$38 free for opening my mail (Nielsen TV survey)

[04SE]

So maybe 4-6 weeks ago we received a nondescript junk mailer that was actually in the recycle pile on the kitchen counter until my wife decided to open it for some reason. To our surprise it contained $8 in cash and asked us to respond to a basic questionnaire for Nielsen TV ratings. We used the Christmas tree pattern method and gladly mailed the junk mail back. Well, tonight we received a second mailing from Nielsen TV ratings with $30 cash in it and a large packet diary thing to record or TV usage and shows that we watch. I figure we can give it the same pencil whipping we gave the initial questionnaire and see what they send us next, if anything.

The initial $8 was put into my daughter's piggy bank with a smile. The $30 might just buy a family dinner this week or be put into my daughter's piggy bank.

 

[aquariuscsm]

I haven't gotten one of those in the mail in ages.

 

[JustinH]

we did this nonsense last year. They want you to log every hour of television you watch on paper, and mail it to them.

If you don't do it properly, you won't get more money.

We didn't do it right.

 

[chunt]

They just sent me a single dollar in the mail a few weeks ago. A week later they called and I told them that I do not do surveys and hung up. My time is worth more than a dollar. They called a few days later and I asked that they do not call again. They seemed to be a little upset with me. I took their money and now I won't talk to them.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: 04SE
We used the Christmas tree pattern method and gladly mailed the junk mail back.


Christmas tree method?

 

[WANG]

Once upon a time, I would take junk mail and redistribute the contents among the postage paid envelopes included and send those out. Probably wouldn't have done that with cash hahaha!

 

[04SE]

Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Originally Posted By: 04SE
We used the Christmas tree pattern method and gladly mailed the junk mail back.


Christmas tree method?


A method used by public school students on standardized tests where when filling out the answer bubble sheet it is filled out in such a way that the filled in 'dots/bubbles' form a Christmas tree pattern on the answer sheet.


From Google:

Christmas tree

Or when you want to hurry up and get a multiple choice test over with and you don't care about the grade.

"How did you do on the test"
"I just chrismas tree'd it"

 

[mazdamonky]

My family participated in this twice. Both times, they gave us $50. I don't think they were asked back a third time.

 

[eljefino]

I did it a couple times. They were tickled pink I got my TV off-the-air.

If I were Hispanic they'd have camped out in my yard to make sure I complied.

 

[NYSteve]

In the industry and Nielsen is the measurement currency for $70Billion worth of TV Ads. Majority comes from devices installed on the box but diary is still significant. Makes me laugh that this is how my industry is measured.