About two years ago during the height of the Extreme Couponing
frenzy, my family and I decided to try out one of the many links that
were sent to our inbox regarding "Freebies," a chance to join the
National Consumer Panel operated by Nielsen.
I have had previous experience with Nielsen, as they are the ones that used to send cash to your mailbox in order to fill out surveys, test products and review television programs and viewing habits. They were a good company and the money was decent up until the last batch of television books I returned to them and after all of that time and energy spent collecting month after month of television viewing data, I never received the $100 as promised for the combined five booklets I had sent in. In fact, I never received a dollar. But that was years ago, and this is a different program so I figured I would give it a shot.
A little background. Once approved, they send you a little handheld scanner that you scan the bar codes of every single shopping trip that you and your household compile over a weeks' time. It goes by store, sale, discount, coupons used, they also give you a booklet to scan things that might not have a UPC on them, such as fruits, snacks, nuts, fast food and DVD rentals. You simply scan this information, totals and put the scanner back on its' base, which transmits data intermittently through the week. This gives you "points" that you can in time, redeem for "gifts." The amount of points per weekly scan increase the longer you are there, usually in yearly increments. There are also surveys sent to your inbox that usually give you up to 150 gift "points" if you complete them before the deadlines presented in the email, which is usually ample time.
I was a full participant in this panel for nearly a year and a half. At the 90 day anniversary I received a plastic bottle opener worth about a quarter. At the six month anniversary, I received a NCP lunch bag that has a value of about fifty cents. When I came upon the year anniversary, there was no reward at all. That's when I started taking a closer look and exactly what is going on here.
My points weren't accumulating toward much of a "gift" value at all! After a year of this, I was approaching the 30,000 point plateau and had absolutely nothing to show for it other than two things sent to me that were worth about one dollar. I see these posts on the internet regarding "cash for surveys" via this NCP program. I can tell you that they are completely inaccurate. I never received nor was offered one dollar for a survey, a scan, nothing. What these are when you see them online, are glorified "referral" links so that if you do join, the person that sent you to the NCP program to sign up, gets 1500 gift points credited to their account - you get nothing. They tried to give "better rewards and sweepstakes" but the reality is those winners are geared in the upper mid west, where there is a dense population and multiple households scanning themselves crazy.
Also, worse than the lack of a reward for scanning every purchase you make daily and weekly, was the use of the data. Over time I noticed that retailers stopped running the very sales that I had entered into my scanner weekly, stopped distributing the coupons i had used during those shopping trips, and even increased the prices in many cases of things that I purchased most often!! This happened in more than one retail outlet in my area I can assure you. So the eyebrows and awareness were indeed raised on that "voice" or use of data.
This week I ordered my Buffett Server from their "gift" catalog for 38,000 points. You can get this same item in Sams Club or Wal Mart for under $25. About 75-100 weeks of data, misuse of the information received, hours spent scanning to ensure accuracy per the inate amount of emails and newsletters reminding you to "scan everything!," I have decided it is no longer worth the time, effort, reward and effects it is having on my shopping trips on a weekly basis, it just isn't. If you break it down , the reward per week is about twenty-five cents. That's right, a quarter a week for them to take your data, let the retailers use it against you, and give you a very, very minimal return.
So the NCP glorifies "Your Voice, Your Reward" as their motto. I can tell you from first hand experience that the reward isn't worth the time and your voice will be used against you the next time you hit the store looking for that deal you got three months ago. It won't be there. Just like I don't advise anyone signing up for this Nielson National Consumer Panel offering at all.
I have had previous experience with Nielsen, as they are the ones that used to send cash to your mailbox in order to fill out surveys, test products and review television programs and viewing habits. They were a good company and the money was decent up until the last batch of television books I returned to them and after all of that time and energy spent collecting month after month of television viewing data, I never received the $100 as promised for the combined five booklets I had sent in. In fact, I never received a dollar. But that was years ago, and this is a different program so I figured I would give it a shot.
A little background. Once approved, they send you a little handheld scanner that you scan the bar codes of every single shopping trip that you and your household compile over a weeks' time. It goes by store, sale, discount, coupons used, they also give you a booklet to scan things that might not have a UPC on them, such as fruits, snacks, nuts, fast food and DVD rentals. You simply scan this information, totals and put the scanner back on its' base, which transmits data intermittently through the week. This gives you "points" that you can in time, redeem for "gifts." The amount of points per weekly scan increase the longer you are there, usually in yearly increments. There are also surveys sent to your inbox that usually give you up to 150 gift "points" if you complete them before the deadlines presented in the email, which is usually ample time.
I was a full participant in this panel for nearly a year and a half. At the 90 day anniversary I received a plastic bottle opener worth about a quarter. At the six month anniversary, I received a NCP lunch bag that has a value of about fifty cents. When I came upon the year anniversary, there was no reward at all. That's when I started taking a closer look and exactly what is going on here.
My points weren't accumulating toward much of a "gift" value at all! After a year of this, I was approaching the 30,000 point plateau and had absolutely nothing to show for it other than two things sent to me that were worth about one dollar. I see these posts on the internet regarding "cash for surveys" via this NCP program. I can tell you that they are completely inaccurate. I never received nor was offered one dollar for a survey, a scan, nothing. What these are when you see them online, are glorified "referral" links so that if you do join, the person that sent you to the NCP program to sign up, gets 1500 gift points credited to their account - you get nothing. They tried to give "better rewards and sweepstakes" but the reality is those winners are geared in the upper mid west, where there is a dense population and multiple households scanning themselves crazy.
Also, worse than the lack of a reward for scanning every purchase you make daily and weekly, was the use of the data. Over time I noticed that retailers stopped running the very sales that I had entered into my scanner weekly, stopped distributing the coupons i had used during those shopping trips, and even increased the prices in many cases of things that I purchased most often!! This happened in more than one retail outlet in my area I can assure you. So the eyebrows and awareness were indeed raised on that "voice" or use of data.
This week I ordered my Buffett Server from their "gift" catalog for 38,000 points. You can get this same item in Sams Club or Wal Mart for under $25. About 75-100 weeks of data, misuse of the information received, hours spent scanning to ensure accuracy per the inate amount of emails and newsletters reminding you to "scan everything!," I have decided it is no longer worth the time, effort, reward and effects it is having on my shopping trips on a weekly basis, it just isn't. If you break it down , the reward per week is about twenty-five cents. That's right, a quarter a week for them to take your data, let the retailers use it against you, and give you a very, very minimal return.
So the NCP glorifies "Your Voice, Your Reward" as their motto. I can tell you from first hand experience that the reward isn't worth the time and your voice will be used against you the next time you hit the store looking for that deal you got three months ago. It won't be there. Just like I don't advise anyone signing up for this Nielson National Consumer Panel offering at all.
