Has anyone else ever been fired from Pinecone?

[patsal]

I used to get like $20.00 per month when they were $5.00, worth it IMHO, now I'm lucky to get $6.00 why bother!

 

[DisneyMissy318]

After seeing this thread yesterday - I sent a note to Pinecone - saying that I was no longer able to log into my account. Not sure what I expected - but here is the email I received from Karen Scott...

Melissa,

A review of your record showed that you were not able to complete
several product evaluation studies. Periodically, we remove names from
the database of those we have not heard from on regular basis. We tried
to contact you numerous times prior to removal. You have been removed
from the panel.


Thanks

Karen Scott
Web site: http://www.pineconeresearch.com
E-mail: scott@pineconeresearch.com


Here's my response:

Ms. Scott...

Thanks so much for your response. I really wasn't expecting one, seeing how this seems to be the "norm" now. First, let me say that Pinecone was "THE" survey site of choice - $5 for a survey and you could depend on the payment showing up in your mailbox in record time - Pinecone did what they promised to do. I will say that it would be a rare occasion that I would ignore a Pinecone survey - why would I - when I knew there was $5 to follow? So, your comment about missing "several product evaluation studies" seems to be out of line. As well, I think you exaggerate your efforts to "contact me" on "numerous" occasions. My guess is that you are weeding out those members that chose not to accept your "pay cut" offer to $3 a survey instead of the $5 that we had originally agreed to - not to mention the stellar offer of being entered into a "sweepstakes" "oooh, ahhh", instead of payment.

Now, those of us who served you well in your "growing" years are kicked to the curb! Can you say GREED?

Good Luck - I hope your new business plan works out for you!

Melissa



OKAY - Snarky I KNOW! But it bites!

 

[surfergirl602]

Or am I just special?
I haven't gotten an e-mail from them in a while, I e-mailed them and was informed that my household's account was purged to keep their membership current.
I've never heard of this before, and frankly, I'm a little irked no one told me. I'll miss Pinecone surveys.

It happened to me. They just stopped sending me stuff. I was a fiver as well, and got too expensive. I always did them on time, never missed one. Been with them for years, then... poof!!!

 

[safetymom]

I didn't miss any either so her excuse is false.

 

[beavismom]

I got fired yesterday too. It just isn't worth the time invested in the lengthy surveys for $3. I don't fully blame Pinecone though. I have made the point before that people are cutting their own throats by doing so many "cheap" surveys. When MyPoints and the like can get away with paying people less than $.50 to do a survey they cheapen the market for everyone. Those surveys may not be as in depth as a Pinecone survey, but they are gathering a lot of information for almost nothing and that becomes the norm.

 

[Jeanne B]

Here's my response:

Ms. Scott...

Thanks so much for your response. I really wasn't expecting one, seeing how this seems to be the "norm" now. First, let me say that Pinecone was "THE" survey site of choice - $5 for a survey and you could depend on the payment showing up in your mailbox in record time - Pinecone did what they promised to do. I will say that it would be a rare occasion that I would ignore a Pinecone survey - why would I - when I knew there was $5 to follow? So, your comment about missing "several product evaluation studies" seems to be out of line. As well, I think you exaggerate your efforts to "contact me" on "numerous" occasions. My guess is that you are weeding out those members that chose not to accept your "pay cut" offer to $3 a survey instead of the $5 that we had originally agreed to - not to mention the stellar offer of being entered into a "sweepstakes" "oooh, ahhh", instead of payment.

Now, those of us who served you well in your "growing" years are kicked to the curb! Can you say GREED?

Good Luck - I hope your new business plan works out for you!

Melissa



OKAY - Snarky I KNOW! But it bites!

Great response!!

After seeing this thread I guess I need to check my email, I know I have an email from Pinecone that I received yesterday, just haven't read it yet but I'm guessing I'm getting the boot also since I refused to accept anything but the $5 surveys.

 

[Momto3Girls&Max]

I got fired yesterday too. It just isn't worth the time invested in the lengthy surveys for $3. I don't fully blame Pinecone though. I have made the point before that people are cutting their own throats by doing so many "cheap" surveys. When MyPoints and the like can get away with paying people less than $.50 to do a survey they cheapen the market for everyone. Those surveys may not be as in depth as a Pinecone survey, but they are gathering a lot of information for almost nothing and that becomes the norm.

I agree. I've seen the same thing happen to the focus groups I used to attend. Payment used to be excellent -- enough for me to drag myself all the way downtown. Then it was just OK and lately it's pathetic. Sometimes I even ask how much a group is paying before I spend anytime answering their questions. I think it's a sign of the economic times -- there are more people than ever on their panels so they can offer less $$ by way of payment and still get the panelists they need for any particular survey.

 

[extremesoccermom]

I haven't recieved any email yet firing me but I also haven't recieved any surveys or other correspondence from them since accepting the $3.00 payments.

 

[Youarehere]

I got the $5 to $3 email today. I accepted, but probably will not do any surveys. Not sure why I even accepted.

 

[Momto3Girls&Max]

After seeing this thread yesterday - I sent a note to Pinecone - saying that I was no longer able to log into my account. Not sure what I expected - but here is the email I received from Karen Scott...

Melissa,

A review of your record showed that you were not able to complete
several product evaluation studies. Periodically, we remove names from
the database of those we have not heard from on regular basis. We tried
to contact you numerous times prior to removal. You have been removed
from the panel.


Thanks

Karen Scott
Web site: http://www.pineconeresearch.com
E-mail: scott@pineconeresearch.com


Here's my response:

Ms. Scott...

Thanks so much for your response. I really wasn't expecting one, seeing how this seems to be the "norm" now. First, let me say that Pinecone was "THE" survey site of choice - $5 for a survey and you could depend on the payment showing up in your mailbox in record time - Pinecone did what they promised to do. I will say that it would be a rare occasion that I would ignore a Pinecone survey - why would I - when I knew there was $5 to follow? So, your comment about missing "several product evaluation studies" seems to be out of line. As well, I think you exaggerate your efforts to "contact me" on "numerous" occasions. My guess is that you are weeding out those members that chose not to accept your "pay cut" offer to $3 a survey instead of the $5 that we had originally agreed to - not to mention the stellar offer of being entered into a "sweepstakes" "oooh, ahhh", instead of payment.

Now, those of us who served you well in your "growing" years are kicked to the curb! Can you say GREED?

Good Luck - I hope your new business plan works out for you!

Melissa



OKAY - Snarky I KNOW! But it bites!

WTG!!!

 

[pinkyinhere]

You probably didn't opt for the 3 dollars payment. At first, I refused to accept that but then I got less and less surveys. I finally gave in and I started to receive all the surveys available.

 

[PudgetteD]

I've always received only $3 per survey, but I've only been with Pinecone for about a year. Surveys have dwindled, I only get about one every other month now compared to 3 or 4 per month when I first started. No biggie, I kept the money in my PayPal account to use for Disney pins on E-Bay, paid for the shipping at least. I just checked my E-mail and there was no message from Pinecone so I guess they're keeping me because I'm only a $3 person.

 

[CajunDixie]

I guess I was booted long ago. I had emailed her about a question and she responded back. After that I never received another email from them again. I sent her an email after a few months and asked why I wasn't getting any surveys and she said because my email was different. She somehow was sending my emails to a .com and my email at the time was a .net She never did bother to straighten it out for me. I so loved those $5 surveys and some of the products especially the Tide with the fabric softener in it. The box of Tide alone was worth at least $9.

 

[girli565]

I'm a $3 person and I get a lot of surveys. Last month I did 5-7 paid surveys, it was a lot.

 

[tlbwriter]

When I was first presented with the option to stay at the $5 or go to the $3, I chose to stay with the $5. Right after that I bet I got two survey's in a row to do for the $5, and even a product to test for the $5. Well about a week ago I got an email stating I either had to take the $3 or basically be fired. So I took the $3 rather than be fired. I never did a whole lot but the occasional survey and product test was nice. Oh and I'm 49

Same here (except I'm not quite 49). I hope the surveys pick up now that I've downgraded to $3.

 

[tar heel]

I did Pinecone for two-three years then was fired a couple years ago because I "work in marketing." I emailed Karen Scott and told her I did not work in marketing, but never got a reply. The irony is that I now work a little bit in marketing, but I didn't at the time.

I also got fired from Survey Spot after writing them a scathing email about a survey that I spent an hour on, then was told I didn't qualify. I was a survey novice then -- that's happened to me many times since!

If you're not already a member, I suggest Opinion Outpost and My Survey for survey sites. The former pays reasonable amounts and the latter pays less but is decent to work with.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I am willing to bet I have been fired.

I was a $5 survey person for a long time, then I agreed to downgrade to $3. I don't get THAT many surveys.

Last month I did a survey for a product, then we went to WDW for 16 days. When I got home there was a box from them with a product to try. Oops. I DID e-mail and tell them we were gone, but I did it after we got to WDW. I had my laptop and thought I would just respond to whatever, but I decided to put a hold on my account after we arrived. Of course they don't warn you that product is coming, it just shows up.

I went to the website and typed in the survey # for the product but it didn't work. Now I am pretty sure I will never hear from them again.