Real experiences with freebie Web sites
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Complete
the never-ending survey
"I tried to win a few of those free products, but I
am convinced they are the biggest fraud out there. For example,
I spent three hours filling out questionnaires only to find out
they never end, and the couple of times I got to the end they wanted
me to buy something and you know what that means: They are asking
for your credit card information.
"They are scam artists."
Randy
Free
(with shipping and handling)
"I purchased some software from a company that advertises if
you pay for shipping you get four software titles for free.
"A few weeks later I got a $49 charge on my account. I looked
up the company on the Web and none of the links I found went to the
company. I tried the phone number that showed up on my statement and
they simply tell you they are not available and to try back later
before they hang up on you. So dissatisfied, I searched the Internet
a little more only to find I wasn't the only one to be scammed. Turns
out that they never tell you that you are signing up for a subscription
but send you software and you have a short time frame to return
it or be charged. Total scam."
Kendal
Free
(with a valid Social Security number and credit card number)
"I was scammed. The 'free' gift required my participation in
at least six 'promotions,' each of which required signing up for
a trial membership and/or paying shipping and handling fees for
the information. Plus I was asked to provide credit card and Social
Security numbers -- too much sensitive, private and personal information.
"The 'free' gift was never realized and I felt
scammed."
Edward
Free
(with purchase)
"Yes, I've answered ads for 'free' products. Please note the
quote marks -- they're intentional. Many of the Internet freebies
have extremely long forms to fill out, complete with a host of ads
you need to reply 'not interested' to or else you'll receive hundreds
of solicitations from various companies.
"The 'gift certificates' offered for sometimes
hundreds of dollars almost always involve purchasing something,
somewhere along the line or becoming a trial member of something.
At which point you need to pay for your subscription or membership
upfront, with the caveat it's 'fully refundable' within strict parameters.
As the saying goes, there's no such thing as a free lunch!
"I do have to say that once I responded to an
ad promising a free, expensive pet product in exchange for a 15-question
survey. I was pleasantly surprised in its briefness and the fact
that the product arrived in less than two weeks and was truly what
had been offered -- an item worth about $100 retail! That
was the one and only time I can say I was satisfied, and beyond
what I expected!"
Linda
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