Tick all that apply (consumerlink.com)

Member Name: Belgian999

Product:	consumerlink.com
Date:	16/10/02 (150 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: You get ipoints for free, Doesn't take up much time

Disadvantages: You don't get the ipoints very often!

The place where it pays to speak your mind’ is the tagline for Consumer Link, an internet survey site that is linked to the ipoints reward system. The basic premise is simple; registered users fill out surveys on a fairly regular basis, and 50 user names are then drawn at random and awarded 25 or 50 (and sometimes even 100) ipoints. Signing up for this service is easy enough, as you can either click on the link at ipoints.co.uk, or go to uk.consumerlink.com and go to the ‘Join Consumer Link’ option from the menu on the homepage.

The homepage itself is quite pleasant to look at, designed in soothing shades of red, and the layout is simple and clear. The menu bar runs down the left-hand side, allowing you to sign up, participate in surveys, enter the focus group rooms, check out the FAQ list, or contact the site administrators if you discover a problem. If you are already a registered member, you can view or amend your user data by clicking on the relevant link on the right-hand side, and if you have joined Consumer Link and somehow managed to avoid registering with ipoints so far, you can also click through to that partner site and sign up there.

When you register, you have to enter the usual personal information and choose a password, and you also need to complete some demographic information. It’s simply a case of ticking boxes to indicate your interests and preferences, and while it may seem a little intrusive, it’s nothing out of the ordinary and is in fact vital if you are to be sent any questionnaires. If you don’t submit any interests, then you won’t be asked to participate in any surveys!

The surveys themselves are generally fairly short and to the point, and they are easy to complete. You will receive an email detailing the latest survey for which you have been selected, letting you know the title and password and providing a link to the Consumer Link homepage. Just click on ‘Current
Surveys’, enter your user data, select a survey from the drop-down list and enter the password contained in the mail. The surveys normally take the form of a series of questions along the lines of: “Which of the following furniture stores [for example] have you heard of? Tick all that apply”. Once you done that, you have to answer more questions about each brand, and sometimes it is clear that one company in particular has sponsored the survey, as all the questions relate to this single firm.

Some surveys require you to open up more browser windows and view past or prospective advertisements, then give your opinion on the effectiveness and impact of each one. However, some surveys also use a general screening question on the initial screen to ensure that the desired target group completes the questionnaire. If you don’t fit the criteria, the survey ends early, but you are still entered into the draw for the ipoints.

I’ve never participated in a focus group, mainly because of time restraints – and the fact that I always access Consumer Link from my work PC means that I can’t be seen to be messing about on the website all day long, or taking phone calls to answer questions about commercial advertising!

In the 2 years that I have been a member of the Consumer Link panel, I’ve been awarded ipoints three times. Granted, that’s not much but it has helped me get a couple of CDs for free, which is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick! I get survey mails on a pretty regular basis, normally about once a week, and the deadline in the mail usually leaves me 2 or 3 days to log on and complete the survey, which is plenty of time. Basically, you’re not going to get rich quick from this site, but completing a survey only takes a few minutes and you will get lucky occasionally – it’s worth a look.

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