Media Insiders - Earn with the App!

If you haven't already tried out Media Insiders, you might want to consider it. I have been a member since January and have received $5 each month for running their app on my phone. You can earn rewards for up to three devices. The devices that they are currently accepting are the following:

• Android™ Smartphones (version 4.0 or greater - not rooted) 
• Android Tablets (version 4.0 or greater - not rooted) 
• Kindle Fire HD (not the first generation Kindle Fire)
• iPhone®5, iPads®
• iPads®Minis
• iPod Touch® ( iOS version 5.0 or greater)

Their payments are processed through Tango Card. You can redeem your Tango Card for merchandise from brands like Gap, Target, Starbucks, Home Depot, Amazon and more! You can also choose to donate your rewards to charity, use rewards for online game currency, or even redeem your rewards for cash. 

The process of redeeming your rewards is easy. Whenever you receive the email from Media Insiders with your Tango Card number and pin, you will then enter it at Tango Card. You will then be asked to choose what type of reward you would like: Purchase Gift Cards, Donate to a Charity or Redeem for Cash. If choosing Gift Card, select the brand of gift card you would like. Enter your name, the value of the gift card and an email address, then submit. Tango Card will then send you an order summary listing the amount and type of gift card. You should receive the gift card within 24 hours of submitting your order.

Below are screenshots of the payments I have received:

Recently, Media Insiders has updated their app so now requires you to connect to VPN. This would require you to confirm connection to the Media Insiders VPN every time your phone is powered off. This is an annoyance for some and for others they dont agree with sharing such information. To understand what this means in more detail, below is the email from Media Insiders about the latest update:

Surveys.com Relocated to AskGfk

Surveys.com announced earlier this month that it would was relocating to AskGfk. They have transferred all member data over to their new website, you are now able to log-in as well. I find the new website easier to navigate, its a little more organized and has a better template. There is one thing that does throw me off  - the orange as the main picture. But overall its a step up from the old website that they were sporting - it was a much needed face-lift.

What I really like about this new website is that it tells you how many points you have and the points available to earn. It took me 2 or 3 steps to find out what my point balance was on the previous website. On AskGfk they have it as soon as you log-in, now that's convenient!

Want to earn more points? Click on the "earn points" button and   it will take you to your survey page. There it will list the surveys that are available to take as well as when the survey started, when it ends, how many points it is worth and the status of the survey (open,closed, etc).

It seems surveys are still being routed through Surveys.com, but this is expected to change with time. With this change I am hoping to see more engaging surveys, ones that are innovative and non-repetitive. We can only what and see what else is to come.

You may also be interested to know that they are now using All Digital Rewards as their supplier for reward redemption. From looking at the cataorgieries in there catalog there seem to be a number of ways to redeem your points. Here is the breakdown from their catalog:

Digital Rewards

• Movie Downloads
• Digital Music (over 3.5 million tracks)
• Magazine Subscriptions
• Virtual Currencies (online games and member programs)
• Airline Miles
• Member Based Discount Programs
• Instant Win Games
• Sweepstakes

Experience Based Rewards

• Movie Tickets (usable at virtually any theatre accepting Visa/MC)
• Travel (land/air/sea)
• Sporting, Concert, and Event Tickets
  • Professional(NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS)
  • Major College Sports (Football/Basketball/Baseball)
  • Super Bowl
  • Bowl Games (BCS)
  • Final Four
  • Concerts
  • Broadway Shows

Prepaid Cards

• Visa/MC/Amex
• Retail Cards (68 retailers from which to choose)
• Physical and Virtual Card Solutions Available

Consumer Electronics

• Televisions
• Stereos and Home Theatre Systems
• Personal Audio (MP3/MP4 Players)
• Cameras
  • Digital Still
  • Camcorders

Kitchen / Home / Garden

• Applicances
• Children's
• Office
• Décor

Opinion Outpost Quick Thoughts App for iPad

Opinion Outpost has a new way to share your opinions! If you have an iPad you can install this app and start taking surveys that range from $1-$3 each. You can use these rewards to purchase iTunes gift cards. Here is the breakdown of what this app has to offer:

• After earning $10, you’ll be able to redeem your iTunes® credit. 
• Use your gift cards for the music, movies, apps, TV shows and books you love. 
• Over 1000 surveys available
• Earn up to $3.00 per survey
• Most surveys can be completed in a very short period of time.

•  Signing up is easy and safe. 
• Must be 18 years or older and U.S. resident to participate.

Resolution Research Merging with Opinion Square

Earlier today, Opinion Square announced on its Facebook page that Permission Research will be merging with them. Permission Research, which is Opinion Square's sister site, is closing its points program March 31st of this year. If you are a member of Permission Research you will need to either spend your point or transfer them to Opinion Square. There is not an option to transfer points on Permission Research's website as of yet, but there have been members commenting on Opinion Squares Facebook page asking how this is to be done, so hopefully an answer will be given soon.

SayNation Closes its Doors

 

   If you have recently tried to access SayNation you may have noticed what use to be their main page now comes up as an unowned domain. It seems that they sent out emails to members a few days prior to the start of the new year stating that they would be closing indefinitely.

  There have been some members that noticed a decrease in surveys over the past year and problems with rewards redemption. There was very little customer support, which some suggest, may have been caused from a lack of employees. Of course, these are only speculations. It just goes to show you never know when a survey site will close.



  

Synovate Global Opinon Panels Changes Ownership to Ipsos

   A few weeks back Synovate Global Opinion Panels sent out an email informing their panelists of upcoming changes that will make being a survey taking more enjoyable. They also emphasized how this change would bring about a new website, more reward options, new survey layout as well as additional opportunities for contests and sweepstakes.

   Many of you who read this email were probably thinking more along the lines of revamping the site, and even perhaps using a little social networking to add to the features that had been announced. I personally didn't expect a change of ownership. Below is the email I received yesterday explaining the changes that have taken place.

   I'm not sure how I feel about the change yet. At the least, I am hoping the convergence of points from Synovate to i-Say is fair. I do, however, like that you can cash out through PayPal at i-Say. The minimum to cash out through PayPal is 1500 points which is $15. So $1 for 100 points, which isn't too bad of a conversion in the survey world. They also have other methods of payment such as Amazon gift cards, iTunes certificates, American Express gift cards, check, donations or you can use your points for entries in sweepstakes.

   The great thing I noticed about their rewards system is that all the rewards are consistent with points vs dollars. Sometimes you will notice at other survey sites that if you want to cash out through PayPal it may cost you 1700 points instead of the 1500 points that an Amazon gift card will cost you. At i-Say its 1500 points for $15 and it does matter how you want it!

   If you aren't a member of i-Say but would like to become a member, feel free to send me an email at SurveyDirectory@gmail(dot)com with your first name and the email you want the invitation sent to!

Springboard America News Flash

Springboard America has sent their latest news flash via email this week. If you not familiar with Springboard America, they part of Vision Critical, a well-respected research firm that is based out of North America. From my personal experience they are one of my favorite survey sites. Their surveys are interesting, uniquely formatted and fair compensation is given.

Some interesting news from Springboard America:

• Members redeemed over $8,000 in May
• Congrats to these members!
• Neil F. NY, $500 cash
  Jennifer T. NY $50 cash
  Michael H. CA, $50 cash
  Carina H. CA, $50 cash
  William C. IN, $50 cash
  Missy J. IA, $50 cash
• Survey Results for Bullying

BuzzBack Upgrades Survey Panel Website

Have you visited BuzzBack lately? If not then you probably aren't aware of the new changes to their website. The picture above on the left is what the new survey panel website looks like and on the right is what the old survey panel website use to look like - what a difference! I think they had been slowly redesigning their survey panel website since their parent website looks very similar to the new layout. The older layout of the did seem very outdated, there wasn't much detail or uniqueness about it other than just being plain.


I hadn't visited BuzzBack in a month or so since I hadn't gotten any survey invitations for that period of time. After checking my email account I received an email from BuzzBack asking me to update my account, this notice appeared in a spiffy new template I hadn't seen from them before. When I followed the link to update my account this is when I discovered their new look. I completed a short survey to update my member info and then I was taken to "my dashboard" where, to my surprise, there was a $2 survey waiting for me!

The "My Rewards" section is one of the changes I do like, simply for the fact that you can keep track of the amount you have earned, the amount available, the amount cashed out, amount pending and more! If you liked getting PayPal payment sent to you every time after you had completed a survey then you may not be so keen on their new payment method. You will now only be able to cash out if you have earned $15 or more, this isn't too bad compared to others that have a $25 minimum. Looking at the rewards section of BuzzBack may remind you of another survey site, SurveyHead, that has a similar rewards section.

There are quite a few ways you can redeem your rewards, you can also choose to donate to a charity as well. Below are the different ways you can redeem your earnings:

• Amazon.com® Gift Card 
• Amazon.com® MP3 GiftCard,
• NASCAR.COM Gift Certificates
• NBAStore.com Gift Certificates
• NFLShop Gift Certificates
• Nike Gift Card
• PayPal
• Playspan
• Shop.NHL.com Gift Certificates
• SportsAuthority.com Gift Certificates
• VIPGift PASS
• Visa virtual account.

What do you think of their new website design? If you have logged in who do you like the layout?

BzzAgent Has An Agent In Need

If you are a member of BzzAgent then you may already be aware that one of our fellow Agents is in desperate need. On Wednesday morning her house caught fire and see consequently lost everything in the fire. BzzAgent Jono received a direct message from ComicsGirl on Twitter asking if she would be penalized for loosing a BzzAgent kit and not being able to submit a report because everything had been lost in a house fire.

After hearing about this BzzAent Jono set up a PayPal donation account dedicated to help get ComicsGirl back on her feet. The asking donation is $1 but you are welcome to donate more. I couldn't imagine loosing everything that I owned. If you are an Agent please pass this on!

Below is the email that BzzAgent sent out:

Hi BzzAgent SweetTrix,

This week I come to you not with a coupon, discount, or great offer. Instead it’s time to get a little serious. But first let me begin a few weeks back.

Like any normal day, I was monitoring my BzzAgent Jono Twitter account (twitter.com/bzzagentjono) to see what the world is saying about BzzAgent and to provide news from my end. Well, I see a DM (direct message) come in from BzzAgent comicsgirl who I’ve chatted online with before. The gist of the message was that she lost a recent kit and was worried that she would be penalized for not submitting a BzzReport. I quickly replied and asked if it was a shipping problem, to which her reply was that she lost it due to her house burning down.

As you can imagine, whenever anyone tells you something like this your first concern is health. After it was determined she was safe and healthy I learned more about the fact that her house was a total loss and she lost just about everything except the clothes on her back. I can’t begin to imagine how this feels. Can you?

This tragic news got me thinking. What could we do as a BzzAgent community to help a fellow Agent in need? So it’s with this question that I come to each of you with a simple request. Can you donate $1 to help BzzAgent comicsgirl get her feet back on the ground? Yes. Just $1.

While $1 may not be much by itself, together we can make a real difference and help someone in need. Are you up for the challenge?

Here are the details on what happened. If you’d like to follow her on Twitter you can find her here.

Thanks for listening and feel free to email me at jono@bzzagent.com if you have any questions about this!


PS - Let me be clear. BzzAgent comicsgirl did not ask us to do this. We are doing this soley through our own discretion.

ClearVoiceSurveys Gets a Makeover!

 Have you seen Clear Voice Surveys new website layout lately? They have gotten a new look and I have to say its pretty sleek looking. They are also sporting their new Twitter and Facebook badges as well. Clear Voice Surveys has not only redesinged the outside of their website but also the inside too. All in one page it tells you:

• Your Reward Balance & Pending Rewards
• Achievments 
• Convenient "Update Account Information" Link
• Your Available Surveys (Survey Invitations)
• Surveys You May Qualify For
• Your Profile (How Complete It Is)
• Profiles You Need To Complete
• Your Daily Poll

Stay Connected With Survey Spot!

Email has been the main way to stay in contact with friends, family, and companies, but Survey Spot has stepped up their connection in a few different ways. You can still access information on their website as well as receiving emails from them, but you can also stay connected in a few more ways thanks to their Spot Labs you can also become a fan on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter and you can even download their toolbar that lets you know when a new survey is available.

MySurvey & Lightspeed Join Together

If you read the June2009 Edition of Opinion Matters then you may remember that MySurvey's parent company TNS partnered with WPP's information, insight and consultancy division, known as the The Kantar Group. Some of you may also know that Lightspeed Online is also a member of The Kantar Group. Since the same company now owns both MySurvey and Lightspeed Online there will be new changes implemented to make your membership more rewarding. Keep your ears open during the next three months for more information on how your membership may change. You can view the January 2010 Newsletter for more info.

I am not sure exactly how I feel about this announcement for the plain fact that I am not sure what they will exactly be implementing. I am defiantly hoping for the better in them being owned by the same company, I really hope that they way we receive rewards is not changed for the worst. I think payment options are a big factor in staying with a survey panel as well as the amount of payment for the participation per survey. Sometimes merging with other survey sites can be a good thing and other times it makes you stray away from them. I remember when Your2Cents merged with Toluna, although it may have been a good change in the companies eyes, I am still not sure if I like it. So changes can be good, bad or sometimes they just linger in the middle of it all.

SurveySpot's January Promotion

SurveySpot wants you to start that New Year right, that means a new opportunity to earn extra points. During the month of January SurveySpot will award you with 50 points every time you qualify and complete a survey.



Depending on the survey length you could earn some easy points, remember every 100 points is equivalent to $1.00. If you complete a 5 minute survey you will earn $0.50. Once you reach 1,000 points you can redeem those points for $10 straight to your PayPal account!

Merry Christmas!

Just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

I won't be posting much through the holiday break, I hope this is understandable since time will be spent with friends and family. :)

HCD Surveys Scam Alert

As I visited HCD Surveys website I immediately noticed the yellow bulletin on the front of the homepage. There has inevitably been fake checks circulating claiming the are from HCD Surveys. Please read the following message for more info:

HCD Research, Inc. (HCD) has been made aware that an unidentified third party has been mailing out false checks with offers requesting participation in surveys, secret shopper, mystery shopper, or investigative shopper opportunities that require you to submit personal information in order to win a cash prize. These checks and requests are not real and are not from HCD. For your own protection, do NOT give away any personal information as it relates to this fraud.

We take matters such as this very seriously and are investigating the situation. If you are a recipient of this information, please contact us online or fax the letter to us at 908-788-7179. For more information, please click here.

Fisher Price Mom's Know Panel

Fisher Price has a survey panel for mothers to share their opinions - Fisher Price Mom's Know. Fom my knowledge this is a newer survey panel, but I could possibly be wrong about that. Yesterday I joined the panel but no surveys as of yet.

The sign up process took about 10 minutes, it asks you demographic questions as well as general ones having to do with your family, children, parenting techniques, etc. Although you can sign up for the panel they seem to be restricting it to certain groups. If you fit a particular group and their quota for that group is full you will not be able to join. Spaces may fill up fast so I would suggest registering as soon as possible.

Hi Mom! We're excited to have you join this community of real-life experts. Please tell us what you think, what you know, what you want, and what we can do to help! Your opinions and ideas help us keep pace with the needs and interests of today's growing families, so we can make our products even better and enrich childhood as your kids play, laugh and grow! So please tell us: what do you think?

Live Wire Welcomes New Panelists

I received an email today from Live Wire stating that they are always welcoming new households to its panel. If you aren't a member of Live Wire now, you can join here. They send surveys every month or so, usually they are pre-screeners for higher paying online focus groups or in-depth surveys.

Email from Live Wire:

LiveWire is always looking for new households to join our panel. Let your friends and family know about our cash-paid survey opportunities. They can join our panel at:

http://www.joinlivewire.com

For more information about LiveWire, to review our Frequently Asked Questions or look at our privacy policy, go to www.livewireresearch.com.

Thanks!
Denise

Viewpoint Forum Referral Program Still Suspended

I have been checking back every now and then at Viewpoint Forum referral program to see if they have re-opened it or not. Sadly, their referral program is still suspended. I have been contact by some of my readers in regards to invitations to join Viewpoint, spanning over the past 5 months or so. This is an update to let them know that I am unable to send invites. If anyone gets wind of the referral progam opening back up I would greatly appriciate it if you left comment or email me about it.

Announcement From Greenfield Online

Greenfield Online has announced that they are now a part of the Toluna Group. This change means that the rewards program for Greenfield will also change, in early 2012 they will be switching to a point based system. With this switch you can earn points from surveys as well as non-survey related activities.

After the new system is launched your Greenfield account will become a Toluna Usa account, for now your account will stay the same until this change goes into effect. If you are already a member at Toluna your accounts will be merged together and any remaining funds from your Greenfield account will be converted to points and added to your Toluna account.


If you are worried that PayPal will no longer be an option to cash out, don't worry they will still be offering payments through PayPal and check. In addition to those payment methods they will also offer merchandise, sweepstakes entries as well as charitable donations. Delivery of rewards will take about 4-6 weeks, PayPal rewards will be mailed out on a weekly basis but it may take up to 2 weeks.

What are your thoughts about this announcement? Do like the idea of Greenfield Online merging with Toluna? Do you think that the amount of surveys may increase? How do you feel about the new types of ways to redeem rewards? Looking for more info about this upcoming switch visit Greenfield Online's Blog, they have a list of frequently asked questions. If you have any questions or comments they ask that you email them at TolunaRewards@greenfield.com

Greenfield Online's Technical Difficulties

Over the past month and a half I have noticed that Greenfield Online's surveys have been coming up with the "technical difficulties" page. I hope I am not the only one experiencing this. It's quit annoying especially when a fair paying survey comes into your inbox and when you click the link to take you to the survey, after conforming that you are the person on the survey, but low and behold it says, "Sorry for your inconvenience. We are having technical difficulties. Please check back later.


I suppose it wouldn't be so bad if when you did check back later the survey actually worked, but unfortunately it doesn't. This hasn't happened for just one or even a couple surveys, but for every survey I have tried to take at Greenfield. I even logged in and complete the pre-survey questions and when it tries to transfer me to the survey page, the "technical difficulties" page also appears.

Whether its the site or just me, I think they need to do something about this. I'm gonna take a leap and guess its probably not just me and say they should put their technical team to work.

Has anyone else been getting these errors when trying to complete surveys? If you have been experiencing this, for how long?