[Rathofman]

Anyone else take a survey for Pinecone that is them basically asking your opinion about Pinecone?

They were asking if I would rather want to get the same $5 a survey, or change to something like $3 a survey, but also a sweepstakes entry for some cash AND a sweepstakes entry for any household questions survey the send.

Anyonle else take this?

I said I still wanted to $5...not a big sweepstakes person IMO

[puravida]

Rathofman, on Apr 5 2008, 05:30 PM, said:

Anyone else take a survey for Pinecone that is them basically asking your opinion about Pinecone?

They were asking if I would rather want to get the same $5 a survey, or change to something like $3 a survey, but also a sweepstakes entry for some cash AND a sweepstakes entry for any household questions survey the send.

Anyonle else take this?

I said I still wanted to $5...not a big sweepstakes person IMO

Yeah, I didn't see that but I just took a 45-minute survey the other day (wasn't expecting it to be THAT long) and I sent them a letter complaining that they need a progress bar and that most people -even hard up for cash- will not be happy sitting through 45-minutes for just $3 (new members) or even $5 (granfathered).

It seems like they are working hard to cut costs and I think it won't be long before they do something to get grandfathered people down to the $3 level. I also don't want (or trust) the sweepstakes from most places. I've only seen Ipsos pay on a sweep to someone I knew personally, but in general, I don't trust companies.

[Booker]

Quote

Anyone else take a survey for Pinecone that is them basically asking your opinion about Pinecone?

I did not get that survey....I, too, would prefer to stick with the $5 per survey.

[Rockin7E]

puravida, on Apr 5 2008, 11:20 PM, said:

Yeah, I didn't see that but I just took a 45-minute survey the other day (wasn't expecting it to be THAT long) and I sent them a letter complaining that they need a progress bar and that most people -even hard up for cash- will not be happy sitting through 45-minutes for just $3 (new members) or even $5 (granfathered).

It seems like they are working hard to cut costs and I think it won't be long before they do something to get grandfathered people down to the $3 level. I also don't want (or trust) the sweepstakes from most places. I've only seen Ipsos pay on a sweep to someone I knew personally, but in general, I don't trust companies.

No didn't receive the email as of yet...However I do want to put my 2cents in as far as sweeps are concerned...I realize most peeps think sweeps are a waste of time...This is just my expierence...I have won twice with IPSOS...$100 each time and I have won another $100 from another site on a sweeps...(the name escapes me at the present time) Most recently I have won another $75 sweeps...I wanna say that win was from one of the Universisty Survey Sites...And then I have won on the Survey Spot one-armed bandit IW Game twice now...Once was a gc for circuit city $25 and then another one for a $50 circuit city gc....I have won smaller survey sweeps in between times as well...So I won't say all sweeps are a waste of time...And remember: each time someone deletes a survey that only offers a sweeps entry...The odds are greater for those of us that choose to complete the survey and do get entered into the sweeps ...Just my humble opinion here...I am one of Pinecone's grandfathered........

[harmless]

I got that mail and answered the questions. also said I prefer getting $5 for the projects.
Too many of the other survey sites give nothing but entries into contests or sweepsteaks.
If I am going to take my time to do a survey I prefer to get paid for it as they always have.

[Rockin7E]

harmless, on Apr 12 2008, 01:05 PM, said:

I got that mail and answered the questions. also said I prefer getting $5 for the projects.
Too many of the other survey sites give nothing but entries into contests or sweepsteaks.
If I am going to take my time to do a survey I prefer to get paid for it as they always have.

To each his own!!!

[puravida]

I have a feeling they will become more strict about participation and remaining active over the next several months.

This typically is what programs do so that "grandfathered accounts" will be knocked out. So, just be watchful of this and keep letting them know you want cash each time.

But, as Rockin mentions, it might be worthwhile to do sweepstakes too. Some people do well with them from the more reputable companies.

[Rockin7E]

Speaking of Pinecone...Has anyone else here rec'd an email asking you to join: Haven't joined as I am not too sure about this software they want me to download Anyone know anything about this

Special Offer for Pinecone Research Panel Members!

Today, we are offering an opportunity to a select group of Pinecone Research members to join our sister panel, The Nielsen iPanel. This is your chance to help make the web a better place to work, play and surf. All new members will receive 2 chances to play a “Wave and Win” Instant Rewards game and to win up to $10,000!

Nielsen family members have been influential in determining the popularity of television programs for over 50 years. Here's your opportunity to participate in Nielsen's online panel for the Internet.

Sound Interesting? Click on the link below to sign up. Registration takes just a few minutes and involves filling out a quick profile and downloading our meter software. Your decision to take part in this offer will not impact in any way your membership in the Pinecone Research Panel.

Want more chances to win? Earn additional game plays for referring friends and continuing your free monthly panel membership.

[puravida]

Rockin7E, on Apr 13 2008, 02:55 AM, said:

Speaking of Pinecone...Has anyone else here rec'd an email asking you to join: Haven't joined as I am not too sure about this software they want me to download Anyone know anything about this

Uh-oh... this could be a bad sign...

I've been wondering why all the sudden lower payouts on new members and trying to get away from paying cash. Now, this is a way for them to generate extra cash from referrals.

They built a great reputation over the past couple of years and got a lot of sign-ups. So now, this may be their way to monetize those members. It means one of two things:

1. They planned this from the beginning and nothing else will change, OR
2. They are having a hard time financially and are looking for anyway they can to make money

Possibility #1 is ok and means you just might start seeing a lot more offers and incentives to join other places to make them money.

Possibility #2 means that Pinecone may eventually go downhill like many of the other programs that pay cash. With the US economy so "down" at the moment, it is tough to get new companies to pay as much for market research. They are looking for alternative (i.e. cheaper) ways to do this.

[Booker]

Quote

....opportunity to a select group of Pinecone Research members to join our sister panel, The Nielsen iPanel.

Rockin', I also got that offer from Pinecone, but, I did not join because I did not want to download the tracking software to my computer.

I did not know that Nielsen was a sister panel to Pinecone. When I joined the Nielsen Homescan Panel, I was asked to join the Nielsen iPanel at the same time, but, chose NOT to join then, either, because I did not want to download the tracking software. At that time, Nielsen was paying $50 every 3 months, I think, for you to have the software installed on your computer.

[Rockin7E]

Thanx 4 the info. Booker and Brandon

[ciber8mx]

I got the same "offer", and also have bad feeling about this. First I was really surprised - are they trying to make money out of referrals?? Hard to believe it. I agree with Brandon's analysis.

[Rockin7E]

Pincone has just sent me an email and my membership there has been discontinued...

I had an opt-in option of signing up for their new panel that pays $3 with sweeps entries/blah...blah...blah..or just to totally resign from the program altogether....I almost chose the option of resigning altogether as I never rec'd many surveys from them anyway

I thought I would give the so-called "new" program a try and see how it goes...Not expecting much as Pincone has never impressed me in the past and I could never understand why it was so "sought after"....

Whatever.........

[puravida]

Rockin7E, on Aug 30 2008, 08:28 AM, said:

Pincone has just sent me an email and my membership there has been discontinued...

I had an opt-in option of signing up for their new panel that pays $3 with sweeps entries/blah...blah...blah..or just to totally resign from the program altogether....I almost chose the option of resigning altogether as I never rec'd many surveys from them anyway

WHOAH! Now, that is news to me... I knew they were really trying to get people onto the $3/survey program but I didn't think they would stoop so low as to get rid of those who didn't convert. I guess that hints to how slow the market has been lately.

When profits suffer, they pass that on to their members.

Sorry to hear you got cut, but it sounds like you won't be missing out on much anyway!

-Brandon

[Rockin7E]

Yea...I don't plan on sweating about it too much as there are too many other games in town that do pay....At least for now anyway