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Original poster

Moral dilemma - I know everyone likes these.

89 replies

KIQFTM · 01/10/2004 10:38

Am a regular poster and might end up giving myself away here but ho hum...

A few months ago I was asked to take part in a survey of a product for big multi-national company, a RICH multi-national company. For testing said product for 16 weeks I would be paid the princely sum of £100.

HOWEVER. One of the the provisos for not doing it was if I became pregnant. Well, I have.

So, do I cough up or do I continue (partner's idea) since they would never know anyway. They don't know whether I'm doing as I promised anyway, it's all on trust. In theory, I might not have found out I was pregnant until after the trial period ended. The product is not dangerous.

So, am I a wuss or an upstanding member of the community?

OP posts:
essbee · 03/10/2004 14:02

Message withdrawn

Heathcliffscathy · 03/10/2004 14:57

kiqftm, stop using it...if there's even a chance that it could do you wrong...

much more important than the moral dilemma imo

Rowlers · 03/10/2004 15:08

Think edam has got the best advice.
My DP did a clinical test for an arthritis related drug. It was 12 week test. He developed an ulcer (as a result of the drug as it happens, not very encouraging!) and he was taken off the test. They paid him the full money, plus compensation.
Slightly different I know, but as others have said, the company is most likely to pay you at least part, if not all of the £100.

aloha · 03/10/2004 18:51

Why not call the company direct and ask what sort of trial this is and if it has been fully tested and got full approval. Personally I bet it has and is just being tested for marketing purposes. I tend to agree that you would not be plucked out of a carpark and offered £100 to test a product that had not already gone through all the legally necessary procedures.

handlemecarefully · 03/10/2004 22:46

Forestfly - I enjoyed your post, especially the last sentence.

Original poster
KIQFTM · 04/10/2004 18:22

I've done the right thing. I'm such a wuss. At least I can continue to be bossy and tell everyone else what to do with a clear conscience

OP posts:
lou33 · 04/10/2004 18:23

What did the company say?

Original poster
KIQFTM · 04/10/2004 18:30

Not too much really. Didn't deal directly with the company but with the market research company. I did ask about why pregnant women couldn't take apart and, as suspected, she said that it was due to hormonal changes making you sweat more (not me of course )etc therefore results would not be totally representative but that it's not dangerous. But then she would say that wouldn't she . But, no, the money wouldn't have felt right.

God, I'm shocked at how Good I am!

OP posts:
lou33 · 04/10/2004 18:37

Well that's a good thing ! (how honest you are)

hatter · 05/10/2004 09:46

haven't read everything - but has it not occured to anyone that this "trial" is aimed at conning US the consumers. If you lie (or, I would argue, even if you participate in the first place) you are contributing to the multinational's approach to hard marketing and so called trials. Have no idea what the product or trial is but will give you a classic example of this - one of the breakfast cereal manufacturers (genuinely can't remember which one) did a "trial" which "showed" that its cereal helped concentration at school. If you read the small print this was when compared with either no breakfast at all or eating a load of sugar! Have some integrity and back out now.

Tinker · 05/10/2004 09:51

hatter - I think you need to read the thread, more info in there.

All marketing is a con anyway

hatter · 05/10/2004 09:59

hadn't read ameriscot's post - she seems to know more about what type of trial it might be. Also, since posting read sophable's post about multinationals. Spohable I agree with much of what you say but do you honestly think that a multinational bears the cost of theft? Not for one minute. It is passed on to us the consumers. If you steal from a multinational you're stealing from yourself and your friends. And, ultimately, who are multinational's anyway? Multinationals are owned by their shareholders. Who are these shareholders? Pension funds. Virtually everyone who has a pension owns part of a multinational. Multinationals are not owned by rich men in speed boats or city suits (if you want to categorise like that) They are owned by ordinary people. They are certainly controlled by some very powerful, rich individuals but the world isn't quite as compartmentalised as some would like to think.

Virtually everyone who has a pension owns shares in multinationals. Multin

hatter · 05/10/2004 10:00

must preview, last line a mistake...

Tinker · 09/12/2004 19:34

Forgot to update this one. Did a 1/4 of the trial and received a cheque for £25 the other day Smile So being good didn't cost anything.

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