Have you been wondering, “Is American Consumer Opinion paid surveys a scam?” When my kids were young, I looked into paid survey sites to earn a few extra dollars in my spare time.
I found taking surveys to be more fun than work, but I quickly discovered that there are many scam sites out there.
Fortunately, American Consumer Option paid surveys isn’t one of them.
Who is American Consumer Opinion (ACOP)
American Consumer Opinion is actually owned by Decision Analyst, Inc., a global marketing research and analytical consulting firm. The company got its start 1978 with just 1 employee.
Since then, the company has grown to 175 employees. You’ll find the company’s headquarters in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
In 1986, Decision Analyst assembled the American Consumer Option panel to find individuals who were willing to share their opinions about specific products and services.
At first, all surveys were conducted by mail. It wasn’t until 1996 that the company switched their surveys to an online platform.
Their membership skyrocketed from 20,000 to several million.
What Does the BBB Say?
I always encourage everyone to check out any company they wish to do business with.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is the best place to start. Currently, Decision Analyst Inc. is a BBB accredited business with an A+ rating.
In the past three years, there have only been a total of five complaints, which is amazing since ACOP has several million members.
All five of the complaints were resolved or answered by the company, proving that American Consumer Opinion is legitimate and cares about their survey takers.
It’s also a good idea to check out how the company treats their employees.
To do this, visit both Indeed and Glassdoor. On Indeed, you’ll find that Decision Analyst Inc. has 4.3 stars out of 5.
Glassdoor reviews give the company 4.2 stars out of 5 stars. Those are excellent ratings.
Seventy-seven percent of the employees even report that they would recommend the company to friends.
How Do American Consumer Opinion Paid Surveys Work?
To make money taking surveys, all you need to do is sign up with American Consumer Opinion for free. Legitimate survey sites won’t ever ask you for money to join!
Once you sign up, you’ll be able to give the company a little information about your household. They will use that information to match you with surveys.
Once ACOP thinks you might match a survey, they will send a screener survey to your email. This will take just a minute or two to complete.
If the screener shows you qualify for the survey, you’ll be given information about the survey.
If you agree with the survey’s topic and terms, you can click the link and take the survey.
American Consumer Opinion reports that the average survey length is about 10 minutes.
It’s important to note that you are never under any obligation to take a survey.
You are welcome to complete or pass over any surveys that you are eligible for.
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How Much Can You Earn With ACOP?
You won’t get rich with American Consumer Opinion paid surveys, as this opportunity is not a job. It’s just a fun way to make a few extra dollars in your spare time.
I have been a member for years and cashed out a pretty penny over that time.
I used the money to purchase Christmas and birthday gifts, but you could certainly use it for a new pair of shoes or an evening at the movies with your family.
The way ACOP works is that members earn points that translate to dollars.
In my experience, 1 point = $.01. So if you have 2,000 points, you can cash out $20. Here is how the point system works:
- Screener Surveys: Earn anywhere between 5 and 50 points or the chance to be entered into a monthly prize drawing.
- Surveys: Varies greatly depending on topic and length, but always comes with points. Typically these points fall between 100 and 5,000 points.
Once you have accumulated at least 1,000 points, you can head to your member’s area and click the “Cash-Out” button. You can certainly wait to cash out if you wish.
For example, I will just keep earning all year and then when I’m ready to do my Christmas shopping, I’ll cash out. Payments are issued via check, PayPal or Hyperwallet.
If you want to take a chance, you can always enter some of the company’s sweepstakes with your points (even if you have less than 1,000).
You also have the option to donate your earnings to charity.
Is Your Privacy Protected?
Yes, 100%! American Consumer Opinion keeps your name and email address private and never sells this information to anyone.
All of the answers you provide in the survey are combined with those of other participants before being presented to the company who requested the survey.
Again, your name and email address are left out and not reported to any other business.
Who is Eligible for American Consumer Opinion Surveys?
Almost everyone is eligible to join ACOP, including those from other countries around the globe; however, the company does limit registration to one individual per household.
So if your spouse is already a member, you wouldn’t be able to join.
Conclusion: Is American Consumer Opinion a Scam?
No, American Consumer Opinion is a legitimate paid surveys company that has been in operation for over 40 years, and one of the best in my opinion.
I find taking the surveys to be a breeze and I never experience any technical difficulties (like I have with a few other sites). I’ve also never had a problem getting paid.
It is 100% free to join ACOP, so you have nothing to lose by trying it out. I recommend signing up and giving it a try for a few months, as I’m confident you’ll love it as much as I do.
If you feel it isn’t a good fit, however, you can always cancel your membership or unsubscribe from the survey emails.
I feel really lucky that I managed to come across this review. I mean, to me, the American Consumer Opinion did seem like a scam. Hence, I had to google it. And I think you proved me wrong elegantly.
Yeah, it really feels like a legit opportunity with a proven track record through the BBB ranking.
I definitely agree with you on the fact that this is certainly not a job. Meaning, you can’t really do this full time, can you? It’s surveys; they don’t pay well enough. But I think it’s still cool. Also, I really like that option to donate the earning to charity. Yes, it won’t be a million bucks or anything. But I think every bit helps when it comes to helping out others, don’t you think?
Cheers. 🙂
Yes, I’m all for giving to charity! I have many organizations that I support, and this is a great way to do that for individuals who don’t have a lot of money to give. I also use Amazon Smile, so that a portion of my purchases is donated to a charity as well.
I also used to try many paid survey sites and I’ve also encountered many scammer out there who even ask to pay your money beforehand (total red flag right there). After reading your blog, it seems like ACOP isn’t one of them and it sounds like a good opportunity to earn a few buck in your spare time too. Thank for this awesome review and I’ll make sure to check out that site :)))
I just went and checked my dashboard over at ACOP and I’ve been using them since 2009! Never had any problem cashing out my earnings either.
Thanks so much for your article on American Consumer paid Opinion surveys, I hadn’t realized that paid surveys still existed!
Like some of your other readers, I too used to do online surveys, but that goes back a lot of years. I gave them up because a lot of the sites made it hard to make much money and quite often they did not offer many surveys to do at all.
This option seems legit and I do appreciate that you included their BBB ranking inside your review. Privacy and a good business record make a huge difference to me when I am considering online opportunities.
Thanks again for putting together a great review, I really enjoyed reading it!
I agree! I stay away from sites that sell your info. I’ve been with ACOP since 2009 and know for sure they don’t sell my info. It’s one of the very few sites I still participate in and I do it just for fun and a few extra dollars for Christmas.
I have always heard about doing surveys that pay money but I never thought they were legit. That’s interesting that you can actually make some money from it.
It doesn’t seem like you could make it pay well enough for the time you put into it. But for those who have nothing but time and find it easier to do something like this that run their own business it is a good thing.
Good job on bringing this out to the forefront where people can see it and take action.
Myron
It’s definitely minimum wage for most places. For example, today I was offered a survey for $5 (translated from points) and it took 20 minutes. So if you did three, that would be $15 an hour, which is higher than our state’s minimum wage. Again, this isn’t a job or business opportunity. Just a way to make a few extra dollars throughout the year that you can use to pamper yourself or buy gifts for family and friends.