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Publishers Clearing House / PCH.com

Publishers Clearing House / PCH.com review: scam 14

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9:28 am EDT
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I just spent 45 minutes answering hundreds of very specific question about my recent purchases. Suddenly after gathering tons of info they say I am not eligable to participate and burn me for the rewards for taking the survey. PHC surveys are a rip-off scam to steal info and not pay as promised.

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stacyb77
Greenville, US
Oct 10, 2011 5:00 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I know I have been going thru the same thing. Recently they sent me COMPLIMENTARY magazines then got a letter saying I would be billed after my free samples! I wish I would have never signed up for pch! I bet no one ever wins. Its just a big scam to get people to buy their garbage products! I quit replying to all the surveys and enter now emails. Marked them as spam!

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maypole
west covi, US
Feb 07, 2012 6:59 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

yes, i've had the same thing happen to me. also i did a product test requiring me to bake 4 cake mixes which they claimed they would pay me $45. now that everything is completed and submitted they won't pay. complete ripoff!

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PatSchiermeyer
Redmond, US
Feb 14, 2013 12:20 pm EST

When a merchant promises to pay or reward via an internet page there are a few things you should do before committing time. (1) print the web page, (2) print and read the rules and fine print - this is where the company specifies its "weasel out of paying/rewarding" terms, (3) if in compliance, document your submittal with copies and receipts including postal receipt, and (4) if the company refuses to pat/reward after you have complied fully, notify the FCC and the Interstate Commerce Dept.

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J.Fred1122
whitwell, US
Jan 18, 2014 10:22 pm EST

I agree, the same thing happens to me. I will go through the whole survey and it will tell me quota full or doesn't meet criteria. That is after answering a bunch of questions and giving them all of my information. I'm sure they get kick-backs for each survey they can get someone to complete and then they don't come through on their end.

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vlr2802
Preston, US
Nov 30, 2014 9:43 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

16 days ago I finished a 14 day study that I was promised I would receive $125 for. There was a survey to begin and a survey to end. The day after I finished the study, I received an email telling me my "points" would be added to my account in 10 - 14 days. When I questioned the supposedly "outside company" who had done the survey why I was not getting the money I was promised and asked how many points would I get...yep, you guessed it pch responded. They told me they do not pay cash and I would get points for the survey...but it could take up to 6 months to get it! I have argued back and forth with them about it. I have been told 10 days (which passed 6 days ago), 6 weeks, 8 weeks. 2 months, 4 months. So far, all I get is the run around. They sucker you into it by giving you the points when you do the surveys...the 15 or 30 point ones...I did one that was suppose to pay 125 points and have never gotten the points. When I contacted them about it they claimed, first, that there was no record of me taking the survey, then they told me I needed the "name of the survey" as the pch number did not match the number given the survey by the "outside company". Needless to say, I never got those points. Now at issue is the $125 that I realize I will never get. They had me do the "screening" survey, then sent me an email that was supposedly from some other company "inviting" me to do the study. Now no pay. The only reason I am keeping my account open with them, especially since they have stopped letting me take any of the surveys since I have complained about not getting paid for this one...is that hope burns eternal and I hope someone will slip up and give me the points...12, 500 of them...which I will immediately turn into an amazon card. At least I hope I will. The $25 and the $20 one came through with no problems. Oh well, live and learn. Cheat me one time, shame on you. Cheat me a second time, shame on me. There won't be a second time.

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Tom Currie
US
Apr 24, 2017 5:34 pm EDT

As of April 2017, PCH has fixed the problem of people answering a lot of survey questions then being told they don't qualify and getting only 1500 tokens or no tokens at all. Now when you complete all the questions that the survey asks, you will get the "Thank You" screen that shows you have been awarded the full number of the tokens for that survey.

BUT IT IS A LIE!

Now you are always told you get all the tokens, but actually you don't get any tokens at all! The system is configured so that it only shows you that you are being awarded tokens, but no tokens are ever credited to you. Check your total and check your Token History -- you will quickly find that PCH is not crediting anyone with any tokens for any of their surveys. Total Rip Off Fraud.

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BigSasquatch
US
Jul 28, 2023 1:05 pm EDT
Replying to comment of Tom Currie

I have done hundreds of surveys and yes there are times I do not get credited. Sometimes an AD blocker will mess things up.

My gripe is sometimes the scratch-off cards will show technical error then pays out a lousy 100 tokens. Also I have had as many as 4 100 token payouts in a row. I sometimes wonder if they have preset algorithms for certain people, like on political or religious stances. I understand that may be difficult to prove...

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Santiago. Azurin
US
Jul 30, 2019 4:02 am EDT

07/30/2019 3:45am
Yes you exactly right thank you this Articles, Sometimes Survey the give me really pressure and I encounter harassment in the middle of answering survey . If I ignore or I’m busy to other Survey I experience, somebody shot down my website or blocking me how many times I did finish the survey no iPhone X Prize if almost than the survey the freeze my browser until I stock, my questions is how many times to take survey in one day? May I know 3 to 4 company his done but the bring me the whole 24 hours I experience that 5 times 24 hours . And I let you know I have Health Insurance and life and im not Home Owener plus to much pressures and the gonna report me to others survey subscribers I’m not cooperate is not true! Everyday I take survey.. no past day .. I truly understand I need to take survey that was good I learn a lot and educate me .. but the others is not nice is not educational instead educate me I receive harassment ( example I WILL MAKE SURE YOU ARE NOT GONNA WIN A SINGLE CENTSVE HE SHE SAID ) I keep that message the following day I cant open my iPhone 6 s and lately this iPhone 8 Plus someone tampered my SN and my Telephone number I cant downloaded my iCloud my iTunes I have a lot of pictures memories and my important documents until now I give permission to check this iPhone 8 Plus . Thank you you allow me to give my situation, I believe I am a victim of FAKE NEWS because every single day someone changes my sitting that’s all I truly appreciate your business I mean this website and thank you in advance I truly need help and advice because right now I don’t know what to do, would you Sir, Ma’am? Respectfully: Santiago Azurin
emai: azurinsantiago101@gmail.com
Tel-[protected]
Pls my email too I cant sign in and my Social Midia ! I have no picture because I can’t download my iCloud

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Dan Turner
US
Oct 04, 2021 11:39 am EDT

sometimes you are awarded tokens for taking survey 200, 00 tokens butonly shows you recieving 20, 000 tokens perhaps error on part of pch tech or something not sure

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Dr Lou
Cincinnati, US
Mar 14, 2022 9:02 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I've had three or four similar experiences and a few other in which the window closes or locks up AFTER the surveys were 95% complete.

Scam

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LouieWisconsin
US
Sep 25, 2022 2:58 pm EDT

These comments certainly don't bode well for either PCH or its partners. Sounds like major scams.

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sandy2759@gmail.com
Maynardville, US
Oct 24, 2022 11:51 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I have done several surveys 30+ minutes and more answered dozens of questions honestly as I could and told after survey is over and I have wasted my time I was told not eligible THIS IS A SCAM, PCH gets paid for scamming survey takers .,Then when you complain they punish you and mark your complaint as resolved.When someone takes their surveys they should be rewarded what was promised.When they are not and apparently this is happening to a lot of people How can it be anything but a scam?

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Nichol Reed
Hagerstown, US
May 07, 2023 4:23 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I'm sick and tired of getting emails about surveys and I don't touch them because something tells me not to, this is supposed to be game's not survey's, surveys spell trouble in my eyes and it dumb, never heard of it before. And then Allllll of the ADS ADS and MORE ADS when you're taking on a journey through ALL of those sites with the van to try to win all that money and each time they stop you go to another ad and then another one to collect coins and if I might remember correctly I think they make u go through more but I have to ask WHY the ADS if they're not trying to gather information about us. Ad's are VERY KNOWN to be used to gather information so I quit. The other Game's you don't win NOTHING and your just wasting time I think...

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Dr Lou
Cincinnati, US
May 08, 2023 8:35 am EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

This has happened to me a few times as well as the system "locking up" AFTER completing the survey, but before being rewarded. Clearly, the FTC should be looking into this.

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