You’ve likely heard of home assembly jobs, but after scouring the web, you can’t tell if these jobs are legit or just another scam. Never fear, I have everything you need to know about work from home assembly jobs!
If you want to make money from home, but you don’t want to sit behind a computer all day, home assembly jobs sound like a great option. Before the Industrial Revolution, cottage industry jobs, home-based jobs involving the production of goods, were extremely popular.
People who wanted to make money from home would go to a business, grab the necessary supplies and instructions, and assemble items such as toys, clothing, shoes, handicrafts, and musical instruments from home. After they had assembled the goods, they would return the finished products to the business and collect their paycheck.
As machines took over these functions, cottage industry jobs, for the most part, have faded into extinction. However, if you search online for home assembly jobs, you’ll come across many websites advertising these jobs.
So, what’s the truth? Are these jobs that you find legit, or just another scam? Let’s take a deeper look.
When You Find Home Assembly Jobs
When you search for home assembly jobs online, you’ll come across many companies that say that you can work full-time and earn good money for putting things together like CD cases, bookmarks, electronic circuit boards, keychains, pens, pins, hair bows, jewelry, and more. As you start to explore these opportunities, you’ll find that usually one of two things happens.
First, you’ll click on the link to apply for the home assembly job, and you’ll be prompted to enter your personal details, such as your name, address, phone number, and email address, to access the information. Once you enter your information, you’ll encounter more irrelevant questions that are just advertisements for things like health insurance and higher education. This continues on and on, and they never show you any real home assembly jobs.
The other common scenario is you find the so-called job, but you pay a fee (usually $100 to $200) for the assembly kit, which provides you with the supplies and instructions. You then put together the items at home and send them back to the company for your paycheck. But instead of sending you money, they’ll claim that the quality of the items you put together did not meet their standards, and they will refuse to pay you.
One woman who was interviewed on the website I’ve Tried That purchased one of these home assembly kits, and here’s what she had to say:
“I ordered the Disciple’s Cross Kit several years ago and made the Crosses, and also ordered 1 pre-made Cross already made by them. You know how I know this company is a scam? When I submitted my 10 crosses to be inspected, I sent the ‘perfect’ Disciple Cross they made for inspection, and guess what – they rejected all of them (even the one they made) and said “you have potential”. You can never ever make ‘their’ crosses good enough… do not waste your money.”
There’s No Market for These Products
Another issue with these so-called opportunities is that there is no viable market of people who want to purchase these items. Most of the products that I viewed lacked originality, functionality, and aesthetic appeal.
In fact, in Tory Johnson’s book, Will Work From Home, she says:
“We’ve tried to find legitimate craft assembly work, but have always come up empty-handed. The ads promise that you’ll learn how to put together adorable little craft projects and then sell them for a profit. The catch: There’s no market for your wares. Nobody wants to buy them. And no company will pay you for them either, no matter how much they promise to do so.”
Be Skeptical
If you come across a home assembly job and you think it might be legit, take the time to research the company thoroughly.
Look at websites like the Better Business Bureau, Trustpilot, and Sitejabber. These sites allow real consumers to leave reviews, so you can get the lowdown on what’s legit and what’s not. Also, look for information about the company and the leadership team.
Here are some other aspects to look at:
- Can you find the owner of the company on LinkedIn?
- Do they list a physical address, or just a P.O. Box?
- Are you able to call them?
- Do they use a company-branded email address?
- Do you have to pay a fee?
- Are they making unrealistic income claims?
- Is this a product that you would purchase from a store?
- Do they have active social media profiles?
- What is your gut telling you?
By taking the time to research and answer these questions, you can get a good feel for whether the opportunity is legitimate or just another home-based scam.
How Can I Work From Home Crafting or Assembling Items?
So, back to the original question, are home assembly jobs legitimate or a scam?
I’ve been running this site since 2009, and during that time, I have only found one legit home assembly company, and that’s R.Riveter.
They hire military spouses as home-based contractors to sew liners and cut leather for their handbags and to make candles, jewelry, and accessories. They have been featured on Shark Tank, as well as The Penny Hoarder. You can also read reviews from military spouses on Glassdoor.com.
I’ve also had one reader email me, saying that she found a local medical company that paid her to assemble medical devices from home. The pay was minimum wage, and she had to drive 45 minutes to collect and return the finished products.
Other than that, I’ve not run into any legitimate home assembly jobs. If you see one advertised online, it’s more likely to be a scam than not.
If you’re interested in crafting or assembling products, here are some opportunities that are 100% legitimate.
1. Become Crafty Content Creator
If you’re an artsy and crafty DIYer, consider creating content that highlights different crafts and projects. Content creators in the craft industry can earn money from affiliate marketing, joining an ad network, creator funds, brand sponsorships, selling tutorials, online courses, patterns, handcrafted goods, and more.
To get started as a content creator, decide on what platforms you’ll use:
After you’ve decided on which platforms you’ll use, open accounts, create a catchy user name related to the content you’ll be highlighting, and start creating content. As you build your audience, you can begin adding monetization methods. One craft content creator, Jennifer Maker, earns six figures a month from her WordPress blog, where she makes money through ad revenue, workshops, courses, books, a membership, and partnerships with brands and affiliates.
2. Sell Arts and Crafts Online
If you enjoy spending your time making arts and crafts, consider selling them online. There are many options to choose from, but the best-known online market for handmade items is Etsy.
With Etsy, you can get started for as little as $0.20 (plus the cost of your crafting supplies). When you do make a sale, you’ll pay a small transaction and payment processing fee.
Not sure what to sell? Think handmade goods like:
One nice thing about using a platform like Etsy is that you can tap into their audience of interested buyers. To ensure users find your listings, write keyword-rich titles and descriptions, and take numerous high-quality photos of your items from various angles and viewpoints. Being responsive to customer questions, providing excellent customer service, and offering fast shipping go a long way in building positive reviews on the site. Check out this interview with Melanie from Simply Made Pretty for more Etsy success tips.
3. Assemble Furniture
If you’re mechanically minded and enjoy putting things together, you can join a platform like Wayfair Home Services, TaskRabbit, or Thumbtack to connect with people who need furniture assembled. To get started, fill out an application, complete a background check, and once you’re approved, you can accept local gigs that fit your schedule. These are independent contractors and are excellent for individuals who want to make some extra cash!
Work From Home Assembly Jobs Wrapup
Let’s recap. If you come across a work from home assembly job listing, it’s 99.9% likely to be a scam. However, there is a very, very slight possibility that you may find a local company that has home-based assembly work. If you think you’ve found a legitimate home assembly job, do your due diligence and research the company and positions thoroughly, so you don’t fall prey to a scam.
While most craft assembly jobs are NOT legit opportunities, there are other ways for you to work from home using your crafting and building skills. Check out one of the options above, or see this list of craft jobs for even more craft opportunities that you can do from home.
