Connect FAQs

Who can join Connect?

Connect is free to join and open to all Which? members - you don't need to hold any particular subscriptions to join. 

How do I join the panel?

In order to join the panel, please click on the link below and respond to a short survey. This helps us build your profile so we can send you more relevant surveys. Sign up here.

What will I need to do once I am a member?

After joining Connect, we will email you some surveys which will ask your opinion on a range of products, services and consumer experiences. Connect members also receive invites to take part in other types of research such as qualitative research and usability tests.

How many surveys will I receive a month?

On average, a Connect member receives 5 surveys per month but the number you receive depends on the type of research we are conducting. There's no obligation to complete all surveys you receive: all we ask for is for our panellists to engage with our research regularly and to provide honest and truthful responses.

How do you decide which surveys I receive?

We aim to send surveys that are relevant to you and you can decide which ones to respond to. In order to do this, we run a monthly “Combo survey” in which we ask a number of questions to identify panel members that qualify for upcoming surveys. Some surveys are sent to the entire Connect panel so we can get the widest coverage possible while some are sent to a smaller number of members, randomly selected. You can opt out of receiving reminders for the survey by clicking the appropriate option in the survey invite.

What is the Connect newsletter?

The monthly Connect newsletter is a valuable resource for panel members and for Which?: it provides panellists with updates on the panel,  information about upcoming surveys and calls for help from researchers. Additionally, members may receive exclusive information not available through their other Which? memberships.

Do you do any face-to-face research? 

Occasionally, we conduct face-to-face research, but the vast majority of our research - surveys and other types of research - is conducted online.

I’m sometimes unable to complete a survey because I’ve been told I don’t qualify. Why is that?

This is because we've placed 'screener' questions at the start of a survey to identify members whose experiences are relevant to the aims of the research. For example, we may only be looking for people with a specific type of bank account or who have travelled to a particular destination. Screening ensures the appropriate people answer the questions that we need them to help aid our research.

Why do I get reminders for surveys that aren’t relevant to me?

It’s important to us not to waste your time. If you receive a survey you don’t think you will qualify for, either: 

1. Open the survey and complete the first question to confirm whether your eligible or not. 
2. Use the ‘Click here if you are not eligible or do not wish to participate in this study’ link on the email invite. 

Each month we deliver our Combo survey, and we use this to help target respondents. For example, we would ask if someone has bought a printer in the past year – if you had, we would share that survey with you initially, and if you haven’t you wouldn’t be sent it.

Why does no one get back in touch when I have agreed to be re-contacted at the end of the survey?

At the end of a survey, we always ask for permission to get in touch if we need to discuss the answers a member has given. However, we often only contact a select number of panellists because they might have a particular experience that we’re interested in hearing more about. Sometimes we use these follow-up leads as case studies in our magazines or online as their experiences really help bring our articles to life.

I would like to leave the panel, how do I unsubscribe?

To unsubscribe from the panel, please email us at [email protected].

What do you do with the data you hold on me?

Personal data, such as your full name, date of birth, email address and postcode will be stored on our secure system, and will only be seen by the panel managers, but never shared or linked back to your individual responses from the surveys we conduct. 

This information will only be stored as long as you’re a member of the Connect panel.

Will my answers be anonymous?

Yes! Your answers will be combined with other member responses and will therefore be reported at an aggregate level (eg 20% of the Connect members we surveyed said x). The only time we would quote you personally is if a Which? researcher follows up your survey response, and gets your explicit permission from you to publish any personal details. In all other cases, we'll use your comments anonymously.  Here's our privacy policy, and our terms and conditions if you want to find out more.

Why can’t I go ‘back’ to change my answer/s on your surveys?

It’s standard practice in market research not to have a back button as we want to collect initial reactions to our questions, and if respondents go back and change their answers, this can affect the back-end logic that sits behind questions, which can affect the pathway a respondent will take through the rest of the survey. 

Made a mistake? No worries. We can reset the survey, so just email the help desk. at: [email protected]

Are these surveys compatible with other devices such as tablets and mobiles?

Yes, our surveys are compatible with mobile and tablet devices. Please make sure you’re using the latest version of your browser. Keeping it up to date is important for both security and ensuring that web pages load properly. You may find it easier to use a PC or laptop. We recommend using Google Chrome. If you need help downloading it, please email our help desk at: [email protected]

Why can’t I go back to the beginning of the survey? 

In the past when you closed the survey and opened it again you were able to go back to the beginning. Since we have changed software, we have also changed this and you can now close the survey and pick it up where you left off.

Why is my survey not loading?

Depending on your browser and possibly add ons or ad blockers the survey might be blocked. Please contact us if you have any issues with the following information: which browser you’re using and which add-ons or ad blockers you have on your device. 

Why is the text size of the invite or survey too small to read?

We have recently changed software and are trying different options. We have now adapted our invites to be easier to complete on mobile devices. However if you’re still experiencing issues with the size of text, please email us at: [email protected] 

Other questions?

Please do not hesitate to contact us at: [email protected] for any further information.