I’m super free. Finished all my X’mas shopping and I’m so free I even do up all those annoying pop-up online surveys. Non-paying ones, mind you.
The other day I did one for BizRate and I was promised I would be ‘compensated’ with great offers. After going through a few pages, I was thrilled when they told me I get 4 free annual magazine subscription of of my choice. Woot, those foreign magazines cost a bomb over here. So, I was super happy.
At the end, I was asked to enter my country in the survey and only then I realized the offer only apply to US citizens. Look, I think it would make better sense these surveys ask the country of origin at the very beginning to dispel any misunderstanding or high hopes. I don’t mind doing it for free but when when I’m told I get something out of it and in the end I don’t, it is really anti-climax to the max. You know what I mean?
Another few ones I did recently asked me about what food I buy. I was given 5 brand names and asked to rate each one. Other than one brand I can find in my local Tesco, I’ve not even heard of the other 4. I assume they’re local US brand that does no foreign marketing. Again, the survey should have asked for the country of the participant at the very beginning.
So for non-US residents, don’t get your hopes high about getting freebies doing online surveys. Do it only if you’ve nothing better to do like me. Or if you’re seriously into ‘helping others’ improve their product quality and make the world a better place.
What about the Terms and Conditions they put in the beginning?
Seriously, does anyone read them? I don’t. You do? Then I can claim I have more life than you.. 
This entry was posted on Thursday, December 20th, 2007 at 1:32 pm and is filed under rants. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Hahaha, I kena that a few times too, damn tulan so now when I see online survey, I no hiu liao..
I live in the US and those BizRate surveys suck. They promise you all this stuff, and an entry into a money contest, and a virtual scratch off game. Well, I think I must’ve done about 150 of the damn things over the years of my internet shopping and I’ve never gotten a single thing from them. Plus where do all these best of this, best of that, awards come from? Are they like, the office of the business (a dark room in a geek basement) voting themselves Best of the Best! I see all these awards and it just makes me wonder…I think anyone with basic graphic skills and the desire to use them can make an award. Perhaps I will make myself a Best Blogger Ever Born in the Universe award and give it to myself. Of course I would have to make it un-stealable because THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE.
Chris - ahahaa I’m not alone eh?
Karen - Thanks for sharing from a US perspective. About the award thing you mentioned, can I join in? I don’t mind being the ‘2nd best blogger ever born in the universe ‘