[ChihuahuaMomma]

Hi there,

I saw this advertised on TV and was wondering if it was a scam or not. It says that if you are in school you can get a free laptop. Is this valid? I checked BBB and saw nothing about it.

Thanks.

[morgaine300]

Considering the conditions of doing so, I have a feeling it may be for real. But here's one of the conditions:

Sponsor Offers. You must participate in and satisfy a total of 13 Sponsor Offers as follows:
Page 1: 2 offers
Page 2: 2 offers
Page 3: 9 offers
To satisfy the requirements for the Free Dell® XPS Laptop, you must participate in the above-stated number of offers for each page (participating in offers in excess of those stated above for a given page does not reduce the number of offers in which you must participate on the other pages), and you must complete each of the Sponsor Offers pages listed above.
Please note Sponsor offers may require you to sample and/or purchase products of interest and/or take other actions such as applying for or obtaining a loan or extension of credit (including credit cards), transferring a balance, or similar steps. In order to remain eligible for your gift, you must complete all of the sponsor offers that require you to sample and purchase products of interest within 180 days of signing up for our service.

And some of these are things like joining BMG club and that sort of thing, meaning you're just stuck with buying other stuff. So the whole purpose seems to be they give you the laptop, but they get money from sponsors who get business from you, cause it's required. In other words, it's your "gift" for joining.

[morgaine300]

Hmm... and when I went to close the browser on it, it stopped me and asked if I was SURE I wanted to navigate away from that page. I don't like or trust things that interfere with what I want to do on my own d*** computer!

[NeedKarma]

Is it this? Free US Laptops - Free US Laptop
It's a draw to win a laptop. You have to pay $2 for each trivia question, 16 a month.
Smells like scam big time.

[morgaine300]

The link from that site leads to what I was referring to - where you have to subscribe to that stuff. I don't see any drawing there.

But on the other hand, either way it requires money of some sort so I guess it doesn't matter.

The only real free things in this world are sweepstakes, software with rebates, and stuff from the government.

[ChihuahuaMomma]

Thanks a lot Morgaine... it seems like an okay deal other than the credit cards, are there credit card ones or other options instead of those? It still seems like a good deal for all that.
Those memberships can be cancelled right after, right? I wonder if there is a stipulation that you can't do that?

[morgaine300]

You can't see what all the subscriptions are. Notice the requirement that you do a certain number on each page? The only ones showing are examples. And memberships to things like BMG cannot be canceled until you fulfill their requirements.

As for other stuff, depends on what it is. There's ones that include a free month or whatever, and you could cancel after that. But other ones require purchases. Canceling stuff can be a royal pain in the rear end. I don't have any idea what credit card options there may be -- I didn't read all the examples, and as I said, you can't see all the "offers."

What happens if you go through with this, get into all the options, have to get 9 offers on page 3, and you get stuck with purchase and membership requirements that end up costing you a lot of money? You can't see pg 3 and don't know what is there. And you have to do NINE of them.

You really have absolutely no idea what it is that you're about to get into, because there's nothing showing you what all these offers are, and which pages they're on. And then you're stuck with it.

To put it bluntly, I think you'd be a fool to try it. My post was meant to steer you away from it, not make you think it might be a good idea. It's an unknown and unknown's are never going to be good. And somewhere it's going to cost you.

Did it occur to you that if this was really a good deal, and those offers were all things you could just cancel out of and be safe, that they would have no issues showing them to you? The very fact that they won't show you what they all are, and what pages they're on, so that you can see exactly what you're getting into, is suspicious right now. They're only showing you some samples, and making sure they include some that are really free and then you get to cancel, making you think you can just get a bunch of those kind.

How do you even know you're not getting some stripped down version of the thing?

You know that saying, if it sounds too good to be true..

[FoxCash]

From their terms of service:

6. Third Party Offers.

The core of the Service is providing valuable offers to our registered users. Many of these offers will be from Sponsors who wish to inform our user base of their promotional offers. You are not obligated to opt-in to receive any Sponsor offers when you take a survey. However, if you choose to opt-in to receive any Sponsor offer, such Sponsor may contact you through the registration information you provided to FreeUSLaptop.com, including without limitation, by telephone or email pursuant to the terms of FreeUSLaptop.com's privacy policy. FreeUSLaptop.com reserves the right to change Sponsors' offers, including gift requirements, at any time.

By the user submitting his/her personal and/or financial information on publisher's site, the user is hereby granting written permission to publisher, its affiliated sites, sponsors, etc. for contact information. The user is also consenting to receive phone calls from publisher, its affiliates, and its partners for contact via telephone, and thereby, the user waives their do-not-call registration with the FTC or any other agency in regards to these contacts or calls.

Just from that you're setting yourself up to be harassed via email & phone.

From the Gift Rules:

Please note Sponsor offers may require you to sample and/or purchase products of interest and/or take other actions such as applying for or obtaining a loan or extension of credit (including credit cards), transferring a balance, or similar steps. In order to remain eligible for your gift, you must complete all of the sponsor offers that require you to sample and purchase products of interest within 180 days of signing up for our service.

Please note that once you have clicked to and started and/or completed a transaction with a sponsor, you are subject to that sponsor's terms, conditions and rules on cancellation, and such transactions cannot be canceled by or through the FreeUSLaptop.com or by failure to complete the requisite number of sponsor offers specified above.

Fulfillment based on a completion of redemption instructions after 90 days is at the sole discretion of FreeUSLaptop.com. In some cases an additional step by you is required to satisfy the Sponsor's qualifications. By way of example that is not intended to be exhaustive, all-inclusive, or otherwise limiting, a Sponsor offer for, for example, credit card or similar service may require you to use the credit card to make a purchase, take a cash advance, or transfer a balance, to satisfy the Sponsor's qualifications.

FreeUSLaptop.com reserves the right to cancel any offer at any time for any reason, with or without notice.

I found this to be weird:

Limitations:To be eligible to participate, you must be at least 18 years of age at the time of registration and reside in the United States.

But the Terms of Service are governed by the laws of Canada.

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Canada.

From the Privacy Policy:

We may sell, brand or share your personal information that you supply to us with other 3rd party businesses so they can bring selected retail opportunities via direct mail, e-mail, SMS text messaging, telemarketing, pre-recorded messages, or automated attendant telemarketing.

Links worth checking out:
How should I go about pursuing legal action against freeuslaptop.com for not following through with ad? - Avvo.com
Probably no such thing as a FreeUSLaptop.com, BBB warns

You've heard "If it's too good to be true.....it probably is". This is the same. The risks involved outweigh the rewards, if there even are any.

[FoxCash]

About the Offers:

Netflix - Two weeks trial period, after which subscription costs $9.99 per month unless or until cancelled.

Blockbuster - Your first month subscription will be for $9.99, after which you will be charged $17.99 per monthly subscription unless or until cancelled.

BMG Music Service - When you become a member you will receive 3 free CD selections. You will need to buy 1 more CD at the regular price ($14.98 and up) within a year. Once you do so, you may then choose 8 free CDs. You will receive a monthly Featured Selection unless another selection (including no shipment) is made. S&H will be charged for each selection, plus any applicable taxes.

Columbia House - When you become a member you will get 5 DVDs for $0.49 each plus S&H. You will need to buy 5 more movies in the next 2 years at regular prices (currently as low as $19.95 plus S&H). You may cancel anytime thereafter, but not before.

Gevalia Coffee - With the free trial, you will receive four 1/2 lb boxes of Gevalia Kaffe and a 12 Cup Programmable Stainless Steel Coffeemaker & Set of two Stainless Steel Travel Mugs. Thereafter the next shipment will arrive approximately one month later with the selections you chose for your initial shipment, charged to the same credit card as the S&H for your initial shipment. After that, shipments will follow approximately every 6 weeks. Prices of coffees and teas vary, ranging from $5.55-$7.45 per package. Prices of coffee and tea pods are $7.95 for Regular and $8.45 for Decaffeinated. You will be charged S&H.

Discover - Requires applying and being approved for and using the Discover credit card. No annual fee.

Rising Star - 10 day trial period, after which membership continues at $78.41 per month plus S&H unless or until cancelled.

Clear Revolution - 30 day trial period, after which membership continues at $49.95 per month plus S&H unless or until cancelled.

Cosmetique - Membership costs $19.95 per month plus S&H unless or until cancelled.

NY Times - Monday through Friday subscription costs $4 for the first four weeks; $5.60/week for the following eight weeks; $6.20/week thereafter. Sunday subscription costs $4 for the first four weeks; $5.67/week for the following eight weeks; $6.30/week thereafter.

Gmoney.net - $1.87 for seven day access, after which subscription continues at $49.95 per month unless or until cancelled.

Magazineburst.com - $27.00 for four one year subscription. Thereafter annual subscription will be at the preferred rate then available.

Advantage Language - Ten day free trial period, after which you will be charged $79.95 per month and up to $8.95 for S&H unless or until cancelled.

Orchard Bank - Requires applying and being approved for and using the card.

Trimday - Requires a payment of $1 plus $6.95 S&H for a 14 day trial, after which you will be charged on the account used for the trial payment a monthly fee of $58.90 for each monthly shipment unless or until cancelled.

Overnight Genius - Membership subscription costs $78.41 plus $6.95 S&H per month. You will be charged the monthly fee after your trial period unless or until cancelled.

Globe Juvenile Insurance - You will be required to pay the regular rate after the first month. Regular rate can be found during the full rate quote process.

VideoProfessor - Membership subscription costs $89.95 plus $6.95 S&H every five weeks. You will be charged the membership subscription and S&H fee every five weeks after your 10 day trial.

SeattleCoffeeDirect - Pay initial payment of $9 plus $25 one-time handling fee, after which you will be billed $12.50 for each 12-oz. bag of coffee, plus a small shipping and handling fee.

Discover Miles Card - Requires applying and being approved for and using the card.

Vioderm Intensive Anti-Wrinkle Serum - $1.00 for a 14 day trial plus $6.95 for S&H, after which you will be shipped a 1 month's supply of Vioderm Anti-Wrinkle Serum and your credit card used for the trial will be billed $56.90. Every 30 days you will automatically receive a 1 month's supply of Vioderm for $56.90 charged to your credit card used for the trial, unless or until cancelled.

Cheaptrips.com - Annual membership subscription costs $49.95 plus $9.95 S&H.

4Seasonswineclub - The introductory price is $119.95 plus $16.95 S&H for 12 bottles of wine, after which, on a quarterly basis, you will be charged on the same account $9.95 (plus S&H) for each of 12 bottles each quarter, unless or until cancelled.

Roadloans - Requires obtaining a car loan.

ADT Home Security - Requires installing and activating a new home security system.

http://www2.freeuslaptop.com/Example...e63338fc7c178e

I'm not sure if that's all of them but it's what I found thus far.

This is from the Gift Rules:

The qualification time varies by Sponsor, but may be in excess of 30 days. Once you receive your email notification that you have qualified for your gift you must complete and satisfy the instructions within 90 days from the date of qualification. Submission after this time has elapsed does not meet the conditions for eligibility, and FreeUSLaptop.com will not be obligated to award the gift or reward. Fulfillment based on a completion of redemption instructions after 90 days is at the sole discretion of FreeUSLaptop.com.

[morgaine300]

I didn't even look at this quite as thoroughly, simply cause I saw quite enough to turn me off. I did go to each of the pages at the site, and looked at enough of the terms -- but never looked through that entire list of examples. Nice that you went through it thoroughly and bolded all the bad stuff.

I did suspect you'd be subject to a lot of harassing emails and/or phone calls. Notice on the first page, to get started, you enter an email right off the bat. So even if you do nothing further, you're on a spam list. That turned me off too - I don't like sites that do stuff like that.

[ChihuahuaMomma]

Thank you everyone, this has been REALLY helpful! Thanks!!

[happy.face]

I believe many of them are scan. Just to get your contacting info like email phone number, so they can use it spam or sell it to spam organizations.
But I am also sure that some of them are real. They will really send you the product, but only after a long questions answering period. I mean really really long

[ChihuahuaMomma]

Thank you Happy Face