Dare We Say It? Free Offers Are Not Free!
If that statement is a shocking truth to some people, well…then, they just haven’t been paying attention. Consumer edification is one of the reasons why we’ve developed this little review web site. (Look, there's a commercial message before we even get out of the first paragraph!)
But, seriously, why would these offers really be free—meaning without cost? Just because they say they are? We refuse to believe that the most discriminating shoppers in the world have become that gullible. And, they haven’t, of course.
Why Would Valuable Items Be Offered Totally Free?
The most casual of observers, if they’re honest with themselves, just have to know that the incentive items used by free offer sites (laptop, $1,000 gift card, airline tickets, etc.) couldn’t actually be free since they all have relatively substantial (i.e., not cheap) dollar values. Surely we haven’t become that much of a something-for-nothing society. At least, not yet in the marketplace.
“Well then," some would say, "they should be prevented from using the term ‘free.’ ”
Really? And who will enforce that rule, the government? Oh, please!
The Other "Free"
The free marketplace doesn’t need any more government meddl… er...uh... monitoring than it already has. And that’s another reason why this web site has come into existence…to help keep the free marketplace just that way. Free. Not Utopian, certainly, just Unfettered—which is yet another definition of the word. Laissez-faire as our libertarian friends would say. (Those are the real kinds of ‘free’ to believe in.)
What would be infinitely more useful than more government oversight is a well-informed consumer base that is kept aware of the nuances of online advertising and marketing. Which, amazingly enough, brings us back to the original reason for FreeOfferDetective.com. We want people to know more about these free offer sites so they can be better informed in order to base their decisions to participate (or not) on their freedom of choice rather than on what somebody says.
Please Join Us To Make Us Better
We’d certainly like to hear from others who have any kind of opinion or comment about these free offer sites. Or on anything else you’d care to talk about in the vein of internet marketing or online bargain hunting. (We know this opening post didn't put a smile on everyone's face. Let's hear from you.) We’re brand new and can make new categories of posts up in the yellow menu bar. Come grow and learn with us. Subscribe now.
Here's wishing you the Best of Bargains,
Head FOD
FreeOfferDetective.com
