What has changed recently is the quantity and ease that a savvy internet user can get hold of these free items.
Now as the old saying almost goes "there's no such thing as a free lunch" - and you generally have to do something to secure your goodies. This can be anything from signing up to a website, filling in a form or subscribing to a service.
Make sure that if you do part with your credit or debit card details you read Very Carefully all the information that comes with this and if you have to make sure you cancel the deal with plenty of time to spare.
What's the catch?
There is no catch - it's simply companies getting smarter. Market research and product promotion costs money. By only sending product samples to people they know are interested, companies save. And finding out what people think is an expensive business, hiring research firms, paying people to take part in focus groups, hiring rooms and staff to make all this happen. It's far cheaper to put a form online and give something to the people who complete fill it.
One of the most popular methods companies use to give away free stuff is the referral method. This is where you have to fill out demographic information for a particluar offer and then get two or more other people to fill out the informatino as well. It's like a sort of pyramid thing where once you've referred the required number of people and they complete the application, you get the free item.
When "free" isn't free
You have to be careful as an awful lot of companies are currently misusing the word "free".
Everyone from Carphone Warehouse to McDonalds offer "free" goods that are nothing of the sort. They are included in other deals. Deals where you get something added on can be good value, but the added extra is not free - it is included in the cost of buying something else.
With these you have to be careful that you're getting your money's worth. Make sure you can't get the individual parts of the deals cheaper elsewhere and that you are not simply paying for something you don't need.
The Bottom Line So the short answer is yes, you can get stuff for free online, but be smart about it.
Precautions you should take:
- Get a free email from Gmail, Yahoo Mail, HotMail and other places. Use this email for your free offer signups
- Don't give out any information that's not required (address, phone, etc.)
- Free Trials often require a credit card be entered. Make sure you read the cancelation policy!
- Always read the fine print!
