Sponge it - surveys / focus groups for rewards?

MadsL

testicle wrote: »

My boards email addy is different to the one they spammed me on. I have no recollection of giving this one to boards.

There was no method of unsubscribing mentioned.

Could someone post a full screen shot of the email.

1. Email spamming is illegal and carries a heavy fine. As an Irish based company they easily findable.
domain: spongeit.ie
descr: Scream Ltd. (CN272223)
descr: Body Corporate (Ltd,PLC,Company)
descr: Registered Business Name
admin-c: AJK620-IEDR
tech-c: HH36-IEDR
registration: 15-May-2008
renewal: 15-May-2017
status: Active
nserver: ns1.blacknight.com
nserver: ns2.blacknight.com
source: IEDR

person: Sean-Paul Hodges

Name



SCREAM LIMITED
Identification number:272223
-
Address 56 DARTMOUTH SQUARE RANELAGH DUBLIN 6
Country of originIreland
nic-hdl: AJK620-IEDR
source: IEDR

person: NamesCo Hostmaster
nic-hdl: HH36-IEDR
source: IEDR


2. No opt-out is also illegal.

3. They appear to be part of http://winwin.ie/aboutus.html at the same address - as these guys have 25+ employees, one really ought to know Data Protection Law.

Sky King

It would be pretty funny for all boardsies to sign up to the group and make a pact to give totallly daft pre determined opinions on whatever they were testing.

So is would seem from this thread that they harvested all the emails from their work with boards...

Is that legal? *Edit* apparently not.

MadsL

Sky King wrote: »

It would be pretty funny for all boardsies to sign up to the group and make a pact to give totallly daft pre determined opinions on whatever they were testing.

So is would seem from this thread that they harvested all the emails from their work with boards...

Is that legal? *Edit* apparently not.

Not in a million years.

The answers you give us will be treated as Confidential unless you have given your consent to the contrary. We will not send you unsolicited mail or pass on your email addresses to others for this purpose. We will not send you future mail if you do not give us permission to do this.

You can contact us at ger.farrell@spongeit.ie to discuss any problems with surveys.

http://www.spongeit.ie/privacy.php

Off you go boardsie, contact the man. Ask him to explain how they raped the boards survey.

Pottler

I got the email as well. The common link appears to be Boards. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Underimpressed. Also, €50 for 90 minutes? Do I look like a charity??? Inserts monocle.

Sky King

Ask him to explain how they raped the boards survey.

We don't know that this is what they did, though it does appear likely. I might just reply to the email and ask him where he got my main address.

I am more curious than anything else. I usually don't use it to sign up for for spammey stuff and i never signed up for that.

jamesbondings

MadsL wrote: »

Could someone post a full screen shot of the email.

1. Email spamming is illegal and carries a heavy fine. As an Irish based company they easily findable.
domain: spongeit.ie
descr: Scream Ltd. (CN272223)
descr: Body Corporate (Ltd,PLC,Company)
descr: Registered Business Name
admin-c: AJK620-IEDR
tech-c: HH36-IEDR
registration: 15-May-2008
renewal: 15-May-2017
status: Active
nserver: ns1.blacknight.com
nserver: ns2.blacknight.com
source: IEDR

person: Sean-Paul Hodges

Name



SCREAM LIMITED
Identification number:272223
-
Address 56 DARTMOUTH SQUARE RANELAGH DUBLIN 6
Country of originIreland
nic-hdl: AJK620-IEDR
source: IEDR

person: NamesCo Hostmaster
nic-hdl: HH36-IEDR
source: IEDR


2. No opt-out is also illegal.

3. They appear to be part of http://winwin.ie/aboutus.html at the same address - as these guys have 25+ employees, one really ought to know Data Protection Law.

Hope the photo is readable im on my phone

dvpower

I got the same email - deleted it.

Trotter

I got the same!

Sky King

Anyone else replied?

Witchie

I think we should demand the €50 as compensation.

MadsL

jamesbondings wrote: »

Hope the photo is readable im on my phone

Thank you.

The basic rule that applies to direct marketing is that you need the consent of the individual to use their personal data for direct marketing purposes. As a minimum, an individual must be given a right to refuse such use of their personal data both at the time the data is collected (an “opt-out”) and, in the case of direct marketing by electronic means, on every subsequent marketing message. The “opt-out” right must be free of charge.

You must also make clear who you are and where you obtained the individual’s personal data (where this is not obvious).

http://www.dataprotection.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=905

And so we see the problem here;

No opt out. No indication of where data was obtained.

testicle

MadsL wrote: »

Could someone post a full screen shot of the email.

From: Richard Corkery [richard.corkery@spongeit.ie]
Sent: 14 February 2013 18:33
To: 'Richard Corkery'
Subject: Focus Group - 50 Euro for taking part

Hi there,

Would you like to participate in a focus group and receive 50 euro for giving 90 minutes of your time?

We are conducting focus groups across Ireland over the next two weeks and are looking for people who would be willing to participate.

The groups will take place in many locations across the country so please don’t rule yourself out if you are not living near a city or large town.

If you are interested in taking part, please register your interest and answer three questions in the following survey:

Link to Survey

We will begin making telephone calls tomorrow to select people for the groups.

Thank you.

The Sponge It Team

[spongeit-head60]
w. www.spongeit.ie<http://www.spongeit.ie/>
P. 353 214709404
FB: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spongeit/107002716011289



Link to Survey (Removed as it has what looks like a unique identifier)

Skintwin

I got the email as well, offered €50.
I filled out the survey, but didn't enter my phone number, and it let me complete it, none of this 'required fields' business.
I'll see what happens and report back!

My boyfriend got it too...it's a boardspiracy!

MadsL

Anyone made a complaint to the DPC yet?

Yamanoto

MadsL wrote: »

Anyone made a complaint to the DPC yet?

To be fair, it'd be a good idea to run it by Dav & others involved in the Census.

If email addresses are being harvested by third-parties contracted to conduct surveys on Boards behalf, I'd imagine many folks will naturally be reluctant to fill out anything of a similar nature in future.

Terms & Conditions
"Sponge It" are the independent consumer research agency who are running the Boards.ie census on behalf of "Distilled Media".

The census is being run by Distilled Media for themselves in order to better understand the wants and needs of their readers.

Participation is completely voluntary and you may withdraw from the survey at any time. All your responses are completely confidential and are reported in statistical form only, as part of an aggregate response.

Personal information is not gathered, with the exception of an email address the respondent may enter in order to participate in a prize draw for those who complete the survey. This address is for that purpose only. They are not passed to Distilled Media, nor are they used for any other purpose.
If you have questions at any time about the survey or the procedures you may contact Sponge It at denise.johnston-at-spongeit.ie

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056446189

Dante

Bunch of cowboys Ted.

A2LUE42

SamHall wrote: »

I got one too.

Only thing that comes to mind is I signed up for topaz award scheme recently.


(not implying anything btw)

Me too. Topaz and now this 50 euro for focus group crap.

Zulu

Yamanoto wrote: »

To be fair, it'd be a good idea to run it by Dav & others involved in the Census.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056446189

I don't see why frankly. If Dev and others have given permission for others to spam us then they can apologise. Meanwhile, I've complained.

Sky King

Zulu wrote: »

I don't see why frankly. If Dev and others have given permission for others to spam us then they can apologise. Meanwhile, I've complained.

Yeah.

And according to the T & C post above, boardsies email addresses were never supposed to be used for anything other than to enter respondents into a draw for completing the census, which suggests that boards users' details were used without their permission.

Juicyfruit

Also received this email...

Pottler

I for one am shocked and scandalised. My privates have been invadereded. Gets popcorn. Strokes white cat, cat farts...

Yamanoto

Zulu wrote: »

I don't see why frankly. If Dev and others have given permission for others to spam us then they can apologise. Meanwhile, I've complained.

I very much doubt that's the case though & I think giving Boards officialdom a right of reply is fair enough.

'Run it by' was perhaps poorly worded on my part.

tbh

Yamanoto wrote: »

I very much doubt that's the case though & I think giving Boards officialdom a right of reply is fair enough.

I got it too and have asked in the mods forum for info. If there is a link between the survey and the mail, I'm willing to bet my account that it was done without boards permission as in - if they did have permission I'll be closing my account.

Edit - to clarify, if they are using the addresses for the survey my guess is that its without permission, and that boards are going to be fcukin furious.

Sky King

If I was Richard Corkery I would be ringing in sick tomorrow anyway.

Monsieur Folie

I got the same. Decided to fill it out just to see as they weren't looking for any incriminating info. I didn't give a phone number, just my email (which they already have, apparently) and it still let me complete it so we'll see.

It's not the first time I've gotten mail from this site. I've ignored it in the past, assuming it was spam, but at least now I know where it's coming from!

Antar Bolaeisk

MadsL wrote: »

Anyone made a complaint to the DPC yet?

I have. Bit annoyed over this as I'm normally quite careful where I stick my main address.

EoghanIRL

Alice1 wrote: »

I got one also offering €50 for doing a survey. I didn't open it - the offer was in the subject line.

Seems legit. Where do I insert my sort code and credit card number ?

bitburger

I got this too, recognised the name as being the same as a friends name so i asked him did he sign upto anything dubious, turns out he shares his name with his uncle, filled out the form then for the laugh anyway

artyeva

i got the e-mail earlier and clicked through to the facebook page to see who they were - there were a few posts on their wall that have disappeared since.

i've done a few focus groups before but only with a company that i knowingly signed up for. not too impressed if it transpires they 'aquired' my e-mail address from distilled media though.

MadsL

artyeva wrote: »

i got the e-mail earlier and clicked through to the facebook page to see who they were - there were a few posts on their wall that have disappeared since.

i've done a few focus groups before but only with a company that i knowingly signed up for. not too impressed if it transpires they 'aquired' my e-mail address from distilled media though.

Ah, deleting facebook posts. That will end well.