The Secret of "Freebies"

The Basics
Is free stuff on the Net really free?
Read the firsthand accounts of those who clicked when their screens popped up offers for free iPods, laptops, trips, tickets and software. Here's what they really got and what they learned.

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You've seen the Internet ads: Click here to get your free laptop computer, iPod, trip to Bermuda . . .

Ever wondered what would happen if you tried to claim the freebie?

Generally, you'd end up earning the reward by answering surveys, completing product offers or referring friends.

To find out if the process proved worth the effort, we polled our newsletter readers for a week and asked about their experience with answering ads for free merchandise. Most responded that the freebie turned out to be anything but free.

Here is a sampling of the letters we received.

The free iPod that cost me
"I responded to a free iPod ad. After several requests to sign up for various services, I realized that the free iPod was not free at all. The killing part is, I actually did commit to a few services and have been billed for them, but because I got caught in a loop of pop-up windows and surveys, I became frustrated and did not follow through to get the free iPod.

"I keep saying that I am going contact someone about it, but being the procrastinator that I am, I just haven't gotten around to it yet." -- Rhonda

Free cell phone! What free cell phone?
"Free stuff, what a joke.

"After going through 11 questionnaires and saying no to all, you finally get to the last, and they say you must at least pick two items in order to be able to get whatever they are giving away.

"For instance, I answered a free cell phone ad and went through 11-12 questionnaires and at first it says no obligation to buy anything, but when I got to the last I must at least try magazines for 30 days and they're hoping I will forget to cancel before the 30 days. And the kicker was once I agreed to the free trial of magazines, they never ever mentioned the free cell phone again, and I will be watching and waiting to see what they do to my credit card and if I get the phone, and then that's when I will sue the company for 100 times the amount of the phone and the magazines.

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"By the way, once you give one company your credit card number you get charged $1 to $4.95 on your card, for other items I never heard of before and have to take the time to call them and get them to remove it.

"There should be a law against this thing." -- Bob

Free spam! Act now!
"Yes, they are all scams. There is always a 'short' questionnaire. You always have to answer many, many questions if you want this or that. You always have to give your e-mail address and other information. You always have to check 'yes' for at least one in order to qualify and continue. If you ever get to the end after 45 minutes or so -- yeah, short -- you end up having to buy or sign up for something or your name is put into a lottery for a chance to win. I, in my stupidity, have done this several times. Always thinking maybe this one is legit. Not! I have never gotten the free product or the free gift card, groceries, movie tickets, etc. Then your e-mail is bombarded with hundreds of advertisements that you can never seem to stop unless you change your e-mail address. What a deal. Moral of this story is: Nothing is free." -- Jean

Video: Are 'free' iPods worth the trouble?
"I filled out the questionnaire online for a $50 gift certificate for dinner at a well-known restaurant chain. They ask for your name and the rest of your personal information and e-mail address. Then the questionnaire opens up a new page and asks you if you would be interested in e-mails for specials on items that you could use in your life. You fill that page out then here comes another page with more questions. After about five pages I gave up. It just wouldn't quit. It was like a stupid carrot that they had hanging out there that you could never reach. I turned my computer off and said, 'Forget that!' After that I didn't check my e-mail for about a week and when I did I had over 200 spam messages, even sex ones. I never did get a dinner certificate. I had to close that e-mail account because the spam garbage would not quit. Moral of the story: There is no free lunch on the Internet." -- Sascha

"I have responded twice to freebie ads, using an alternative e-mail address and within 24 hours received hundreds of spam e-mails -- and no free anything. My perception is the purpose is to get folks to reply and then have access to their e-mail addresses." -- Bea

"After I gave my e-mail address and answered all the questions, I was informed that I had to order (buy) one item from several areas in order to receive the freebie. I canceled the 'adventure' and have been inundated with junk mail ever since. Never again. Big scam for addresses to sell, etc." -- Anita

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 Social Security and credit card numbers)
"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

This article was reported and written by Leslie McFadden for Bankrate.com.

Published March 9, 2007http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/ConsumerActionGuide/IsFreeStuffOnTheNetReallyFree.aspx