Toluna account closed without warning

[beavinator]

So I emailed Toluna to find out why I suddenly had no new surveys available. This was their response:

"Your account has been closed due to the violation of our Terms and Conditions. When completing surveys offered to you by Toluna and its affiliated companies you agreed to supply only true, accurate, honest, current and complete (collectively "Accurate") information. We reserved the right to suspend or block the members' access to the site in situations when, based on evidence stored in our database, we concluded that members did not provide us accurate information in the surveys. You can review our Site terms here: http://us.toluna.com/Terms.aspx

Unfortunately, your account has now been blocked for abuse and all your earnings have been forfeited. This decision is motivated by the fact that our clients depend on factual information in order to make decisions about products, services, and policies that affect consumers.

We thank you for having been a member of Toluna, and wish you all the best for the future."

This is, of course, completely outrageous. I always attempt to provide the most accurate information possible. The only time I've provided information that wasn't accurate was when forced to by poorly-designed surveys which don't provide answer choices that actually fit my situation, an issue I've ranted about here in the past, and regarding which I have sent them specific complaints. Unfortunately, I suspect it's going to be my word against theirs. Does anyone here know if I have any recourse at all in this situation? Will contacting the BBB or any other organization help at all?

[TSP1973]

BBB is the place to go. Their is also ripoffreport.com. However they are not like the BBB, but you can voice your opinion about Toluna their to let other know. This is why I got rid of Toluna a long time ago, they are nothing more than a Scam Company! I completed a lot of surveys their and never got credit, they keep telling me I did not qualify. I of course took it to BBB and got my points!

Also if I were you I would contact Toluna and ask them to show you the Survey or Survey's that they claim you were not answering truthfully and ask them to show you the evidence that they have of it. I have this happen on one occasion with another survey company. They sent me their "So Called" proof and it was nothing more than laughable! It was bascailly a list of things that I "Might" have done, but never aimed at one particular thing and their was No "So Called" proof at all to back any of what they were saying up. So when and if you do get the "So Called" proof from Toluna, which you will probably laugh at like I did, send this Information to the BBB as well! It will greatly help your case, it did mine!!! Their "So Called" proof was the actual proof that helped my case, because it should the BBB that they were pulling a Scam and trying to BS their way out of paying me!

[beavinator]

Thanks for the response. I had already done exactly what you suggested and asked them to provide documentation supporting their claim, though I wasn't expecting it to do much good. I would just let this go except for the fact that, unlike the experience many here have described, I personally have actually had better luck with Toluna over the years than most other survey companies I've used. I've been with them since before they were Toluna, when they were formed by merging Your2Cents and another panel I can't remember the name of it's been so long, both of which I had been with for quite some time before that, and I've consistently made more money from them than anywhere else, right up until last month when they apparently blocked my account without even notifying me. I still have a check they sent me a couple weeks ago which I haven't deposited yet. Had it been Surveyhead or Opinion Outpost or almost any of the other companies that had done this I would probably just shrug my shoulders and move on, but with these guys I am feeling quite personally betrayed due to my especially long and I thought mutually beneficial relationship with them.

[TSP1973]

I hope you get the account back opened! When they respond with the "So Called" proof and evidence, please tell us what they said!

[cricket]

Hi Beav, I am wondering how much they owe you. I always cash out at $20 so I hope you didn't let it accumulate beyond that. You're an intelligent, articulate person and they're losing someone good. I'm sure you gave it your all. I received an email throwing me off a "yelp" (but not yelp) kind of ratings website, saying I never visited the site I was rating! They used some cyber word for what I was doing...I don't even know what it means! They had my real name so I told them to google me and see that I am not that kind of person. In any case, it's really distressing to be accused of lying and I hope you get this resolved.

[whippoorwill]

Will contacting the BBB or any other organization help at all?

Sorry that happened to you. As far as the BBB goes, in my personal experience the BBB really does not help. (Though I hope it will help you with this situation, of course. Good luck!)

The process of going to them is really more about just filing an official complaint that will be documented somewhere. They don't have the power to make any company do anything, whether they side with you or not - which is a big IF, btw. There's a lot of idiots handling complaints at the BBB!

A lot of people consider the BBB itself a scam because companies can pay for accreditation and then advertise it, which makes them seem reputable to anyone who's never actually dealt with the BBB.

http://www.bbb.org/us/Business-Accreditation-Standards/

I think companies that respond to BBB complaints are somewhat worried about having a low rating/record of complaints after all, though if they're that worried, they should just do things professionally before anyone has to complain.

Companies that are so morally and ethically low that they just don't care, won't do anything even if you do file a complaint. The BBB can't make them do anything. All they can do - and again, they don't always do their own job - is keep info on how many complaints have been filed and whether or not they were "resolved". I'll tell you now, they mark complaints "resolved" that are not in any way, shape or form actually resolved to the customer's satisfaction.

That's based on reporting a few different (types of) companies to the BBB, over a lifetime - not just dealing with survey companies.

There are other places to complain, as well, but it's pretty much the same thing. I believe that's why RipOffReport was started in the first place (i.e., because the BBB is so useless, at the end of the day). There used to be some other similar sites as well, when the internet first kicked into high gear, but I'm not sure if they still exist. And then you have the Yelp type sites (so stupid) nowadays, which are basically the same as the BBB (selling memberships to businesses to get better reputations), with the added 'bonus' of implicitly threatening customers ahead of time with libel charges if they write too honestly about how bad a business really is.

If it's not up to the lawsuit level, it's hit or miss whether you can get any redress from anywhere.... but I think it's still worth complaining - wherever and to whomever, however much you have the energy for - to let others know about bad businesses and shady people. And, of course, to try to get the money which is due to you!

Again, good luck!

[TSP1973]

I personally don't think BBB is a Scam. I have filed about 12 BBB complaints over the years and all but 1 was resolved in my favor. So my experances tells me that I don't believe they are a Scam working in the Businesses favor.

[rosiesmom]

I am not an attorney, but what about a class action suit against these companies that pull this stuff?

[ro12ro]

So I emailed Toluna to find out why I suddenly had no new surveys available. This was their response:

"Your account has been closed due to the violation of our Terms and Conditions. When completing surveys offered to you by Toluna and its affiliated companies you agreed to supply only true, accurate, honest, current and complete (collectively "Accurate") information. We reserved the right to suspend or block the members' access to the site in situations when, based on evidence stored in our database, we concluded that members did not provide us accurate information in the surveys. You can review our Site terms here: http://us.toluna.com/Terms.aspx

Unfortunately, your account has now been blocked for abuse and all your earnings have been forfeited. This decision is motivated by the fact that our clients depend on factual information in order to make decisions about products, services, and policies that affect consumers.

We thank you for having been a member of Toluna, and wish you all the best for the future."

This is, of course, completely outrageous. I always attempt to provide the most accurate information possible. The only time I've provided information that wasn't accurate was when forced to by poorly-designed surveys which don't provide answer choices that actually fit my situation, an issue I've ranted about here in the past, and regarding which I have sent them specific complaints. Unfortunately, I suspect it's going to be my word against theirs. Does anyone here know if I have any recourse at all in this situation? Will contacting the BBB or any other organization help at all?

Toluna is doing this to several members, they cancelled my account and I know other people that have the same experience. In addition, they use tactics, they send a lot of surveys and when you get credited, your account is cancelled. I would like to know if you were credited with any amount of points before your account were cancelled. I did a project for them and they credited me like 60000 points, and 2 days after my account was cancelled. Read this:

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=2913

I contacted the BBB, but my account still blocked

[TSP1973]

So I emailed Toluna to find out why I suddenly had no new surveys available. This was their response:

"Your account has been closed due to the violation of our Terms and Conditions. When completing surveys offered to you by Toluna and its affiliated companies you agreed to supply only true, accurate, honest, current and complete (collectively "Accurate") information. We reserved the right to suspend or block the members' access to the site in situations when, based on evidence stored in our database, we concluded that members did not provide us accurate information in the surveys. You can review our Site terms here: http://us.toluna.com/Terms.aspx

Unfortunately, your account has now been blocked for abuse and all your earnings have been forfeited. This decision is motivated by the fact that our clients depend on factual information in order to make decisions about products, services, and policies that affect consumers.

We thank you for having been a member of Toluna, and wish you all the best for the future."

This is, of course, completely outrageous. I always attempt to provide the most accurate information possible. The only time I've provided information that wasn't accurate was when forced to by poorly-designed surveys which don't provide answer choices that actually fit my situation, an issue I've ranted about here in the past, and regarding which I have sent them specific complaints. Unfortunately, I suspect it's going to be my word against theirs. Does anyone here know if I have any recourse at all in this situation? Will contacting the BBB or any other organization help at all?

Toluna is doing this to several members, they cancelled my account and I know other people that have the same experience. In addition, they use tactics, they send a lot of surveys and when you get credited, your account is cancelled. I would like to know if you were credited with any amount of points before your account were cancelled. I did a project for them and they credited me like 60000 points, and 2 days after my account was cancelled. Read this:

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=2913

I contacted the BBB, but my account still blocked

I say it is time you contacted the States attorney Generals Office and file a complaint. Once you have file the Complaint, Email Toluna and let them know that you are NOT letting them Screw you over and that you have contacted the States Attorney Generals Office for Scamming people!

[beavinator]

cricket: Yes, I always cash out $20 the instant I reach 60000 points as well. I'm currently at 25524 points, which I guess technically means they owe me nearly $10. But it's not so much not getting to redeem the earnings I've already accrued that's upsetting me, as the fact that I won't be able to continue to earn from them in the future, since as I said, I've found them one of the most lucrative panels for me so far. Although...

ro12ro: Your story really sheds some light on how truly untrustworthy this company actually is. Very disturbing.

They never responded to my request for documentation proving I violated their policies. I have just filed my BBB complaint. I'll let you all know how it turns out.

[ro12ro]

here is their answer to the BBB complaint:

While we are sorry for the inconvenience, once again, our terms do state that Toluna has the right to close any account without notice, and our terms can be viewed at http://us.toluna.com/Terms. As we have acted within our rights, we will not be reinstating your account. Should you bring this to the BBB, they will be informed of the same information, and will be provided with our terms as well.

[1957horses]

here is their answer to the BBB complaint:

While we are sorry for the inconvenience, once again, our terms do state that Toluna has the right to close any account without notice, and our terms can be viewed at http://us.toluna.com/Terms. As we have acted within our rights, we will not be reinstating your account. Should you bring this to the BBB, they will be informed of the same information, and will be provided with our terms as well.

You know Toluna is a big ripoff. I had surveys that were completed and I always take a screenshot of the last page were it says on most of their surveys "Thank You, you have completed this survey, Click to submit your answers" Well that's not word for word, point I'm trying to make here is that 3 1/2 years ago I completed a survey on Toluna worth 20,000 points and I look at my taken surveys and it said sweepstakes. So I type to them several hundred emails. So after a month they ask me for a screenshot. What is a screenshot I ask myself. This was when I Was young and dumb (50) So since then, I learned how to do screenshots. Now over the last few years, I as said up top I take the screenshots and even though right there it says completed they still argue that it wasn't. The last one I did was for 11,000 points. Sent the screenshot and they say I didn't finish it. This goes on a few months. Finally they send me the very same survey and tell me to do it again. So I did it a gain and guess what............ I finished it again and took another screenshot of that one. They still said I did not finish it, so after another month, They said that they felt bad I wasn't able to complete it (of course I begged to differ) seeing my screenshot (both of them) proved I did, they out of the goodness of their heart (what heart I thought) and they gave me 7,000 points. Well that gave me enough to cash out for 75,000 to get an amazon card..................................AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF "I HOPE THE DOOR HITS THEM ON THEIR POMPUS ARSS ON THE WAY OUT THE DOOR"

And I haven't looked back again, the rotten buzzards.

[avemaria]

here is their answer to the BBB complaint:

While we are sorry for the inconvenience, once again, our terms do state that Toluna has the right to close any account without notice, and our terms can be viewed at http://us.toluna.com/Terms. As we have acted within our rights, we will not be reinstating your account. Should you bring this to the BBB, they will be informed of the same information, and will be provided with our terms as well.

that's entirely inappropriate business behavior and the entire reason the BBB exists to begin with.. you can't just put on your website that you have immunity to criminal activity and that makes it ok.. those that do business with you deserve adequate reason for your actions.

[TSP1973]

here is their answer to the BBB complaint:

While we are sorry for the inconvenience, once again, our terms do state that Toluna has the right to close any account without notice, and our terms can be viewed at http://us.toluna.com/Terms. As we have acted within our rights, we will not be reinstating your account. Should you bring this to the BBB, they will be informed of the same information, and will be provided with our terms as well.

" Should you bring this to the BBB, they will be informed of the same information, and will be provided with our terms as well" Take it to the BBB, don't let them scare you out of not filing! Toluna, in this Email they sent you obviously knows they have Scammed you, just by their wording and the fact they refuse to answer your question! The BBB will see right throw this, espically when you tell them you asked what proof they had and that was there response! Take it to the BBB and I would take it to the States Attorneys' Generals office. Once you filed with both the BBB and States Attorney Generals Office, then send Toluna back a Email letting them know you have filed complaints with both places and you are not backing down! Also go to ripoffreport.com and let them know as well, once you posted on that website, inform Toluna about it as well! Let Toluna you are going to be a huge Headache for them!