the only reason why they pay in their own token is because it doesn't cost them anything!
Exactly. And that's why people should learn and look around a little. Get the background of the project a little. See if the project has any future. See if it worth the hassle. See if the project has a good enough chance to reach one or more exchanges quickly and, why not, if the project's coins/tokens would worth more in a year.
If a minimal background check would be done, there would be less spam and less crying.