We appreciate your feedback. We assure you this promotion is not a scam.

Here is an example of a 900 character review: Starbucks VIA Instant Coffee

900 characters is roughly one solid paragraph. That's approximately 150 words. 

Here is a direct link to rules page:

http://www.viewpoints.com/content/sweeps_rules_25restaurant_viewpoints

The review qualifiers are as follows:

All reviews must be a minimum of 900 characters to qualify for the promotion.

Your reviews must be submitted on a product in these (8) categories: Baby, Beauty, Computers, Electronics, Health, Home & Garden, Home Exerciser Equipment and Toys.

Reviews in the Auto, Books & Magazines, Clothing, Education, Finance, Food/Drink, Local, Music & Arts, Movies, Office, Pets, Travel, Miscellaneous and Websites categories are ineligible for payment under this Promotion.

Please feel free to ask me if you have questions about the qualifications. Leave me a comment or send an email to: meredith@viewpoints.com

It can be confusing -- 900 characters - some may have thought it was 900 words - which even for someone like me who has a hard time shutting up on their reviews would be a bit tough! 

I love rest.com so look forward to hopefully winning. I would definitely use it. 

I was just talking about restaurant.com with the hubby yesterday. I do have some health and beauty reviews just about completed. Hmmm, I could finally make Writer1 and dinner out courtesy of Viewpoints. Sounds good to me. Thanks, Meredith and the rest of your team!

Glad it's not 900 words but there are a few people here I bet could do it!   : )

I wrote 5 at least I'm pretty sure..haha. But it seemed hard at first, then you just start going to town and it actually is very easy. some of mine were over 900 characteres! owell. anything for a free giftcard. :-)

900 characters is only about 150-200 word max. Spaces, punctuation, etc. all count as a character There is a character counter (and a word counter) about the box where you write reviews and you can quickly see where you stand when you're writing. It's not a scam. They give all of their prizes out. Try it. It's great to share your opinions with the whole net!

I can write 900 characters in my sleep :)

akklewer said…

Viewpoints advertises if I write 5 reviwes they will give me a $25 restauran gift card.

Sounds great, right!?  But in order to receive the gift card it must a 900 character in length review, and must be a review on a few selected product categories.

I have not yet seen a 900 character review that I wanted to read.  This is starting to see like a scam to me.  Anyone who can write 900 characters about a product they use is probably a professional writer and should be getting paid a real salary not small incentives like a restaurant gift card.

Just wanted to share this in case others were trying for the gift card too and forgot to read the small print.

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For what it's worth, your post above is about 634 characters, including spaces. That's more than 2/3s of the way to the 900 characters required. Even if you eliminate the spaces, it's more  than 525 characters, which is well more than halfway to the finish line. I realize that I'm a professional writer, but that seems like a reasonable number to me. Viewpoints wants reviews that give at least a little information and a few opinions, and 900 characters is a good start. Anything less and it would be too easy to scam.

--Bob

Think of it as calling for a little bit of quality for your work.  After all really you're getting $5 per review (in cert for anyway), which is a lot more than you would get per review anywhere and most of those places expect a lot more words/characters.

Stick around for a while and take a look at this community.  I think you will find that Viewpoints prides itself on taking care of its members.  This promotion is just one way to show that. 

I love this promotion! I had a few things I wanted to review and was writing reviews in my head. This promotion got me motivated to put my thoughts down. This is a really great site with a lot of nice people. It is good you voiced your concern so Meredith and others members could put your mind to rest.

I was going to say the same thing. It's NOT 900 words. In fact 208 words in two reviews ago equaled over 900 characters. And I don't think I could have said more. Suzi, I can write 900 words while I'm reading another review and writing one- just kidding! And I'm not kidding you, akklewer. This is a great place and very legitimate. I know many of the writers and have met a couple of the big people. So give it a shot. Also when you read about the selected categories you have to remember that could include your shampoo, what you use to wipe your counter, your grass seed, shaving cream....Jo

We appreciate the discussion around this! We thought it was the least we could do for the community! But, as many of you said, we can only compensate at this level for reviews that we know our members are interested in! :) So, jump in, write a review and you will be surprised how quickly you get to 900 characters!

I have written a few reviews, to be honest this is my first shot at reviewing period so my writing will probably transition as I do, but I am finding it easier to read and write.  I am going to hope for the gift card, but am greatful for the added incentive that got me going on something new!

Great Jonathan :)  We hope you manage 5 reviews!

While we are on the subject, is there a time limit for this promotion?  I don't remember seeing one and haven't gone back to read the rules.

You know the saying....nothing in life is free!  ;-)    Seriously, it's just a little work for $ 25.00, and I think that's a pretty good deal.  

It's not a scam, you can be assured of that.  I've been with Viewpoints over a year now, and have been given everything I was ever promised.  If you have any questions, akklewer, please feel free to send me a PM. 

900 characters is nothing! I slammed out 5 reviews in less than an hour, and hoping they were all in the right category. I'm a super fast thinker and typer though, so it was no challenge at all.

They have added a new feature that enables you to see how many characters you are typing in your review. (Thanks for the new feature!) You are also free to use subheadings in your reviews (Here's what I like about this product....Here's what I don't like about this product, etc.)

When I first started writing at Viewpoints, I wondered how on earth I would be able to think of very many products to review. I reviewed my digital camera, a couple of medications, a book, a website....now every time I turn around, I see a potential review. ("Wait! Don't open that package yet. I want to take a picture of it. We can't take those books back to the library yet..I haven't written a review on that really good one. Hmmm.....would anyone actually read a review on toilet paper? You get the picture.)

To give you a few examples of the categories that they are offering the incentive: you're undoubtedly using a computer (there's a mouse, battery, maybe a softwear or a surge protector, perhaps you have a camera or video camera or cell phone?, maybe you take medications or use soap or toothpaste? then there's the lawn mower, string trimmer, vacuum, mattress, refrigerator, stove, washer/dryer, dish washer, cleaning supplies, etc. They also have a discussion about a daily dose of review ideas that might help, if you are interested in writing reviews here and they've offered sweepstakes for people writing reviews during many months.

I am a registered nurse by profession, a mommy the vast majority of the time, and I have had a SMALL handful of pieces published, but I feel that my reviews have improved since I started writing here last June.

Is there a deadline for the prize?  Also, what happens if you write a review is a ''forbidden category''.  Off with your head :) ?

HI I read the rules and it says the promotion is over after they receive 10000 reviews OR April 30, whatever comes first.  You can write in the other categories as much as you want, it just won't count to the gift card :)

Well I think I have 5 reviews not sure if they are all 900 characters, I mean I talk a lot so I know that won't be hard.

How long is this going on for?

Hi Sydahne, it's going through the end of April or until Viewpoints receives 10000 reviews.  If you want to know how long your reviews are, open them up in Edit mode.  Then put your cursor in the text box where you typed your review. Add a space, just to act like you are typing something.

Once you start typing in the box, up above you will see "xxx words, xxx characters".  So that's how you know!

When you type new reviews, you can see this xxx words as you type.

I haven't been with Viewpoints very long, this is the first promotion or anything I've done...I submitted 5 reviews in the categories listed pretty much as soon as I got the e-mail (it wasn't hard, I have a lot of opinions lol), but I really have no way of knowing if they counted or what.  Do they just e-mail you the gift card when the contest is over or what?  Just kinda curious...I would hate to have some technicality lose it for me, but I'm pretty sure I followed the rules.

We will definitely send you the gift card at the end of the promotion! :) Meaning, the end of the month.

Hmmm my shortest review is 900 characters - 180 words - and I'm a bona fide slacker.

I think somebody is just a wee bit confused. d;-)

Kimberw83 . . .you will fit in perfectly here we all have lots of opinions!  Thanks for sharing them.

I can say I have been here a year - and if anyone wonders if Viewpoints says they will do it they will do it.  So, get your 5 reviews in the categories stated, do the 900 characters and then sit back relax and go out to eat!

After dinner come back and review the restaurant! :-D

Thanks for the replies!  :)

I love this promotion...thank you for helping in tough economic times!  A free dinner is a great treat and restaurant.com is awesome!  It is amazing how many things you want to give your opinion on when you start looking around your house...900 characters is pretty easy once you get started...of course I have been told I don't know when to shut up...who would of thought that would come in handy...lol:)

Just to make sure I am understanding...once you write your 5 reviews in the select categories, you do not need to do anything else like submit a form or something?  Just want to make sure I am good to go for the gift certificate...thanks!

yep catch 22 always a catch but who cares a least i can pay back some of these companies that really tick me off

Hi dogzzz, that's correct.  Just submit your reviews and VP will know you wrote them.  You might want to write more than 5 just to be safe :)  We are always open to as many opinions as you can muster!  And no one here will tell you to shut up :-D

ladygirl79 said…

yep catch 22 always a catch but who cares a least i can pay back some of these companies that really tick me off

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that's what I like to hear!  :-D  actually I find I have more good things to say than bad but I sure do like to know when companies or products mess up.  just learned today that a lipstick i wanted to purchase was AWFUL for several people so I won't be wasting money on it. 

I'm a little confused (SO WHAT ELSE IS NEW!!!) but is this five reviews for a CHANCE to win a $25 gift ctf or is everyone who writes these five reviews going to get their own gift card?