Joining Pinecone

[ljhoppe]

I have been trying to join Pinecone for years with no success. Anyone help me?

[avemaria]

i had a general sign up link but it appears not to be valid anymore.. have you tried emailing them?

[Sherry67]

A friend of mine got into Pinecone on her first try a few weeks ago, after she stumbled upon one of those elusive banners that Pinecone will randomly put up on sites when they are in a rare recruitment phase. The trouble is, even though my friend got in, it was after Pinecone switched everything over to the points system and so I don't think she has an actual cash option yet (like those of us who are existing members have).

ljhoppe - I would say if you get in, great. If not, it's really no big deal. It's not like you're missing out on really big money. It can be very hard to get in for some people. Some get turned down a few times and then suddenly get an invitation. Those of us who made it in are happy with the occasional products we get to test (maybe a few times a year, at most), and the fairly fast $3.00 payments. Some folks even seem to get a few surveys a week while others only get one per month. But, it is also widely known that Pinecone "refreshes" its database every so often and deactivates people's memberships without warning, just to make room for new participants. Some people may be dropped after 6 months; some after 6 years. It's anyone's guess. I think we all expect to be dropped at some point.

Also, since the new points system has been in place, payments take longer, there are technical issues on the rewards site when cashing out and everything seems to be kind of askew at the moment.

Have you tried to join Darwin's Data? That is a guaranteed $10 Amazon gift card just for filling out their profile survey, and then a $25 Amazon gift card for any survey you do after that. That might be easier to get into, and possibly more worthwhile for you.

[Administrator]

Pinecone Research is recruiting new members right now.

If you visit the Pinecone Research review page on SurveyPolice http://www.surveypolice.com/pinecone-research and click on "click here to register with this website", you will be brought to their signup form. The demographics they are looking for may fluctuate at times, but most people should be able to successfully register.

[SeriousSurveyer]

Is it that you can't find the link or that you've never been accepted when you apply?

If it's because you haven't been accepted then you can keep trying, but it's not really that big of a deal, IMO. If you get 1 or 2 surveys a week from Pinecone for a total of $3 or $6 you're doing very well, when you could make that in a couple of days with other companies. Most weeks you won't get that much from them, and the new points system is causing delays in receiving the money.

They still have the perk of no cashout threshold and fair compensation for the time spent (most times, at least) but if they haven't accepted you it's not like you're missing something grand.

[Sherry67]

....They still have the perk of no cashout threshold and fair compensation for the time spent (most times, at least) but if they haven't accepted you it's not like you're missing something grand.

I mentioned in my above post -- which basically said most of the things you just said in yours! Lol -- that my friend who just joined Pinecone via a random banner (and I have no clue on which site she found the banner) did/does not yet have a cash option for the 300 points. I think that we existing members still have the "perk" or benefit of being able to turn our 300 points into $3.00 (albeit, with greater difficulty and more delays) because that's what we were already doing. Some of the newer members do not yet have a cash option on the Rewards page. I have also seen this scenario mentioned in one of Slickdeals' Pinecone threads -- a couple of people indicated that they had no cash option under the new points system at all, by PayPal, by check or by debit card. That could change in a few months or so -- but who really knows?

So I guess my concern is that new people who join may not even be able to get cash! At that rate I'd say...what's the point of joining? Honestly, I think that people want to join Pinecone so badly because they hear that it is a hard panel to get into, and with that comes a certain mystique and allure. It's just like finding a mate -- when the potential love interest is more unavailable and plays hard to get, they become more appealing. When they are available and easy to get to, the challenge is gone! Lol.

[peach6]

Sherry67, I have to agree with you that everyone wants to belong to Pinecone because they make it sound like they don't except everyone but it all depends on what they are looking for at the time whether it's a specific age group or a certain location I think that's how they decide if you are a good fit or not.I know I had tried a few times before I was accepted but I can say that they are not a big money maker for me I am lucky if I get one survey a month and I have only had one PT from them I think I have been with them about a year.

[Sherry67]

Sherry67, I have to agree with you that everyone wants to belong to Pinecone because they make it sound like they don't except everyone but it all depends on what they are looking for at the time whether it's a specific age group or a certain location I think that's how they decide if you are a good fit or not.I know I had tried a few times before I was accepted but I can say that they are not a big money maker for me I am lucky if I get one survey a month and I have only had one PT from them I think I have been with them about a year.

Yes, exactly. Sometimes the demographics that any survey company needs will change, and during one year they may need more of one demo than others. If my friend who got into Pinecone a few weeks ago had tried to get into Pinecone last year, or even 6 months from now, she may not have had any luck. I was turned down a couple of times before Pinecone finally sent me an invitation. They do keep the info on file, even if they turn people down, so that when a window opens up and they start recruiting they already have some names to go to.

People definitely want to join Pinecone more than some other places just because of that air of "exclusivity," and because of the fact that it is usually hard to get accepted on the first try.

It's important to put it all into perspective and context, though. No one is paying their bills from Pinecone's surveys. For a survey panel, Pinecone is decent because of the relatively fast payment (IF you have a cash option, that is) after a survey, and because of the fact that you are guaranteed $3.00 for each survey, without worry of being DQ'd. Plus, when and if you get a PT to do, it is usually a good product. So, for a survey company, Pinecone is worthwhile. However, even in a "good" month -- if you get multiple surveys from Pinecone -- it is never a big money-making venture. Up to this point Pinecone has been a solid, fairly dependable source of very small bits of money here and there, paid in a timely manner, and interesting PTs. But some members may literally only get one survey per month. I don't know if trying repeatedly to get in is worth the effort after a while, really.