Work at Home - Fact or Myth?

[Mirgen1]

Everyday I see some advertisement enticing us to work from home at a really high pay, some of them even say we can earn hundreds of dollars just by answering a number of survey on line and that only for a few hours per day!

I wonder if it is true; one downside is that we have to pay first to begin working from home.  You also need a visa or credit card to register for this job.

In this first place, where do we get such cards, since we are out of work and have no money to apply for them?

I would like to know if members can provide some sort of feedback on these sales gimmicks. Is it true? The advertisement claimed that thousands if not millions are currently working from home earning big bucks answering survey, data entries, etc.

I am 61 years old now, I am even prepared to work as landscape technician, another term for a gardener or a sweeper, but alas my venture came to an abrupt halt after two weeks when the contractor said I didn't have the strenght to carry heavy loads.  I can actually carry up to 30 kg. but it seemed that foreign workers can double that!

Anyone needs a gardener?

[Mr.Q]

Hi Mirgen1,
First of all, i am sorry to hear that you've lost your chance to work as a gardener. At least you have proven, that it is not you that's choosy.
Regarding the 'work from home' sort of 'online survey', 'home based data entry', I am personally doubting the credibility too, especially when we have to fork out some money to start. I have no doubt that some people had really made some money from there, but i don't think that it's sustainable (put aside legality aspect, i am not in capacity to judge whether or not those are legal in Singapore).
I know some legitimate paid-survey though, that is offline survey, taken by researchers' (for example AC Nielsen) agent to collect market data for market trend analysis. The pays vary like from $20 to $100 per survey.
Above are personal opinion, i don't have real involvement with those 'online businesses' though. Maybe anybody else has, would care to share some experiences here.

Q

[Mirgen1]

Thanks for answering part of my question, Mr. Q, but this work at home job promised by such advertisers are really different from that of AC Nielsen in that these surveyors worked directly for AC Nielsen and if I am not mistaken, these workers were engaged temperarily to go on the streets, offices, or by telephoning to get at a certain result, like the Gallup polls.

This on line work from home that entice unemployed, housewives, retirees and others gullible enough to part with a hundred or so US$ to get some materials or addresses where you can offer your work entering data, collecting certain information for these prospective employers some of them international names in businesses like banking, software and hardware conglomerates etc.

I have personally filled in the application for one of the advertisers, but alas, when it came for the payment and credit card no. I was stunned, have none, so to speak. There is no way we can write on the registration form that we wanted to pay by another means, like postal orders, or Western Union. They kept rejecting my submission because the entry for the credit card no. is empty.

But once I submitted a so-called free offer, and I have since then received dozens of their replies or advertisement offering me to get the chance of a lifetime to work from home! But as usual, at the end of the promises of great wealth and fortune, the inevitable cropped up! Yes! The credit card no. again to get to their offer of even US$39.00 and there was no mean I could communicate to them that I didn't have such facility. No email address where I can explain to them that I would like to pay by another way!

My question again and I hope members who are experienced in these work from home on-line job can drop me a line and advise me and maybe others: Can we make a living doing data entry, survey, etc working from home just with our PC?  I would really appreciate some replies if any.

Many thanks and finally who would like to employ a data entry clerk? I hope I qualify!   

[mobius]

I also think that most of them are scam. Nothing comes easy, if so easy, everyone also rich.

[nick2004]

..i would oso b extremely wary of jobs that require payments up front.........just ask yourself a very simple question...

...why would any job require a payment 2 the employer first, to me it doesnt make any sense at all.........as you're the one providing the labour after all.............

[Mirgen1]

Good morning everyone.

I have since contact 2 work-at-home agencies and one of them was quick to email me followed up with a telephone call.  A young female speaking with an English accent (UK) greeted me and told me she was happy to work with me and together she could help me start a business operating from home.

"This is a great opportunity for you to make money from your home.  We have a warehouse in Singapore and I hope you can register with us and immediately we will send you materials on how to set up your business."

"Your advertisement said that we only need to enter data, fill up survey forms to work from home on our PC.  Anyway how do I go about registering  and can you please tell me where is your warehouse in Singapore and what is the name of your company?  And do I have to pay anything?"

"My warehouse is call Herbalife and our warehouse is at Hong Kong Street.  Yes you need to pay 50 Dollars to register to get a licence and we are offering 25 percent especially for you. And yes, to answer your question, these are health and wellness products."

"I am not working at the moment and I don't have money now to pay you.  Can I start this business and then I pay you when I have my first cheque?"

"Well sir, I don't think that this is suitable for you.  However, if you have any further questions, please email me.  Thanks and good day."

Well folks these are just roughly how the discussion between me and the lady on the phone.  Needless to say, I never follow up with their offer nor have I the inclination to go down to Hong Kong Street to check on this company, Herbalife.  Apparently they are selling you these medical (or wellbeing) products at a 25 percent discount and you peddle it on the net or among your friends to make that 25% profit.  Of course you have to  need a working capital of a few hundred at least.  How much can you sell will determine your profit. Or probably a loss!  That is if you have zero sale and these medicine left at home will of course expire at a certain date, their shelf live or sell by date.

It is not what they advertised on the net (see below for their advertisement - you scroll right down after reading this letter.)
Data entry would mean you fill in the entry form to advertise your products on the net and stuffing envelopes is likely packing the products once you have a sale, and sending it through the post.  It is not as simple as we think it is!  Apparently this sort of advertisement is a  gimmick to get you to reply to their ads. and for them to work on you.  The ones getting rich is not you but you-know-who!

The other party who sent me an email saying he is out of the country and would be calling me on the 12th or 13th never keep his promise, so I guess maybe these two agencies are closely related, sharing information between themselves.  Since one of them have called me and did not make a sale, the other just offered this excuse of being out of the country.

Thanks for your time and I hope some of you have some idea of what work from home mean now.   CHEERS. 

[Admin]

Hi Mirgen,

I agree with all who expressed the views here that those work-at-home ads are gimmick to attract people. The 'work' itself is actually involving 'investment', that as mirgen mention (and true for all kinds of businesses/investments), without guarantee that it will be protected (in simple term, it may all gone to the drain).
Since the beginning, i actually have tried to filtered out those "work-at-home" ads, for the reason that they may mislead people. I think we don't see that many of those type of ads anymore at the bottom of this page. I will continue to filter out those ingenuine work-at-home ads.

regards,
Admin

[dd]

I'm also interested making money from home, if I can generate passive income, why not? I read about Google AdSense, can make money at home from there.... I see this site uses adsense too, will our admin be so kind to share how much your site earn from there? 

[Admin]

Hi dd,

Yes, we are using Google AdSense, however, we're not supposed to release any figure, it's in the terms of service. You could just try yourself, and see for yourself (if you have a website). No startup cost anyway. How? you can click my adsense referral link at the bottom of this page... 

--edited