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Post by Mark O on Oct 25, 2011 8:26:26 GMT 9
Has anyone ever been a "Nielsen Family" doing television rating surveys? A couple months ago I got a letter from them out of the blue with a letter (and two, crisp, sequentially numbered $1 dollar bills) explaining I was selected randomly. It didn't have my name, just my address, and asked me to fill out a survey, send it back, and I would start getting the surveys. I wrote a polite, "No thanks." on the survey without filling any of it out, put it, and their two dollars back into the envelope, and dropped it in the mail box.
Well today, I got my first survey. Again, just my address - no names - on the envelope. This time it had FIVE, crisp, sequentially numbered $1 dollar bills! (Series 2006, BTW!) I'm supposed to wait until Thursday before I start filling out the "diary". (Sweeps week starts Friday.)
I just don't want to go to the trouble to tell the truth. Besides, I could save them a whole bunch of time by just writing "Fox News, and "The History Channel" down! Anyhow, this time I don't have a return envelope to mail anything back, as the diary just has a flap to fold over to return it. The sides are open, so that's not very secure to send their money back. They have a phone number, so maybe I'll try that this time.
I suppose I'll just keep this "gift" especially since I never asked for it.
Strange.
Mark
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Post by lindel on Oct 25, 2011 23:01:08 GMT 9
I suspect that I don't fit their "profile" either. I might spend an hour watching tv (unless it's football/baseball) a day. Even then it's likely to be the Food Network, History, Syfy or the Science Channel.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2011 23:05:36 GMT 9
If you receive something in the mail that you didnt ask for, IT'S YOURS. That's the law.
Magazines used to do that a lot. Send you a couple of free issues, then send you a PAST DUE INVOICE, hoping that you would send the money cuz you thought you might have ordered it and forgot.
Just keep it, unless you already bought a small cup of Starbuck's coffee.
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Post by LBer1568 on Oct 25, 2011 23:07:00 GMT 9
My son and I both got the $5 envelope last week. He lives about 20 miles away. So we are marking off shows as we watch. Mine is harder because we have at least two tv's going.
I have done it in the past and only got a couple dollars. So they have increased spending.
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Post by adart on Oct 26, 2011 6:39:54 GMT 9
Years ago didn't they have a box you hooked to the tv so they could tell what you watched?? Then you send it back. I might be dreaming or just had a brain fart. :  |
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Post by Mark O on Oct 26, 2011 8:09:01 GMT 9
Years ago didn't they have a box you hooked to the tv so they could tell what you watched?? Then you send it back. I might be dreaming or just had a brain fart.  From what I understand they actually still use those, but prefer the manual "diaries." I still haven't decided to fill mine out. Of course, I really don't have much else to do! Mark |
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Jim Scanlon (deceased)
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Post by Jim Scanlon (deceased) on Oct 26, 2011 8:19:34 GMT 9
Nielsen did indeed have a box.
It hooked up to the set, and was left on until the month, or however long was completed.
I never had one, but know some people who did.
They would leave the TV on all the time, just to throw off the ratings.
Back in the days of Radio, they had the Hooper Ratings.
The Hooper Radio Ratings were only in certain cities, and didn't bother with the rural areas.
Hooper began doing TV ratings, and was eventually bought out by Nielsen.
I imagine there is some way that can determine how many homes are watching a given cable or satellite program.
The sponsors, networks and production companies are always looking for a way to get an accurate rating.
Jim Too
:god_bless_usa
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