financial trouble and do not wish to pay out, and this stupid banning/made up reasons are just a way to get free surveys done.
And the same crossed my mind - they don't like to pay out, just make up silly excuses.
Thanks