![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-169958-100x100.png\")
...that is one fugly landing page
...that is one fugly landing page
![\"user-pic\"](\"/css/images/default.gif\")
I did it...and redemption code has already been redeemed...so no go. No subscription for me :boohoo
I'm going to tell the consumerist on you.
I took the survey and got a no code message as well. Does someone want to add me to their EECB? :)
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-142705-100x100.png\")
@Laura Northrup: @Ben Popken:
I'm not happy that the freebie is a lower class than \"paid subscription\", as with a freebie account, I can't access detailed used car info. It tells me I need a \"paid account\" for that.
So why is a freebie account second class to a paid account? When considering the offer, there is no indication that a free account is anything less than a paid account. (This message CC:ed to VOGEAN@consumerist.org, ben@consumerist.org)
LOL
I trust a EECB to Consumer Reports will take care of things pronto! No messing around!
I'm sure it will be fine. Even if it is not, you all haven't gotten rid of me so easilty muahahahaha
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-52435-100x100.png\")
Oooh, reader panel.
I propose first order of business: kittens in labcoats.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-1161-100x100.png\")
If you got an error message saying redemption code already redeemed, please email VOGEAN@consumer.org.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-121828-100x100.png\")
@Ben Popken: Yep, \"No code available.\" Also, one of the questions didn't actually display any radio buttons for input. I wouldn't have used the code anyway, but still . . . .
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-808630-100x100.png\")
@Ben Popken: Mine said \"no code available\" but I'm already a paid subscriber so it doesn't matter to me. Just letting you know in case it happens to others.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-98237-100x100.png\")
@Ben Popken: Mine didn't say \"already reedemed,\" but I could not get the Validate button to work. Reported the issue to the e-mail address you mentioned, thanks.
@speedwell, avatar of snark: Happy to report that Consumer Reports' tech support is (wait for it) an excellent customer service experience. Thanks Andrew :D
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-498964-100x100.png\")
Awesome. I've been thinking about switching from the print Consumer Reports to the online version and I just wasn't sure I'd like it. Now I can try it for free! Thanks Consumerist!
/Cheezyness.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-436259-100x100.png\")
@Kimaroo - 20% More Kitty Added!: You could have tried for 30 days free anyways with a Consumerist code. I did it when researching the GPS and the TV. I was thinking of cancelling it... but hey! Free year!!
@MostlyHarmless: I know, but not without a credit card. I hate signing up for \"free\" things with a credit card.. even though I trust consumer reports.
I'm very excited that I got the free year. I was dreading having to choose between the mag and the web. Now I can see if I really miss the magazine and get it guilt free later on if I want to.
@MostlyHarmless: Well just so you have the context: when I first subscribed to the mag I was working at my old job with no internet access (*gasp!*) so I was glad to have the magazine in my bag for when I had downtime.
My subscription just expired and when I got the bill yesterday I was thinking about this. Now at my new job I have free use of the Internet. (*phew!*) So I was trying to decide if I would actually get more use out of the site or should I stay with the mag? So this freebie was perfect timing for me and I'm really happy!
Yay Consumerist!
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-537475-100x100.png\")
Consumerist, you know how much I like surveys. Is the reader panel in person only or online? Seems like it was online, but I wasn't sure.
@valueofaloonie: Pretty much what I was going to say, which is why I think it's all online. It just seems like that's the only way you can only get a fair representation of the site's readership.
@pecan 3.14159265: if it's in person, i'm going to bring my dog.
...he'll love chasing everyone's cats.
I notice that this survey, with accompanying questions about our age/race/income/employment comes just one day after Ben's \"den of whores\" article where the marketers suggested he sell users' personal data. Coincidence?
Treachery is afoot!
/oh, wait, didn't I just rate them highly on trust?
@whim17: Yeah I know what you mean. I was about to joke that Ben posted the Den story yesterday to preempt any accusations of data harvesting ;)
@whim17: Well, collecting data about how you like the site isn't the same as personal data. There was nothing personal about the survey. I wasn't asked to enter any specific information like my name. All Consumerist knows is my age (but only the year), and my race.
If Consumerist (or anyone, for that matter) wanted to cull users' data to sell, it wouldn't take a survey to figure out that Consumerist is mostly people in their 20s to 40s - prime advertising demographic. You don't need a survey to figure that out. You just have to be on the site for half an hour.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-24730-100x100.png\")
@whim17: Sarcasm aside, when a group like Consumers Union does collects this type of demographic information, it's most likely used to better understand the behavior and preferences of its users to better craft products to fit user's tastes.
This is a legitimate function of Marketing, and what a lot of marketers (like me) actually do.
But, back to the paranoia - wanna bet they can link the validation code to your survey, which will link to your subscription? Hmm... I see a flood of emails reminding me to renew my subscriptions to ConsumerReports.org! Joking, of course...
@Xerloq speaks Portuguese, too...: @pecan 3.14159265: It wasn't meant to be taken seriously, or as sarcasm, even. Just a little joke, playing on the story that Ben posted yesterday.
The survey did ask for age, gender, marital status, occupation category, income range, and race (perhaps this was in the extended portion). That is a fair amount of personal information that can be used to make up a pretty decent profile of an individual, even if it is not attached to a name, SIN number or the like. If Consumerist has taught us anything, it's to be wary when a company asks for personal info and to question why it's necessary (with online surveys, read the privacy policy and the fine print where it should be outlined what the information will be used for. If there's no disclosure, I'd walk away. Privacy is pretty important).
That being said, adequate disclosure as to the purpose of the collection of this information and its uses was provided, so I answered the questions in this survey. Then I made a joke, and it flopped. Much like many of my jokes. *sigh*
(As an aside, Xerloq, I watched a director of marketing being examined in discovery (the pre-trial disclosure process), and he didn't know what the O in SWOT was. I wanted to bang my head against the table at his lack of knowledge because even I knew what it was from my one intro to marketing course in uni. When he was given the answer - opportunities - he back-tracked and said \"ah, yes, thought it was an A in SWOT.\" Do we really want to trust THAT guy with personal information? Yikes!)
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-53233-100x100.png\")
\"the link you provided to this survey is invalid\"
uh? I was taking the survey, submitted the answers and that's what I got. I didn't even get a redemption code. *sigh*
@davere: They're probably fixing the page and it's offline until they upload the fixed version. Try again in a half hour and see if it saved your answers, otherwise e-mail the address in Ben's post above.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-389492-100x100.png\")
@davere: me too!
The link you provided to this survey is invalid. Please note that due to email formatting restrictions, the link you received may have been broken across two lines. If this is the case, please copy the entire link to the browser's address/location field and try again.
Sorry for the inconvenience!
no way in hell. Last time I signed up for a trial with Consumer I was in middle school and was getting calls from creditors a couple months later. I would have reported it to a consumer website, but the internet didn't exist.
@SeattleTed is proud to like Robert Zimmerman: Um, okay. Well, I didn't have to give a phone number, if that's what you're concerned about. Heck, I didn't even enter my address when it came to the sign up page. And you can take the survey without redeeming the code for your free trial, you know.
Reader Panel! Thank you for the invite. I've already got my subscription paid for a while, though...
Does this survey time out quickly or something? I was doing it and I think I got to the end (almost) where I got to give my \"Anything else you'd like to say?\" comment, but then I had to do some work for a minute or two, and when I hit submit, I got an error. Now I've clicked on the survey again and none of my answers are there, so I would have to start over to get the code.
If it times out that quickly I'll have to wait till I'm at home to do it properly. Bummer.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-1216155-100x100.png\")
End of Survey:
\"Would you like to join The Consumerist panel now being formed by co-executive editors Ben Popken and Meghann Marco?\"
Does this include the possiblity of lunch or dinner with Meg? If so.. heck.. put me on the panel for the next 20 years and keep the pass. :P
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-16563-100x100.png\")
@ZeGoggles: They need to add a \"Rate how snarky you are\" scale to weed out the unfit.
Along with a trick question, \"My favorite dog breed is [a, b, c, d]\" where ANY answer gets you booted. (but hamster owners can ride along for free!)
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-545239-100x100.png\")
When I signed up for the reader panel, it asked me for my bank account number and PIN. You guys just need that for research purposes, right? ;)
Remember this post?
[consumerist.com]
Why is it that ConsumerReports.org will only allow passwords that include lower-case letters and numbers?
I was going nuts trying to use one of my lower security passwords when I realized it had some *gasp* CAPITAL letters in there. I don't HAVE a \"standard\" password that includes only lower-case letters and numbers. Does that tell you anything?
@pbj_sushi: The Consumerist doesn't control it's parent company. Also, you can make a pretty strong password with lower-case letters and numbers, just not as strong as if you included cap and lower.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-352862-100x100.png\")
@pbj_sushi: I agree, no Caps? I had to use a variation of my standard password formula, but I am sure to forget it each time I go to log in.
Add Caps...
Having the CU representative flaunting his lab coat is just cruel. To SteveDave.
So I took the survey before it was taken down... and the code I receive entitled me to an entire YEAR of CRO? Here's what it says on my account page:
Member since: September 30, 2009
Expire date: September 29, 2010
Terms: Non-renewing yearly
SWEET! Here I thought all I was getting was a month!
Since I scored a little off the top, will Consumerist/CRO renege on the contract, look for my account and kick me off CRO completely? I can't imagine a consumer advocacy group would do that. lol
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-267279-100x100.png\")
@slerch666: You get a year if you join the panel.
Consumerist! The password on consumersreports.com!!!
Password is a required field and has to be 4 to 20 lowercase letters and/or numbers. No spaces or other characters.
No capital letters?! Security please!
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-116776-100x100.png\")
@slerch666: Yea, mine said a year free also. It might have been a bug or something. Maybe that is why they took it down since they noticed it was giving out year passes instead of 30 day passes.
Woo hoo! Just in time for my fridge, washer and dryer purchase! Yay! New home!
I blame the OP...wait, what?
So the form is wonked when I go to fill in my personal info (address, etc). There's no text box next to country or state/province, yet it insists I fill it in.
Using Firefox, it's allowed cookies and javascript.
Cannot advance.
@amandakerik: oh ffs, form elements with \"Ad\" in the name, my Adblock didn't like that.
And all lowercase for the password? They NEED to change that!
Ah well, I'm in.
@amandakerik: I've bee considering telling KeepPass to expire the password in 3 months instead of my usual 6 because of the insecurity.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-552321-100x100.png\")
@amandakerik: I use adblock plus and noscript on Firefox. No problems here after adding exceptions to noscript.
\"Not counting this visit, when was your MOST RECENT to The Consumerist? Was it...\"
My most recent what? I'm dying to tell youuuu!
Sure its a month, mine says 1 year.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-481537-100x100.png\")
Bah! Got the message 'No code available.' vogean@consumerist.org better have a code that can be sent to me. I was really looking forward to my free month/year!
@Legal_Eagle_In_Training: Add me to the list of \"no code available\".
Somebody should write an article about surveys with fraudulent promises :)
@Legal_Eagle_In_Training: Another for the \"no code available\" list! Looks like the survey wa more popular than they expected!
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-5733-100x100.png\")
@Legal_Eagle_In_Training: I just got the 'No code available' message as well. Glad to see I'm not the only one.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-539206-100x100.png\")
Well, Consumerist, I'm disappointed. I completed the survey and signed up for the reader panel. Then was given a page that read, \"No code available.\" As an avid reader of The Consumerist and a fan of Consumer Reports, I was really looking forward to my free 1-year subscription and to helping to make the Consumerist even better. Any chance you can help make good on the offer, Ben (or other Consumerist staff member)?
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-693892-100x100.png\")
Eeks! Something's wrong with the survey... at the end of the survey, my browser threw an error (\"Connection to server was reset\" I think...). T_T
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-72887-100x100.png\")
It crashed partway through, didn't even give me the chance to enter my email address. :(
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-132529-100x100.png\")
Professor Akhobabo was just terminated from Consumer Reports, but not before moving $1.5million USD and 14 Siamese kittens into an offshore account. If you will kindly assist him in depositing the funds to your bank account, he will gladly pay you ten percent.
Signed,
Prof. A's Lab Assistant, Guido
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-449511-100x100.png\")
No code, no link, no email confirmation - nothing in spam.
Maybe it doesn't like Google Chrome?
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-536653-100x100.png\")
Got all the way through, agreed to be on the panel, and next page reads \"no code available.\" Ugh.
Not a ringing endorsement for \"Powered by Confirmit\"
I completed the survery, including requesting to join the consumerist panel, only to see the following where the code should have been:
No code available.
Um, help?
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-1240476-100x100.png\")
I filled out the survey, opted in for the panel, and when it time to get my code, I got
\"No Code Available.\"
Can you send my code to katsuyakaiba@gmail.com? Thanks.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-498599-100x100.png\")
I got to the end and it said 'no code available'. Is that a glitch, or have I missed some kind of deadline?
'no code available' doesn't seem to give me any type of free subscription. Consumer reports already bringing the consumerist down?? Another web gem on the verge of going to crap
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-431998-100x100.png\")
Another \"No code available\" after signing up for the panel. But let's be honest: we know consumerist will make all well. They already solved global warming and led me to a forum that made the noise from my TV speakers go away so fixing the codes for those of us who completed a survey should be small potatoes =)
Very sorry for those who experienced errors. Our survey team was surprised by how many readers wanted to join the panel. The volume was so great that by the time they saw that we were approaching the cut-off mark and took down the one year offer, a bunch of readers were already in the pipe. The readers who joined that got error codes and were unable to get the annual sub will be recontacted and provided a link to sign up for the one year trial.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-917643-100x100.png\")
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-280375-100x100.png\")
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-740342-100x100.png\")
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-131723-100x100.png\")
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-219713-100x100.png\")
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-441571-100x100.png\")
![[img35.imageshack.us]](\"http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/4260/consumerist.png\"){kind=link}
How many surveys for a lab coat? I want one so bad I can just imagine what I'd look like in one!
@GitEmSteveDave_JustAddHotWater: +1 for the pic, that's awesome.