Pinecone Research is actively recruiting new members! If you would like to join, click the banner above to register and you could be selected to evaluate new product ideas and earn cash rewards for your opinions!
Shelley Shares:
I try to test out as many of these panels as I can, so I can share with you what I think!
Pinecone Research is a highly rated (It’s ranked #1 on Survey Police!) and well loved panel, but quite difficult to get into. It’s the biggest complaint that I hear about it, but it’s because they are doing their homework and selecting the applicants that fit the bill. That means they won’t be wasting your time which is definitely a plus!
Pros:
- Surveys are valued at $3 (you get 300 points which is equal to $3, which can be redeemed for paypal, gift cards, merchandise) and it will be credited to your account the next business day! A very quick turn around! Redeem how much you want, when you want!
- The surveys are fun and interesting and quite often lead to an in-home product test! (As a matter of fact, I received one in the mail today!)
Cons:
- As I said, it’s very difficult to get accepted into this panel. If you don’t qualify, keep checking back and trying again! They are constantly changing the demographics of what they need by the studies they have coming up. (Last month, they were looking for men, so while the whole family becomes part of the panel when you sign up, sometimes you have to lead with the male head of household when applying.)
- You’ll want more! Yes, it truly is ranked #1 for a reason. So you’ll find at times the surveys are few and far between. It ebbs and flows. And, some surveys that you’ll get are qualifiers (they end in -3001) and they won’t earn you points. But you’ll want to take them because that’s what leads to the bigger studies. They don’t take very long to complete.
Proof of Payment:
- I cashed out a week ago (I let it pile up) and opted for a Paypal payment:
Please note, they have other rewards options…I just preferred the Paypal!
So, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this panel! Leave a comment! What do you love? Or not like so much? Please share! Your feedback can help other FamilySavings readers determine if this is something they might like to sign up for!
pssssst, it’s 300 per survey, not 3000 but each 100 points is worth a buck. I save my points all year and cash out on black friday weekend. This year I got a $25 Applebees, $25 TGIFridays, $10 Amazon and $10 BW3. I also have another $15 worth left, just deciding what I want to do with it. This was all without working very hard at it, just doing it in my spare time. One word of warning, they will delete you if you don’t fill out surveys. If you go on vacation make sure to fill out a schedule so they wont count it against you.
Nice haul!
With panels like this that pay out in real currency do you have to claim it on your taxes or only if 1 transaction is $600.00 or above (like in pull-tabs or lottery)?
It’s if your total earnings for the year are valued at $600. But honestly, I’ve not earn that much in a single year with this panel and it’s likely they are watching to ensure that no one does.
The company only has to issue a 1099 if you earn more than $600, but technically, you’re supposed to report ALL income for tax purposes, not just the ones where you get more than $600.
I love this panel had been with them for years. Somehow got taken off the panel when I had surgery & contacted them when I realized that I had not heard from them for a while. They said I had been removed because someone junked their e-mail. I explained that I had surgery & what happened so they told me to reapply. I cannot reapply with my addy & when ever I use my other addy I am not accepted. I am so bummed about this. Please keep up with them they do mean business & if your over 55 God Bless you because you may never get back in againl.
I was a member for years, but then noticed that I wasn’t getting any offers anymore. Contacted them and they just said there weren’t any at this time. I believe though it was because I turned 51 and was out of there demographics. Most companies only care about that 18-35 demographics. When I cashed out, it was for $120.
All this is well and good, but do any of you know how safe your info is with these people? You give your age, bd, race, address, etc. which is quite a lot of personal info. All I saw was lengthy notices about the survey panelist not discussing any survey/product info with anyone, letting them use it, posting info, etc. all under penalty of potential legal action but not enough to make me feel good about them having all my personal info.
Anyone have similar feelings? Seems you all have dollar signs in your eyes and are forgetting about some more basic issues-privacy and keeping your personal info safe. BTW, I’ve been a member of another panel since 2009 so am not new to this.
I totally understand your concerns. The information you give isn’t anything more than what is already quite public about you…it’s information found on the census and easily found if you look yourself up on the white pages online. Other companies in your life have far more information on you than a survey company. (How much info do you hand over for a free sample? Companies data collect…they want to know who is interested in their products so they can then turn around an market to that demographic. Or what about the cookies on your computer that give up that information as well?) Having said that, I agree that you need to safeguard your info. If at any point it makes you feel uneasy, follow your gut and back out. Consider using a nickname over your legal name, etc.
I don’t think anyone thinks of surveys and thinks I’m going to be rich. I think it becomes a way to treat yourself. I’ve been a member of Pinecone since 2006 and in my personal opinion, it’s one of the better panels out there. And I have tried out a lot. I do seek out info on the panels before signing up. I check them out on SurveyPolice and I have backed out of them before too.
As far as the legal notices, that’s about keeping new product ideas from being stolen as you will be seeing these items before they hit shelves. They don’t want you to take that to their competitors, so I think that’s why you see that so much front-and-center. They do have a privacy policy and all of those notices are on their website for you to be able to look at whether you are a member or not.
But, it is definitely all something to keep in the back of your mind as you are doing things both online and offline! I know it’s important to me! I think it’s great you do your homework before signing up!
I love this site. The surveys are easy to understand and not too time consuming. I’ve made $9.00 in about a month. The only down side is yes the surveys are few and far between but I’m ok with it because they legit do exactly what they say.
I am really upset with them. I was a member for years and did many surveys..noticed I wasn’t getting any more surveys to do so I contacted them. It took MANY MANY months for a reply. Finally got one and they said I would be given more surveys. Still nothing. I am owed money and let them know to please send me what’s owed to me. I lost my password and cannot access my account to collect what is owed and no one relies to my emails. Any advice??
They have a “forgot password” link…have you tried resetting it by going that route? Use to be they assigned you a password and it was always super hard for me to remember, but now they let you set it yourself and that’s been easier.
The only other advice I have is to file a report on Survey Police. It’s a website that ranks survey sites and sometimes gets results.