Location: Finally back in Boston after escaping from New York
Posts: 5,108
Quote:
Originally Posted by bj2757
I am getting more and more emails that don't have the 5 points just for looking - probably as much as half of them.
Me too. If I get one more of those "Frog Pond" emails, I may scream.
Quote:
Originally Posted by spartacus
On the surveys, indicate that you work for an advertising or market research company and it will DQ you for a quick ten points. I agree that the number of zero pointers has been on the uptick but have not seen any for a single point.
I have received exactly ONE single-point e-mail. Hardly seems like a "trend."
True. I also have received only one of those.
The number of zero point e-mails certainly took a leap this last week! On the other hand, they seem now to be offering double the usual amount of points on those e-mails for shopping at the featured site.
Maybe this is a new business model? If so, I would think it would backfire. The key to MyPoints was that you at least glanced at each e-mail and got 5 points (about 4 cents) for clicking through. It forced you to look at the ad, at least, and that might have gotten some folks interested that wouldn't have looked if it had been a banner.
If they're doing away with the 5 points, or cutting them way back, it suddenly doesn't become as worthwhile to open the e-mail in the first place. If half of the e-mails are no point and only half pay the 5 points for clicking through, that means your gain on average would be 2 cents for opening a MyPoints e-mail. I'm not sure I work that cheaply . . . .
The double points may get some new business, but might just divert existing customers to the MyPoints portal from other portals, which could cost the advertizer without bringing an increase in sales. For instance, recently I was going to order some books from Barnes and Noble. Usually I go through ebates for the 4 cents per dollar rebate; this time I went through MyPoints because they offer 10 points (about 8 cents) per dollar. It has to cost B&N more for the MyPoints than for the ebates rebate, but it is otherwise the same sale.
Location: SF CA USA. FT addict. I love large faceless corporations. And they cherish me in return (sometimes). ;)
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Posts: 11,098
Quote:
Originally Posted by Counsellor
True. I also have received only one of those.
The number of zero point e-mails certainly took a leap this last week! On the other hand, they seem now to be offering double the usual amount of points on those e-mails for shopping at the featured site.
Maybe this is a new business model? If so, I would think it would backfire. The key to MyPoints was that you at least glanced at each e-mail and got 5 points (about 4 cents) for clicking through. It forced you to look at the ad, at least, and that might have gotten some folks interested that wouldn't have looked if it had been a banner.
If they're doing away with the 5 points, or cutting them way back, it suddenly doesn't become as worthwhile to open the e-mail in the first place. If half of the e-mails are no point and only half pay the 5 points for clicking through, that means your gain on average would be 2 cents for opening a MyPoints e-mail. I'm not sure I work that cheaply . . . .
The double points may get some new business, but might just divert existing customers to the MyPoints portal from other portals, which could cost the advertizer without bringing an increase in sales. For instance, recently I was going to order some books from Barnes and Noble. Usually I go through ebates for the 4 cents per dollar rebate; this time I went through MyPoints because they offer 10 points (about 8 cents) per dollar. It has to cost B&N more for the MyPoints than for the ebates rebate, but it is otherwise the same sale.
I value 5 mypoints at closer to only 3 cents rather than 4! Depends on how you redeem them, I guess.
Also, other shopping portals (such as ebates, FatWallet) offer double-point (or other extra-point) deals from time to time as well.
I value 5 mypoints at closer to only 3 cents rather than 4! Depends on how you redeem them, I guess.
Mine usually go for Marriott travel cards, $100 worth costs 12,000 points, or about .83 cents per point, so the 5 points would be about 4.17 cents that way.
Other gift certificates have other values, and the "cost" in points seems to keep going up. Hard to find a good deal these days.
My bonus emails and newlsletters/other mypoints emails from the past week had those without 5 point click thru bonus outnumbering those with such bonus 4:1.
__________________
HH Diamond, PC Plat., NW Silver
My wife and I have been collecting My Points for several years and I have found personally that trying to reach any reasonable goal through the 5 point click through is pretty hopeless. Our usual goal is 5000 pts for 2500 UA miles. At 5 pts per click, that's 1000 clicks.
We have gotten most of our points by purchasing Entertainment Books. Although the value of these has gone down somewhat in the past few years, there have always been $20 in grocery store coupons, $20 in drugstore coupons, and at least one restaurant we go to that gives a free entree. So it's a no-brainer to buy the book, and we usually get 5 or 6 of them each year. Since My Points gives 750-1500 points per book depending on the offer, we can get about the same number of points for each book as 200 click throughs. It's a lot quicker and we always come out ahead anyway.
I finally hit the 3600 point mark needed to get a $25 Outback gift card. Although I had hundreds more points than that they held up the "approved" point number at 3597 for several days. I redeemed the 3600 yesterday. Today I closed the account.
I have been gathering points, taking surveys etc for a year to get the $25 gift card. it's free so I'm happy. But I'm not happy getting tons of emails that get me nothing, and the two times I actually responded to an offer the points didn't credit and contacting customer service just ended up as a big run around.
Location: SF CA USA. FT addict. I love large faceless corporations. And they cherish me in return (sometimes). ;)
Programs: UA 1K, Starwood Gold, HH Gold, PC Gold
Posts: 11,098
Quote:
Originally Posted by ktremor
I have been doing those frogponds for a while for bzzagent.
Those frog ponds are an easy 25 points. All you have to do is click the link and then write a one sentence opinion, takes about 20-30 seconds each.
The problem is, recently there were only about half a dozen frogpond opportunities on mypoints, AND only two of them offered 25 points (the others were for charities and offered ZERO points), AND I had already done the two that actually paid anything (plus one of the ones that didn't).
So, perhaps there were more frogpond opportunities on mypoints at some point in the past, but they seem to have dwindled to next to none (unless they're bringining in some new ones).
Location: SF CA USA. FT addict. I love large faceless corporations. And they cherish me in return (sometimes). ;)
Programs: UA 1K, Starwood Gold, HH Gold, PC Gold
Posts: 11,098
Quote:
Originally Posted by dldkjones
My bonus emails and newlsletters/other mypoints emails from the past week had those without 5 point click thru bonus outnumbering those with such bonus 4:1.
My ratios have been MUCH better than that. Just lucky, I guess.
My ratios have been MUCH better than that. Just lucky, I guess.
I have just noticed that, for the same email, certain family members are offered 5 points for click thru while I do not. Not sure what makes me unworthy of the 5 points.
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I am still getting a lot of 5 Point emails, probably 8-10 a week. However, I do use My Points as my shopping portal quite frequently. I wonder if there is any correlation?
