Zoom Panel

[masspetematt]

I read a few posts this morning and about 50% of the posts are negative. Well This post of mine will be in the NEGATIVE!

As of this date (12-12-10) it has taken me over a months time (since 10-24-10) to finely RECTIFY a problem with my Zoom

Panel account. Firstly, I was never advised by Zoom Panel that my points (30, 915) were about to expire, and my membership

was to be cancelled. I joined in October 2005 and it has taken 5 YEARS to accumulate my 30,915 points. That total converts

to $309.15 (1 cent per point, using 1000 points = $10.00 Red Cross donation reward).

I sent 8(eight) emails to their MEMBER SUPPORT(what a misnomer that is) department before they finely re-activated my

membership and points total. Now I decided I'd better redeem my points before anymore "crap" from Zoom Panel is

"thrown-my-way". I ordered an 8GB Voyager Flash Drive from their rewards center (costing me 5000 points = $50.00).

I received the Flash Drive in 5(five) business days. I then went online to see if the exact Flash Drive is available. The

selling price for the Flash Drive is this:

Newegg = $13.99 Dell = $16.99 PC Connection = $24.70 Amazon = $24.57 Tiger Direct = $24.75

CompUSA = $24.75 Computers4sure = $45.12 * all of the pricing includes S & H

Why is it that Zoom Panel has offered the EXACT SAME ITEM FOR $50.00. My DEDUCTIVE REASONING can explain it only

in one way...that is...Zoom Panel is STEALING BACK A MEMBERS POINTS BY CHARGING A HIGHER FEE FOR AN ITEM THEY

CAN PURCHASE FOR ABOUT 30-50% LESS. If you think this is an abberation, then let me tell you that I've looked online

for 12 other randomly picked Zoom Panel rewards gifts...AND THOSE ITEMS ALSO ARE 30-50% LESS IF BOUGHT ELSEWHERE!!!

You be the judge of Zoom Panel's buisness practices and determine whether or not they are conducting business honestly!!

I for one will eventually close out my membership with them once I redeem ALL MY POINTS. I promise that I will log a formal

complaint about Zoom Panel with , as well as the BBB and probably the state attorney-general's office.

I have been completing surveys since August of 2005 and most of the survey companies out there in cyberspace are just

as "under-handed" as Zoom Panel. The Member Support Departments of 50 of the 65 companies I am a member of are

almost non-existant because they fail to respond to my inquiries.

One final note, the most that I've earned completing surveys in a calendar year is $2,454.29 and that's devoting anywhere

from 4-5 hours per day and that is while I was unemployed and devoting 4-5 hours per day job searching.

I apologize for being long-winded, but if my experience helps others out there who are CONNED INTO BELIEVING THAT

A MEMBER CAN EARN $1000.00 OR MORE PER MONTH COMPLETING SURVEYS, then I feel I've surved a purpose. If you

are completing surveys that reward you at a rate LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE, then get a job "flipping" burgers or work

at WalMart, Kmart, or a host of other companies that pay you more for YOUR PRECIOUS AND VALUABLE TIME!!!

Respectfully,

masspetematt

[footfree]

Amen to that!!!!!!!!!!!That's my exact sentiment if you aren't making minimum wage doing surveys then please don't do them!Life is to short to be treated unfairly!

[TSP1973]

I understand fully were your coming from! I only mess around with there DVD's, most you can cash out for around 1000 points. For the past several months they been sending me surveys anywere from 250-500 points now, a lot more than what it use to be from 50-75 points. Only problem now with the point increase that most are not instant points anymore, taking anywere from 7-14 days before being created and sometimes never getting credited. They use to also respond in a very quick and timely fashion, now they are taking 4 times as long! So once the point values of doing surveys went up, there service and time to credit surveys have gone down hill!

[Whatatay]

masspetematt, where have you been? I have addressed this issue here on the boards. 10,000 points was never worth $100 except for charity donations. Two or three years ago it was worth about $75. After the economy tanked 10,000 was worth about a $30-$35 item. The thumb drive you bought has been at 5000 points for years as I watched how the price of it feel drastically yet it still cost 5000 points at Zoom Panel. The only reason charity donations are worth $100 is because it is a tax write off for them. They don't make the donation in your name, they simply subtract the member's points and make a donation like it came from them so they can take the tax write off.

[Not-a-Sucker]

This is one of the reasons I didn't bother to sign up with any survey company that pays in points that will only get you useless crap. If the points will equate into cash, then I will do it. Otherwise, keep your garbage. I'm not even very fond of Amazon certificates, because I find their garbage is overpriced (comparatively) and you have to pay shipping. Unfortunately, Amazon seems to be the only payment for the university studies (Harvard and Stanford). Too bad you can't use them to buy something you could use, like a Home Depot gift card.

But on that subject, has anyone sold their Amazon certificates? How does that go?

Also, does anyone have any experience with the Visa certificate from My View? Can you really take it to the store, or will it only work online? I have a boatload of points to cash in, but I don't want to order the thing and not be able to use it anywhere.

[TSP1973]

Well recently I cashed out for the Lost Season 6, for 5000 points every since they first release it. Which a few weeks ago I was in best buy and it was listed for $49.99, I also saw it in Walmart a few weeks ago at that price also. So there points to me can be kinda confusing.