A couple days ago I decided to look deeper into the so-called 'free iPod' websites that pop up with some frequency if your pop-up blocker isn't as stringent as it should be. Once curiosity gets the better of you and your mouse cursor clicks on the "FREE!!!! NOW!!!!! NO WAITING!!!!!" (or similar) link, you are taken to screen upon screen upon screen of offers to complete, hoops to jump through, etc. before you can claim your 'prize'.
Then, and only then, is the real hook: you have to refer people (via their email address) and 1/2/5 people must complete the offers as well for you to receive your gift. They have to follow detailed instructions on using you as a reference or you won't get credit, they have to complete the same amount of offers and refer others, and it all has to be done WITHIN 60 or 90 DAYS!
Oh, those bastards! Now I know how the scam works, I vow NEVER to do any more of them... EVER! Good thing I assumed (correctly) that they would also share my email address with spammers, and I used my junk hotmail account.
Last night I actually attempted to complete some offers in the hopes of getting a $500 Futureshop gift card, and it took 6 applications at websites for various things before it said I was close to getting my gift. They have to wait for the websites I signed up for to verify that I wasn't just signing up and cancelling right away, then I also had to refer one person and get them to do 6 offers themselves, and THEN I would receive my reward in the mail. No where while I was looking at the offers available was it mentioned that I had to sign someone else up, and I blindly hoped that I wouldn't have to... nope, not a chance.
So I spent some time today cancelling what I could immediately, but I'm still stuck with a couple offers: I've got an Entertainment Book coming that my fiance and I might be able to use for romantic dinners and trips to the zoo, we are receiving a 7 day trial of a tooth whitening 'system', and I think we have some Entertainment Weekly magazines headed our way.
I call my experiment a total failure...
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