Freeipoduk.com = a honest review

[tim_n]

I admit it, I'm a sucker for a freebie.

I also happen to want a second generation ipod mini - not very much, I'd much rather have an iRiver, but free is free. Doing my usual trawl of crap on the freebie websites I stumbled accross www.freeipoduk.com.

The closest I've got to a pyramid was the last chainletter I received in school. I really hate them. I'd also heard from places such as www.kevinrose.com that such schemes worked and that it was worth a shot if you weren't investing in any service.

I'm naturally weary of throwing my email address about, so I used my spam-all address and started my investigations. The freeipoduk site is affiliated with greasypalms network - hardly a trust inspiring name, but one easily pulled out of a search engine. Most of the reviews point you in the right direction and make this deal sound more legit.

So what the hell, I signed up. The deal is, you signup with 2 subscriber services, and get five friends to do the same using your referral ID. When all the subscriber services have reported back, the deal is done and supposidly you get your ipod direct to your door. The subscription services think you'll remain with them, they pay their referral fee to freeipoduk and technically you'll get the ipod.

I spammed my MSN list (with evidence from my research) and abused my privilages on my local bands forum. Unlike most of the people who signed up, I got a looong listing of people join - like around 50-60. Obviously I could have stopped my needless spamming at 5, but since hardly any of them completed the offers, I'm hardly suprised I struggled to get 5 out of them. I did eventually get 4 others with only one referal - that means freeipoduk is getting freebies off me.

Did I mention you only ever get one ipod? even if you get 100 subscribers all paid up?

Anyway, recently I completed (three days ago) and was able to click on the 'claim free gift' button.

To my horror, I was greeted with this:

Claim your gift
Thank you, we will now manually double-check your claim and providing all the required steps have been fulfilled we wil mail out your iPod voucher which should arrive within 30 days.

Voucher?

Not what I was told on the site, nor the impression I was given through their "I got my ipod" link on their site.

I've contacted them regarding the 'voucher' to see what this entails.

This is what it says after you claim you gift!

Once you confirm your mailing address we will send your iPod mini! Please allow 4 - 6 weeks for delivery of your gift.

So, where am I now? It's two months later, none of my friend have made their five links (I'm not talking about signed up - they can't find five people period!) and I'm sitting pretty on my fufilled offer, with what sounds like a voucher in the post

I'll keep you all informed!

[tim_n]

And today, after my long, long wait (and one day after this post), I have finally got my ipod mini!

ooh, the excitement :- )

there is some pictures for the unbelievers in you (http://www.alt-gallery.net/gallery/v/ipod/)

You'll notice exactly how many referrals I actually needed to make before I got my free item. Only 5 reliable out of the bunch :- ) Good thing I've got so many friends!

[tim_n]

btw - I know this is a pyramid scheme thing. For those with no friends, check out http://www.exceem.co.uk - made by one of the guys who signed up with freeipod and is featured on the main page. He claims not to be affiliated with them when he completed his offer and runs a site advertising all the freebies to uk people.

I'm currently writing an automatic conga line website - if you wish to signup into the b3ta version (for when it goes live) you can visit http://www.congamate.com.

[edit] - we're currently re-writing the beta version to be a lot more stylish [/edit]

I don't know if the automatic conga line is against some sites terms of service - there has been reports that even a conga line is (god knows why!) so it may or may not launch. I will keep thee informed as best I can.

Pyramid schemes, chain letters etc are hideously evil things - someone always looses out. That's why I say, make sure your signups are with the charities, then at least no-one except your pocket looses out!

[Stoo]

So how do these automatic conga lines work?

[Nick F]

glad this has worked for someone. I think the company actualy makes more money from people signing up that it costs to buy a ipod.

This kind of sceme can go round in cirlces forever!

[tim_n]

So how do these automatic conga lines work?

Well, normal conga lines work by having one person at the top. People sign up with his referral id and he gets all the new referrals. When he gets five with five offers completed, he drops off the top and the guy below moves up. This keeps going until the signees run out or everyone gets bored and goes home.

Trouble is with pyramid schemes, is that once one person has got 5, those 5 need 25 etc... That's the essence of a pyramid scheme, and it's pretty difficult to manage on a webpage using a conga line.

By managing it on an automatic conga line, people sign up, but the guy at the top doesn't always get all the votes - it rotates the top person & works out when they've got enough votes. It only works if there's a lot of people using the site though.

Unfortunately, some people always loose out of pyramid scheme - that's why it's such a bad investment if you're at the bottom!

[joshwa]

So you have to get 5 people to sign up to the offers, and then do they need to get 5 people each signed up to the offers, before you win it?

[Spud1]

no, when you have 5 people signed up via your referral and they have completed their offers you get your iPod

[alexander]

hymnmmmm

[Matt1eD]

I have joined your test conga line

Edit: Pity I'd allready joined months ago. If anyone wants to use my linky PM me please.

[Allen]

I dunno about anyone else, but I can only see this as you getting people to sign up and do these offers with your referral ID's, therefore you will be receiving a new iPod. How can we trust you that you aren't scamming us to get yourself some free iPods?

Why is this allowed on the forums anyway, I thought pyramid schemes weren't allowed?

[autopilot]

This thread smells of fish...

[schmunk]

This thread smells of fish...

Hmmm.... you might be right!

[Matt1eD]

Tim's quite new but hasn't posted just these three so I trust him.

[Allen]

It's not just the fact that Tim's new, and I meant no disrespect to him, but one of his links is to his own site, which I had a little look at, and it ends up giving me a referral link to one of those free iPod sites. Now, anyone with a little knowledge could do this, and before you know it, we're all going to this iPod site with his referral and he's getting lots of iPods free... perhaps?

Not saying it is, but saying it could.

[muddyfox470]

lol, i got mine, and i rang up the people to ask why it mentioned a voucher, but it was just a standard message, and that they were infact sending out the ipod minis. i got the 2nd generation one, i.e. the newer version which has 18hours battery life

if i am allowed to link it, this is what i posted in another forum

forum

i was overly happy, and i shall be selling this ipod on, i did get quite a bit of stick from my friends for it, and tbh i was thinking it was a scam aswell, i got mine within about 5 months, so it did take some time

best of luck

ian