Q: I earned up to $1000 on an online survey site, but they banned me because my siblings had same home address.
I earned up to $1000* on an online survey site over a period of several months, but they banned me because my siblings had same home address which triggered them to ban my account it violated their terms of service. Can I sue them for the money owed? This doesn't seem legal that companies can ban you but not pay, especially when the amount adds up to $1K. Is it legal for companies to do this considering this could be my only form of income ?
A: Sure; in America anyone can sue anyone else at any time—even without a lawyer in small claims court. Winning the lawsuit is another matter. If you decide to sue you should be prepared to pay the $400 filing fee and then pay another hundred bucks or so for service of process. Finally, if a court of law finds your claims to be frivolous or without factual or legal foundation, you may end up having to pay attorney fees and litigation costs to the person or entity you sued.
A:
It could be legal if their terms of service comply with Florida and other law. It is not uncommon for surveys, contests, or promotional events to impose conditions for participants.
Tim Akpinar
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