Hi,

Prius owners beware.

If someone from AIM Marketing calls, don't waste your time. Tell them no!

AIM is looking for Prius owners for a market study they're doing. That's fine. But they are using deceptive measures to recruit participants.

This week they called me, left a message, we played telephone tag when I finally got a live person, the lady told me she just wanted 10-15
minutes of my time and could pay me $125 for my participation.

She interviewed me for about 15 minutes and I thought we had concluded the process and would get $125 for answering her questions. Instead, she asked me to hold on to see whether I "qualified" to be a part of the research group.

I was shocked - after 15 minutes of answering a lot of questions - first determining that I owned a Prius (and also a Hybrid Highlander), and
then asking a load of questions about whether I would buy another and when I would be buying, how much I would pay, why I bought a Prius,
whether I would buy a car in the first model year, whether I participated in online groups like Green Hybrid, whether I was in an owners group, whether I attended owners meetings, whether I preferred 5 door hatchbacks or coupes, and a range of personal information --- she told me that my category of recruit was already at the "quota" and they didn't need me.

They got a lot of information that could help them put together their marketing programs, product designs, or advertising campaigns without paying me.

She thanked me for my time and it was over. No $125.

By the way, she knew I was a Prius owner, so they must have lists telling them who we are, so I hope that you'll be prepared if they call you. Don't waste your time.

Echoch

 

Thanks for the heads up!
Do you still have the phone number?

That is weird. When I've had pre-paid surveys, they send a $1-5 with the survey form. But I fill out the Consumer Reports survey without a fee.

That would bother me too.

Bob Wilson