I like the sound of this!

Please do not change the wait between payment request and payment receipt here at Greenfield (now one week maximum) to the wait at Toluna (10 weeks).  Keep PayPal as a payment option, please.  Finally, is there anyway to see the results of the Greenfield survey going around right now which pertains to our thoughts about the potential changes?

Hi Ohtocs,

Thank you for your feedback.  Right now, we are still hammering out the details of the upcoming changes, but rest assured we have no plans to discontinue PayPal, or increase the payment wait times.  Of course, as we have more updates we will be posting them here for everyone to see and we are happy to receive feedback.

Currently, the Toluna evaluation survey is still live, and I have not heard of any plans to post the results, but we are paying close attention to everyone's thoughts and feedback.  

Also, we have created a short FAQ about the changes, and this can be viewed by clicking the Toluna Community link above in the 3rd paragraph, and hopefully some of your questions will be answered there.

Again, thank you for posting your feedback, please feel free to contact me if you have any other thoughts or questions!

~Sara

Thank you, Sara, for the quick response to my comments.  I'm pleased to hear that the plan is to keep both PayPal and one week wait times for payment (two things I have always desired at Toluna since I was introduced to Toluna when Your2Cents was absorbed).  If I could make one more suggestion, it'd be to add Greenfield's Community Forum to Toluna.  As I'm sure you or others have read, one reason many have stuck around with Greenfield (despite disappointment in earnings) is the forum.

Toluna's forum STINKS. They have increased the minimum payout amount twice since they took over Y2C and it always seems to be around the time I want to cash out.. The wait time for checks is ridiculous and you have to hawk eye them to get them.

I have received very VERY few surveys and have eliminated them from my daily checklist. Most people I know have done the same.. I'm very sad to think I'll have to cut out Greenfield too if they go the way of Your2Cents

Hi Sara .....

I really wanted to take the Toluna survey ... but when it asked me to register on the site I wasn't comfortable doing that because I'm already a member ... and we all know it's against the rules to register twice on any survey site.

Anyhow, I logged on with my account and got DQ'd.  I still like Greenfield much better than Toluna ... I wish I could be excited about the change.

Linda

I dont understand. Will GF still be a seperate site from Toluna?

The FAQ is in a different language- its not english

I too was DQ'ed from the survey because I was already a member of Toluna.  I really liked Y2C but as others have stated have become very unhappy with the Toluna site since they took over.  They make it impossible to make money, get paid or hear a response.

I had already moved Toluna to my "Cashout and Drop" list weeks ago after they moved the payout to $20 and poor output of surveys.

I sure hope this site doesn't follow suit.

First off Wavs I am sorry to hear you got DQ'd for trying to take the survey.  I too couldn't register because I already am a member of Toluna and I logged and was able to complete the survey.  I hope that GF Toluna or whatever we would be called will still keep payments by checks and not go to paypal only.  I do not like nor understand paypal at all.  What my concern is will we be totally combined with Toluna on one sight and lose THIS site completely? or would we still have our own site like we do now but adopt some of Toluna's features plus uniquie features of our own.

Hi, ladynorth.  My impression is that Greenfield will be no more, and Toluna will be upgraded with PayPal and maybe another aspect or two that Greenfield has which Toluna does not.  Those who are not members of Toluna will have an account created; those who have accounts in both places will somehow have the information merged into the one Toluna account.  I'm not saying it is a dealbreaker, but the Paypal thing is absolutely necessary in order for Toluna to be accepted as a worthwhile substitute for Greenfield.  I can't think of one legitimate reason why it takes Toluna 10 weeks from cashout to check receipt.

Hi, zippy.  The FAQ I accessed is in English.  It is easier to understand if you already are familiar with what Toluna currently offers.

         Scott

yes i hate the toluna forum since they took over y2c! I redeemed for a $15 certificate, cashed it in for an amazon certificate and was only given the option of a $10 one.  Upon completion, the other $5 was listed at Forfeited! I AM NOT HAPPY THAT THE RIPPED ME OFF!

If GFOL pulls a similar stunt i may be forced to tell them to take a long walk off a short pier

The toluna site for the survey we got here on GFOL was the exact same site that Toluna has up and running already

Good morning everyone,

Thank you for all of your feedback last night and this morning.  We all appreciate your thoughts about the updates that will be coming, and understand that you have concerns about how this change will affect your accounts.  

The incentive team has a meeting this morning to discuss the updates and to go over the feedback that you have been provided, and I will be addressing your concerns about payment times, the evaluation survey, etc and will check back in a little later in the morning when I have more information for you.

Again, thank you all for writing in, please keep your feedback coming!

~Sara

Don't like this.  it means our good surveys (the Interactives) will go away from Greenfield.

I believe Greenfield in trying to do cost cuts.  TOluna will never pay anything more that $3 (maximum $5).  Where would the Interactives go?

Hi, leicafool.  Thanks for posting that info about the Amazon cards.  I am in a position to cashout there and would have been irate for the first time ever towards a survey site had I experienced the same forfeiture.

Hi, Hello.  (That was weird to type.)  I've read elsewhere on the 'net (multiple sources) that interactives have been popping up at Toluna, but I can't vouch for the reliability of this information.

         Scott

Hello again everyone,

I want to address some of the concerns that you have been expressing in your feedback. First, as Greenfield and Toluna come together we will be first and foremost committed to making sure that all of our panelists are happy, and we are listening carefully to everything you have to say, so we can make the changes that will have a positive effect on your experience here.

Now, to address some of your questions:

- Toluna evaluation survey - I see that some of you were disqualified once you logged in with your existing account.  I have mentioned this to our incentives team, and we will be looking into why this occurred, and hopefully will be able to offer everyone (both with and without Toluna accounts) the opportunity to participate.

- Payment methods and timing - I understand that this topic is of great concern to everyone.  Let me assure you that this is an important topic to us here as well, and we will work to maintain the timing and standards that you have come to expect from Greenfield.  We have no intentions at this time of increasing payment times or changing methods of payment, and expect to continue seamlessly with our current payment model into the future.

- The Community Forum – We are currently making decisions about how the forum will be incorporated into the Toluna site as we go forward.  Although, we do not have a clear vision of what the layout will be, you will still be able to communicate with one another and create new discussion topics, and as soon as we have more information about this, I will be sure to let you know!

I see that some have expressed concerns about cashout amounts, which are still being discussed, and Leicafool, I see that you had a problem regarding your earnings, which I did specifically mention in our meeting this morning so we can take a look at that problem and make sure that it is corrected as soon as possible, and will not happen again.  

Again, as we have more updates we will be passing the information along to all of our panelists as soon as we can.  We will also continue to amend our FAQ so we can address the common questions and concerns that many panelists have expressed to us.  Please continue to post your feedback or please feel free to email me directly at TolunaRewards@greenfield.com.

Thank you all again!

~Sara

I certainly hope Greenfield remains and doesn't become Toluna.  I loved the other site and I made a few bucks now and then.  Now it seems to have turned into some sort of teen playpen.  Silly polls that the site wants to encourage seem like a Facebook.  And just try to finish a survey over there.....

I hate surveys for points.....just give $

This can't be good.  Toluna buys companies and strips them of value and features to make more money.  We will all suffer with fewer good opps, and longer delays to get some of the money promised us.  And beware of companies that say that they have no plans to change anything AT THIS TIME.  That's just a way of saying the changes will happen, but later.  

Let's hope I'm wrong, and this works out to our advantage.  I wonder how long I can hold my breath?

Toluna is horrible!

I changed my e-mail address and that was the end of ANY survey I received.  I wrote to them almost 2 months ago and haven't heard from them at all.  Plus, if you want a cash payout, they only pay you $.82 on the dollar.  RIP OFF!  AND, you have to wait 10 weeks for payment.  Y2C was teriffic and they have been swallowed up by whatever Toluna is.

I wonder if REWARD PORT is also going to disappear.  

Hi everyone,

I'm sorry to see that so many are concerned about the upcoming changes to the Greenfield rewards program.  We understand that this is a big change, and will require some getting used to, but we will be here to guide you every step of the way.

As I've mentioned a few times, we are listening to everything you have to say, and are going to use your feedback as a guide to make changes that will improve your experience going forward with the new program.

As always, you have a dedicated team at your service that will do what we can to make this change a positive experience for everyone.  At Greenfield, we are excited about the changes, and know that this is an opportunity for both Greenfield and Toluna to update and improve our features and services to benefit our panelists.

Please keep the feedback coming, and let us know your thoughts and ideas about the program- we really are listening!

~Sara

P.S. "I need help now!"  Can you please send me a private email at TolunaRewards@greenfield.com with more details on the problems you are facing with your email change?  If you can provide your new and old email addresses, and any details I will pass it along directly and see that someone takes care of this for you ASAP.  Thanks!

Hi Sara! Your fast feedback is encouraging.  

 I realize you at Greenfield can be excited about the changes, but as a long time survey taker, change means less incentive...period

I was attemping to navigate Toluna earlier this morning.  I simply don't care for it.  I like  a survey site that has available surveys, profile updates and reasonable incentives.  Especially for members who are willing to go the distance.  But the Toluna site feels like it wants to be something else.  I don't need or want another member to member community site, like FaceBook or MySpace.  

Youngsters aren't the only internet users.  The largest growing community is the aging boomers.  It can be offensive to always see a good site altered to cater to the children.  

The site doesn't seem like a business any more and I hate the thought of Greenfield being assimilated.

All I want to do is take a couple of surveys and get a reasonable compenstation.  I'm sure I'm not alone.

Thanks again Sara

Hi Melestine,

Thank you for your thoughts about the current Toluna site, this really is helpful, and I'll pass the information along during our next meeting so we can discuss ways to make the site more user friendly for everyone.  

We definitely want everyone to have a pleasant experience, and while we are eager to provide our panel members with new and different ways to interact with one another, we do recognize that you signed up first and foremost to take surveys through us. So, while there is a big focus on the Toluna site to interacting with other members, we will work on keeping that community atmosphere, while also creating a professional environment where surveys and profiles are easy to access.

Again, as I mentioned earlier today, this is a big change that will take time to adjust to, and after the transition we will continue to listen to your feedback and suggestions to make more changes to continue improving.  

As always, please let me know if you have any questions or thoughts and I'll be happy to help!

~Sara

Thanks Sara,

I realize what ever changes are coming have already been decided.  It just seems the survey companies are making more and more money and finding more and more ways to see next to none filters down to the survey takers.  We get rewarded with a community site.  

Hope it will be fun and still be profitable enough for my continued efforts.

Thank you again for taking the time to answer my post.  Linda

I am still confused and the question was not answered. Is GF site and the Toluna site still be two different websites?

Another problem is that MANY panelists who were members of YOUR2Cents (which was another survey site) were auto transfered to the Toluna site when Your2cents closed down. I used a different email for your2cents then I do with GF and when we were auto transferred to the Toluna site it has kept that different email then the one I use for GF. I am sure many panelists use a different email seperate then the one they use for GF. What is going to happen if GF an Toluna totally merge into one website if that happens? Many of us are already members of Toluna using a different email then what we have for GF site.

Hi, zippy.  I already mentioned the email difference to Sara in a private email; I'm sure she won't have a problem with me mentioning that she has forwarded our concern about different email addresses for the two sites to the appropriate people.  Regarding your two different websites question, it's all just gonna be one Toluna website (explicitly stated in the FAQ and hinted throughout).

            Scott

Hi Zippy,

As Ohtocs mentioned (thank you for passing that along!) after the transition and new program launches, there will be only one site, and any duplicate accounts will be merged into one Toluna account.  As we get closer to launching everything we will provide more details on when this will happen, and what specifically will be changing.  

I am waiting for some information from our engineering department on how the duplicate accounts will be merged, and once I have that I will be amending the FAQ, and will post some information here as well.  We are working to make sure that no accounts or information is lost during the transition, but again I will provide more information to you as receive final answers about this.

I'll be in touch soon.

~Sara

Where is the FAQ section? When I click on the link that in Saras original post it takes me to a faq that is not english..lol. Its in a different language. Have no idea why its like that for me. Anyone else getting that?

Hi Zippy,

I'm not sure why it's showing up in a different language for you, we've tested it here a few times and we're not seeing that.  If you can send me a private email to TolunaRewards@greenfield.com I'll send a copy over to you. Here is the link again too- maybe try deleting your cookies and then entering it in a browser?  

community.greenfieldonline.com/.../toluna-community-faq.aspx

Let me know if that works for you.

~Sara

Where is Angela Martin?  Many of us on the Forums have been wondering.

I created a spreadsheet that I maintain which provides me with statistical payment information from survey sites. Toluna states 8 weeks to receive a payment additionally they post a delivery date for your check on your account. After cashing out 3 times since they have taken over Your2Cents I have discovered you need to add 20 additional days to their promised delivery date before your check arrives. Further, for instance, the checks seem to have been created but just not sent out. For example. Ckeck #1 dated 9/14/9 received 10/05/9. Check #2 dated 9/30/9 received 10/26/9. Check #3 dated 9/30/9 received 10/26/09. The check date is the 8 week wait. Why does it consistently take an additional 3 weeks for them to mail out the check after they have been printed. Your2Cents Incentive was normally stated between $1.00 & $3.00. Thats like going to work & the boss tells you you're to make between $10.00 - $13.00 per hour I'll tell you exactly on pay day. No way to run a railroad. One thing about Your2Cents was that more often than not the payment was $3.00 so not that much of a problem. TOLUNA states $1.00 - $3.00 and consistantly only pays $1.00. This doesn't appear to be ethical. Has anyone in this forum ever had one of your emails responded to by TOLUNA. I don't believe they even have a customer service section. If they do they need to be fired. Their site is a mess. It's more like a junk community than a paid survey site.

I get this all the time.......

Thank you for your participation. Due to technical limitations, we are unable to instantly process your reward. You will see your reward in your account within 3 weeks.

It never seems to get processed.  Almost all surveys are from OTX.  You almost never get more than $1.00 per survey IF you ever manage to qaulify.

How is it that GreenField, who is supposed to rated the #1 survey site, is being merged/taken over by a site like Toluna?  I could see GF taking over Toluna and creating many happy survey takers but this is just bizzare.

Hi, zackwd.  You were lucky at Your2Cents - at one point, I had 19 consecutive, and 25 of 27, "$1 to $3" surveys completed for which I earned the $1.  I have pretty much the same luck with Toluna.  You asked if any emails to Toluna have been responded to.  For me, I had one back-and-forth email correspondence about one particular matter.  However, the other 7 or 8 times I've sent requests for help, I have not received any response.  I had good luck getting responses before the switch from Y2C to Toluna.

Hi, Lightyear49er.  I have gotten the "Due to technical limitations..." message three times.  Only once has someone replied after I asked for help.

I do hope that GF uses its clout in this merge with a less popular company .I know others that are part of Toluna and thay are very disappointed in the service that they recieve from them

As we all know it is not very profitable to the survey takers as it is.  We as takers earn every penny and waiting 10 weeks is nonsense  .

I own my own business and never would dream of asking anyone who worked for me to wait that long for their pay .

Good morning everyone,

I have been reading over your comments here and on the forum, and it's sad that so many of you feel that your relationship with Greenfield will be ending once this transition takes place.  As I've said a few times now, it is a big change that is taking place, both for you, and for us at Greenfield, but we looking at this transition as a positive step for both Greenfield and Toluna.  

Every comment and suggestion that you post here or email over to me is being taken into consideration so we know what you all like, what you dislike and where we can improve things and turn your concerns into excitement for something new.  We are still working out details on many aspects of the transition, including the future of the forum, which we know means so much to you here, and we don't want you to lose the relationships that you have been building for so long now.

I'll be updating you with new information as often as I can, and I'm here to answer questions, and it's important to remember that although things will be transitioning, this change works both ways, and Greenfield will not completely disappear into Toluna- something new will come out of this, which we hope you will be excited to see what is coming next.

On a sad note, I know many of you have been asking about Angela, and unfortunately I do have to tell you that she is no longer with Greenfield, and that she has moved on to new things.  Like you, I've come to know Angela quite well, and I agree that we have lost someone special and she is greatly missed by all of us here.  I am in touch with her, and will be happy to pass along any messages you have for her, and I know if she had a chance she would have sent along a proper farewell to each of you.

I am sorry to have passed along such sad news this morning, but again please feel free to contact me with any questions, suggestions or comments and I will be happy to help.

Best,

Sara

Call me a cynic but with all the pre launch hype from GFOL i feel like i am hearing "the check is in the mail, I was only doing the speed limit" from the powers that be.

My experience with Toluna so far has not been one that is fast nor efficient only half fast at best

The site is simply too busy.  The pix of the members on the front page are scary....

The endless member created polls serve what purpose?

And this is what I get when I attemp any Toluna survey invitation:

Thank you very much for your interest in participating but we have recently reached the number of responses that we require. Once again, thank you for your interest.

Thank you for your participation. Due to technical limitations, we are unable to instantly process your reward. You will see your reward in your account within 3 weeks.

And here are my deplorable stats:

Statistics

Did not create any poll

voted 6 times

Did not receive any votes on polls

Did not create any opinion topics

Posted 2 opinions

Did not receive any opinions on topics

I'd just like to know how many surveys I've completed.

Hi again Melestine,

Thank you for posting this- everyone's feedback has been very helpful, and I'm just keeping track of what you all have to say and so we can discuss making improvements to the polls, and topics, and that's a good point about # of surveys taken- perhaps that's something we can add in during the transition!

Just keep your thoughts coming, and I'll keep passing them along.

Thanks again!

Thanks Sara

I'm going to be optimistic and hope for the best. I am a current member of Toluna  and agree with Melestine that its seems like Kiddie Time with all of the very young members creating ridiculous polls with no meanings. It does have the facebook, myspace vibe.

Just a quick update:

Three new questions have been added to the FAQ -

community.greenfieldonline.com/.../toluna-community-faq.aspx

We hope these will answer help address some of the common questions we have been seeing over the last two days.

I really don't like Toluna.  Every time I try to do a survey there I get the "We have encountered a problem processing your reward."  message  If gfol turns into anything like Toluna I doubt ill be using it anymore at all.

it sort of ticks me off to be told to expect an award of $x-$y as some of those toluna ones state up front.  I would prefer to know if it is going to be $1 or going to be $3 up front and not be given a range of values.  On a site such as that it seems to always be the first lower number in the range.

Is this some sort of Tease to get respondents???  Personally i dont like shooting craps as i normally always end up with snake eyes. In this case if i am not DQ'd i get a measly $1 and never the greater amount

Just a heads up for those who have been redeeming GFOL via paypal.  If you note the sender when you receive the paypal notification from paypal you will see that they payer is listed as "Toluna Delaware, Inc." for several months now

During the past 20 years I have worked for 5 different companies but never changed jobs.  They come, they take us over, they make changes and we move on until the next takeover.  2 out of the 5 takeover companies were good changes.  3 of the companies, well, let's just say we suffer/suffered through it.  

Bottom line, change is a crap shoot.  Hopefully things will pan out with this merger.  All I know is, I am having flashbacks to the real world mergers I have experienced and it was only those mergers that cared about the employees that were successful.  

Please send best regards to Angela.  She is surely missed.  

Oh my I have never seen so much posting. I was on early this morning, but could not stay long because I had a doctors appointment. I got a lot to catch up on and at this point I'm not sure how I feel about the changes coming. I would like to say that I have been a member with Toluna or what was your2cents since 2007 - more than two years now. I have done very well with the site and have received tons of products test that have paid me a fair amount on top of what I got for taking the survey. I just received a check from them this past Friday and it took 7 weeks from the time I cashed out & received the check. I have never had to wait the eight weeks or longer. An since I cashed my last points in I have earned 37,000 + points since. I do agree since Toluna took over and added the so called forum, polls, opinions, etc I find it quite boring an silly because of  the type of polls that are writen by the members. There are a few good ones but most are just down right stuip and I beleive Toluna needs to step up and make some changes and I wasn't happy that they changed the points to 60000 mainly because they didn't notify members they just did it. Well I've had a very long day and was at ht doctors for over 2 1/2 hours. He spent 45 minutes of that with me. So hopeully I'll get a good nights sleep and come back in the morning and try and catch up with what is going on. Debra

I am a bit worried about the change to Toluna.  I am a member there and was a member with Your2Cents before Toluna took over.  Having to wait for two months+ to get paid is no fun and now they have raised the minimum to $20 for a pay out.  They have way too many OTX surveys and I have never gotten to do a focus group through them.  Times when I have sent emails to Toluna have always gone unanswered.  I have always liked GFOL much better.  Paypal option, no minimum, great surveys, focus groups and product tests.  I am disappointed to say the least.  Please don't change, instead change Toluna.

Hey, folks, could we take this discussion inside (to the forum)? I'm asking because this blog format has no customize settings and with this many comments it's getting hard to stay caught up with. You have to scroll a mile down the page and try to figure out where you last left off with it. Please and thank you?

Good morning everyone,

Leath, I agree it probably is a good time to bring the conversation over to the forum!  

I understand everyone's still worried and not thrilled, but I can't stress enough that this change will work both ways- we are working to bring together the best of both Greenfield and Toluna to make something new, and hopefully the outcome will be something that you will all enjoy.  Once again, Greenfield isn't disappearing, we're just evolving a little bit, and once we have some more details for you about what will change and what will remain, I will happily pass along that information along to everyone.

As always, if you have specific questions that you would like answered and that are not in the FAQ, feel free to email me, and I'll keep checking back here and on the forum to keep you updated.

~Sara

Hello everyone,

Just a quick update- a lot of you have been commenting on the Toluna invitations that state you will received $1 - $3 for X survey. Well, in our meeting this morning, I received word that after the ball starts rolling on the transition, this incentive range will be gone!

Going forward from the launch date (to be announced) your invitations will provide a single incentive amount for that survey, so you know exactly what you can earn by participating!

I know that many will be relieved to hear about this, and I just wanted to let you know that we really are listening, and making improvements that will benefit you!  I'll keep you posted about more updates as they come in.

Sara

Well thank goodness that the rewards range will be gone. I thought it was incredibly stupid and I almost never received the max amount.

I'm sad to see that Greenfield will be merged with Toluna. I really dislike Toluna. I've had many problems with their surveys. There were times where I completed an entire survey (screening questions, actual survey questions then the classification questions), only to say at the end that I was disqualified. This has happened numerous times and I emailed them many, many times. I always received the same generic response. "We are sorry for the inconvenience. Our people are looking into it and hope to resolve your problem soon." B.S.

And as previous people have stated, I hope PayPal stays. It takes way too long to receive checks in the mail. That's another thing that's horrible about Toluna. It takes so dang long to receive checks. I finally received a check recently and the stupid thing wasn't printed correctly, so my bank wouldn't accept it! So I had to wait LONGER. Plus the increased cash out minimum is so ridiculous. It takes FOREVER.

I really hope this merge makes Toluna better. I've never, ever been disappointed with Greenfield. I hope it gets better instead of Toluna making it worse.

I have never heard of or been to the Toluna site, but from the comments here, I can't figure out the benefits of Greenfield and Toluna merging. I do love Greenfield and I have to say that having a moderator like Sara who definitely reads and actually considers all the comments here is a VERY rare thing on any website. I would hate to lose that kind of attention with a merger, as well as all the technical glitches that will inevitably arise as a result. I love the forum here too, so changes in that would be pretty detrimental. I think that as a whole, the community is not opposed to change, but when there are too many changes, too fast, and the end result does not remotely resemble the way things were before, that can be a big problem. I know I don't like the idea of points. I am a member of mypoints and I haven't been there in a year because it's all about signing up for "trial" deals and whatnot, and ends up being more trouble than it's worth. Greenfield is good because it's unique and has a loyal membership. When you try to make a good thing, better, oftentimes, the reverse happens.

i wonder if toluna has owned GF for a while now or vise versa?

i see toluna is paying us through paypal.

other wise why would a compny with a good track record merge with a company that we hear people complain about in every survey discussion  forum on the net ?

I just took a GF survey through Survey Spot.  I have never seen that before.  They were always two different companies with surveys.  

Survey Spot is also changing their reward system to a points system.

Any chance their is more merging going on Sara?

Looks like I'll be dropping Greenfield...I was getting tired of 30 minute surveys for no payout other than a sweepstakes entry...this has become a huge waste of my time,and to hear that you're merging with Toluna really makes me want to drop you...I was a member Y2C when they "merged" with Toluna,and things got worse there,so I dropped them.

I HATE POINT! They are annoying to convert to real value without having to think.  Why points? I find it easier to view a total $ value to see how close i am to being able to cash out.  Points to me are worthless, CASH has value

Hello everyone,

I see I have a lot to catch up on from the weekend!  To address this weekend's comments quickly- I know everyone is a bit annoyed over the switch to points, and I do understand why.  Who doesn't want to get cash for the time they spend participating? However, there are a lot of reasons we will be changing the model to points, and as it's been mentioned, we are going to be offering different options and ways to use the points that you earn.  So, you won't be stuck with an ever increasing points balance that you never get to use- there will be options.  We know that some of you probably will drop Greenfield/Toluna from your survey list because of the switch, and while we here understand that it's because of the changes and the idea that it's going to be a bad change, all I can do is ask you to give the new merged Greenfeld/Toluna a chance when the time comes.  

I guess I can only say so many times that the change will work both ways, but it's true- every comment and suggestion posted here or emailed to me is being read, responded to, and shared with the rest of the team so that we can identify the concerns and where we can improve.  It's still early to give you all the details, and after the transition, there will continue to be an adjustment period and a period of improvements.  

I know right now a lot feel like this switch can only go one way, but we're really trying to make the best changes possible, and hopefully the end result will be a pleasant surprise.  I want to thank each of you for your suggestions, and for letting me and in effect all of us here know how you feel, because the suggestions do help us out.  

Finally, to answer your question Lightyear- I did also see that Survey Spot is changing to points, which is interesting, however, no, there is no additional merging going on- just Greenfield and Toluna.

I do have a lot to catch up on from this weekend, so I will have to make myself scarce for the morning, but I will check in later to answer any additional questions, and of course feel free to email me.

Best,

Sara

This is awful news. Toluna is a rip off. They constantly cheat you out of points after spending 30-40 minutes on a survey and the incentives are lowsy. $1-$3 is a come-on. You are lucky if you get the $1; usually there's a technical problem and they never credit your account. I have e-mailed them countless times regarding payment (which takes at least 8-10 weeks regardless of the date they post) and have never received a response. The site sucks as it is just a forum for people who don't have anything better to do. Guess we'll have to seek out other sites to make up for Greenfield.

How very sad that Greenfield has become Toluna.

Toluna's surveys are slow to load, riddled with technical and grammatical errors, frequently malfunction, are often misleading and a waste of time. When they do pay off they are stingy with rewards. Technical assistance and customer support are almost nonexistent. This is a step backward not only for those who enjoy responding to surveys but also for companies that seek valid consumer input about their products and advertising.

Hello Deidre and Schooner,

I've posted a few updates to the FAQ, posted comments to the blog and forum as well that address what both of you have mentioned.  With this transition, the incentive range will go away, and a specified amount will be offered for every survey you are invited to.  Toluna will be migrating to the Greenfield technology platform as well, so most of the technical issues that you have faced will also disappear.  Toluna is also adopted the Greenfield payment model which will drastically improve the speed at which you receive your payments.  We are still making decisions regarding our panel support team and how it will be managed, but after all of the feedback we have received, we are going to work hard to speed up the response time and improve the quality of the answers provided.

As I've said again and again now it seems- the change goes both ways.  Yes, Greenfield is now part of Toluna and things will change, but Toluna has recognized what has made Greenfield successful, and why our panelists enjoy coming back, and we are working to incorporate the best of both companies into this new single entity.  

I know you're frustrated about this like a lot of people posting here, but I'll repeat what I said this morning, when the time comes, we're not just going to shut down and disappear, we'll keep working to improve your experience and we just ask that you give us a chance as we evolve.

Once again, a lot of your questions can be answered in the FAQ, which you can find by clicking the Toluna Community link in the blog article, and I'm sure more are answered within my comments on this page and throughout the forum. If you have any specific questions please feel free to email me at TolunaRewards@greenfield.com.

Best Regards,

Sara

And what about the Paypal option for Reward Redemption, which most of us are enjoying right now.  Will that go away too, upon merging of Greenfield with Toluna.  None of the members I found are discussing about it here.

I am sure most of us will be really disappointed if we come to know that Paypal Payment has gone and only we have to depend on physical checks (which arrive after 20 weeks after redemption).

Sara, can you please confirm whether we will still have the Paypal Payment option after Greenfield merges with Toluna?

Hi Hello, (what a strange greeting haha)

No, PayPal will not go away, as I've mentioned, Toluna is adopting Greenfield's payment model, so after the transition you will still be able to request payment through PayPal and you will receive your payments as quickly as you do now, which is quite an improvement for current Toluna members.  I hope that this helped.

A. Villa- I have deleted your comment as it contains personal contact information and I will email you privately.  Going forward, please feel free to contact the help desk or email me personally if you help with your account.

Best,

Sara

Thanks Sara.

I rejoined the Greenfields Online surveys a few months ago, and in the time I have been back, I have managed to accumulate a grand total of $1.00 in rewards.  Nearaly every survey sent to me is geared to teeny bobbers, not to senior citizens.  Now with this merger to Tulane, which from the information provided above, is just another stab in the back.  I would encourage ever member of GFOL to cash in and get out now.  There are plenty of other, survey companies out there ( I belong to four others) and recieve cash payments either through Paypal or by direct check  frequently.  No payment need exceed $10,00 on these.

What I would like to know, how can I cash in the meager $1.00 GFOL has "allowed" me to earn over the past months?  I've had it with this poor excuse for a survey company.

Guess my response was too much for everyone.

i have a question that i havent seen yet:

i have an account with GF

my room mate has an accopunt with toluna

in the rules it states that only one account per houshold is allowed.

so where does that leave us??

I'm very sorry to hear we're going with Toluna...I have found this site to be on the level of many of the scam sites.

Not wanting to be overly critical, but when I read the changes, no positive thoughts come to mind. When they were Y2C they were at least bearable...waiting two months to get a $10 payoff...that's crazy!

The web site is more along the lines of facebook than anything else, but why am I not surprised? The kids are the ones that are spending their parents money! These are the new demographics?

Hi Everyone,

Just checking in quickly after a long holday weekend- I'll be back in the office tomorrow to answer any more specific questions.

Tugger - many of our members also belong to other survey companies, and if you check out the forums there have been many discussions about earnings through Greenfield and why they're here and how they feel.  As I've said earlier, I'm sure we will lose members during the transition, but once again, just give the new merged Greenfield/Toluna a chance- hopefully you'll have a pleasant surprise.  I'm sorry you haven't earned more, but we are changing the rewards program as the blog article states which will provide more opportunities for you to earn.

Again, Tugger and Naaman8, you both have stated things that many others have said previously in this blog, and on the forum, and in response to your concerns all I can do is advise you to read my replies and check out the FAQ which does tell you that we're working to improve the experience and many of the concerns people have expressed have already been addressed.

Also, brcklyr1111, that's a good question about your accounts, and I'm going to look into that tomorrow when I'm back in office and will get back to you with an answer as soon as I can.

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday, and I'll be in touch tomorrow!

Sara

Hi brcklyr111,

I just confirmed that there won't be any problem with your and your roommates accounts.  They will each remain separate and active after the transition.

~Sara

thank you sara

also ,

after the merge will the company be called toluna or will there be a differant name?

Hello,

Right now, our marketing departments are still working on the new branding for the company, so we don't have a definite answer on what the official new company name will be yet, but as soon as we know and are able to disclose the information we'll pass that along to you.

Sara

Sorry if this was asked already, but if we already have cash accumulated, we will still be able to get that and it won't be transferred to points, right? I understand that once the merger happens, there will be points, but does that mean if we want to keep our cash, we need to cash-in before the merger is completed? I will go ballistic if I lose the money I have accumulated or it is "switched" to points before I have the chance to cash in.  And again, as much as you've said that the change works both ways, I have yet to see what Greenfield could possibly benefit from the merger. Seems like it causes more problems than yields benefits.

thank you sara

are there going to be a decline in the survey industry?

i see that other companies are consolodating as wellthe amount persurvey has taken a sharp decline as well . is this somthing we can expect to see more of in the future?

Good morning,

July- no, you will not lose your current balance, you can request the funds in your account at any time up until the transition takes place, and we will send out updates on when the cut-off date will be.  If you don't request the funds, they will be converted to points, but until then you have plenty of time to cash out.  

As for benefits of the merger, I guess as you guys have seen I've been repeating myself quite a bit lately, but all I can say again is we're working to create something new- to improve upon what both companies have built and take it to a different level.  As of today, there have been no changes on either site, so it's hard to jugde how things will improve, but we're getting ready to release more updates to everyone hopefully at the end of the week and from there we'll start working to make the improvements I've been mentioning.

Also, brcklyr, we don't foresee a decline coming, and I can't comment on the business decisions of other survey companies that have chosen to consolidate, I can just repeat what I mentioned above that Greenfield and Toluna made the decision to come together to build a better and stronger survey company and we plan on creating a better survey experience all around for both our panelists and our clients. And again, we aren't expecting any declines in the industry or in earnings potential as well.  I'm sorry I can't provide any more in depth information than that right now.

Please let me know if you have any more questions.

~Sara

Thanks, Sara. As long as I know beforehand, I'll be fine. I don't want to cash out now and then take several more surveys and end up with a few dollars left. I'll wait as long as possible and then cash out, but I wish there was an exact date so I knew to make sure to do it before then. Is there a tentative date?

Hi July,

We're finalizing everything this week about the launch, and planning to send out an update tomorrow that will have dates in it for you.  I don't want to say yet what the date is just in case anything changes last minute, but if we don't have an update for everyone tomorrow, we will definitely have it posted very early next week.

Thanks,

Sara

Hello everyone,

As our next big update is scheduled to go out tomorrow, I will be creating a new post with the update at that time, and am now suspending additional comments on this article.

If you have any questions between now and when the next update is posted tomorrow, please feel free to email me at TolunaRewards@greenfield.com or check out the FAQ at: community.greenfieldonline.com/.../toluna-community-faq.aspx

~Sara