Rightmove has launched an ‘alternative census’ into people’s habits.
It asks about your drinking, your exercise regime and whether you have been on a diet in the last 12 months.
One question is about your wedding day and whether you consummated your marriage.
Aimed at consumers, people who complete it are given various options to tick, including one saying that they prefer not to answer.
The census – which offers the chance of winning £100 worth of Amazon vouchers – also asks how many hours you sleep, whether you prefer cats or dogs, how many hours you work, whether you are happy in your current relationship, how many close friends you have, and what you would do if you won the lottery.
Other questions ask if you are happy in your job, support a football club and if so which one, and whether you would rather be rich, happy or outrageously good looking.
The questionnaire, which contains no questions about property, was sent out yesterday to people registered on the Rightmove website.
It ends by asking people for the areas they live in, the first part of their postcode, plus, if they want to be in with a chance of winning vouchers, their email addresses.
It was seen by one agent who was outraged: “Why on earth is Rightmove asking these sort of questions? It stops short only of asking people what their sexual preferences are.
“At first glance, it reads as though Rightmove is setting up a dating agency.
“However, I strongly suspect that the reality is they are gathering consumer information, so that they can sell their database on to commercial firms.”
He said: “They are extraordinary questions to put to my applicants and unlikely to imbue them with confidence that Rightmove is a responsible and serious company dedicated to help them in the largest financial transaction in their lives.”
A spokesperson for Rightmove told Eye: “It’s for some consumer PR we’re planning for the future. We decided to come up with loads of questions to see which ones give the most interesting results for stories.
“Obviously it’s all kept completely anonymous and people have the option to tick ‘prefer not to say’ if they don’t want to answer.”
Comments (12)
Is this the stick with RM Campaign?…… don't go looking at OTM or those other nasty websites?
Some habits you change others you stick with…… good old reliable RM….. you've given up, sex, drink and exercise…… however stick with RM….. we're not a 1 night stand, we won't give you a hangover and the only exercise we ask is your finger swiping your ipad/iphone!
Yip, that it! Hire Me RM…… what makes you happy indeed?…… lol
Now I like a laugh and I can be flippant but crikey! the gives RMs credibility a bit of a wobble and id be keen to distance myself from it. They are behaving a bit like some over confident smart 8r5e swaggering round a bar so full of it they ask women inappropriate questions that they think are okay as they are so ripped up on self importance…………..maybe http://www.onthemarket.co.uk are the decent chap in the bar that the women would rather have a drink with? – Jonnie
Yes, and it was gooood!
Clearest case yet of RM contacting my customers for their own purposes and financial gain. Should be no surprise to anyone that this information is nothing more than compiling a data base to sell to marketing companies. Another nail in RM coffin come the new year when our marketing will expose them for what they are and why AM is in the public best interest.
Human nature is such that from time to time we can all tend toward the view that our own world is very much more important and significant than that of our neighbour. Always good to remember that people have a life outside of the things that we think are good for them.
I have to resist all these opportunties for humour! 🙂
……. and it's hard?…….. moving on!
Well done RM….. this us exactly the type of thing that p*sses people off, those that have registered for property and are then bombarded with sh*te!
I remember resigning from a well known corporate agent after the Sales Director ran the latest promotion which we were supposed to pitch…… Pet Insurance!….. the script went….. find out the dogs name, ask how it's doing, if it hadn't been well then seize the opportunity to sell Pet Insurance! Sorry, it was the last straw/bone! I barked my displeasure then resigned! Reminds me if another corporate where I won a case of vinegar because my branch contributed Zero properties to their "Axe Man Cometh" Property Sale Promotion!….. yes, it was my final farewell to the corporates! Vinegar was a winner!….. being in Scotland we live on chips! lol
If they have your email address, they likely Know who you are. all a bit to personal if you asked me!
If they have your email address, they likely now who you are. all a bit to personal if you asked me!
Was it since my honeymoon?
Would anyone really bother filling this out for £100 of Amazon vouchers, from a company worth millions? So generous.
I am told that Gerald Ratner helped compile the questions. It certainly seems to be one of those moments.
"If they want to be in with a chance of winning vouchers"…..they should have said .."just simply fill in your name and contact details with a chance of winning a viewing at your possible future home?"