FREE OFFER SCAMS

‘Free’ offers displayed on the internet often turn out to be scams. I know from my own personal experiences.They might offer you free access to an otherwise restricted site, free shares, free downloads, free trials of certain products or even a free holiday. They can appear as annoying pop-ups while you are on the net or as ads at the tops or margins of websites. Sometimes entire websites could be set up to advertise a ‘free’ offer.
It’s almost a sure thing that if you order anything that is a FREE OFFER  from an ad off the internet or tv , you are asking for problems from the get go.

The main problem is that most of them only take a credit card, no checks, giving them free access to your money.
This should be your first clue as to the can of worms you are opening.

Even if you cancel out of the process before giving your credit card info they have saved your personal info and will use it to call you or sell your info to third parties.

Second, when you call to cancel! "Sure you can." But will keep sending you unwanted product and charging your card like it’s free money.

They don’t care if they send you into overdraft or if you get penalized or not.

They just want to get as much money as they can and hang on to it for as long as they can because your money times all the other money they are illegally collecting ads up to a lot in their bank in interest!So they are in no hurry to straighten things out!!!!


They continue to charge your credit card until you finally have to file a dispute.
Some of the products described on this site have terms regarding continued billing after the trial period ends. This is referred to as negative option, or continuity billing. Therefore, it is important to ensure that you are fully aware of the terms associated with each product before you order.


Usually, the offers either require you to provide credit card, bank account or other personal details, or they require you to pay an upfront fee to claim your ‘free’ prize or product.

 
Be sceptical of free offers and ask yourself: what’s the catch? Remember that you don’t get something for nothing. It’s better never to click on internet ads which promise you something that looks too good to be true.

If the free offer involves an up-front payment or has other strings attached (e.g. to claim a ‘free holiday’), seek independent advice from an accountant or a solicitor before doing anything or contact your local office of fair trading for assistance. If you are asked to register your credit card or bank account details, for example, to gain entry to a ‘free’ website, ask yourself why this should be necessary if the offer was really free. If you do enter these details, there is a very real chance that these details will be used to steal money from you or to run up debts in your name. 


If you come across an advertisement on the internet that offers something for free, be very careful. If the offer looks to good to be true, or asks you to provide credit card or banking details, do NOT respond. Do not make contact with anyone listed in the ad, do not call the telephone number listed and do not send any money, credit card details or other personal details to the scammers. Responding only indicates you're interested and you could end up with lots more scam offers in the future.

It can be difficult to determine if a free offer is worthwhile or not. A good, but not foolproof, method is to ask other internet users you trust for information and to search for information about the product on trustworthy internet sites (sites that you have heard of before and are not connected with the free offer).

I’m not saying that everything out there is a hoax, but I am saying that most of them are, and to check them out thoroughly before you give anyone your credit card number  or any personal information.The premise of a free trial offer does make a lot of sense. A company wants you to get hooked on their product or services, so they offer a certain amount for free in hopes that you will become a loyal customer in the future. When free trial offers started there were usually no strings attached, you would simply get a free trial and then they would speak with you and encourage you to keep the subscription or buy the product, whatever it may have been. Now at the very minimum almost all of the free trial offers require you to input your credit card number and the company will automatically charge your card if you don't cancel within a certain amount of days. While I understand this is a good business move for them, giving out your card and having to remember to cancel within a certain amount of days is not a good deal for consumers at
If a free offer does look reasonable (for example, the offer is being made by a well known company) be sure that you know what the offer is actually for, if there are any costs involved and what conditions are attached. For example, do you have to sign up for a subscription service where only the first order is free?

If you believe the website and offer may be genuine, make sure you find out all the terms and conditions involved. Make sure you have reliable internet security software installed and keep it up-to-date. Be very suspicious of an offer that requires you to give over your credit card, bank account or personal details as these are nearly always scams.

Free trial offers have been around for a long time. There has always been some risk to them, but in the past year or two the amount of free trial scams has really increased exponentially. The sad truth is running a free trial offer scam is not that difficult. Companies will change the terms on you, not give you the refund you were promised, then close up shop and move to another state in the United STATES or even another country and start the process over again.

 If you have seen a free offer on the internet that you think may be a scam, you can report a scam through the SCAMwatch website. You should also spread the word to your friends and family to protect them.


The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) carefully monitors the marketing practices in this area and offers this information to help you make wise purchasing decisions.....

It's The Law

According to the law, companies must clearly and prominently disclose the "material" terms of their trial offers before you give your consent. Material terms may include:

• the fact that by accepting the trial offer, you're actually agreeing to be enrolled in a membership, subscription or service contract or paying for additional products and services if you don't cancel within the trial period;
• how much time you have to cancel before you incur charges;
• the cost or range of costs of goods or services you'll receive if you don't cancel during the trial period;
• how to cancel during the trial period;
• whether you'll be charged a non-refundable membership fee if you don't cancel within the trial period;
• whether fees will be charged automatically to the credit card you used to buy other goods or services.

Where to Complain

If you have a problem with a trial offer, try to resolve it with the seller first. If you're dissatisfied with the response, contact your local Better Business Bureau or local consumer protection agency.

The FTC works to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. Watch a new video, How to File a Complaint, at ftc.gov/video to learn more. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

Special Introductory offer!!!.Hogwash!!!!

Find out the total cost of a service or product before you buy.

I found lots of websites that offer a low price to get you interested then once you order the price goes up...WAY UP!!!!.

Some introductory offers seem too good to be true, and they should be avoided because they are.I ordered this introductory offer from a website for $1.98. I had forgotten about it until I noticed a pending charge on my CC for $69.95. I called the number given and it just said try your call again later and that happened every time I called that number.I had to contact my CC company to dispute the charge and get my money back .

If you find an introductory offer you like call both the Consumer Protection Agency and the office of the Attorney General of the state from which you received the offer. Inquire if there have been complaints. Ask specifically about the company that sent you the offer.However,no matter how good it sounds your best course of action is to say no if you do not have time to verify the offer.Here is another helpful tip I got from my sister..if you want to try some of these products but reduce your risk use a prepaid debt card with only the amt of purchase.You can get them in any store.