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Free Flat Screen
Quadriflax - Jul 27, 2004
  Quadriflax Jul 27, 2004
This sounds too good to be true, but I've read that it actually works (well, at least the free iPod one does, and this is the same company.)

The deal is this: if you sign up, complete an offer, then get 8 other people to sign up under you and also complete an offer, they send you a free flat screen TV and/or monitor.

I signed up after reading that it does work on a number of message boards, and people have actually received their rewards. So I figured I'd try it myself. Normally I wouldn't, but one of the offers you can complete is to bid on an auction on eBay (not win it, but just bid). So I bid $5 on an Xbox. I don't think I'll win, but even if I do, that's an XBox for $5

So, if anyone else is interested, please, sign up under my referral. I know, I know, this sounds lame, and I don't really want to spam, but if this works, well.. damn. And I wouldn't ask except that all you have to do is bid on something you either want to win, or just bid low on an item that you don't expect to win (and wouldn't mind winning for a few bucks if you do). I think the only catch is you have to use IE (to make sure it records your action correctly) and be the highest bidder when you make the bid.

If anyone feels like helping out, there's not much to lose. I don't even think you need to give them your real address when you sign up.

If this is inappropriate, please lock and/or delete the thread.

edit: link removed for lack of thought. my brain doesn't seem to work so well these days. though if anyone is interested in trying it out, PM me and I'll give the link. It's worth a shot, no?

 antime Jul 27, 2004
Pyramid schemes are illegal in many countries, including the US. Also, they don't work.

 Quadriflax Jul 27, 2004
I realize that. But, there's actually quite a bit of information floating around on this one. That is, people have gotten their rewards. Also, think about it. There's some big name sponsors on this site. eBay being one of them. Would they really participate in something illegal? I doubt it.

ie: http://www.bar-of-soap.com/ipod.php...

I figured it was worth a shot. Worst case I don't get anything out of it. But it's not illegal.

 ExCyber Jul 27, 2004
It's a little on the gray side, but I don't see any red flags for outright scams so far, and I'm one of those "information wants to be free" types, so I'm inclined to leave things here where someone can sound the alarm. If anyone gets into it and sees something that looks illegal, please let us know ASAP so somebody can kill the thread. Also, I'm not an admin but I think it's quite safe to say that spamming your link on the forums could have dire consequences. Posting it in this thread is probably okay, but I offer no guarantees. If you do so, please edit your post to remove your link once you hit your quota so that you're not wasting referrals.

This does sound like one of those "too good to be true" things, but consider the following:

- The displays they're offering may be non-sellable in retail channels for one reason or another (e.g. they're leftover "new old stock" of superseded models, not worth the shelf space they take up in a retail setting), and it's quite plausible that they are offering this as a kind of "disposal" service (electronics are hell to do mass disposals of because they tend to contain lots of lead and copper).

- They're almost certainly collecting your info to use for snailmail and email spam; the tasks you're asked to do could be meant to ensure a high "hit rate" for spam, i.e. to harvest addresses with a high likelihood of responding. Publisher's Clearing House and BMG Music Service, to give a couple well-known examples, basically do the same thing.

- Accordingly, any address you provide them is likely to become an advertising target, regardless of whether or not they're legit. You may want to check out these guys....

Of course, the supply can't be unlimited. To quote an old two-player favorite: "Good luck, you'll need it."

 antime Jul 27, 2004
They're not sponsored by any of the companies listed, they're just (ab)using their affiliate programs. If you don't realise how utterly stupid it is to join these scams, play around with this calculator... and judge for yourself how likely it is you'll ever get anything out of it even if the operators were honest.

 Quadriflax Jul 27, 2004
Indeed. I immediately thought this was a total scam. But I happened to stumble upon evidence to the contrary. What it reminded me of was those advertising companies where you downloaded the bar and got paid for it, and paid for those under you. And you know what? They actually worked. Well, for me. I made a few bucks off someone's stupid business model. Same thing with Jaboom. I rated music at got hundreds of dollars in Amazon GCs.

Will this last forever? Will the company actually make money? No, probably not. But I see no reason I can't bilk them in the meantime. As for junk mail. I'm sure we all have a throw away email account by now, and I already get butt loads of crap in the mail that I throw out. The only thing I'm hesitant to give out is a phone number, and they never asked for one. No CC either. So, everything I gave them they could technically find on their own. Meh. Either way, I meant no harm. Delete the thread as you see fit. I probably wouldn't get 8 people anyway.

Besides, I'm mostly just bored here at work. Things are a little... slow. And I'm running out of things to do. My bad if I've offended everyone, but I think people know that wasn't my intention.

 ExCyber Jul 27, 2004
I just re-read the original post, and noticed this:


  
	
	

		
		

			Normally I wouldn't, but one of the offers you can complete is to bid on an auction on eBay (not win it, but just bid).


Can anyone say "shill bidding"? <_<

 Quadriflax Jul 27, 2004

  
	
	

		
		

			Originally posted by ExCyber@Jul 27, 2004 @ 12:31 PM



 Can anyone say "shill bidding"? <_<


Yeah, I thought of that too. And what antime points out is a good point. Yeah, it's not illegal, but it could cause harm. Though, if you think about it, people bid low on everything all the time. There's always someone bidding $1.00 on the latest XBox auction. But, I'll remove my link just the same. I'm starting to feel stupid for putting it up there in the first place. I just need more work to do....

 antime Jul 27, 2004

  
	
	

		
		

			Originally posted by Quadriflax@Jul 27, 2004 @ 08:26 PM



Indeed. I immediately thought this was a total scam. But I happened to stumble upon evidence to the contrary.


What evidence? One of the I'm-sure-it's-a-coincidence identical astroturfer post that are being spammed on boards everywhere? And I'm sure you've read their terms and conditions?


  
	
	

		
		

			III. ORDERS



1. Receipt of Product



(a) FreeFlatScreens.com is a free service and does not guarantee receipt of any product regardless of offers completed or points accumulated.



(b) FreeFlatScreens.com will take measures to ensure that the user receives orders within a reasonable amount of time. However, FreeFlatScreens.com does not make any guarantee on delivery time or availability of product. 



(...)



4. Availability of Product



(a) Occasionally products may be back ordered from the supplier or manufacturer. FreeFlatScreens.com does not guarantee the availability of any product on our website. In a case where a product is backordered, FreeFlatScreens.com does not guarantee that it will ship within any period of time.


 ExCyber Jul 27, 2004

  
	
	

		
		

			If you don't realise how utterly stupid it is to join these scams, play around with this calculator and judge for yourself how likely it is you'll ever get anything out of it even if the operators were honest.


AFAICT, there's no pyramid here. The point of a pyramid scheme is to work your way to the top, but there's no mobility or hierarchy here - everyone starts on the same level because there's only one level. Aside from the dodginess of shill bidding, it seems to be a straight exchange of verified spam targets for merchandise. Of course, not being a pyramid scheme does not make it legit any more than not being poison ivy makes a plant non-poisonous.

 Quadriflax Jul 27, 2004

  
	
	

		
		

			Originally posted by antime@Jul 27, 2004 @ 12:43 PM



 What evidence? One of the I'm-sure-it's-a-coincidence identical astroturfer post that are being spammed on boards everywhere? And I'm sure you've read their terms and conditions?


Actually, yes, I did read that. But what company doesn't have a cover your ass clause? You're right, the odds of it working are slim. But as ExCyber has pointed out, it's not entirely outside the realm of possiblity. I was never guaranteed any money from AllAdvantage or the like either, but I got it. Feel free to lock or delete the thread. I didn't mean to start WWIII.

As I pointed out, though, before I look too stupid, the only information I gave them is readily available. My address is not unlisted, already spread out on a number of sales lists I'm sure (hence all the junk I get) and my email is a garbage account created solely for crap like this and posting in various places. No real information was gathered (not even a phone number), hence the low risk.

I appologize for upsetting you. But you can't say there aren't a number of examples of companies that have pulled stupid crap like this, only to burn out. I thought maybe if I got on this one early enough I could hit-em-up before they figured out what they were trying to do was stupid and could never work. This is not the place for that, and I appologize again. A moment of weakness in my insanely boring day. I'll exercise more control in the future. :sigh

 antime Jul 27, 2004

  
	
	

		
		

			Originally posted by ExCyber@Jul 27, 2004 @ 08:49 PM



 AFAICT, there's no pyramid here.


Of course there is, because you have to recruit five other people (for the iPod scheme, that is).

 ExCyber Jul 27, 2004

  
	
	

		
		

			Of course there is, because you have to recruit five other people (for the iPod scheme, that is).


Yes, you have to recruit people, and the principle of exponential growth is there for the company, but there is no hierarchy (AFAICT) so normal calculations for pyramid schemes wouldn't apply.

 antime Jul 27, 2004
True, but it still takes only fourteen generations to get awfully close to involving the total population of the Earth.

 aaron Jul 27, 2004
i've signed up for similar offers from freevideogames and freedvds and i have received my rewards before. i don't know about this company but if something similar works, then perhaps this one does as well. just keep track of your credit card spending for shipping and stuff on the offers. i got 2 xbox games for like a total of $10 in free samples and such.

worth a look? sure.

 Dud Jul 27, 2004
This is not a Pyramid scheme. These are called matrixes. I wouldn't even bother with this.

 ExCyber Jul 27, 2004
I'm locking this for now, as all signs are pointing to these guys being at least dishonest if not outright scammers.