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Sponge it - surveys / focus groups for rewards?

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  • 14-02-2013 10:28pm
    #1
    Sky King
    Registered Users Posts: 4,431 ✭✭✭


    I just received an unsolicited mail from a company called sponge it who do online surveys. No mention of where or how they got my email address or how to unsubscribe from their mailing list.

    Anyway further investigation shows that they are a marketing company that award 'points' for completing focus group tasks and survey questions. The points can then be redeemed for vouchers and consumer goods.

    I don't know why they don't award Euros instead of their 'points'. Euros can be redeemed for pretty much all goods and services and are widely accepted, at least in the Eurozone.

    Anyway I think it looks like a scam and I am wondering if anyone here did this kind of thing and what their experience of it is?

    From a business point of view I find it difficult to fathom how they can extract meaningful statistics from the data. For example a recent survey of theirs showed that the vast majority of people are financially insecure and have no money at the end of every month.

    Presumably though the percentage is so high because all the people they surveyed are the kind of people who spend their day at home doing online surveys to get free stuff. I can't imagine many company CEOs and surgeons do it like.

    What are your thoughts AH?


    tl;dr version : Did you ever do online surveys or focus groups and what was your experience of it


«134567

Comments

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    #2
    Praetorian Saighdiuir
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,968 ✭✭✭✭Praetorian Saighdiuir


    Q1. How do you feel about being asked this question?

    o Not Bad
    o Not Good
    o Somewhere inbetween
    o Donkey Kong

    Thank you, your HMV voucher is in the post.


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    #3
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 40,932 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    I received the same email - never heard of them before either

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



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    #4
    stunmer
    Registered Users Posts: 279 ✭✭stunmer


    I got the email also


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    #5
    SouthTippBass
    Registered Users Posts: 1,292 ✭✭✭SouthTippBass


    I got the same email, except they offered me €50 :pac:
    Yeah.... no thanks.

    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 the survey here

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

    Thank you.

    The Sponge It Team



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    #6
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 5,121 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    I just got an email from them too - don't know where they got my name. They offered me money though - my opinion must be worth more.


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    #7
    Praetorian Saighdiuir
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,968 ✭✭✭✭Praetorian Saighdiuir


    mango salsa wrote: »
    I received the same email - never heard of them before either
    stunmer wrote: »
    I got the email also


    Aw lads.............have you all signed up to the same horny, single midget website?


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    #8
    tomboylady
    Registered Users Posts: 309 ✭✭tomboylady


    I just got one too, went into my spam folder.


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    #9
    stunmer
    Registered Users Posts: 279 ✭✭stunmer


    Stealth Recce wrote: »
    Aw lads.............have you all signed up to the same horny, single midget website?

    I thought I was the only one. Who knew they were doing surveys also?


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    #10
    MadsL
    Registered Users Posts: 20,299 ✭✭✭✭MadsL


    Well I guess we know where the boards.ie database info went.

    I'd urge you to complain here so the Data Protection Commissioner can investigate.


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    #11
    Bicycle
    Registered Users Posts: 798 ✭✭✭Bicycle


    Interesting . I've got one this evening too.

    Didn't trust it so I googled and ended up here.

    I know my e-mail address is widely in the public arena. Several years ago I got a document with about 20 pages of other e-mail addresses from one spammer!!

    I was offered €50 too to complete a survey

    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: http://surveyanalytics.com/t/ACFGkZNtFW


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

    Thank you.

    The Sponge It Team


    w. www.spongeit.ie


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    #12
    Alice1
    Registered Users Posts: 2,636 ✭✭✭Alice1


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


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    #13
    Witchie
    Registered Users Posts: 5,597 ✭✭✭Witchie


    I got the email too. Someone be brave and do it and let the rest of us know how you get on.


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    #14
    sozbox
    Registered Users Posts: 1,399 ✭✭✭sozbox


    Witchie wrote: »
    I got the email too. Someone be brave and do it and let the rest of us know how you get on.

    I got the email also.
    No clue where they got my email but I'll tell you what. I'll sign up and report back.


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    #15
    Banjo String
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,380 ✭✭✭✭Banjo String


    I got one too.

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


    (not implying anything btw)


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    #16
    lachin
    Registered Users Posts: 249 ✭✭lachin


    Oh crap lads.

    I clicked into, was asked my age, county of residence and email and phone number.

    Ok that was stupid of me!


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    #17
    Where To
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,455 ✭✭✭Where To


    I got it too, it was hidden in my sexy Russian girls folder though.


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    #18
    Yamanoto
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,489 ✭✭✭Yamanoto


    Sky King wrote: »
    I just received an unsolicited mail from a company called sponge it who do online surveys. No mention of where or how they got my email address or how to unsubscribe from their mailing list.
    mango salsa wrote: »
    I received the same email - never heard of them before either
    stunmer wrote: »
    I got the email also

    Y'all filled out a survey for...........wait for it......Boards.ie

    Funnily enough, I don't remember being asked would I agree to being contacted with regard to future research and I don't remember Spongeit's name appearing anywhere.


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    #19
    testicle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,430 ✭✭✭testicle


    Richard Corkery is a ****.

    I would advise anyone who received it to report them to spamcop


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    #20
    MadsL
    Registered Users Posts: 20,299 ✭✭✭✭MadsL


    Yamanoto wrote: »
    Y'all filled out a survey for...........wait for it......Boards.ie

    Funnily enough, I don't remember being asked would I agree to being contacted with regard to future research and I don't remember Spongeit's name appearing anywhere.

    *Makes extra large bag of popcorn and subscribes. :D


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    #21
    Yamanoto
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,489 ✭✭✭Yamanoto


    MadsL wrote: »
    *Makes extra large bag of popcorn and subscribes. :D

    I asked Spongeit how they'd come by my details, after they sent me a Xmas 'thank you' message:

    We would never contact someone if they haven’t given us their email address in a piece of research that they complete with us.

    Our records show that you participated in a piece we conducted with Boards.ie

    You are not on our research panel and you will never be contacted to be asked to participate in research. To date you should not have received any mail to conduct research.

    We simply have been thanking everyone for taking part in research with us

    With kindest regards

    The Sponge it team


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    #22
    scudster
    Registered Users Posts: 416 ✭✭scudster


    I got it too. If they're offering money then it defo a scam!


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    #23
    homemadecider
    Registered Users Posts: 1,858 ✭✭✭homemadecider


    Doesn't anyone know the difference between a survey and a focus group?


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    #24
    MadsL
    Registered Users Posts: 20,299 ✭✭✭✭MadsL


    Yamanoto wrote: »
    I asked Spongeit how they'd come by my details, after they sent me a Xmas 'thank you' message:

    Fuck the popcorn, I'm opening a beer, this should be good!

    *cough* facebook page *cough


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    #25
    Yamanoto
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,489 ✭✭✭Yamanoto


    homemadecider wrote: »
    Doesn't anyone know the difference between a survey and a focus group?

    C) All of the above


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    #26
    Myrddin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 33,733 ✭✭✭✭Myrddin


    Got the email too, with the promise of a €50 reward :rolleyes:


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    #27
    testicle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,430 ✭✭✭testicle


    Yamanoto wrote: »
    I asked Spongeit how they'd come by my details, after they sent me a Xmas 'thank you' message:

    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.


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    #28
    mickdw
    Registered Users Posts: 23,286 ✭✭✭✭mickdw


    Me too - €50 offered


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    #29
    Outkast_IRE
    Registered Users Posts: 7,515 ✭✭✭Outkast_IRE


    I got an email too .


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    #30
    jamesbondings
    Registered Users Posts: 2,201 ✭✭✭jamesbondings


    Me too 50 euro....anyone click it?


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    #31
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 5,121 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    For a focus group you go to a place and are shown stuff and asked your opinion. Given how many of us here have got it we could easily sway opinion: nuts and gum - together at last.


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