Freebies - Just How Free Are They?

Most of us have seen the links on the internet enticing us to go to this website and get a free Xbox 360, PS3 or even an iPhone. Most of us have had the same reaction to this fantastic claim – Yeah Right!!

My name is Trevor Mayhew and I own one of these freebie sites. I hope to be able to shed some light on this new marketing method and hopefully give you some useful information and advice should you wish to investigate this further. Of course, I am slightly biased, but I was also very cynical and wary of stuff like this so I know how it feels. I will try to give you an independent view on what I believe is an excellent opportunity if done correctly.

The sites claim that all you need to do is complete a free offer, refer a few friends to do the same for you and once you have enough referrals you can claim your free gift. The main question that arises is how these companies can afford to give away free consoles and expensive gadgets. It all stems from companies wishing to increase their exposure to a wider audience. Everybody who completes an offer through the referral site becomes a potential long term paying customer for the company and they are willing to pay for this. When you consider what these companies spend on advertising and promotion this is a drop in the ocean.

This is how it works:

* You sign up to the referral company’s website – the most popular is FreebieJeebies. They are a professional, well established company that value their customer’s privacy and security. Your details will not be shared with anybody else.
* Next you need to complete an offer. Some are free including a two week free trial of Lovefilm or a 30 day free trial of Intuit – an online website building site.
* Now you need to get friends and family to sign up for you. The number of people you need to sign up for you depends on what you want to receive. On average, each referral is worth approximately £20.
* When you have enough you order your gift.



That’s it. Most people’s concerns centre on the whole issue of security. Will their personal details and card details be used elsewhere or sold on to other companies. The companies running the offers are all trusted and well established with secure websites. Unfortunately there are referral companies out there who have tarnished the image of this method of marketing but generally these companies do not stay in business very long as word of mouth spreads very quickly. As long as you follow the usual rules regarding online security your details will be safe.

Make sure you follow these simple steps to safeguard your security online:

* Ensure your PC is protected with current anti-virus software and a functioning firewall
* Stick to a well established referral company. I can heartily recommend FreebieJeebies
* Always follow the links directly from the referral company’s offers page



I hope this article has whetted your appetite. If it has you can always sign up and get started. I have been doing this for over 2 years and can recommend it as a way of getting the things you need for free. I have had no issues with security or spam. I receive no more unwanted emails than anybody else!

Thank you for reading. I hope this has helped some of you.

By Trevor Mayhew
Trevor Mayhew is the founder and owner of www.freestuffgiveaway.co.uk. A site dedicated to giving the best, most concise information on the referral method of marketing