Complaint Review: Echo Qualitative Project Support

I was contacted after I took a survey online and initially I'll admit, I was skeptical but then I looked at their website and checked them out on Yelp and they seem totally legit. Turns out they were! Yes, in this day and age its always scary when somebody asked you to send a picture of your ID but they made it clear that they didn't actually need or want my driver's license number in the pic... they only wanted to see that my face and name matched the information that I entered on the survey! To me it makes perfect sense to verify the person and I had no concerns.

Additionally... think about it...if the only communication they have with us is over the Internet/ phone how else are they going to know that we're not scamming them versus them?! You could so you were anybody just to qualify, long story short I got paid to answer questions about something that I enjoyed talking about and my interaction with everybody over at echo qualitative was great! It's a bummer you had such a negative experience when my overall experience was excellent.

Alright, here we go again. I am not responding as an effort to benefit personally in any way. Echo Research does not know that I am commenting and probably doesn’t even remember who I am. I know it is hard to believe that there are truly people out there that have an un-biased perspective and just want to help out a smaller company whose name is being dragged through the mud for no valid reasons and yet here I am. So let’s address these responses:

1. By now, I have finished the study. And, of course, I have gotten paid. Not only did I get paid the full promised amount, but I got paid DOUBLE because I had won “most creative response”. Not all companies give an incentive on top of the honorarium you are paid and, when they do, it’s typically no more then $25-$50 so this seemed very generous to me – especially considering I was not the only participant to win additional incentive money. Echo was extremely prompt in this entire process and not once did I question their integrity or think they were trying to “rip me off”. I would have absolutely no basis for forming that kind of opinion, much in the same way this individual doesn’t.
   
   
2. I work in the fraud department of a major international credit card company so you could say I know a thing or two about fraud, scammers, and identity theft. The likelihood that someone would be able to apply for credit in your name or have access to your accounts with your driver’s license alone is just unheard of. To say that Echo Research is selling your information to the “dark web” is laughable, shows the extent of your knowledge (or lack of) on the matter, and should be deemed quite the conspiracy theory. Take that tinfoil hat off. If this company was using this information in a fraudulent manner, if it were even remotely possible, do you really think they’d get away with it for this long? Wouldn’t someone be speaking up about how their identity had been stolen promptly after sharing information with this company? Do you think Echo Research would be so open about the fact that they ask for this information if they had bad intentions?
   
   
3. You say “Google Top Survey” or “market research companies” to see if other companies ask for this information. This comment alone had shown me why you are not fit to participate in the study. The fact that you are aware of all of these other market research opportunities tells me one thing: YOU have been scamming THEM. In reiterating what Echo’s response had noted, some individuals apply and apply and apply for all these studies with the primary reason of getting paid. They don’t care about helping out a company nor are they interested in the efforts and information that is gathered for companies to move forward and succeed based on your thoughtful responses and ideas. To apply for something just to get paid completely destroys the integrity of the research – research that these companies pay THOUSANDS of dollars to administer. To lie on the online screener so often and to the point you can’t remember what answers to put and, thus, failed on the phone screener, shows that you had no intention to genuinely help this company learn about your habits and ideas. You wanted them to pay you and nothing else.
   
   
4. Since you aren’t seeming to be able to grasp the reality of the situation, let’s break it down by giving an example, shall we? Let’s say you needed someone to re-model your kitchen. You put an ad out on Craigslist or the local newspaper or social media or whatever. You have one individual apply and you see that they look like an OK fit. You speak with them on the phone and you are a little unsure, but since you are strapped for time you decide to give them the go ahead. At the last second, however, another individual applies and they seem wonderful and a perfect fit for the job – especially after talking to them on the phone. So you tell the first individual, “I am so sorry, but unfortunately we’ve decided to go with another remodeling company, but we will keep you in mind in the future if we need any other work.” Do you think that individual would still expect to get paid even though they did absolutely nothing for you? No. They understand that the job is both time and financially-sensitive. They also know that, while most people will say they’ll keep you in mind, it really is just a formality and not to be taken too literally. Do you think this individual would stand a chance in court if they were to screen shot the e-mail in which you told them that and said something like, “Judge, she told me that she would keep me in mind in the future and yet she never even called me for another job. I deserve to be paid and offered another job.” They would laugh at him. They would think, “Wow, this person is incredibly immature and, quite frankly, acting like an ‘entitled baby’”. Do you see the similarities in these situations? I hope you do.

REBUTTALS: ASHLEY SAYS: A am actually in the middle of participating in a research study with Echo right now and can, with the most confidence, say that they are a wonderful company and that the original poster has a warped perception of how market research works. I just have a few points to make here: I SAY: HOW DOES SHE KNOW. SHE HAS NOT FINISHED THE STUDY. HAS NOT GOTTEN PAID YET. HAS NOT HAD BOGUS DEDUCTIONS FROM HER STUDY DONE YET. "SHE IS IN THE MIDDLE.” IT SHOWS YOU HOW RIDICULOUS THIS POST IS AND HOW DUMB THAT PERSON THINKS THE PEOPLE READING THIS ARE, THINKING THEY ARE GOING TO BELIEVE THEM. (AND NO PROOF) ASHLY SAYS: 1. Yes, they ask you to send in a picture of you holding your driver's license, but it is not in any way to commit identity theft. An individual's date of birth can be found in public records. They would have a hard time committing identity theft with solely the information listed on their driver's license. This is a practice done by a lot of companies to ensure they are doing business with a valid client giving valid information (i.e. an online study that requires only people living in San Francisco; by sending in your driver's license, you can verify that the client isn't just saying they live there when they actually live in Boston or something. since they don't use the address to send your payment [Amazon gift card], this is a really good way to make sure the participant isn't lying).

I SAY: AH, yes, there is a greater probability of identity theft with a gov’t document like this, especially since they have it and are either going to do no good with it or at the very least, not safeguard it with any security protocols and not take responsibility if anything happens to your credit because of this thing laying on their servers and someone hacking into it or one of their own employees just grabbing it and who know what like selling it off to someone - it’s happened. And wrong. Shows you again how easy they lie to you. It is quite easy to commit identity theft with just that information they have. It’s published all over the web. They have your name and address and drivers license number. With this info, they can put it into a reverese look up program obtained on the dark web. They will obtain the ss security number and then open up credit accounts, and etc. etc. your credit is shot. So yes, it is very dangerous to give this company your drivers license. And another lie, saying it’s a common practice for other companies to do this. It is almost unheard of for anyone to ever ask for this. To prove it, go online, google top survey or market research companies and ask them about their online studies or just fill one out yourself and you’ll see that no one asks for this.

This is obviously the owner putting in another lying bogus comment into here to try to support her argument with more lies and misleading statements that once again, have no proof at all. SHE SAYS 2. There is not one market research company I have heard of that pays their participants if they have to cancel the study or drop the individual at the last minute. I can't imagine what someone's day-to-day life would have to be like for them to be truly inconvenienced by this to the point where they feel they are entitled to being paid. This individual stated she had to cancel "important appointments" to participate in the study. I just find that hard to believe - and if it is true - the appointments must not have been as vital as was implied. Companies sometimes have to cancel or cut people out of a study. That is business. That is life.

I SAY: ANOTHER LIE. YES, MOST REPUTABLE COMPANIES TAKE RESPONSIBLITY FOR THEIR POOR BUSINESS ACTION. AND THE OWNER HERE, ADMITS YOU SHOULD BE PAID. JUST LOOK AT MY DOWNLOADS AND YOU’LL SEE THE EMAIL WHERE SHE ADMITS THEY SHOULD HAVE PAID. AGAIN SHOWING YOU WHAT A LIER SHE IS. SHE SAYS: 3. With these postings alone, this individual has proven that she is not at all the type of person market research companies look to have in their study. They don't want someone who is vulgar or impulsive. They don't want someone that can easily misconstrue a situation and blow it out of porportion. Market research companies DO, however, look for someone who is open to new ideas, willing to listen and respond thoughtfully, able to form creative thoughts, and is articulate - none of these qualities of which this individual seems to have. I SAY: BUT YET, AFTER THEY FIGURED THIS OUT, THEY HIRED ME TO DO THE STUDY. (SEE THEIR CONFIRMATION EMAIL IN THE DOWNLOADS) AND THEN AGAIN KNOWING HOW BAD I WAS, FELT SO BADLY ABOUT WHAT THEY DID, THAT THEY PROMISED TO PUT ME INTO ANOTHER STUDY (SEE THAT EMAIL IN THE DOWNLOADS) (BUT A LIE- NEVER HAPPENED), TO COMPENSATE ME I HAVE COPIES AND SCREEN COPIES OF HER MAILS IN THE DOWNLOADS HERE TO SHOW YOU HOW SHE LIES), BUT THEY SAID TO PUT ME INTO ANOTHER STUDY TO COMPENSATE ME BECAUSE I’M THE PERSON ABOVE THEY REALIZED WAS SO AWFUL. YOU SEE HOW THESE PEOPLE LIE, AND THEN LIE TO COVER UP LIES, AND ON AND ON. 

I am actually in the middle of participating in a research study with Echo right now and can, with the most confidence, say that they are a wonderful company and that the original poster has a warped perception of how market research works. I just have a few points to make here:

1. Yes, they ask you to send in a picture of you holding your driver's license, but it is not in any way to commit identity theft. An individual's date of birth can be found in public records. They would have a hard time committing identity theft with solely the information listed on their driver's license. This is a practice done by a lot of companies to ensure they are doing business with a valid client giving valid information (i.e. an online study that requires only people living in San Francisco; by sending in your driver's license, you can verify that the client isn't just saying they live there when they actually live in Boston or something. since they don't use the address to send your payment [Amazon gift card], this is a really good way to make sure the participant isn't lying).

2. There is not one market research company I have heard of that pays their participants if they have to cancel the study or drop the individual at the last minute. I can't imagine what someone's day-to-day life would have to be like for them to be truly inconvenienced by this to the point where they feel they are entitled to being paid. This individual stated she had to cancel "important appointments" to participate in the study. I just find that hard to believe - and if it is true - the appointments must not have been as vital as was implied. Companies sometimes have to cancel or cut people out of a study. That is business. That is life.

3. With these postings alone, this individual has proven that she is not at all the type of person market research companies look to have in their study. They don't want someone who is vulgar or impulsive. They don't want someone that can easily misconstrue a situation and blow it out of porportion. Market research companies DO, however, look for someone who is open to new ideas, willing to listen and respond thoughtfully, able to form creative thoughts, and is articulate - none of these qualities of which this individual seems to have.

You see everything this woman says is a lie. She is desperate now not to loose her clients because when they read this they will think twice about hiring a company like this with low standards and Unethical conduct. She can't back up anything with proof. It' just one lie after another to cover the previous lie. But if you read my original report, I have documentation and direct emails from them to back up everything I said.  SHE SAYS: "It was me that spoke to this woman and I never said she should have been paid. IN HER EMAIL ON. The only thing true in her report is that she was rejected from participating." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- me talking: Now here is her email that proves that she is again lying, evasive, and leaves things out to distort the facts. She says in this email belowt hat it is customary to pay someone in this case. But above in this rebuttal, she says, "i never said she should have been paid." HER LIES, DOUBLE TALK, ALTERATION OF FACTS! ============================================================================== ME TALKING AND Remember above she said I was dismissed as a crazy woman, etc... LIES but the real reason, I was out of this study in this email below THEIR EMAIL TO ME. From: Kerry Hecht Labsuirs CEO to: ME date: Mon, Apr 2, 2018 at 12:34 AM subject: Re: POOR BUSINESS ACTION BY GREG FAIN. mailed-by: echoqual.com signed-by: echoqual-com.20150623.gappssmtp.com security: Standard encryption (TLS) Hi, I've read through this email chain and it doesn't seem to me that Greg was dismissive, it seems like he was explaining to you that these situations sometimes arise - and they do. Typically, we offer people a small amount to compensate them for their trouble, which is what he should have done. That said, this is the first I've had any communication with you or heard of this situation and I do not take kindly to your tone or your threat. There is simply no reason for that. Additionally, you've not left a phone number for me to contact you. Thank you. Kerry =============================================================================== SHE GOES ON TO SAY: I did say that it would be normal to place a person in another study if they qualified and it was appropriate." WHICH IS ALL MARKETING DOUBLE TALK. THEY FORGET ABOUT YOU FOREVER AFTER THIS STATEMENT. IT'S COMMON PRACTICE FOR MARKET RESEARCH RECRUITERS TO SAY THIS. I then dug a little deeper (and continued to receive crazy emails from this lady) and then understood why she was rejected from this study and blacklisted from our projects. SHOW US THE EMAILS THAT ARE CRAZY. LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE. =============================================================================== NOW I DOWNLOADED THE EMAIL HERE IN THIS FILE , A SCREEN SHOT OF AN EMAIL FROM GREG FAIN THE PROJECT MANAGER EXPLAINING WHY I WAS TAKEN OUT OF THE PROJECT AS HE SAYS: Echo Recruiting - Cat Food Jan 18 from:Echo Recruiting - Cat Food to: Greg Fain bcc: TO ME date:Thu, Jan 18, 2018 at 3:46 PM subject: Cat Food Study mailed-by: echoqual.com signed-by: echoqual-com.20150623.gappssmtp.com security: Standard encryption (TLS) Learn more Hi, I am sorry to report that you did not get accepted into the Cat Food Study. It turns out we received much more interest in this study than we originally thought - and unfortunately our client had to dis-invite several people. Please don't take it personally. This happens all the time with research studies and most of the time people are not accepted as a result of us needing a better mix of age, gender or ethnicity. Or, in this case we were looking for a wide mix of Cat Food buyers. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. If you sent in your photos and/or videos please note that they have been deleted. We do studies like this all the time so I would encourage you to try again on our next study and if you qualify you will likely get in. If you are interested in getting on our database where we can alert you directly please visit our website at echoqual.com and look for the 'join database' in the upper right corner. If you have any questions at all please let me know. Thanks, Greg Fain Project Manager =========================================================================== You can see this email tells a different story than what she just said above. She lies. I was not the crazy woman blacklisted. But they simply overbooked the study. YOU SEE RIGHT HERE HOW SHE LIES! Do not believe ANYTHING that she says after seeing this proof. Any client reading this and trying to decide to do business with this unethical company and that wants me to send them the original screenshot of the Email as further proof or anyone else on ripoff report that wants to confirm this, I would be more tan happy to send it to you. I WILL TRY TO ATTACH A COPY OF THIS EMAIL TO THIS COMMENT IF THIS WEBSITE ALLOWS ME TO DO SUCH.

It was me that spoke to this woman and I never said she should have been paid.  I did say that it would be normal to place a person in another study if they qualified and it was appropriate.  I then dug a little deeper (and continued to receive crazy emails from this lady) and then understood why she was rejected from this study and blacklisted from our projects.

The only thing true in her report is that she was rejected from participating.  

Unfortunately, this woman has continued to harass Echo after she was rejected from a project due to her disqualifying.  She failed to pass a rescreening when her answers to the questions we asked her didn't match her original responses.  Additionally, she had a very heavy accent that made it difficult for her to understand and sadly, this won't work when we do this kind of research.

The project she was recruited for took place last year and she only started complaining about her lack of her rejection from the study earlier this month. (April, 2018)

At the end of the day, we need to provide the very best, honest and easy to understand participants.  This woman was none of those things.  Additionally, we believe her to be mentally unstable and what we in the industry refer to as a "professional respondent."  It means that these people lie and cheat to participate in our projects and with other companies that are like us.  It's women like her that invalidate the research that companies use to make decisions worth millions of dollars. 

So yes, we rejected her and she didn't like it.   We stand by this decision and would do it again.  We've blacklisted her from our database of potential participants and have identified her to other companies in our space to do the same.