"You can't always get what you want," sing The Rolling Stones. But sometimes you can, and for free, even New York's most popular toy for adults and teens--the Apple iPod. Although via a marketing website you may not have to pay for
hot gadget monetarily, but people are still paying for them with their time and energy.
At freeipods.com, an online site, you can get latest iPod Photo, colorful iPod Minis and new iPod Shuffle without spending $250 it normally costs.
According to rules, you must complete an offer from one of their sponsors and then refer three or five friends, depending on which iPod you choose. The more expensive models, like iPod Photo and 40G require you to refer five friends, but if it is small $99 Shuffle that you want, you only have to refer three friends. Once each of your referrals completes an online subscription offer, you will supposedly be mailed a free iPod.
Is this a gimmick? Not according to Manhattan resident and Part-Time Media Assistant, Tony Yan, 21, who gave pink iPod Mini that he received through program to a friend as a gift, since he already had an iPod of his own.
“I learned about program quite some time ago but was one of skeptics out there that didn't believe it was true,” says Yan. “That is until one of my friends received his iPod and I saw it with my own two eyes and decided it was legit.”
The offers that you are required to complete in order to receive mp3 player are fairly easy ones, like joining Blockbuster’s DVD membership, newspaper subscriptions and other online programs. You can cancel program within 30 days, but Blockbuster membership requires a credit card and could amount to a total of $10.49 for a month’s service. Thus, for only 10.49 you are a step closer to a free iPod.
Yan subscribed to ancenstry.com for his offer and declares that it was easy for him to finish program, “With only a bit of convincing, I was able to profit on a beautiful piece of electronic.” However, for other participants, getting friends to sign up can be difficult and take a little more finesse.
“I think it's rewarding -- but you do have to jump through a lot of hoops to get to end,” says 24-year-old, Kate Sundy, writer of popular award winning blog, Barefoot Principessa. Sundy joined freeipodshuffle.com three weeks ago and is still two offers away from completion.
The mention of free iPods has been spreading among blogging world like wildfire, with sites begging readers to join in lieu of regular news posts. Sundy, however, is doing more than just encouraging her visitors to sign up, she is bribing them. On top left corner of her blog she is offering to design three custom-made online banners to anyone who completes an offer through her site and she even says she will help pay for whichever subscription they choose to sign up with.
