# "Auto Industry Research Study" offering $100 for participating. Huh? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 20, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-industry-research-study-offering-100-for-participating-huh/503677 "2009-07-20T21:46:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-industry-research-study-offering-100-for-participating-huh/503677/1 "2009-07-20T21:46:48Z")
What is it all about? I’m intrigued because I’m out of work and $100 wouldn’t hurt. Whoever (whomever?) it is knows what car I drive. They identify themselves as a marketing research firm. I’m getting automated info when I call that doesn’t exactly explain what it is, just that it’s in the afternoon on a weekend day and that I have to show up somewhere. Hoping someone who may have done this can clarify what I may (or may not) be getting myself into if I sign up… ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-industry-research-study-offering-100-for-participating-huh/503677/2 "2009-07-20T22:09:49Z")
They’re researching how many gullible people own cars. If it’s vague, it’s a scam of some form. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-industry-research-study-offering-100-for-participating-huh/503677/3 "2009-07-20T22:16:44Z")
No, it’s likely a focus group, they pay about that. They keep it vague so that no one knows exactly what car is being researched. Go for it. The worst that can happen is that they’ll ask you back again in six months or so. Sometimes there’s even a nice lunch included. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-industry-research-study-offering-100-for-participating-huh/503677/4 "2009-07-20T23:38:23Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > No, it’s likely a focus group, they pay about that. They keep it vague so that no one knows exactly what car is being researched. > > Go for it. The worst that can happen is that they’ll ask you back again in six months or so. Sometimes there’s even a nice lunch included. Yep, they called me in for focus groups about cars about four times in one year a couple years ago. I got paid $200 or so each time, and it was a fairly entertaining couple of hours, so I’d say go for it. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-industry-research-study-offering-100-for-participating-huh/503677/5 "2009-07-20T23:51:48Z")
I have no idea if it is a scam or not but marketing focus groups can be legit. They just want to pull in random people and get their opinions. The real ones pay cash right afterwards and that is the end of it. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-industry-research-study-offering-100-for-participating-huh/503677/6 "2009-07-21T05:06:08Z")
I got $100 for sitting in a car with cameras all over for a few minutes while they instructed me to look and turn my head in various different directions. I got this opportunity through a focus group firm; they call me every month or so with other focus group offers, but so far my demographic has always been full by the time I manage to return their call. Of course, if they require you to sign up for a bunch of promotions, that’s different. But there are real market research groups that pay people for their time. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/auto-industry-research-study-offering-100-for-participating-huh/503677/7 "2009-07-21T05:15:09Z")
I used to get called for focus groups a lot but not so much anymore. As I get older I probably fell out of a certain target demographic for somethings. Think I gotta wait it out till I get a little older to fall back in one.