Don't Click Here For A Free iPod

Posted by timothy on Sunday December 26, 2004 @01:56PM from the scam-by-any-other-name dept.

fermion writes "Do you wonder what all those free iPods links are about? Do you wonder why apparently rational Slashdot users would use their .sig line to push an offer that seems little more than a thinly veiled pyramid scheme? Answers to these questions can be found in this NYT article (personal information, with no free iPod, is required). The plan itself seems simple. Rat out your friends to advertisers, and get a free gadget. The firm in question, Gratis, Inc, gets a bounty on each customer. The firm claims to have a revenue of $15 million in 2004. They claim to give away 500 iPods a week. If, as the article claims, each contact earns a bounty of around $50, we might presume that 1 in 12 contacts get a free iPod. This firm seem fairly upfront. Another firm mentioned in the article, Consumer Research Corporation, seems much less so. As always, read the fine print."

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Re:Because it actually works... by qbwiz · 2004-12-26 14:52 · Score: 0, Redundant

Unfortunately, you seem to need to get 5 other people to also complete the offer. Makes it somewhat harder.

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Ewige Blumenkraft.
Poster probably has other "motives" by failedlogic · 2004-12-26 15:41 · Score: 1, Redundant

After reading through the thread a few things become apparent:

1) For some this free iPod stuff works.
2) For others, the cueues are too long and companies have to decide who is more deserving.
3) Some posters are discrediting these companies saying they have bad motives.

Could it be that if #1 works, given #2 is short enough, that accomplishing #1 and #2 can be done by using #3 on a /. news post??