Exit Surveys

Last year I was shopping online for make-up at Ulta. When I was leaving the site I was asked to fill out a survey about my experience at the site. It took about ten minutes to fill out the survey and afterwards I was given 4 free magazine subscriptions. It was so exciting!! Looking back now I realize this was an incentive for me to take the survey but back then I just wanted the free magazines. Learning mor about incentives, sometimes it seems a bit unethical because people are being basically bribed to participate but I also understand that it increases response rates.
I think the challenge with incentives for survey research is the fine line between appropriate and inappropriate incentives. Honestly, four 1-year magazine subscriptions was excessive when it came to the small survey from Ulta. I have been asked since then to fill out other online surveys after shopping a site but I haven't been offered anything and it deters me from filling them out. Other times I am offered something to do a survey but it doesn't follow through and I end up with nothing. I think situations like these, when incentives are promised but neverr delivered give a bad name to online surveys and can keep people from wanting to take them in the future.
The only way I can see to fix this is to maintain consistency in incentives and when/if they are offered. By giving them sometimes it may keep people coming back just to take surveys in hopes they win something etc. Incentives are meant to intice the preticipant into becoming a participant and I think that too many times this isn't the case. This is why I think standardization of incentives would benefit the world of research.