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You've probably seen Internet ads for free iPods, plasma TVs and designer handbags. Ever wondered what would happen if you tried to claim that freebie?
Likely, you'd be asked to answer survey questions,
complete sponsor offers or refer a few friends. It might sound
great, considering how expensive those items normally are. Unfortunately, some
consumers don't ever receive their free goodies. The Internet Crime Complaint
Center receives around 50 complaints a month about these sites, says Aaron Naternicola,
an Internet fraud analyst with the center. The complaints usually refer to survey
sites, he says. The most common complaint: nondelivery of merchandise
after time was spent trying to fulfill the Web site's requirements.
While different Web sites may combine or tweak the
following requirements, there are some common conditions mandated
by freebie Web sites. Read this and look for similar descriptions
in the terms and conditions of ads that sound interesting to you.
If you decide to try to earn the freebie, at least you'll have a
better idea of what you're diving into.
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Same trap, different methods: | |
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Sites
offering money or gifts for completing surveys
The problem: "It's not a matter
of 'I fill out the survey and now I get the item,'" says Steve
Cox, vice president of communications for the Council of Better
Business Bureaus. "It's more like fill out the survey and then
you're registered in a drawing to win the item."
He says people who file complaints with the BBB about
these sites say that the initial advertisement for the sites misrepresent
the process to get the freebies. The ads make it seem easy and quick
to get the product, when in reality surveys can go on for pages
after which consumers are simply entered into a drawing to win the
item. They don't necessarily receive anything for their time.
Legitimate survey research companies can offer incentives,
says Diane Bowers, president of the Council of American Survey Research
Organizations, or CASRO, an industry trade association representing
more than 300 companies. Those incentives can come in the form of
sweepstakes entries, coupons or a nominal monetary reward.
"The
primary purpose of research is research," she says. "The incentive is
incidental." Promises of riches, then, should raise a
huge red flag.
She also says that while legitimate research companies
conduct surveys to improve products, they never try to sell or promote
products and should promise confidentiality to participants.
They
also won't solicit money from you. "Research doesn't require any money from
you to participate," she says. You won't be asked to pay $5 for a free trip
to the Bahamas or for a "subscription" to a list of surveys that you
can take.
Legitimate market research companies do advertise
for survey participants on portal sites such as yahoo.com or msn.com,
says Corina Matiesanu, research director of primary data at JupiterResearch.
Still, consumers don't usually get to take surveys right away upon
signing up.
Participants
must answer screening questions to see if they meet demographic requirements needed
for their research sample, says Bowers. Consumers should never
have to provide a Social Security number or credit card number, says Matiesanu. | 
