Pinecone Research changed for the worse

marfy

Hi. I've been doing surveys with Pinecone Research for many years, earning 300 points per survey and being able to cash out at 300 points.

Recently they announced exciting changes. All that's meant is that it is nigh on impossible to complete a survey as, even after answering many questions, we get told we're not suitable or they have enough submissions. The surveys are only worth around 75-100 points. BUT they have also changed the minimum number of points at which you can cash out to 1,000.

I'm currently at 730 points, earned by completing the surveys on the original site before the changes. I'm not able to reach 1,000 but I don't see why I should lose out on what is worth £7.30 just because they've changed their rules, with no agreement from site participants.

Their "customer care" is now useless, only sending pro forma responses and not actually answering questions.

Does anyone have any suggestions what we (there are many of us) can do about this?

eskbanker

https://www.pineconeresearch.com/terms-of-use says that they're an American outfit governed by US (New York) law, so even if you were able to make a case that their changes to the offering were unlawful, it would be entirely impractical to enforce anything, especially for £7.30.

Nothing to stop you from continuing to press their customer services and/or raising the profile of your grievance via social media or review sites though…

Aylesbury_Duck

The golden rule with all these sorts of reward/points/cashback sites is to cash-in as much as you can as soon as you can. The stories on here of people with sometimes hundreds of pounds worth of points/credit/cashback 'saved up' and then lost or devalued, are plentiful.

millie

I have found the same problem, it took about 10 minutes of answering questions before I was screened out. I had 1530 points if I had realised that it would be changed I would have cashed them before. Just did £10 worth, hopefully I will be able to get another 500 points and then I will dump them.

flicks

You always know when a survey site tells you there's exciting changes coming up it won't be for the benefit of it's members.

I'm guessing they've been taken over by one of the bigger sites who like nothing better than taking their members for a ride.

From 300 points for a 15 minute survey they offered me a 70 minute survey for 150 points the other day and they've removed the Paypal option.

Although it won't get you your money I had considerable pleasure in telling them what they could do with their surveys and insisting they close my account, (yes, insisting as they refused my first request to close it).

I can only suggest everybody does the same as it's the only way they'll know what we really think.

PeteMc

Are these the ones that used to give Luncheon Vouchers as rewards?

Fairy_Shazza

I've been doing surveys with them for almost 30 years too and the changes they've made have turned it to absolute trash - I've not successfully completed one survey since the website upgrade. I used to really enjoy their surveys and have earned a decent amount in rewards but I think if I can get to the next 1000 point mark (currently at 1535) I won't bother with them anymore.

NellieNewbie

Thought I would do a quick Internet search to see if other people had noticed the changes and it took no time at all to find out it wasn't just me - this thread was the top result. In fact, it is all over the Internet and I found out that the big change is membership of Pinecone is no longer by invitation - anyone can just open an account and get a sign up bonus. In the past although I didn't get loads of invites for surveys I was rarely screened out when I did. I wondered if it was because I'd turned 65 and at this age there's plenty of candidates for the research companies to choose from, but clearly it is simply a case of the goal posts have been moved.

I stuck with Pinecone because it was easy to get the £3 payout, but not any more. Even the screening questions take more time now and you can be screened out a good way into a survey. I'm on 900+ points and as soon as I can redeem my points I'm finished with Pinecone. It was good while it lasted.

born_again

I guess getting companies to pay up for these surveys is becoming harder, given the hard times everyone is facing.

marfy

Thanks for all your replies. I guess I was too trusting when they said there would be changes.

Their email responses are quite brutal, they might as well just say "Suck it up, sunshine!"

I have left a review on TrustPilot, as have many others. Hopefully this might warn people considering joining them.

dumpster_fire2025

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81920816#Comment_81920816

Yeah, they are.

The surveys were also worth £4 a pop nearly 20 years ago now, which went down to £3, despite it really ought to have been going up due to inflation. And now they're worth a £1 a go, hardly worth it really.

The only thing that might have made it semi-worthwhile was getting a test product sent to you, although they were hardly sending bars of gold (more likely a small bar of chocolate.)