I recently came across one of these sites, and thought it looked legit: Notebooks4free.com
Is it legit? And is there any catch? Any way to avoid paying for an offer you pay for? Thanks Dave!
I have seen a lot of these sort of offers in my own mailbox, inviting me to go through some hoops and get a free iPod, free Sony PSP, free notebook computer, free TV, and just about any other gadget that is at all desirable, so I decided I’d try to go through the steps required to see if it really was legit or not.
I don’t recall whether it was the same group as “notebooks4free.com”, but I went far enough in their never-ending signup process to recognize how it all works, so let me share it with you and then you can decide for yourself if you think it’s legit or not.
Lots and lots of companies pay online publishers for leads driven to their site, and many more pay a percentage of first transactions or a commission to publishers who are responsible for the acquisition of a new customer. For example, if you were to click on a specific link on a page and sign up for an American Express card, I might be paid a $5 or $10 commission once you were approved.
For the company, $5 or $10 is a cheap customer acquisition cost (many companies like America Online pay $50 or more for each new customer they bring into the fold) and for a publisher, well, it’s pretty easy money for a link on their page. A win:win.
But is it? Well, while many people involved with these programs simply add a link or two to their site and hope for a few signups a month as a small incremental revenue trickle, others make that the focus of their efforts and create Web sites or promotional campaigns with the express purpose of getting people to click on their links.
Now you can start to see how this works. If Notebooks4free can buy an older Dell laptop from a surplus store for $299, say, and can require that you sign up for at least 40 offers that pay them $10 each in commission, they’ll earn $400, subtract $299 for the cost of the laptop, charge you double or triple their actual shipping costs, and pocket $100-$150 for your efforts.
It’s informative to notice the small print on one of these “free giveaway” sites (emphasis added to highlight the key clause):
“These promotions are brought to you by [company name] are subject to participation terms and conditions. Receipt of incentive gift requires completion of offer terms, including: age and residency requirements, registration with a valid email address and may require completion of user survey and participation in sponsor offers and shipping address verification.”
$299 is a fairly expensive item for this sort of transaction, which is why something like an iPod shuffle is ideal: it’s cool, sexy, and only $70 from an online vendor. Now the bar is lower: potential winners only have to bring in $150 in revenue, say, to “qualify” for a “free” iPod shuffle. The company makes $80, you sign up for promotional offers you’re interested in anyway (theoretically, at least) and get a free iPod.
So now you can see how they work, and indeed when I went through the process with one of these promotions, I found that it was a never-ending series of signup offers, and I was forced to accept at least one offer on each page (and sign up with my personal data with those vendors) before I could get to the next page. Unsurprisingly, I also noticed that each page suggested it was the last but somehow I always had just one more set of offers to review.
After all, if they’re paid for your signups regardless of whether you “complete” the series, these companies have a strong incentive to make it a real pain in the booty to sign up for enough to ship out the device. Think of it this way: if signing up for 40 offers gets you a laptop and earns them $150, why not require that you sign up for 50 offers, or 75? You get through 10 or 15 if you’re enthused, give up, and they now get $100 or $150 without ever having to ship a product.
But it’s not fraudulent, because if you did sign up for all of those many, many offers, they really would send you the free iPod, free Sony PSP, free notebook or whatever.
My conclusion: these offers are “legit”, but it’s a fool’s game and you’d be far better off coming up with another way to acquire the device that you lust after.
am a student need psp but am not having money to buy it.so plz can you give me one ………thank u
good
hai sir\madam..,, iam very poor class family but i was very big dreem in my life please help me, and i want apple laptop in studied use. please help me,, sure i confidence with your heart and your company,
hi i need a lap top am a Ugandan i will be happy when you send me one
plz i need a laptop i am from pakistan karachi i am very poor plz help me give me laptop for my study plz plz give my age is 13 i cant job thants why i need a laptop plz send i shall be thankfull to u
could please sent me a laptop my father cant afford to buy it its urgent for me please !!!!
Sir, I am a poor student in india. I am studying C.A.(IPCC) In andhrapradesh, india. I need loptop for further studies, but i am not afford to buy it. So please consider me and provide a laptop to me. After getting my job I also distribute to poor students like me. IF want to contact me Ram.rifals@gmail.com
Plz i love psp plz give me one psp
can this site diliver me prizes
I need a notebook computer for my higher studies.If you can please send me it as soon as possible.
I see the line in school – do good and good will come back to u. So if u satisfy give me psp. I am from gujarat in india.
Dear Sir, i am from poor class family. I want to know the world so i want psp or computer in india. I don’t see the world. And it’s my dream.
ASLAM U ALIKUM i m from pakistan plz give me a free note book
if you could send me a psp here in Nigeria .god will grant you all your wishes.thanks sir
Pls I nd a laptop.God bless u.
Pls, i need a laptop, am in nigeria
hi
i’m from macedonia , and i’m realy so poor , i don’t have money but i really need laptop , can you help me please ? 🙁
plz accept the problems
My name is yakson. I live in Nigeria. I am dying to have a PSP. My dad can’t afford one. Can you help me plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! I beg of you
Dear sir,
I am Afgan refuges now. I student .I want a laptop computer free. Thank you.
plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz i trully need the psp get me one in the GOD
pls i need a psp am dieing for one.i hope u will get me one.if u really want to get me one then send me an email
hi sir.
I really need a laptop and i really so poor and having don’t money to buy.
So plz send me a free laptop .
Thanks
best regards
pls i want to have a ipod for free but i dont know
how to go about it
HEy , i live in karachi and really need a psp/ipod to solve the problems that i’m facing while being a student of business school with the stuff of reports, presentations, asingments & their stuffs but facing finencial crises can’t afford it . please dave help me by giving suggestions to get it but without paying its cost ! uzair_rm@yahoo.com
pls my mum wont by a game for me how do i win a psp i am just 13 i cant buy one
Why do mislead people about free products when you have to sign up for things you dont want is misleading
hi…i realy need a laptop any kind because im goig into college soon….im a single young mom and dont have enough money to buy one
plese help me with psp let my dream come true
How could i can believe u?
plz a an agric science student who an ipod to save some inportant document and project for the furture but i can’t afford. pls help me.
please give me a psp or ipod and make my dream true plzzzzzzzzzzzz
i plead to seek for a free laptop to use i live in Ghana
. help me
thanks
Dear Sir/Madam i humbly write to inform you on how badly i need an ipod for school. It’s because most of my notes are in pdf files and because i don’t have a laptop i think ipod is going to solve my problem. I am a student of Catholic University. This is my mail box number, P.O.Box 473,weija,Accra. THANK YOU
Hi… i m in computer field. as dep. head but i haven’t my laptop.. plea… arrange for free by any company…. thanks…
If anyone wants a ipod nano 2gb for a less price then please post a comment
please give me a ipod nano 5th g please make my dreame real. pleaseeeeee
i really need an iopd with participating in any payment of fees and shipping pleasesssssssssssssssssssss i badly need it
Hey if one of you guys see this message than I will give you a prize if you get the free laptop and I don’t care what kind it is just please get me one if you want a prize.
I believe you can get anything free, it just takes some work. 🙂
i am frm karachi please give me a sony psp,i beg you for that,i pray for it day and night and if youll do so i will be grateful and will remember you in my prayers…………..plzzzzzzzzz……..i am sure that i will get a psp from u
hey dev can u please get me a ipod of 8gb.
i want to have 2 psp for free before1 december 2009! I am only 10 years old!can u realy help me? plz!!!!!!!!!this is my only hope & i wan to giv this to the poor I live in 26,lorong Markisah 12a,Taman Markisah,14000,Bukit Mertajam,pulau Pinang,Malaysia,asia
hi, i just wanted too know if u could help me get a mackbook without having to pay anything including offers. im in great need of one. trying to have my own bussines but need a mac. i have no job no money and i have 3 kids. imagine how hard it is for me. please try to help me. thanks so much.
i need an ipod and i cant afford to get a new one..my husband washed the one we had..how can i get a free ipod with out having to pay anythang or participate in any offers..
i need psp slim for making smile on the fase of poor and hungery children.
hi my name is abeer i have tried many sites but they r not useful to i vil be very thankful to whom who give me a free psp because my parents cant afford
can anyone do me a favor by giving me an ipod for free.
YOUR EFFORT IS SINCERELY APPRECIATED
Hi,am Dotun by name and am an average nigerian. i am a student/.worker i have this business proposal but i will need a laptop to enable be execute the project,pls if you could just do me this one lifetime favour by giving me a laptop any model,but just a laptop, and i will bee much grateful.thank in anticipation of a favourable response.
i want a laptop. can u?