I just received this email - doesn't sound kosher and I can't find any info on this company via searching the board. Anyone familiar with them and does this sound not quite right? No shopping company I have ever worked with gave you funds upfront - sounds scammy to me.

The senders email didn't give with the company website either. Consumer Insights is a company but the sender is supposedly PineCone Research but the email addy is gmx.com and the website pine.org - all seems weird.

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Subject: Customer Insights Survey (Reply ASAP)
Date: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 04:08:31 -0500
From: PineCone Research <info@pine.org>
Reply-To: pine.tbgl546@gmx.com
To: Recipients <info@pine.org>

Dear Prospective Shopper,

We are currently accepting limited number of applications from
competent shoppers to evaluate Walmart's services and programs, both
in-store and on their Website.

Job Description & Responsibilities;

As our shopper posing as normal customers, you will be required to
visit the nearest outlet near you to perform specific tasks such as
purchasing a product or using a service.


Funds will be provided in form of a Certified Check to cover the
expenses of evaluating the outlet.


While there, you will secretly evaluate things like customer service,
store cleanliness and quality of service rendered.


Upon completion of the survey you're to simply send us an E-mail with
your rating of the store.

Payment Terms;

You will receive a flat sum of $200.00 per assignment. It's fun and
rewarding. There is no charge to become a volunteer and You do not
require any special skills for this opening.

Application Procedure;

We would like you to participate because it's Fun & Rewarding, please
fill out the Application below as we hope to Welcome You to PineCone
Research;

Names:
Street Address:
Apt/Suite/Other:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Age:
Home Phone:
Cell/Mobile Phone:
Email:

We're dedicated to providing our customers the best services possible,
and you can help!


Thank you.

PineCone Research
50 West Rivercenter Blvd. Ste 600
Covington, KY 41011-5813
Copyright (c) 2012 PineCone Research

PineCone Research is a legitimate survey company. I've heard it's a good one, but they only accept people who match their demographic requirements. As far as I know, they don't do mystery shopping.

This email, however, is just another version of the same old scam. If it sounds too good to be true... PineCone Research certainly didn't send this email.

The infamous, run, run, run...

Your getting screwed. My email offered $300 It also went to spam and was deleted.

it is a legit company, but I am sure there would be scammer imitating them..and this appears to be one of the scams

i used to do that about 10 years ago..would get $3 per survey and only a couple per month....they kicked me out because i didn't do surverys for awhile...I am signed back up on the wait list for when they have openings..for a couple years now, but have not heard anything about being reinstated...

They seem to drop people after awhile. I did all the surveys they sent to me but then they dried up.

Pinecone is legitimate. The email your received is not. I have completed 42 surveys for them since November at $3 each and it's easy money. Plus received new products to evaluate.

Pinecone Research is a subsidiary of the Nielsen company. As far as I know, Pinecone only does online surveys. I've been doing them for quite a while. They pay better than most of the online survey companies, and they pay quickly. Sometimes they send products to be tested, based on your responses in a survey. I just got something today and will be testing it over the next two weeks.

Pinecone used to have a waiting list. I don't know if they still do or not, but if you're interested you can find out more at

They are at: [www.pineconeresearch.com]

and at the SurveyPolice.com website.

I did some work for Pinecone Research a while back, I had to call up call centers and evaluate the service I received. The compensation was an entry to receive a prize, which I won 2x, one was a $100 gift card for Amazon and another one of $50. Never heard of them after that, till now.

Pinecone has a Security Notice posted on-site about the scam.

I liked them WAY better when the surveys paid 5.00 each......i guess they didn't like when i told them at....no longer an active member... PLUS I'm not interested in doing surveys for a "chance" to win something either.

I know nothing about this company. A MSC will always email from a domain name that matches their website. That should be the first clue

I am member of pinecone and make about $30 a month with them. i also remember when the surveys paid $5 each and also when they mailed a check or paid direct to paypal for each one. Now I have to reedem points for cash paypal.

How strange that there is no sign up page. I searched the site but none found so I did the Contact Us link and sent in a request. I guess we are so used to MS companies and completing their extensive profiles that it seemed odd to just email them.

@ wrote:

Pinecone used to have a waiting list. I don't know if they still do or not, but if you're interested you can find out more at

They are at: [www.pineconeresearch.com]

and at the SurveyPolice.com website.

They only seem to have open registrations at certain times, which depends on when they need new people. I signed up through a banner ad on some website a number of years ago, which wasn't up for more than a few days. Once I was a member, I would get an email from them every once in a while which I could forward to anyone who was interested in registering.

I get maybe 1 survey every 2 or 3 weeks, and they take about 10 minutes on average. I'm still paid $5, not sure if it's because I'm Canadian, or if it's a grandfathered rate. Payment comes within a couple of days after I select my cash reward.

A scam. Survey company not a mystery shopping company. Got the same e-mail and deleted it.