Is E-Rewards a Scam?
By BioMedGirl
E-Rewards is a 'by invitation only' survey site that offers E-rewards dollars in exchange for participation in a variety of surveys. To join, you must get an email invitation from one of their sponsors which you can usually get by signing up for a sponsor's email service. For example, I joined when I received an email from Gamestop after signing up for their email service.
How does it work?
When you sign up, they will offer you a certain amount of reward money to fill out their 'get to know you' questionnaire. You will answer questions on your interests, employment etc. so that E-Rewards can 'match' you with the appropriate surveys. You can also choose how often you want to receive emails, however, even if you choose the maximum it's not a guarantee. After that, E-Rewards will send you email notifications every time you have survey to do. Upon full completion of the survey you will get a certain amount of E-Rewards dollars, usually around $5. If you start the survey but don't qualify, then you will receive a much smaller reward 'for your time', usually around 25 cents.
E-Rewards can be exchanged for a variety of things such as magazine subscriptions, frequent flier miles on your other accounts, coupons, and the occasional gift card. The price of the reward usually doesn't correlate with the amount of E-Rewards dollars it costs. For example, to get a $25 gift card to Gamestop, you have to save up 50 E-Rewards dollars.
So is it a scam?
This is a tough question. I've been using E-Rewards for a little over 2 months and so far I'm simply underwhelmed. The program doesn't charge you for anything and they don't sell your email address (I haven't received any spam mail yet). At the same time, I very rarely get surveys that I 'qualify' for so I usually only get the minimum reward. On some occasions I will spend 15-20 minutes answering very in-depth questions about a random product only to be told at the end of it that I don't qualify. I have attempted 27 surveys so far, and only 1 of those was 'completed' leaving me with the full reward (see table below for a summary of my survey and reward amounts).
So my conclusion is this: If you have the extra time, it's not going to hurt you but don't expect to earn free stuff left and right. It will probably take a significant amount of time to earn enough E-Rewards to get anything you really want so if time is an issue, you are probably better off skipping this program.
UPDATE 03/09/11: I Just thought I would update this article to say that I just received my first reward, a $25 Gamestop gift card. I checked the balance of the card online and it's legit! For those of you still on the fence, I urge you to give it a shot, especially if you have a bunch of free time on your hands.
Date
| Survey
| Ammount
|
|---|---|---|
1/11/2010
| Do you work
| $1.00
|
1/14/2010
| Quick survey about the economy
| $0.25
|
1/14/2010
| Tell us about your reading habits
| $0.50
|
12/2/2010
| Study about consumers
| $0.25
|
12/8/2010
| Study about consumers
| $0.60
|
12/8/2010
| Study about consumers
| $0.10
|
12/8/2010
| Quick survey about life events
| $0.10
|
12/9/2010
| Study about food and drink
| $0.35
|
12/9/2010
| Study about food and drink
| $0.25
|
12/12/2010
| Study about consumers
| $0.25
|
12/12/2010
| Study about consumers
| $0.10
|
12/14/2010
| J. D. Power and Associates - Study about banking
| $0.35
|
12/15/2010
| Study about entertainment
| $0.50
|
12/15/2010
| Quick survey about consumer products
| $0.35
|
12/22/2010
| Study about consumer products
| $0.25
|
12/22/2010
| Quick survey about reasturants
| $0.25
|
12/22/2010
| Study about consumer products
| $0.35
|
12/22/2010
| Study about shopping
| $0.25
|
12/22/2010
| Study about science and technology magazines
| $0.35
|
12/22/2010
| Study about consumers
| $0.60
|
12/22/2010
| Study about consumers
| $0.60
|
12/22/2010
| Study about consumers
| $0.20
|
1/9/2011
| Quick study about education
| $0.25
|
1/9/2011
| Study about travel
| $0.35
|
1/11/2011
| Study about science and technology magazines
| $0.25
|
1/11/2011
| Telecommunications
| $0.60
|
1/13/2011
| Study about consumer products
| $6.60
|
If you have tried E-Rewards, weigh in!
Do you think E-Rewards is a scam?
See results without votingComments
I agree, I don't think it's a 'scam' it just takes such a long time to build up to something worthwhile it may not be worth your time. Thanks for reading!
I think it would be a lot of really late night, I can't sleep work, or I have nothing better to do. Then again very tempting.....
I have also been doing a lot of survey's lately, but havent really got any profit from it. I have a lot of free time but have not been able to find a lot of survey site's which take in Indian nationals. I think its only the US, ENgland thing for now.
100% scam, after working 20 hours, I got $4 off a $20 order with pizza hut.... I do better with coupons. 100% A SCAM!!!!!
AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@veryhip4u Like I have stated in my article, it certainly takes more time than the rewards are probably worth, but I have earned, received (in a timely manner I must add) and used a $25 gift card to Gamestop. And I highly doubt I put 20 hours worth of effort into it, I only filled out surveys during commercials while watching TV. So worth your time? Questionable. Scam? I don't think so, at least not in the sense that it steals your money or promises false rewards.
I have been using it for a little over 2 years, and I have received 2 target gift cards, and $30 in Border Bucks, and $25 in FTD purchases. It's not a scam, but can be time consuming sometimes. But overall I like the free gifts for just giving my opinion.
Nope...not a scam at all! I've been using it for just shy of a year now, and I can honestly say it's legit. Some of the surveys are longer than they should be, but I have qualified for most of them, and the rewards are real. To date I have won no less than four $25 gift cards for Ticketmaster, and am now working on a fifth. Plus, I have earned a free one-year subscription to Reader's Digest. Nothing fake about this service.
I agree Nate, I have so far received 2 Gamestop gift cards and a magazine subscription as well. I was really skeptical at first but then the surveys really started picking up and I started actually getting the full amount. I still think the pay-out for your time is low, but then again all you are doing is filling in surveys so I can't complain.
Not to say a word
Yes.
had been doing e-rewards for last 18 months until recently when too many times find myself at the end of a survey only to get a 'we have all responses needed from your group' message---which is crap as they establish or should upfront what your criteria to participate is. so this way they get the info for free. it's happened too many times in last month to be a random thing----this is a screw 'em tactic---they don't care if you leave, they'll just recruit others and lather them up for awhile before repeating the same.
Frankcia, this has happened to me a few times as well, I'm glad I'm not the only one! It seems to only happen occasionally for me, usually I'm either immediately ineligible or I get the whole way through but it's rather irritating when it does happen. It makes me feel like e-rewards doesn't do a very good job of screening the surveys then send us to on the website..
I just got an E-rewards thing a few minutes ago and I just wanted to know if it was an absolute SCAM!!! AH!!!! I got $1.00. Huh. No, No, no sonny this is bootycheek. Ah!!!!!
Rewards on E-rewards are now basically a bunch of crap. Magazines that I have no interest in, "gift cards" that you still have to pay for in the end or are out of stock---basically coupons, and a bunch of hotel discounts. I have built up over $100.00 now and am left with nothing. I keep hanging on hoping they will get back some real gift cards, but I think I will try to use the "money" I have for FlexPerks just in case E-Rewards goes belly up and I really get screwed
The magazine options change pretty frequently; so far I have ordered Shape (didn't like it) and Cooking Light (love it) from them and they both started arriving a month or 2 after I ordered them. I just looked again and right now I don't see any magazines that I'm interested in but check back in a week and who knows?
The only gift card I ever see offered is the $25 to gamestop and I have ordered that one twice. Both times it was in stock, delivered in a timely manner, and redeemed without problem.
Dutchmaster803 15 months ago
I used to work for Gamestop and I had a few customers come in with the $25 giftcard. I just think it will take a long time to build up 50 bucks worth of surveys.