Product testing has its ups and downs

When you begin to request free samples regularly, inevitably most people start to look into product testing companies to try and increase the amount of free items they receive. I have signed up for every product testing company I could find through the years. I will cover a couple of them here for you today, so you can decide for yourself if they are worth joining.

Bzzagent.com

If you have a lot of time to spare, this company might be a viable option for you to sign up for. Bzzagent.com is made up of thousands of word-of-mouth volunteers who test products and then go out and spread the word about the products they tested. The company has offered some decent high-value products in the past.

The biggest problem I find with this company is the sheer amount of work involved. You have to watch your inbox constantly for new offers, as the good, full-size product offers go very quickly. There are also tons of hoops to jump through to get from one level to another, thus making it too involved for me to participate for long. I was not offered many things in my two years with Bzzagent.com and got disheartened with the company quickly.

Vocalpoint.com

This is my favorite product testing company. Vocalpoint offers free products to its reviewers either by you requesting them or by sending them out to all members itself. Once you try a product you are given a decent amount of time (usually about a month) to submit a review on the product. If you don’t fill out the surveys I don’t think it counts against you. The surveys to review said products are usually short, no more than 10 questions, and are easy to fill out. Sometimes you just have to submit a comment on what you thought of a product and why. The samples you receive in the mail 99 percent of the time come with high-value coupons that can later be used to your advantage, or you can give them to family and friends to try the product, which is actually what Vocalpoint is hoping you’ll do with them.

Here’s a good comparison. In my two years with Bzzagent, I received a sample of a free e-book to read and review and a sample of Crest Whitening Strips. In my six months with Vocalpoint I have received one Bounce Dryer Bar (two-month full-size), one box of Rice Crispies (coupon for free product, used to buy the biggest box Target carried), one box of Kashi Sunrise Cereal, one travel-size Secret Clinical Strength Deodorant, and tons of high-value coupons (either online or in the mail). I have used Vocalpoint online coupons to purchase Kashi waffles for 49 cents a box and used them to get other products very cheap. I highly recommend that anyone who is interested in trying new products to join this company. You will not regret it.

Erika Buswell runs a blog dedicated to bargain hunting in Alaska (alaskanbargainhunter.blogspot.com) and lives in Palmer with her husband and two children.