Sponge it - surveys / focus groups for rewards?

wyrn

I also received the e-mail but it wasn't sent to my boards e-mail address.
It was to my main address that I usually refrain from using when signing up to stuff. Maybe I accidentally used that address in the census.

Is there any point making a complaint to data protection - I'm guessing they are already inundated with complaints.

jamesbondings

Juicyfruit wrote: »

Ok, weird one.
I got this mail last night and read it on my phone(not to my junk folder - to my inbox). Went to look at it again there and it's gone, not in deleted folders etc. So logged into my email account on the comp and it's not there either, not in deleted folders and can't find it when I search for it..
I definitely didn't deleted and surely since I read it, they couldn't recall it.
Seems a bit suspect.. or is it possible if it was recalled that even though I read it it would have been deleted?

Eh i just checked my emails.....gone....i have a phone screen shot of it though. But according to my emails it never happened.......
Weird

Yamanoto

Did anyone else receive Xmas good wishes from Spongeit on Dec 21st?

That's what first prompted me to enquire as to how they'd come by my email.

o1s1n

Got it here too. I demand my €50.

Nforce

Yamanoto wrote: »

Did anyone else receive Xmas good wishes from Spongeit on Dec 21st?

That's what first prompted me to enquire as to how they'd come by my email.

Yep..I did

Hi there,

We would like to thank you for taking part in research with us in 2012 and wish you a Merry Christmas and a Very prosperous new year.

We hope that you will join us in further research projects in 2013.

Kindest Regards,
The Sponge It Team


W: www.spongeit.ie
P: 353 214709404
FB: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spongeit/107002716011289

Zulu

Just got an apology email from them. No mention of a charity donation. Clearly they're backing away from that idea.

Sponge it email wrote:

Dear Sir/madam,
Firstly, we wish to apologies to you for receiving our email yesterday in error regarding focus group participation. We would only have your email address if you completed research with us in the past or in conjunction with a client. We conduct research with many clients on their website where they offer an incentive and request people leave their email address to opt into the research.
When a participant completes research on a client site they are asked to enter their email address so that they can be contacted to let them know who the winner was.
Yesterday we sent out a manual email (not through our centralised mailing system) to a group who complete focus groups with us. In error this email went to a list of respondents who completed competitions with us and our clients. You should not have received this email as you had not opted in to receive any further communication from us. We are deeply sorry for this error which was an internal mailing list error and not an attempt to send spam. We would never willingly and knowingly send spam or emails to those who had not opted in and are very aware of data protection regulation. We are currently working with the data protection commission and our clients to resolve this issue. Again we sincerely apologise for this error and have deleted your email address.

******
Managing Director
Sponge It

CreepingDeath

I'd urge everyone to report their e-mail as spam, eg. in GMail there's a simple button to do it.

Hopefully if enough people click "spam" then they'll be flagged as spammers in Google and all future correspondence for everyone will go into the "spam" folder where it belongs.

Sky King

Zulu wrote: »

Just got an apology email from them. .

I didn't get an apology. Maybe they are only apologising to people who complain to them!

ibarelycare

I got the email too but it went straight into my spam folder in gmail.

Zulu

Sky King wrote: »

I didn't get an apology. Maybe they are only apologising to people who complain to them!

Well, I'm kind of a "big deal" on the interweb....

yeppydeppy

I complained and got the default apology.

lisa_celtic

I got this from them looks like there just automating it... which annoys me even more... they should pay us all €50!!

Dear Sir/madam,
Firstly, we wish to apologise to you for receiving our email yesterday in error regarding focus group participation. We would only have your email address if you completed research with us in the past or in conjunction with a client. We conduct research with many clients on their website where they offer an incentive and request people leave their email address to opt into the research.
When a participant completes research on a client site they are asked to enter their email address so that they can be contacted to let them know who the winner was.
Yesterday we sent out a manual email (not through our centralised mailing system) to a group who complete focus groups with us. In error this email went to a list of respondents who completed competitions with us and our clients. You should not have received this email as you had not opted in to receive any further communication from us. We are deeply sorry for this error which was an internal mailing list error and not an attempt to send spam. We would never willingly and knowingly send spam or emails to those who had not opted in and are very aware of data protection regulation. We are currently working with the data protection commission and our clients to resolve this issue. Again we sincerely apologise for this error and have deleted your email address.
Ger Farrell
Managing Director
Sponge It

testicle

I received an apology too. I reported it as spam also.

Happyman42

Anyone got a link to this 'census thingy'. I don't rememeber doing it and would be very irked if this company had access to everyones data on here.

CorsetIsTight

I replied to their original €50-for-90mins-of-your-time email, simply asking how they got my email address.

I received the following at 11.19am today:

Dear (my forename),
Firstly, we wish to apologies to you for receiving our email yesterday in error regarding focus group participation. We would only have your email address if you completed research with us in the past or in conjunction with a client. We conduct research with many clients on their website where they offer an incentive and request people leave their email address to opt into the research.
When a participant completes research on a client site they are asked to enter their email address so that they can be contacted to let them know who the winner was.
Yesterday we sent out a manual email (not through our centralised mailing system) to a group who complete focus groups with us. In error this email went to a list of respondents who completed competitions with us and our clients. You should not have received this email as you had not opted in to receive any further communication from us. We are deeply sorry for this error which was an internal mailing list error and not an attempt to send spam. We would never willingly and knowingly send spam or emails to those who had not opted in and are very aware of data protection regulation. We are currently working with the data protection commission and our clients to resolve this issue. Again we sincerely apologise for this error.
(His forename & surname)
Managing Director
Sponge It

Witchie

My email is still there. Haven't complained to them so have not gotten an apology. I will wait to see what the outcome of the investigations by boards are before doing anything.

HeidiHeidi

I got the email, replied wanting to know how they got my email address (I don't ever remember doing any survey/census on Boards), I presume I'll get the default reply in due course.

I hope the DPC comes down like a ton of bricks on them.

I got a suspiciously similar phone call a few days ago offering the very same opportunity - a focus group about online banking on Wednesday evening somewhere in town, 50 quid, a couple of drinks and something to eat. I couldn't do it so just said no and forgot about it. Never thought to double check their name (it was a female caller).

Now I wonder are they related and do they have my phone number as well as my email???

Grrrrrrrrr!

Sky King

Happyman42 wrote: »

Anyone got a link to this 'census thingy'..

There's a link to it earlier in the thread

MurdyWurdy

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I got the email, replied wanting to know how they got my email address (I don't ever remember doing any survey/census on Boards), I presume I'll get the default reply in due course.

I hope the DPC comes down like a ton of bricks on them.

I got a suspiciously similar phone call a few days ago offering the very same opportunity - a focus group about online banking on Wednesday evening somewhere in town, 50 quid, a couple of drinks and something to eat. I couldn't do it so just said no and forgot about it. Never thought to double check their name (it was a female caller).

Now I wonder are they related and do they have my phone number as well as my email???

Grrrrrrrrr!

I've done focus groups in town for €50 and a bite to eat too but I don't think this is related. It was easy money and I do recommend doing one if you have the time. I know my friend passed my number on to the lady that I did mine through though and I knew it was legit in advance.

HeidiHeidi

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

I've done focus groups in town for €50 and a bite to eat too but I don't think this is related. It was easy money and I do recommend doing one if you have the time. I know my friend passed my number on to the lady that I did mine through though and I knew it was legit in advance.

Fair enough - I'll remember to ask next time! Maybe I'm doing them an injustice linking them to this crowd.

Duiske

Zulu wrote: »

€50 for each unsolicited email? Folks, we could make a big difference to the Jack & Jill foundation, or the Irish Cancer society...

I'm slightly biased, but that's a fantastic idea.

HeidiHeidi

Standard C&P reply received. No offer of 50 quid for the unsolicited email (surprise surprise).

Dav

I've received the following from Ger Farrell who's the MD of Sponge IT

Dear Dav,

Yesterday evening in error we sent an email to a group of respondents who had not opted in to receive communication from us. These respondents were drawn randomly from a large database of all respondents to surveys conducted by Sponge it, as opposed to a list of “opted in” that was intended to have been drawn from.

This was a human error in selecting the wrong database for sampling. We have put in place internal checking procedures to insure this doesn’t happen again and we have also deleted all non opted in emails of past respondents.

We apologise unreservedly for any inconvenience and distressed caused.

We have given a full report to the Data Protection Commission this morning and sent this statement to them. They are currently investigating this further.

Kindest regards

Ger Farrell
Managing Director

Sponge It

So human error and case already on file with the Data Commissioners. For what it's worth, I think they've handled this very well and have taken all the correct steps in terms of notifying the Data Commissioners and sending emails to people who were sent the initial mail in error. It can't have been a fun day for their team and having gone through a hack, I can certainly empathise with them.

El Inho

I've been phoned today and offered a standby spot for an hour and a half focus group for 50€???

I've given the green light for for now, but whats the story with this sponge it crowd? Will i actually be paid 50€ cash?

maximoose

El Spearo wrote: »

I've been phoned today and offered a standby spot for an hour and a half focus group for 50€???

I've given the green light for for now, but whats the story with this sponge it crowd? Will i actually be paid 50€ cash?

Is it a real life focus group or one of these virtual things? I do focus groups every now and then (not with sponge it though) and it's cash on the night, usually get a pint or two out of them as well when it's in a hotel

CreepingDeath

I don't remember filling out the boards survey... but maybe I did.
But hypothetically speaking, even if I did fill out that survey I'm sure I opted out.

So the question is, why are they still holding a list of e-mail addresses for people who opted-out?
As opposed to deleting them all after the survey was complete?

testicle

Dav wrote: »

I've received the following from Ger Farrell who's the MD of Sponge ITSo human error and case already on file with the Data Commissioners. For what it's worth, I think they've handled this very well and have taken all the correct steps in terms of notifying the Data Commissioners and sending emails to people who were sent the initial mail in error. It can't have been a fun day for their team and having gone through a hack, I can certainly empathise with them.

You can now ask them to delete all information pertaining to boards users so that it won't happen again.

El Inho

maximoose wrote: »

Is it a real life focus group or one of these virtual things? I do focus groups every now and then (not with sponge it though) and it's cash on the night, usually get a pint or two out of them as well when it's in a hotel

real. its in a hotel in limerick city, and was told I'm paid on the night.

so besides the big hoohaw about the data protection, i've no reason to think this will be a waste of time? it was seeing the sponge it points on the site made me wonder if it would be cash or points i would get...

well they said cash so im sure it will be. I have a very trusting nature which nearly always pays off...my gut says to go with it.

Mongarra

I'm in a similar position to Witchie - E-mail received but I have not complained, so no apology.

When received I put it in "Deleted" folder where it remains for the moment.

Good to know DAV thinks they are handling it well, but will all recipients receive an apology whether we complained or not?

Can Boards.ie advise if the source of the e-mails is their member list?

Yamanoto

Dav wrote: »

I've received the following from Ger Farrell who's the MD of Sponge ITSo human error and case already on file with the Data Commissioners. For what it's worth, I think they've handled this very well and have taken all the correct steps in terms of notifying the Data Commissioners and sending emails to people who were sent the initial mail in error. It can't have been a fun day for their team and having gone through a hack, I can certainly empathise with them.

It can't be fun to have something flare up when you hit the office and deal with the subsequent sh1tstorm.

I'd imagine most folks can empathise with that and I've already replied to them, accepting their apology for yesterday's mishap.

But Spongeit.ie have prior form - The reply above still doesn't explain the email Spongeit.ie sent on 21/12/12, which appears to have been at odds with the T&C's of the Boards Census:

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.