Pinecone Research Review

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UPDATED January 2010: Newest Pinecone Research sign-up link : CLICK HERE

Marcos has the latest Pinecone Research sign-up link CLICK HERE! Thanks Marcos!

This will be the first of (hopefully) many reviews about various ways to make some extra money online. I am only going to blog about sites I have personally used and received money from, and as of right now there is only one site that falls under that category that I highly recommend – Pinecone Research. The pic above and below are of the check stubs and few checks I forgot to cash from Pinecone Research (proof it is a legit company).

Many years ago I came across a Pinecone Research banner on Myspace. It said that it was looking for people aged 18-25 to take online surveys and get paid. I was a jobless college student at the time and although I was a bit skeptical, I signed up anyway.

Pinecone Research is an online survey panel. You fill out short questionnaires to see if you would be eligible for a survey. You get paid $5 for each survey you complete. They send out $5 checks to you but a couple of years ago they began to offer a Paypal payment option as well. I received emails from Pinecone a couple of times a week. The survey was usually about a product and you would rate how likely it is that you would buy the product, what you like or dislike about the product, etc.

What I loved about Pinecone Research was that at times they actually mail you a product to try out yourself. You get to try products before they come out to the public; and you and other panelists have some influence on whether or not the product will be made available to the public in the first place. You follow the directions included in the package on how to use the product, and after a specified amount of time you fill out another survey about your thoughts and experience with the product. Sometimes you have to return an empty container of the product back, other times you discard it yourself or just keep it.

I have personally received a knee brace (which they now sell), teeth whitening strips, a scented candle, dog treats, and female hygiene products *blush* among other things. My Dad often laughed when I received a package and commented about how I was getting paid to try stuff for free.

If you are on the panel, you are not allowed to talk about the products you are reading about or using to anyone! I didn’t. I’m not on the panel anymore though. I stopped taking the surveys years ago and so they stopped sending them and that was it.

How to get on the Pinecone Research Panel

Unfortunately you can’t just sign up and apply to be on the panel. They are not always accepting panelists. The only way to get in is to find a Pinecone Research ad (which appears on random sites on the net), click on it and apply. Even then, you might not be accepted. If you are a part of a demographic they are looking for, then you are in. So good luck! (And let me know if you happen to find a Pinecone Research banner ad, ok? )

For more info check out PineconeResearch.com.