The Panel Place

Welcome dear panelist!

First of all, thank you for participating in SOM's online surveys. Your opinion is important as it allows us to collect data and publish results that are representative of the Quebec population.

This section of SOM's Web site is reserved for our panelists. It contains important information on our surveys and the prizes you can win by participating. Do not hesitate to browse through the sections below by clicking on the topics that interest you.

If you can't find the information you are looking for in any of the following sections, please feel free to contact us by email at .

Updating your email address

Your email address has changed? Please inform us at so that we may continue to send you invitations to participate in SOM's surveys.

Unregistering from SOM's Gold panel

If you no longer wish to receive invitations to participate in SOM's online surveys, you can write us at and we will remove your address from our list.

Rules of the $1,500 monthly drawing

Preface

A montly drawing takes place only if surveys (that require the participation of panelists, that is members of SOM's Gold panel) are administered during the month. When there is a monthly drawing, the rules set out below apply.

Current drawing

$1,500 ($500 x 1, $100 x 5, $25 Amazon gift cards x 20) monthly drawing

1. Eligibility

SOM's monthly contest is open to all “panelists” who will have responded to at least one entire survey during a given month, or on any given month, panelists who have helped to recruit participants for a survey could be eligible to the monthly contest.

The term panelist refers to two categories of people: "web panelists" and "phone panelists".

Only those persons who fulfill the following requirements are considered to be web panelists:

• To be at least 15 years of age and living in the province of Quebec;
• Has received and accepted the invitation to be part of SOM's Gold panel;
• Has completed the registration form in its entirety;
• Agrees to receive regular invitations to respond to online surveys;
• Doesn't work (nor does a member of the household) for a survey or polling firm.

Only those persons who fulfill the following requirements are considered to be phone panelists:

• To be at least 15 years of age and living in the province of Quebec;
• Has received and accepted the invitation to be part of SOM's phone Gold panel;
• Agrees to receive regular invitations to respond to phone surveys;
• Doesn't work (nor does a member of the household) for a survey or polling firm.

Barring any exception, a panelist who doesn't meet the admissibility criterias for a specific survey does not get the chance to participate in a monthly contest for this survey.

In some particular cases, a person who is denied the panelist status may be eligible to participate in a monthly contest as a thank you for the effort that was made.

2. Participation

To enter the contest, the web panelist must access the survey by using a password enabled web link (provided by e-mail) and complete the survey in its entirety or, in some instances, help in the recruitment of participants for a survey.

In some particular cases, a panelist who is denied access to a survey during the study period because the maximum number of respondents or a specific quota has been reached may obtain a chance to win the monthly prize.

To enter the contest, the phone panelist must complete phone surveys in its entirety or, in some instances, help in the recruitment of participants for a survey.

Every time the panelist answers a survey, he or she gets between one and ten chances of winning the monthly prize, depending on the survey's length and difficulty.

The probability of winning one of the monthly prizes varies according to the number of panelists who have accessed and responded to the surveys, as well as the number and the nature of the surveys administered during the month.

3. Contest duration

Each month there is a survey, the contest starts on the first of the month at 0:01 am and ends on the last day of the month at 11:59 pm.

4. Prize description

Each month, one $500 cash prize, five $100 prizes and twenty $25 Amazon gift cards are awarded to the winning participants.

5. Designation of winners and awarding of prizes

The prizes are awarded at random among all entries.

A person can win only one of the prize for a given month.

The monthly draw takes place on the second business day following the last day of the month, at 3:00 pm at SOM's office in Montréal (1180 suite 620, Drummond street).

The winning participant is notified by email that he or she has won a prize.

The winning participant has to claim his or her prize within 30 days after the first notice sent by SOM (by e-mail). After this time, the prize is subject to another draw and is attributed to another person.

If the winner is a minor, one of the parents or tutors will be required to sign a document attesting that the prize has been accepted and releasing SOM from any responsibility pertaining to any damage or loss entailed by the candidate's participation to the contest or by the acceptance or use of the prize.

By claiming his or her prize, the winning participant (or a parent or tutor if he/she is a minor) agrees to having his or her name and photo used for advertising purposes.

The prize consists of a $500 cheque or a $100 e-transfer or a $25 Amazon gift card. The cheque is sent by mail to the winning participant (or to a parent or tutor if it's a person who is a minor) no later than seven (7) business days (according to postmark) following the date the winning participant claimed the prize. The e-transfer or the Amazon gift card is sent to the winning participant (or to a parent or tutor if its'a person who is a minor) no later than seven (7) business days following the date the winning participant claimed the prize.

The prize has to be accepted as described herein and may not be transferred to another person or substituted for another prize.

6. Publishing of winners' names

The name of the winners (first name initial and last name) are published on SOM's Web site as well as in their city of residence.

7. Exclusions

The employees of SOM or those of any party directly or indirectly involved in the contest, as well as their family and any persons with whom they live are not eligible to enter this contest.

A panelist excluded from SOM's Gold panel for having breached the conditions of use or engaged in a fraudulent practice is also ineligible to the monthly contest.

8. General conditions

The selected participant releases SOM of all liability for any harm that may occur as a result of a participation to the contest, the acceptance or use of the prize.

SOM is not liable for any lost, misdirected or late entries, including problems resulting of any type of failure, for any type of reason, of the website over the duration of the contest, or as a result of damage to the participant's computer.

SOM reserves the right, at its sole discretion (with the approval of the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux, if applicable), to terminate a contest if events beyond its control prevent it from being continued. In such a case, SOM cannot be held liable in any way.

In the event of a discrepancy between the French and English versions of these rules, the French version will prevail.

9. Disputes

Any litigation respecting the conduct or organization of a publicity contest may be submitted to the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux for a ruling. Any litigation respecting the awarding of a prize may be submitted to the Régie only for the purpose of helping the parties reach a settlement.

Note: The masculine gender is used without any discrimination and for the sole purpose of lightening the text.