The image to the right is an ad that I see all over the place on the internet.Answer a question, and get a free laptop! Right? Not hardly! This is the kind of giveaway that I want you to understand isn’t free at all.

Once you click the ad, you are brought to a Congratulations page where you get to choose between 3 really nice laptops. Once you choose your “free” laptop, you enter your email address to sign up. If the laptop were truly free, you would enter your address, and wait for your brand new laptop. But this is where the fun begins. I have pulled some excerpts from the terms and conditions of the “free laptop”, and this is the breakdown of how you obtain your “free” laptop.
Once you sign up, you will have to complete what they call sponsored offers. This is the step where free becomes not so free, but a whole lot of work, time, and money before your shiny new laptop is delivered.

“Generally, a promotion will involve four (4), six (6) or more steps to complete. The steps includeRegistration, Offers, Surveys and Sponsored Offer Completion and Email Confirmation/ApprovalNotification.”

“Offers: You will be shown a selection of offers from our marketing partners for travel, education,financial services, etc. You may request information from as many as interest you. There is no restriction or penalty.”

To complete the offers, you need to sign up for services at multiple other websites. The services offered vary from Blockbuster online, eBay, Make Money Online Companies, etc., etc… You have to complete a total of 10 of these offers to get started! I couldn’t find one that I would actually waste my time signing up for. They all cost money! what was the free part of this whole deal? I am confused…

“Sponsored Offer: Sponsored offers are the final step in participating in the Laptop promotion. You must successfully complete the following sponsored offers: two (2) offers from Silver Offers, two (2) offers from Gold Offers, and six (6) offers from Platinum Offers. Our sponsors cover the entire cost of the free gift along with the shipping & handling fees.”

Then, finally if you have actually managed to sign up for 10 offers, you think you are now home free, and ready for your shiny new laptop! Not so fast there friend… HAHAHA, not so fast at all! To finish this whole “FREE” offer, you get to beg two of your friends to do it all over again!

“You must also refer at least two (2) unique households who, as described above, must join and each successfully complete the required number of offers under the terms listed in this document.”

The point here is why don’t you stick with Giveaway Project, and I will always post only the best giveaways, freebies, and sweepstakes. As always, I only post truly FREE giveaways, because here at GiveawayProject FREE = FREE all day, every day. Please tell your friends about this post, so they can be aware of the “free” offers out there, and so they can check out the truly FREE giveaways that I have posted here.

-Michael