April 2004 Archives
I joined the MyCoupons site in November 1999, and this morning, after over 4 years of conscientious contribution to the site, I was banned.
As I indicated in my post earlier this week about MyCoupons' irresponsible practices, the site has clearly shown its true colors...that is, they are not there to help users, only to make money from users which they intentionally keep ignorant.
As of this writing, I have been given no explanation for why my account was banned. I have a guess, though. :)
Most likely they were made aware of my article calling them to task on their knowingly falsely advertising their SixQuestions link -- I was banned mere minutes after someone posted a link to my site on theirs in response to the question, "Is there a website that gives information on rewards programs and how they work?" (Note, MC mod Ambrie said, "I don't know of one." Which she full well does. Another lie from MC. Am I shocked?)
That is, after all, MC's modus operandi: keep the membership in the dark. Don't let them know that they can earn a rebate by shopping through a rewards program instead of through their link. Don't let them know about other sites that contain helpful information if there's a chance it'll divert "business" from their website. Don't let them know other message forums even EXIST!
Delete references to the competition....don't let people post, "Remember to go through a rewards program if you take care of this deal!"...delete messages that show they're not telling the truth about a MC coupon...and when all else fails, delete a user who FOLLOWS THE RULES if they call you on the carpet for your misdeeds.
Sigh...MyCoupons, you've come a long way from the ground-breaking, premier website that online shoppers went to first for great deals and helpful information. Tsk, tsk...what a shame.
If you're a member of QuickRewards' frequent shopper program, don't forget this special promotion is ending soon!:
For every order you make until April 30th you get a chance to win one
of the following prizes: $5 Paypal, $5 Disney Dollars or $5 Amazon Gift
Certificate. There will be 2 winners chosen on May 1st. Please
remember we only have about 20 Frequent Shoppers in this club so your chances of winning are pretty high! Any size order qualifies for the contest!
We will keep you up-to-date with how much entries you have.
To join the QR Frequent Shopper Club, all you have to do is have ordered from them in the past, and ask to be added to the club! You get special promotional mailings (like the one this promotion is from), with offers to earn extra cash in various ways. It's free! It's easy! QuickRewards LOVES its frequent shoppers!
A few days ago, I saw a post on MyCoupons made by one of the forum moderators that said that people could earn EXTRA points by joining the Six Questions rewards program by clicking through their link. This simply isn't true -- you get 25 points to join and 50 points to confirm your email no matter what link you use to join Six Questions. Because I have butted heads with MC's mods in the past and didn't want to fight with them again, I bit my tongue (hard) and didn't say anything. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, I thought they were just misinformed and felt sure someone would correct their mistake.
Then when a user replied and said she was concerned that she didn't get the points -- she had used MC's coupon link to join but the coupon text suggested a code was required, and she didn't see one -- I had to reply. I said, "Don't worry about it, everybody gets 75 points to join; you don't even need to go through MC's link for it."
Guess what? The mods deleted my response. And their original, UNTRUE, post is a sticky at the top of the forum.
This really ticks me off -- it proves that they knew (or at least they NOW know) that they're not telling the truth about their link being worth "extra" and will just delete anyone's response that points it out.
Now, MyCoupons' site is a business; I understand that. (Believe me. I've got an MBA. I've taken a business class or two, you might say.) They've put in tons of rules to make sure that people use their links to purchase any bargains they let us post about. BUT...it's one thing to say, "please don't post competitor sites," and "no posting to say use a rewards program when you take advantage of this deal," BUT it's TOTALLY DIFFERENT to intentionally allow a misleading ad to remain that on their site AND to delete any posts that indicate otherwise.
This is just bullshit, as far as I'm concerned.
There are MANY OTHER DEAL FORUMS out there, and yes, some of them do have strict rules, BUT they do not need to intentionally mislead you in order to get your business. The powers-that-be over at MC need to understand that, like any other forum, MC is only as good as its users. You can't treat your users like crap and expect they're going to keep coming back for more. It may take their forum becoming deserted for them to remember what got them there.
Don't know any alternatives? Let me point you in the right direction: BigBigForums.com, FatWallet.com, DealofDay.com, SlickDeals.net, MagicClickClub, DealHunting.com, TheFunPlace.com (Funtasia's), FishingForDeals.com, TechBargains.com, BargainShare.com, Dealideal.com, DealCatcher.com, RefundSweepers.com, SmokingHotDeals.com, FreeSampleSite.com (YourDailyFreebies), CyberTightwad.
If you have others, please respond and I will add them to this list. Am I over-reacting? You tell me. For me, it's the last straw. I can't take any more of their heavy-handed dictatorial bullshit. Protect your business interests, sure... but don't continue to tell people, "You'll earn extra points with our link" when you KNOW it's not true.
Update, 4/28: After the MC mod who made the post responded to my inquiry about the falsity of their "extra points" claim with, "Any questions should be directed to SQ," I did approach one of the owners of SixQuestions with my complaint yesterday. Today when I logged into MC, the post, and the coupon, had been changed and the words "extra points" removed. Two lessons from this: 1) The SixQuestions owners were conscientious and honorable enough to quickly address the falsehood of the claim, and 2) MC was unwilling to take the initiative to clarify it because it wasn't in their financial best interest to do so. Kudos to SixQuestions... and shame on you, MyCoupons!
Update #2, April 28: After further consideration, I removed the word "LIED" from this post. I think MyCoupons actively mislead their users by deleting my response which pointed out the problem, and by not acting quickly to clear up the confusion over the offer. This is primarily what I'm complaining about, and I think my complaint is being ignored because of the inflammatory term "lied."
BeenPaid.com, a website that awards their seal of approval to programs that have a proven track record of paying their members, recently awarded their Platinum Seal of Approval to CreationsRewards and QuickRewards!
Please join me in congratulating their program owners. Great job, guys! Wish there were more out there like you!
SixQuestions Review
Please click here to join.
Date Launched: March 2004
Reward Per Dollar Spent: No per-dollar shopping rewards but some flat-rate rewards through their MetaReward portal
Minimum to Redeem: 195,000 pts (for most $20 GCs)
Prizes Offered: Merchandise, GCs
Full Prize List: http://www.sixquestions.com/application/prize_catalog/prize_catalog.asp
Earn Points For: Logging in, opinion polls, completing or submitting quizzes, card games, referrals, MetaReward portal purchases and signups
Participating Merchants List: N/A (No per dollar shopping reward)
Limit One Account Per: Individual, age 13 or older, with unique email address. Members outside the U.S. pay shipping costs on redemptions.
Dollar Value of a Point: $0.0001
Daily "Free" Points: Around 12 for daily polls (3pts x 4 polls) + min of 25 for daily login (up to 100, see Notes below) = between 37 and 112
Value of those Free Points: Between .0037c (1/3c) and 1.12c
Common Rewards for Shopping and their % Equivalents: N/A (No shopping reward)
How Wagering on Quizzes Works: Several quizzes are posted daily, each lasts around 3 days. Before taking the quiz, you are asked to wager 1-200 points that you will get a perfect 6/6. If you get less than 6 correct, you lose your wager. You can get an estimate of winnings before taking the quiz; however, the actual amount you win will not be determined until after the quiz closes, as it is dependent on the total amount wagered by all players and the total number of perfect quizzes.
Notes: Earn 50 points for creating/verifying an account. Earn up to 100 points a day for logging in (25pts for your first login, then each day 1pt more up to 100). Earn 10,000 points for each quiz you submit that is accepted for publishing. The owners promise prizes will be shipped in 2-4 weeks but they expect it to be much faster in actual practice.
Related articles: Daily Trivia Answers In Your Inbox, Six Questions Ubid Offer, Six Questions Adds Games!, Six Questions Adds Shopping Rewards
In addition to their standard credit card, Sears now offers a Gold Mastercard with an option to earn rewards on your purchases. (It's $1 for the first year for the rewards option, and $25 per year afterward.) Is it worth it? How fast do you earn? What can you redeem for? Click MORE!
Best Buy RewardZone Program Review -- Updated, 9/07
Who Can Participate:
U.S. residents only, age 13 years or older.
How It Works:
Sign up in-store at any BestBuy or online here. Membership is free. For every dollar you spend online or in-store (excluding shipping and tax), you earn 1 point. Beginning 12/2/07, gift card purchases are also eligible to earn points. 250 points is worth a gift certificate good for $5 off a future in-store purchase. You can choose to have the GC sent to you by postal mail or by email. Either way, the certificate can be re-printed using a link on the Reward Zone website at http://www.MyRewardZone.com. The discount certificate must be used within 90 days.
Membership in the program entitles you to a few extra benefits, including free paper with the purchase of two ink cartridges, and occasional RewardZone members-only promotions (such as double points, or most recently, access to presale concert tickets to The Police).
Is It Worth It?
Why not? The program is free and you'll get the equivalent of a 2% rebate on your purchases. You don't have to carry the card around with you -- you can just give your phone number to the cashier at checkout, and if you forget to do that, you can log into the MyRewardZone website and provide some information on your receipt and you'll still get credit for the purchase.
Most complaints I've seen have been about not knowing the certificates expire (remember, you have 90 days in which to use them) or about people not receiving them in postal mail (you can print it from your MyRewardZone account instead).
The URL For More Info
http://www.MyRewardZone.com
FreeRide Program Review - Updated 10/07
Please click here to join.
Date Launched: 2003 (for the latest re-launch...this is their 3rd version of the program)
Reward Per Dollar Spent: Varies
Minimum to Cash Out: 12,000 and up for $10 GCs, 12,500 for Virtual Visas. Cheapest redemption is 10,000 (magnets).
Cash Out For: Gift cards including Amazon, Virtual Visas, magazine subscriptions, magnets, Freeride t-shirt, music downloads.
Earn For: Shopping, signups, clicking the Grab-a-Cab, website visits, watching movie trailers, surveys, referrals.
Limit One Account Per: U.S. resident 13 years or older (under 18 requires parental permission), only one acct allowed per household
Dollar Value of a Point: $0.000926 for Overstock, $0.000893 for Amazon or Virtual Visa, $0.000862 for other GCs
Daily "Free" Points: Varies drastically; many points can be earned through the Ifilm link but it's very time-consuming.
Value of "free" points daily: Varies
Common Rewards for Shopping and their % Equivalents:
5 Points Per Dollar = 0.46%
25 Points Per Dollar = 2.32%
30 Points Per Dollar = 2.78%
40 Points Per Dollar = 3.70%
60 Points Per Dollar = 5.56%
Notes:
1. Get 500 points for joining.
2. Get one point the first time you visit a merchant through FreeRide; repeat visits are not paid.
3. Have received reports that 4-6 weeks is a typical wait once a GC has been requested; magazines take 8-12 weeks.
4. 90 days of inactivity may zero out your points balance. Points expire if not spent within 2 years of becoming "available."
5. Shopping credit discrepancies not disputed within 90 days will not be investigated. Missing redemptions will not be investigated if claim is filed over 180 days afterward.
6. Program is notorious for ignoring member support requests.
Related Articles: Freeride.com Says It Offers Free Baby Stuff -- But Where Is It?, 2008 Shopping Rebates Comparison and Analysis, Freeride Raises Cashout Minimum, 2007 Shopping Rebates Comparison Chart, Busiest Rewards Programs - August 2007, Disney Rewards and Disney Rebates, Freeride Updating Database, Freeride Mother's Day Promotion, 2006 Year in Review, 2006 Shopping Rebates Comparison Chart, The Absolute Worst Organized Shopping Site Ever, Freeride Members Receive Virtual Visas Without Freeride's Help, Freeride Misses Second Promised Payment Deadline, Freeride Raises Redemption Costs; Substitutes Redemptions, Earn the Most When You Join Blockbuster Online or NetFlix, California Man and Others Indicted for Freeride Click Fraud, Best Programs For Valentine's Flowers Rebates, 2005 Year in Review, 2005 Shopping Comparison, Freeride Raises Redemption Costs, Freeride Contact Information, Freeride Not Paying All HotJobs Points, Earn Freeride Points by Watching Movie Trailers, Freeride Changes Formats Again, Freeride Promises More, Freeride is Back, Freeride's Coming Back, Freeride...The Next Generation
Like Freeride? Similar sites include: MyPoints, QuickRewards, and SunshineRewards.
updated 10/07
I've been clipping these things off my cereal boxes for years, and they've recently changed the way they handle point redemption. Let's see if this is worth our time! Read on!
UPDATE: Kool-Aid Kool Points Discontinued! Read the announcement here, and find out how to redeem them for a limited time here!
I've been saving these things since I was a little kid. Let's find out if that was a total waste of time or if I have something really cool coming my way. Oh, yeah!!! Read on...
Yep, I'm branching out to review some off-line rewards programs, and Blockbuster Rewards is my first. Want to see if it's worth it? Read on!
p.s. If you're trying to register to activate Freebie Tokens, please go to http://www.freebie.com!
Because of some delivery problems I've had with YahooGroups, I am posting the daily trivia answers newsletter in its entirety at the following url: http://www.comparerewards.com/trivia.html
It will be updated each day as soon as I've compiled the daily answers, generally around 9am central time.
YahooGroups is usually great about mailing out the daily answers email but this past week (until Sat.) they were just terrible! Looks like they're fixed now, but I will keep posting them online anyway. Hope they help you!
Man, how bad must it suck to be Memolink! Instead of just PAYING PEOPLE WHAT THEY OWE THEM, now Memolink is stalling making payments by requiring proof of ID of members who had multiple accounts in their household. Up until Feb. 10 of this year, this was NOT against their terms of service. Folks with multiple accounts per household before that time are supposed to be grandfathered in...but at what cost? Apparently the cost is that after waiting for months to get to the top of the payment queue, then you're stalled even longer by their insistence that you provide proof of ID...and not just for yourself but for EVERYONE registered in your household!
Here is a copy of a letter Memolink sent to one of their members. Let's take this apart piece by piece, shall we?
From: norepliesplease@memolink.com
[SMTP:norepliesplease@memolink.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 1:50 PM
To: xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.com
Subject: Memolink has responded to your submission
Dear Memolink Member:
This is an email to let you know that It has come to our attention that there are multiple accounts in your household.
It has come to your attention? What a COINCIDENCE it just came to your attention as this member was being processed for payment... a payment he had requested over SIX MONTHS AGO, I might add.
While we did accept multiple accounts per household when you registered, we will still need verification that all people listed for your address do live there, and are over 18.
You do? Hmm...Where is that in the terms of service? And if this is a requirement, why aren't you asking that of EVERYONE with multiple accounts? Isn't the timing of this request a little...coincidental?
Before we can ship any other prizes to your home, we will need verification from everyone who currently maintains a Memolink account including yourself. You may provide us with any of the following forms of verification:
1) State issued driver's license with current address
2) State issued ID with current address
3) Any utility statement in YOUR NAME with current address
4) Any credit card billing statement (with all confidential information
blacked out, of course) in YOUR NAME with current address
Hmmm...how about a nonpayment report filed against you with the Internet Fraud Complaint Center, would that qualify??
You may fax or mail any one of these pieces of information to:
Memolink.com
Attn: Address Verification
7596 W. Jewell Ave., Ste. 104
Lakewood, CO 80232
Fax: 303.985.0328
Attn: Address Verification
If we do not receive proper verification within two weeks of this email, we will be forced to terminate all accounts listed to this address.
They don't WANT to, but they would be FORCED to not pay you what they owe you! Darnit, you know they WANT to pay you, but you just have to sign your name in blood, provide a DNA sample, climb to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro and bring back the tailfeather of the nearly extinct crested dodo bird...
Thank you for your time and we look forward to hearing from you soon.
(chuckle) Yeah, right.
If your verification is sent via facsimile, please allow at least 24-48 hours to process the information.
Sincerely,
Mike Robertson
Member Support
Memolink, Inc.
Mike Robertson? A new guy? Dude! You definitely want to check a company out before you go to work with them. A simple Google search for Memolink, Memolink Sucks, Memolink Scam, David Asseoff, etc etc, would have shown you all you need to know about the company to realize you're committing career suicide. Get on Monster.com like NOW, before you have too long of a gap in employers you CAN list on your resume and have to explain where you were all the time you've been doing Memolink's dirty work!
But I digress.
Based on this latest line of BS, I have a new suggestion for all Memolink members with multiple accounts signed up at your household. Send all this info to Memolink at once, even if they haven't asked you to send it. Don't wait for them to use this as another excuse to hold off on paying you. And if you do have any, um, less than legitimate accounts at ML (shame on you!), request that they be deleted. You don't have to explain why; a simple, "Please delete my account," works fine.
