Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Roseville, MN, USA
Posts: 161

Just a heads up for anyone using echo.com to get amazon gift certificates to buy cheap (or free) Visor stuff:

As of September 28th they're going to add a new way of getting amazon certificates (if you refer enough total people and they each listen two hours you can get them).

Unfortunately, they're also capping the maximum number of hours you can earn points per month at 100 instead of 300, and they'll increase the price of amazon certificates from 4,000 points to 12,000 points. Recently I've been earning four or five $18 amazon certificates per week. I'm not sure how many I'll be able to earn with the new scheme. At least it seems more likely that they'll deliver the certificates they've promised so far (enough to get a Prism).

If you don't know what echo is you can check this thread for a more complete discussion.




[Edited by Ash on 12-04-2000 at 10:23 AM]

Registered: Apr 2000
Location:
Posts: 266

Just wondering where you heard all this? I have been using echo for awhile now, already earned 4 Amazon.com gift certificates, but I am annoyed I have to wait 6-8 weeks to get them.

I am not thrilled about the point increase......but the max time allowed isn't a big deal since I have been using it much less lately.

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Ryan Clayton
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Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Roseville, MN, USA
Posts: 161

The message came from:

Dan Hart
Chief Executive Officer
Echo Networks, Inc.

It came to my home account at about 3:30pm today.

I've got 24 gift certificates coming. I earned the earliest one on August 9th, the most recent one today.

I only listen at work right now, so that's about eight hours a day, five days a week. I guess I'll be capped at about 2/3s of what I was getting before, and I'll be earning gift certificates at 1/3 my previous rate. I'll probably only get four per month.

I started doing it to get the points, then I got hooked on having music to listen to at work without dealing with the hassle of bringing in new CDs constantly.

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Surfside, FL, USA
Posts: 113

Expiration Date?

Do these gift certificates have expiration dates? I've accumulated over 8000 points, which is 2 gift certificates, but I've been waiting to redeem them until I have enough for something I want. Thanks for your help.

Registered: Apr 2000
Location:
Posts: 266

I haven't recieved any yet. They made the waiting period 6-8 weeks for the gift certificates, so I am still waiting. But I would cash your points in now before the 12,000 points for a Amazon.com gift certifcate takes affect. Quite a jump!

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Ryan Clayton
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Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 241

I got it too, this evening in fact. This stinks! Now I won't be able to get myself a Platinum for x-mas for free with amazon.com gift certificates! Oh well, I guess I'll use the 4 gift certificates I currently have, the one other one or 2 more I'll have by the time the rule comes into effect, and the 2 more I'll be able to get by christmas on it! So let's see... that's $144 off, so that means I get a Platinum for $156! I guess I'll settle for using some Xmas money as well

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-Petro
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Go to The Hunger Site and help eliminate hunger!
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Please go to each once a day! Every day!
Also, visit The Kids AIDS site! Help the fight against AIDS!
Also, visit The Child Survival Site! Donate free vitamin A to help prevent disease in children!
Also, visit The Breast Cancer Site! Help donate free mamograms to help prevent breast cancer!
Also, visit The Landmine Site! Help victims of landmines!

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Surfside, FL, USA
Posts: 113

I just cashed 4000 points for a certificate and it said that I should be getting one in 2-3 weeks! For other prizes I'll recieve an e-mail within a week?!? I have no idea what that means.

Registered: Apr 2000
Location:
Posts: 266

That's the old message, you will get an email regarding your certificate after 6-8 weeks, or if the reward was speakers, they will mail it out at that time.

Just be patient! =)

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Ryan Clayton
www.girlandgeek.com
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Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Roseville, MN, USA
Posts: 161

I've gotten a total of two of my gift certificates from Echo so far. The expiration date on the gift certificate is one year from the issue date. If you get one on October 10, 2000 then it shoul be good until October 10, 2001.

You'll probably get a confirmation message later today that says you'll get your reward within 6-8 weeks (it used to say 7-14 days).

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Surfside, FL, USA
Posts: 113

You guys were right...

After I posted, I got that e-mail. :-(

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Roseville, MN, USA
Posts: 161

I got another gift certificate in the mail today from Amazon. So far I've received three (out of a total of thirty two earned). I requested the redemption of this one on August 9th, and I received it on September 27th.

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 241

Thanks Ash! I was getting worried about my gift certificates (I've earned 6 so far, I wish I had half as many as you ash! I want a Visor Platinum from Amazon when they come out, but it sounds like you could get a Visor Prism for free!!!)

So I guess they're taking 90 days for their gift certificates that they said would take 14 days. Go figure!

Oh well, at least they're on the way!

__________________
-Petro
<a href="http://www.thehungersite.com"><img src="http://www.greatergood.com/images/p/ths/THS_logo.gif"></a><br>
Go to The Hunger Site and help eliminate hunger!
All you have to do is click one button! No catch, no personal information requested!!
Go To The Rain Forest Site!
Please go to each once a day! Every day!
Also, visit The Kids AIDS site! Help the fight against AIDS!
Also, visit The Child Survival Site! Donate free vitamin A to help prevent disease in children!
Also, visit The Breast Cancer Site! Help donate free mamograms to help prevent breast cancer!
Also, visit The Landmine Site! Help victims of landmines!

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Roseville, MN, USA
Posts: 161

I earned my first gift certificate on 07/28/00. I received it six days later on 08/03/00. I earned my second on 08/07/00 but I didn't get it until 08/30/00 (twenty three days later). I earned my third on 08/09/00 and received it today, 09/26/00 (forty seven days later).

Hopefully I won't have to wait another month for my next gift certificate (earned 08/11/00)

The customer service staff was telling people about the six to eight week wait before they finally switched the confirmation email from 7-14 days to six to eight weeks.

I'm guessing they'll be able to deliver gift certificates much faster under the new scheme (since people won't be earning them nearly as quickly.)

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Roseville, MN, USA
Posts: 161

I was pretty impressed to see they tripled existing members points before the switch to the new, higher prices. I was close to getting another certificate yesterday, but I figured I wouldn't get it for quite a while once they raised the bar.

Now I've just got 750 to go before certificate #31.

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Roseville, MN, USA
Posts: 161

They've updated the redemption message displayed when you request an amazon certificate. It now says, "Please allow 6-8 weeks for your prize to arrive."

I'm guessing it's going to be a while before I get another certificate (I'm at 20 points now).

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Surfside, FL, USA
Posts: 113

I read on their FAQ that you recieve the certificates "electronically." Is this true?

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Roseville, MN, USA
Posts: 161

Yep, you just get an email from [email protected] explaining that you've gotten an $18 gift certificate that expires one year from today. It includes a claim code that you enter when checking out at amazon.

When you check out you can enter claim codes one after another so you can get something expensive with enough of them. (I haven't decided if I'll get one of the new Visors or a digital camera, assuming I get what I'm owed.)


Thanks for the referrals by the way. I don't think I would have gotten quite as many without the help of some of the people on this board.

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Surfside, FL, USA
Posts: 113

If it's through e-mail, why does it take so long?

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Roseville, MN, USA
Posts: 161

Apparently they're manually checking each redemption request to make sure that it was valid.

Here's a response I got one time when asking about the long delays:


thanks for being a valued echo member. In order to be fair to our members,
we must go through a verification process for each redemption. This ensures
that the redemption is a legitimate request, and not one of the many bogus
requests we get from people who are abused the system. Although it means a
little longer wait for our members, it ensures that we can continue to offer
the rewards program. Thanks for your patience and thanks for listening to
echo!

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Surfside, FL, USA
Posts: 113

How could the entry not be valid though? I clicked on one of the rewards because I wanted more info (esp. on the InternetCash) and it told me I didn't have enough points.