AC Nielsen/Fact Finders - Don't Bother!

I used to do this for Taylor Neilson (I thought) and it is indeed tedious when all I wanted was a sit down and a cup of tea after trawling round Asda. Can't remember how long I did it for now but all I got for it was an ironing board with wonky legs and a cr*p electric knife. Definitely seconds and definitely not worth it

Regarding Shop & Scan, I was with them in 2007, but found the system was quirky and persistently did not work. My closing exchange with them was as follows:

"I have tried all the suggestions, along with the usual things, and it still just sits there doing nothing (apparently) for about 20 seconds, then it flashes green about 30-35 times, and then gives the usual: Transmission Error [3]

We ... concluded that the hassle outweighs the benefits...

Many thanks for all your effort trying to get it to work. Perhaps if it were a Java application running via Firefox it might work better."

I think the problem might have been related to being stuck to Internet Exploder, but can't really remember any details - just the frustration!

Have they updated how it works since July 2007? I think their system still used dial-up, amazingly outdated when we have 20Mb Virgin broadband these days.

Having recently joined Nielsen Factfinders I was disappointed to find that it too still uses dial-up! Although they were able to tell me how to set up a prefix to the number dialled, it isn't working, and I was about to give up on it after two weeks' scanning. I then tried selecting the exchange line on my phone, before telling it to try again - and it has now sent what I scanned so far. I will see how they respond to me complaining that it has lost the dialling prefix, and also whether Shop & Scan have brought their system up to date! ISTR the rewards were better, but my memory is a bit unreliable.

I've joined the Nielsen factfinders shopping panel. I also tried signing up for volunteers for panels a few months ago and have heard nothing so figured I may as well do Nielsen, even through the rewards are not as good. Setting up my scanner was not too difficult and as it is not connected to the PC, all it can transmit is the info I've scanned into it. I've not been offered the internet one - I would not do that.

I appreciate the rewards are not as good as with other shopping scanning companies but I'm looking at it as it still being a bonus as the rewards are something I would not have otherwise.

xbrenx wrote: »

I wish I had seen this forum before I bothered. That's exactly what happened to me, I can't plug any extras onto my phone line without the internet going awol. Even the sky connection only gets plugged in when it's really essential! The lady on the phone was quite insistent on working it out but I told her I have no wish to meddle with the internet when it works fine left on it's own.

So do other scanning companies manage to get the information without connecting to the phone line?

I've been doing Shop and Scan for about 4 months now and no problems yet. With them its a software download for the scanner on your PC, connect the scanner, go to the website and press a button to transmit the barcodes. I signed up about 6 months before I got an invite though so may be a bit harder to get into. I also upload the receipt for extra points which I do my taking a photo with the digital camera and upload it to the website but this is optional.

congrats Lady fluff I'm quite happy with Nilsson. I agree the rewards are not the most rewarding, but it is relatively little effort for the eventual freebie and I like the possibility I may win a prize as you have. I'd recommend them for anyone who isn't able to get into shop and scan.