July 2004 Archives
Debt counselor, AmeriDebt, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on June 5. See the full story here.
Now why'd they go and do that? For a low consultation fee, I could have worked them out a nice schedule with their creditors to help reduce their monthly payments, avoid an embarassing bankruptcy that will ruin their credit rating, and help them on their way to financial recovery!
Doesn't it seem ironic that a firm set up to help clients avoid bankruptcy would... well... declare bankruptcy? Or maybe it's just me.
I HATE companies that prey on people with financial problems. I've been there. You feel desperate and helpless. Then you have a company come in and offer you a lifeline -- sometimes it's those "Get a secured credit card to reestablish your credit" schemes... or "consolidate your debt and get lower monthly payments" (while not mentioning you'll be paying a higher interest rate and for a longer period of time)...
But what Ameridebt did was morally reprehensible also. Ameridebt claimed that it was a non-profit organization and that their initial fee was actually part of a client's debt-reduction payment to creditors, when in reality, it went to Ameridebt... to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Taking advantage of people when they were at their lowest.
Shame on 'em.
I think their bankruptcy judge ought to make the Ameridebt board of directors provide their home, work, and cell phone numbers to all Ameridebt customers.. so they can contact the board members mercilessly to demand their initial fees back. Let THEM see how it feels.
I don't know if this is much of anything, but ABC has started a kind of rewards program, where members can see content before it's released to the general public, share your opinions on ABC shows, receive announcements of special events, and get primetime lineup updates.
They say they'll send you a survey by email probably once a month. Dunno if there are any other rewards involved. Here's the link to join if you're interested: http://www.abcinnercircle.com/register.jsp?r=JcsDD-EwEGZ-HHtO7
FGI Research SmartPanel Review (updated with new link 7/05)
Began in August 2003. This is another paid survey program that will ask your demographics, then email you if you might potentially qualify. The email will link you to a "screener", and if you qualify you'll either receive a cash award or a drawing entry for your participation (they'll tell you up-front which).
In July so far, they've given away $4,500 in prizes, the most for any month yet! The breakdown was 9 $250 prizes, 9 $150 prizes, and 36 $25 prizes. Unsure how many people qualified to do the surveys, so I can't compute your odds. If you do win or complete a paid survey, they promise payment in 4-6 weeks.
Have gotten two screeners: didn't qualify once, and was too late responding on the other.
For more info and to sign up, click here: http://www.fgiresearch.com/smartpanel/
U30i Program Review
I joined this program earlier in 2004. You are sent an email with a link to a survey you potentially qualify for. If you do qualify, you'll get paid nicely -- I've done one so far (a taste test for $25) and have just qualified for another (a "mystery caller" assignment for a $15 Amazon GC).
I think U30i is a fairly new program, and although my experience with them is limited, I was happy with the way the transaction played out -- they sent the drinks to taste test when they said they would, emailed my questions when they said they would, and paid promptly upon completion. Will append this after my next assignment is complete.
Meanwhile, here's the link to join if you want to try them yourself: http://www.u30.com/
If you hate spam like I do, you wonder sometimes who in the heck is responsible for it? Well, one company decided to do a study and find out.
During the first 6 months of 2004, Mike Adams of ArialSoftware.com signed up for the services and/or newsletters of 1,057 "well-known online organizations" each time with a unique email address, to see how well they dealt with user privacy issues and their compliance with CAN-SPAM.
He found that over 2/3 violated CAN-SPAM by not providing an unsubscribe link and/or by failing to clearly identify the source of the email.
HOWEVER... of the 1,057 online organizations he surveyed, ONLY THREE engaged in actively spamming ("high volume commercial emails and an unsubscribe function that didn't work")...And guess who one of the infamous three might be?
MEMOLINK.com.
Imagine that.
The full text of ArialSoftware's report (VERY interesting reading) is here. The other two spammers were Prize-O-Matic.com and FreebiePeople.com, BTW.
The SixQuestions paid trivia program has begun offering rewards for shopping. They don't currently have a lot of merchants, but all awards are flat-rate (per purchase, not per dollar). The amount varies per merchant. Obviously the best bet here is to make a very small purchase. Some suggestions:
An $8 subscription to Redbook or Esquire will get ya 20,000 points (from MagazineWorm)
Sealtest Non-Dairy Creamer (from CoffeeForLess) is $8.20 shipped and will earn you 20,000 points
Makeup bag "Kipling Nerve" (from eBags) for $5.59 shipped will get ya 25,000 points
What? Haven't joined SixQuestions yet? Read my review here and join!
ClickIQ Program Review
Become an e/visor and earn IQ points for completing surveys or online focus groups. Convert those IQ points to cash at a rate of 1c per point. $25 (or 2500 points) is the minimum to request payment.
Membership is only open to US residents. One account per household.
Interested in joining? Please click here for a referral!
NPDOR Review
Receive prize drawing entries for completing surveys! Survey invitations are sent based on your demographics and user profile. Winners are notified 4 weeks after the survey closes. Limit one account per household.
Interested in joining? Click here to get a referral!
Yet another good survey company is ACOP (American Consumer Opinion). Survey invitations are sent by email. First you're asked a few questions to see if you qualify to do the full survey. If you don't, you'll get an entry into a prize drawing. But if you do qualify, you'll get a definite paycheck of between $4 and $50 depending on the survey length. You'll receive a check within 4 weeks of the survey closing. (People outside the US and Canada are paid by AmEx Gift Cheques.) Membership is limited to one per household.
The other day I mentioned the NFO MySurvey program as a way to earn money online by completing surveys. Another great program that I've been paid by several times is Greenfield Online. Surveys are available every day onsite and occasionally you'll receive an invitation by email to do a specific survey based on your profile. When you complete a survey, you'll be entered into a drawing for cash prizes. You can request a check at any time (no minimum required to cash out).
If you're a member of e-Rewards, don't forget that July 31 is the deadline for you to cash in any points you earned through June 30th of this year. If you don't redeem by then, you'll forfeit 75% of them! Blockbuster rentals (at the $25 level) are about the best offer they have, but even if you've redeemed for that already once this year, redeem for SOMETHING instead of losing 75% of what you've earned!
I just cashed out for my second $10 check at National Family Opinion (MySurvey.com). They send occasional surveys about various things -- purchases, product usage, stuff like that -- for points you trade in for cash, raffle entries, or merchandise. It's a fun program and very easy to do.
If you want to try it out, please click here...thanks!
