Apologies to those who experienced errors with our survey yesterday. 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.
surveys
Are All Xbox 360s Doomed To Fail? Student Survey Aims To Find Out
By 9.18.09
Reader Ben Strauss is doing a cool project for his marketing class – he’s surveying Xbox owners to find out how many have had failed Xboxes and/or know someone who does. So far he’s interviewed 200 people and is seeing a 71% failure rate, with 85% of respondents saying they know someone with a failed Xbox. Ben writes:
Americans Love Burgers. A Lot.
By 9.14.09
Apparently burgers are recession-proof. In fact, according to a recent survey cited by the Boston Globe, “It may be one area of food service where [consumers] are less willing to cut back, despite the current economic environment.” We didn’t know there was a shortage of burger options in the U.S., to be honest, but about half of us think restuarants should offer more burger variety.
Poll Results: Our Significant Others Aren't Very Thrifty
By 9.10.09
Two weeks ago we mentioned that Cognitive Daily was running an informal poll about thriftiness. Here at Consumerist, we like to take polls. We bumped up their response rate to over 5,000, far higher than what they usually get, and now they’ve posted the results. Apparently we all think we’re thriftier than everyone around us, especially our significant others, and the world wants to shop at the GAP. We bet the GAP is happy to hear that—too bad (for them) the poll was informal.
Who Uses Coupons The Most? Affluent Suburbanites
By 9.3.09
The Nielsen Company—the people responsible for getting good TV shows canceled—just released a survey of coupon users. It turns out affluent consumers (those who make $70k or more annually) use coupons more frequently than the average U.S. household. Those who use coupons the least are from either low-income, one-member, male-only, African-American, or Hispanic households.
Just How Thrifty Are You?
By 8.31.09
The cognitive psychology blog Cognitive Daily has put up a quiz asking you to rate your thriftiness compared to that of your parents, your best friend, and your significant other. What will we learn from this quiz when it ends on September 3rd? That people like quizzes, obviously, as well as how many respondents insist on mashing up all the old soap into a “new” bar in the bath. (I do this, but because I think it’s fun, not thrifty.) Take the quiz here.
Apple Has The Best Tech Support, Dell, HP, Acer Have The Worst
By 8.8.09
After calling every major computer maker with two basic questions, Laptop Magazine determined that Apple has the best overall tech support, while Dell, HP, and Acer have the worst. Though the results aren’t surprising, the depth of the PC makers’ incompetence is truly disappointing…
Why Is Spam Around? Because 12% Of Readers Actually Try To Buy The Stuff
By 7.17.09
Why, in a rational world, does spam continue to exist? Because someone you know—or maybe it’s you—has actually tried to buy something from it, a new study finds. Find that person and beat him (or yourself) with a stapler.
New Survey Says Less Than 20% Of Consumers Trust Food Supply
By 6.26.09
Is it any surprise that after the past few years of outbreaks and recalls, almost no one trusts products from food manufacturers anymore? IBM recently completed a survey of shoppers in the 10 largest cities, and found that a lot of consumers want more information than they currently can get about their food choices.
Why Do You Buy Extended Warranties?
By 6.21.09
We all know that most extended warranties are wastes of money that generally go unused, so why do people buy them? According to a study in the Journal of Consumer Research, guilt-racked and nervous consumers are willing to shell out the extra cash to buy a little peace of mind…
On The Border Asks: Do You Love Me?
By 5.31.09
Um, we’re a little sketched out by a survey question from the Mexican restaurant On The Border asking customers to agree or disagree with the statement: “I love On The Border.” Sure, sometimes we LOVE Mexican food, but we don’t really love any restaurant. It’s just too large a step to take with an eatery, you know? Reader Max is equally confused…
Study Shows Mortuaries Vary Widely In Pricing
By 5.26.09
A non-profit group recently surveyed the prices at 49 different mortuaries and crematoriums in San Diego, and found that “prices vary widely, with some mortuaries charging nearly twice as much as others for similar combinations of services.” Although the study focuses on one city, it’s a good reminder that you should check around and not assume that pricing is consistent throughout the industry.
What Are You Going To Use Your Tax Refund For This Year? 28% Say "To Pay Off Debt"
By 4.24.09
The comparison shopping website PriceGrabber.com just completed its “what are you going to do with your tax refund?” survey for the second year in a row, and not surprisingly there are some notable differences between last April and now. The biggest change is among those who plan to spend the money: it was 44.0% in 2008, but only 29.2% this year.
This Best Buy Survey Seems Suspiciously Biased
By 4.18.09
Sidd tried to fill out a Best Buy post-purchase survey online, but he suspects it might be skewed toward specific ratings. We know, it’s just a glitch, but this would explain that report that Best Buy is demoting 8,000 senior sales associates.
Q: Why Aren't You Buying New Cars? A: There's Nothing Wrong With The Old Ones
By 1.8.09
There have been a lot of theories about why consumers abruptly stopped buying cars — and not just American cars but all kinds of cars. Fingers have been pointed at poor fuel economy, lack of available financing, and if Hyundai is to be believed — concern about losing your job. But a new survey found that the most popular reason for not buying a new car — is that there’s nothing wrong with the old one.
Airlines Considers $10 Fee For Sitting Away From Babies
By 11.10.08
WestJet recently sent out a survey to its readers to look at a list of $10 fees and respond which they were okay paying with. One of them was a $10 fee for not having to sit near screaming babies and small children. The airline also wanted to know if customers would be interested in $10 savings for putting up with or giving up certain things, like savings for not earning frequent flier miles or savings for having a seat that doesn’t recline. Brilliant business move or deceptive fare increase? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
Marriott Emails You To Let You Know That You Did Not Give Permission For Them To Email You
By 10.6.08
Marriott really wants to know what you think of their hotels. Unfortunately, they don’t have permission to solicit your participation in surveys. The solution? They email you to let you know that you asked them not to email you.
