Trying out new products and getting paid for it seems like a dream job. There are numerous product testing sites, including some of the best product testing sites, that companies hire. The sites, in turn, hire testers. But is product testing really as good as it looks? Is it safe to join a product testing site? Here’s what you need to know.
How Product Testing Works
Types of Product Testing Jobs
There are various types of product testing jobs, including:
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In-Home Usage Testing (IHUT): This involves testing products in the comfort of your own home. You use the product as you normally would and provide feedback on its performance, usability, and any issues you encounter.
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Central Location Testing (CLT): In this type of testing, products are tested in a controlled environment, such as a mall or a testing facility. This allows companies to gather feedback from a diverse group of people in a short amount of time.
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Online Testing: This involves testing digital products, such as software, apps, or websites. You provide feedback on usability, functionality, and any bugs or glitches you find.
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Beta Testing: This is the process of testing pre-release products to identify bugs, glitches, and areas for improvement. Beta testers play a crucial role in ensuring that the final product is polished and ready for market.
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Market Research: This involves participating in focus groups, surveys, or interviews to provide feedback on product concepts, packaging, and marketing strategies. Market research helps companies understand consumer preferences and make informed decisions.
Product testing companies, such as UserTesting, Swagbucks, and Pinecone Research, offer various product testing opportunities, including free products, cash, and other rewards. To become a product tester, you can sign up with these companies, fill out demographic profiles, and wait for testing opportunities to match your profile. By participating in these programs, you can enjoy the benefits of trying new products and providing valuable feedback to help companies improve their offerings.
What is Product Testing?
Definition of Product Testing
Product testing, also known as consumer testing, is the process of evaluating products for their performance, quality, and reliability among target markets. It involves gathering feedback from potential customers to identify areas for improvement, ensure compliance with regulations, and make informed decisions about product development. Companies rely on product testing to understand how their products will perform in real-world conditions and to make necessary adjustments before launching them to the public.
Importance for Companies and Individuals
Product testing is crucial for companies to ensure that their products meet customer expectations, are safe to use, and comply with regulatory standards. It helps companies to identify potential issues, reduce the risk of product recalls, and improve customer satisfaction. For individuals, product testing provides an opportunity to earn money, receive free products, and influence the development of new products. By participating in product testing, individuals can try out the latest innovations and provide valuable feedback that shapes the final product.
Product Testing Scams Exist
There are a lot of scams on social media and the internet. And that includes some product testing sites.
Often, there will be ads and videos on social media touting product testing for Amazon. They promise free products and money to test Amazon products. These are all scams, no matter how authentic they look.
There's only one way to test Amazon products, and that's through Amazon Vine, which belongs to Amazon. Amazon Vine is an invitation-only product tester. If invited to participate, you’ll receive free products to write a review about, but you won’t receive any other payment.
Amazon Vine is the only legitimate Amazon product tester.
Another popular scam is sending the tester a check and asking them to buy the product with the funds. It works this way. A testing site approaches you or advertises you. They tell you they are sending you a check to purchase the product, but don't cash it until you're told.
They hope that you’ll go ahead and buy the product before cashing the check. But the problem is, it’s usually a bad check. You’re then out the purchase price and probably won't receive the product.
A legitimate testing site will never ask you to pay anything. They also won’t play this check game with you.
How to Identify an Unsafe Product Testing Site
There are many red flags that a product testing site may not be legit. That means if you sign up on one of these, you may be risking your personal information. And that can lead to identity theft. In some cases, it could cost you monetarily. Here are some signs that should warn you.
Legitimate product testing sites often operate through a consumer testing program. These programs invite individuals to provide feedback on products, ensuring safety and legitimacy by targeting specific demographics and requiring detailed feedback.
No Privacy Policy
Always, without exception, look for and read the privacy policy. All legitimate testing sites, including those run by a market research company, will have one. You should be reading it before you hand any information over to the site. Information that they might ask in a pre-screening includes:
- phone number
- email address
- shopping habits
- age
- number in household
Scammers collect this information and sell it to marketing companies. You’re then bombarded with:
- phone calls
- emails
- spam
Don’t provide your information if the site doesn’t have a privacy policy or the privacy policy is lacking.
Site Uses a Free Email Account
Many people use free email accounts like Gmail. But a legitimate product testing site should have their name in the email. Otherwise the site can’t be checked out for legitimacy.
Scammers like this. They don't want you to know they're not a real company. That way, you can't look them up and see if they're safe.
No Company Name
If a product testing company with a good reputation is legitimate, you'll find its name on the site. It will also be on any ad sent to you. Having a name doesn't always mean it's on the up and up, but not having a name is a big red flag that it's not legitimate.
Unsolicited Free Product Testing Opportunities
Watch out for unsolicited product testing survey invitations via email. Pop-up ads should also be avoided.
Legitimate opportunities come through reputable platforms. They’ve chosen you based on your profile information.
Someone sending you an invite out of the blue doesn’t know you. These scammers are just trying to trick you into giving them your personal information. They want to sell your information or steal your identity.
Site Asks for Private Personal Information
Legitimate sites do ask your age range and sex, but they don’t ask where you bank. Market research firms, for instance, shouldn’t be asking for anything financial like a bank account number or types of accounts. This is a red flag.
Another big red flag is if they want private personal information like:
- Social Security number
- date of birth (they can ask for an age range)
- health insurance ID
- other related information
If they ask these questions, run, don’t walk. They are scammers trying to steal your identity.
Missing Contact Information or “About” Page
It’s a red flag if a site doesn’t have any contact information. Legitimate companies give you an email or other way to contact them.
An about page is also important. If the site is just telling you that you’ll make a lot of money without telling you how, this is a big red flag.
Offers Big Bucks for Testing
A major red flag is a site that offers you hundreds of dollars for small testing jobs. The average tester earns $36 an hour. And many aren’t paid at all. They just get to keep the product.
Scammers will promise the moon. Their goal is to get your personal information or, in many instances, money.
Be wary of pie-in-the-sky promises.
Domain is New
Not all new domains are scams. But if you find the site has just started doing testing, this should give you pause. Do a little research about the site. Scammers move around and are constantly changing domains.
Check out WHOis.net and find out who owns the domain and its creation date.
Best Product Testing Sites Available
Best product testing companies are essential for ensuring high-quality and reliable results. There are many legitimate testing sites available, so there’s no reason to deal with a scammer. We’ve put together a list of our favorite sites.
Pinecone
Pinecone specializes in product tests for items that haven’t been introduced to the public yet. Many product testing companies, including Pinecone, operate by compensating participants not with cash but with points, which can later be converted to cash or gift cards. It sends you products to test. It then pays you in points for completing questionnaires about the product.
You then redeem your points for:
- cash
- gift cards
- brand-name merchandise
It pays a flat rate of three dollars per survey. But if your household information doesn’t match what’s needed, and there are no other available openings, the company will only keep your information for a couple of weeks. You may need to reapply if you want to be eligible for other tests.
American Consumer Opinion
American Consumer Opinion (ACOP) offers free product testing opportunities and pays for product testing and surveys. They will ask your opinion about products and ideas for new products. American Consumer Opinion also does surveys on the economy and advertising campaigns.
For each test or survey completed, you’ll receive points that can be cashed in via PayPal.
McCormick & Company, Inc.
McCormick has been a mainstay in the grocery store for decades. You’ll have the opportunity to participate in their product testing panel.
Once you apply, you'll be in their database and will be able to receive periodic emails for recruiting studies. The studies fill up quickly, so you'll need to act fast if you want to participate.
A home test could run between 30 minutes and two hours. They pay ten to $15 each with Amazon gift cards.
Conclusion
Watch out for red flags when signing up for product testing sites. You don't want your information sold or, worse yet, your identity stolen.
