Advice: How to Successfully Complete a GPT Survey

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Remember the days when you could answer a survey knowing you answered meant something? Yeah, I don’t remember those days either, although perhaps the young women in the above picture does. If you’ve taken (or tried to take) a GPT survey, you understand the frustration they can cause.

They ask for repetitive information, they boot you in the middle (or end!) of a survey saying you’re either no longer qualified or the survey quota is “full” or you complete the survey for no credit. Or if you’re lucky, it credits, but instead of taking 10 minutes like they said it would, it takes 25 minutes.

I’ve experienced it all and I know I’m not alone. Therefore, I have written this blog post to help explain what’s probably going on and what you can do to help successfully complete the survey and avoid getting disqualified. Please understand that most of my survey taking experience comes from taking Swagbucks’ Gold Surveys and Peanut Labs surveys through the Swagbucks website. However, most of the explanations and advice should apply to the vast majority of GPT surveys.

Problem: You’re asked repetitive demographic or eligibility questions

There are several reasons you may be asked the same demographic or eligibility questions over and over in a single survey. First, the survey consists of two parts. The first part sees if you’re of the demographic they want. They may want a Hispanic female with at least one child under the age of 18 who lives next to a major metropolitan area and cooks at home at least twice a week. If you don’t fit that demographic, you get disqualified. Even if you’re what the survey taker wants, you may have to answer the same demographic questions again when the “real” survey begins. Why it works this way, I have no idea. Feel free to post a comment with your theories.

Second, you’re actually taking a brand new survey. Even though you clicked on one link for a particular survey, you got disqualified (and didn’t know it), but instead of returning you to the survey menu page (and giving you your disqualification credit), you’re forwarded to another survey. Therefore, you’re asked the same eligibility/demographic questions all over again.

Third, you’re being tested to make sure your answers are honest. If you were asked the same questions about your age, race, sex, ZIP code, income, etc. several times in the survey (such as at the beginning and end), the survey taker is probably trying to make sure you’re honest by comparing your second demographic answers with your first ones. If they notice you put in a different birthday, change your sex or marital status, you can expect to get dropped immediately, or you’ll “finish” the survey, but never get credit for it.

Solution: None, besides trying a different GPT survey provider.

Problem: You never qualify for a survey

Oh, this is simple. You’re not what the survey taker wants. If you’re under 21, you’re not going to qualify for a survey about alcohol. If you listen to NPR on the radio in the car, you’re not going to qualify for a radio survey that asks your opinion about Top 40 pop music. If you’re not a parent, you won’t qualify for a survey about diapers.

Sometimes when answering the eligibility questions, you can figure out what the survey taker is looking for. I would never advocate lying on a GPT survey as that’s against the terms of use and can get you banned, but it is possible to qualify to qualify for a survey when you’re not really qualified to take it.

Solution: Wait until you can qualify for a survey. This might mean waiting until you move, get married, own your own home, have a pre-tax income over $75,000, have kids and/or are in the market for a new car.

Problem: You complete the entire survey, but it doesn’t credit

I have two theories for this question. First, the survey taker is cheating you and other survey takers. I can’t say this happens for sure, but from hearing from other GPT survey takers, it’s my opinion that it happens. Maybe the survey taker got the number of responses they needed (and were willing to pay for), but they thought, “what the heck, let’s see if we can get a few more answers for free.” Again, I have no evidence for this and it’s all speculation, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it happens.

Second, you got disqualified and didn’t even know it. Perhaps you accidentally put in an inconsistent answer to a demographic question at the very end or maybe you answered inconsistently to another question in the middle of survey. If it’s the latter, you should have been disqualified immediately, but for whatever reason, you weren’t. Maybe they wanted your survey data anyway, but felt they didn’t have to pay for it because it didn’t meet their criteria for validity. That’s my theory, at least.

Solution: Make sure you keep your answers honest and/or consistent. If you still don’t get credit after completing a survey, before taking another survey, record the survey number or ID. As you take the survey, take screen shots to document your progress (Ctrl + PrtSc on most windows computers. You can then hit Ctrl + V to paste the picture into an MS Word document or MS Paint). And when you’re done with the survey and it says “thank you for completing the survey” or something to that effect, take another screen shot. If you do this, Swagbucks is pretty good about giving you credit if you submit a ticket, at least in my experience.

Problem: You get kicked out in the middle of the survey

There’s probably one of two things happening here. First, you gave an inconsistent answer and got booted. If that’s the case, consider yourself lucky that you got booted in the middle of the survey instead of the end.

Second, the survey takers have filled their quota and no longer need survey data. You just happened to be in the middle of the survey when it happens. I believe this happens on occasion, but I’ve gotten this “sorry, the survey is filled to capacity” crap way too often, so I know there’s more going on. I mean, I took a survey around 5am (EST) about men’s shampoo products or something a few months back, and in the middle of the survey I got kicked out because the “quota was filled.” Really? I call BS. Perhaps I gave an inconsistent answer about how often I buy shampoo or something (I was tired, ok? And really, who knows, off the top of their head, how many bottle of shampoo they buy every 6 months?), so I got kicked out for that. But if that’s the case, why don’t they just tell me that? If they expect me to be honest, why can’t they also be honest?

Solution: None, besides trying a different GPT survey provider.

Problem: You completed a survey and got credit, but it took much longer than it said it would

You probably were disqualified from the original survey and instead of getting rerouted back to the survey menu, you were given another survey instead. Yeah, you were just the victim of a bait and switch. But hey, at least you completed a GPT survey and got credit for it!

Solution: None, besides trying a different GPT survey provider.

So there you have it. Hopefully this post has alleviated at least a little survey taking frustration. If you have any advice of your own, feel free to comment.