Online forum opportunity almost wasted (LONG)

[UGetPaid]

Last Wednesday I got an email solicitation for an online forum for a certain type of ethnic food.  It didn't come from FC, but was from another survey panel app that I use regularly.  The email was the result of a quick 25¢ survey I did earlier that day which was essentially a recruiting tool.


Long story short - they were paying $100 for an hour - 90 minutes of time devoted to an online focus group type of survey (answer a dozen or so questions, submit a few photos, come back later in the day to respond to follow up questions from a moderator about the earlier answers). The 'catch' was that it all had to be completed last Friday and I already had plans to travel out of town that day to attend a family wedding in southern Ohio.  If it was just for $5 or $10, I probably would have declined given our travel plans.  But this was a $100 opportunity!


Hoping I could still complete the tasks, I responded with consent and got a phone call on Thursday from a rep to confirm my information and earlier survey responses.  I told her about my scheduling issue, but we agreed that it would work - I could do the early session Friday morning and do the followup Friday evening at my destination. The rep told me that if necessary I could access the panel through my mobile phone.


I found out that evening that there was no WiFi service at our destination (a secluded cabin in the woods), but I figured if nothing else I would just use my phone as a hot spot.


Friday morning came and I got an email with the link to the panel page, but once I was logged in there was no access on the page to the actual questions!  We had to make an airport pickup half way on our road trip so our departure time was pretty inflexible.  After a few emails, the glitch was eventually ironed out. I managed to get through the initial questions in about an hour (I also had to take and upload a few pantry and fridge photos which wouldn't have been possible away from home). We made it out on time just barely!


When we arrived at our destination on Friday (beautiful gorgeous breathtaking cabin in the woods near Logan, Ohio) my worst fears were confirmed - not only was there no WiFi, but also no cellular service!     Under normal circumstances this lack of connectivity would be welcome, but I only had that small evening window to complete this panel.


We had a 7:00 dinner event that evening at a different location where the wedding ceremony would take place on Saturday. It was not under such heavy tree cover so there was a very slight and quite temperamental cell signal there that kept phasing in and out. So at one point I was able to get an LTE signal in a quiet corner and spent 20-30 minutes writing up followup responses to the moderator using my phone. I kept losing and re-gaining the signal, which was frustrating... Thankfully no followup photos were necessary. I was hoping to review and comment on some other participants' responses, but I was not able to do that constructively - so hopefully I won't get penalized for that.


So now it's just a waiting game to see if I did enough to get my $100! I'm fairly certain I did the minimum required. I'm sure there is a moral to this story somewhere, but I'm just hoping to get that $100 check in the mail!  In the end, I had the chance to spend a great weekend in one of the most beautiful areas in Ohio with my family and the wife's extended family - so for that I am thankful.  If the $100 doesn't work out, I had an excellent alternative experience worth much more than the $100 I missed!


This is where we stayed!

[sdenimandlace1]

Hopefully you will get paid.  Never count on panels.

[countrygirl12]

Last Wednesday I got an email solicitation for an online forum for a certain type of ethnic food.  It didn't come from FC, but was from another survey panel app that I use regularly.  The email was the result of a quick 25¢ survey I did earlier that day which was essentially a recruiting tool.


Long story short - they were paying $100 for an hour - 90 minutes of time devoted to an online focus group type of survey (answer a dozen or so questions, submit a few photos, come back later in the day to respond to follow up questions from a moderator about the earlier answers). The 'catch' was that it all had to be completed last Friday and I already had plans to travel out of town that day to attend a family wedding in southern Ohio.  If it was just for $5 or $10, I probably would have declined given our travel plans.  But this was a $100 opportunity!


Hoping I could still complete the tasks, I responded with consent and got a phone call on Thursday from a rep to confirm my information and earlier survey responses.  I told her about my scheduling issue, but we agreed that it would work - I could do the early session Friday morning and do the followup Friday evening at my destination. The rep told me that if necessary I could access the panel through my mobile phone.


I found out that evening that there was no WiFi service at our destination (a secluded cabin in the woods), but I figured if nothing else I would just use my phone as a hot spot.


Friday morning came and I got an email with the link to the panel page, but once I was logged in there was no access on the page to the actual questions!  We had to make an airport pickup half way on our road trip so our departure time was pretty inflexible.  After a few emails, the glitch was eventually ironed out. I managed to get through the initial questions in about an hour (I also had to take and upload a few pantry and fridge photos which wouldn't have been possible away from home). We made it out on time just barely!


When we arrived at our destination on Friday (beautiful gorgeous breathtaking cabin in the woods near Logan, Ohio) my worst fears were confirmed - not only was there no WiFi, but also no cellular service!     Under normal circumstances this lack of connectivity would be welcome, but I only had that small evening window to complete this panel.


We had a 7:00 dinner event that evening at a different location where the wedding ceremony would take place on Saturday. It was not under such heavy tree cover so there was a very slight and quite temperamental cell signal there that kept phasing in and out. So at one point I was able to get an LTE signal in a quiet corner and spent 20-30 minutes writing up followup responses to the moderator using my phone. I kept losing and re-gaining the signal, which was frustrating... Thankfully no followup photos were necessary. I was hoping to review and comment on some other participants' responses, but I was not able to do that constructively - so hopefully I won't get penalized for that.


So now it's just a waiting game to see if I did enough to get my $100! I'm fairly certain I did the minimum required. I'm sure there is a moral to this story somewhere, but I'm just hoping to get that $100 check in the mail!  In the end, I had the chance to spend a great weekend in one of the most beautiful areas in Ohio with my family and the wife's extended family - so for that I am thankful.  If the $100 doesn't work out, I had an excellent alternative experience worth much more than the $100 I missed!


This is where we stayed!

I have got in to several focus groups that pay any where from $35 to $75 each usually for a 90 minute session.
I always get paid.

I got in one that was an hour. Fifteen minutes per week for 4 weeks.  So it was total an hour or a little less and I got paid $100.

[countrygirl12]

Hopefully you will get paid.  Never count on panels.

I don't think I have ever not got paid for one of these.  The one I done for $100 I was iffy as to if that would happen because it seemed too easy for that kind of money.  It came in the form of an ecard and I purchased an Amazon gift card online and then had $100 more in my Amazon account. And you can get anything from there.

[UGetPaid]

I don't have any fear or not getting paid from a scam standpoint.  I am confident that this was legitimate.  I've done several similar groups in the past and have always been paid.  My concern was that I may have missed something in my struggles to get connected and that they might deny payment because I didn't complete the minimum requirements. 


I should hopefully know soon. When I had the rep on the telephone, I confirmed a mailing address where they would be sending a check.  I wish I could come across more of these opportunities quite frankly! They are easy money for not a lot of input when you factor in the $ per minute ratio!

[sfreeman8]

I don't have any fear or not getting paid from a scam standpoint.  I am confident that this was legitimate.  I've done several similar groups in the past and have always been paid.  My concern was that I may have missed something in my struggles to get connected and that they might deny payment because I didn't complete the minimum requirements. 


I should hopefully know soon. When I had the rep on the telephone, I confirmed a mailing address where they would be sending a check.  I wish I could come across more of these opportunities quite frankly! They are easy money for not a lot of input when you factor in the $ per minute ratio!

Hope you get it especially for all the hassle you had and all the trouble you had to go through to complete it.

I got the same email but couldn't do it. I don't remember the reason but I was disappointed.

[Sendmicheck]

Keep your fingers cross that you will get your money for all the time and effort you put into it.

[bshee58]

Wow, that amount would come in handy, hope it works out for you.

[UGetPaid]

My $100 check arrived this week. Pretty quick turnaround.   

[NRAJOE]

Nice...i might of deleted a few like that....

[JaniceSW]

Sweet!  I am glad it worked out and you got paid.  I've never had anything that offered $100.  However, I've had 2 online panels regarding healthcare (more specifically Medicare) and they promised to pay $35-$40. Guess what?  They both reneged on the money!  One was for United Healthcare and they acted like they sent me the ecard and they never did.  Actually lied!! Then they stopped answering the phone connected to the focus group.  After the second panel that I never got paid for, I decided to never respond to a request to participate in such a panel again!

[oldbuddy]

I did a panel regarding a new miles tax in Oregon to replace gas taxes that favor the new trend toward electric cars. It paid me $50 each for two sessions and was actually fun to participate in.

[gaby_ro_2004]

I hope you are going to get paid.

[countrygirl12]

I don't have any fear or not getting paid from a scam standpoint.  I am confident that this was legitimate.  I've done several similar groups in the past and have always been paid.  My concern was that I may have missed something in my struggles to get connected and that they might deny payment because I didn't complete the minimum requirements. 


I should hopefully know soon. When I had the rep on the telephone, I confirmed a mailing address where they would be sending a check.  I wish I could come across more of these opportunities quite frankly! They are easy money for not a lot of input when you factor in the $ per minute ratio!

I would say you are fine. I have noticed in the focus groups I have been in you always have at least one that answers everything with don't know or just one word or this don't apply to me. And I am thinking then how did you get in to this if the subject doesn't apply to you.  Of course I don't know that they in fact did get paid but I assume they did.

[sfreeman8]

I've never done focus groups. I don't know if I'd have the time and I certainly don't know where to get in on them. It's bad enough that I rarely qualify for surveys and I waste half days trying.  I certainly would make time for them if long ones could be split and I sure could use that kind of money.

I do get surveys in the mail and they pay $5 each. They say it would only take an hour to complete but they don't know me....it's take days because the print is so small, and so many questions that I need to take breaks. I gave up on one and sent the whole thing back with what I did answer and their money. Two weeks later, I got TWO of them. I think that was a mistake. I should have cshed the $5 and send back $2.50 for the half I didn't do.