Free Mac Mini? (from ad on this site)

[ekenny]

I just noticed the ad at the top of the page saying that you can get a free Mac Mini by filling out your name/address and then you have to buy some promotional items or something.

I was just wondering if anyone had done this and if it was worth it or not. I dont want to just give out my personal information like that.

 

[CanadaRAM]

In general these schemes require you to sign up for trial subscriptions to various services, and get a dozen or two of your friends to do the same. Some of the services are free but some will start billing you if you don't cancel them. It is a quasi-pyramid scheme, because of the number of signups needed implies an ever expanding subscriber base.

And of course, as soon as you give your name and address, your identity becomes a commodity, subject to be sold to every mass marketer in the world.

Me I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole. I have complained to google about these ads, they don't ever respond. MacRumors.com does not have control over what ads google places in the banners.

 

[ekenny]

MacRumors.com does not have control over what ads google places in the banners.

Ahh, good to know. I was debating that if it was on this site that it was probably legit, but since they dont have control over it then forget it.

Thanks

 

[dmw007]

These ads are almost always a BIG gimmick. I just hate how they promise such awesome rewards (ie- Mac Mini, iMac G5, Power Mac G5, iPod Mini, etc...) and then fail to deliver. Your making the right decision by not giving them your info - stay far, far away from these types of ads.

 

[ITASOR]

The ones from GratisInternet are real and proven legit.

They make it sound so easy. You have do to offers with a credit card, which sometimes you can cancel before you get charged and other times you just get charged. Too much work.

 

[wPod]

I totally did that!!! I was really drunk one night. got back from the bars, was in the drunk thread, then FREE iMac was on the MACRUMORS website!!! I thought what could be better!!! So in my drunken state I clicked on it. I read the fine print. You had to sign up for some stuff and once you did that you got a free mini. Sounds great. The companies were simple, a vitiman company, a printer ink company, BMG music and some others. I chose the printer ink and BMG, cause my printer always uses ink and well, i always use music. I bought ink and songs. I got my confermation e-mails, i was on my way. so then it said sign up for one of our top tier companies and you will be finished. I figured it would be a credit card (thats what they advertised) i would get the credit card, charge the minimum to it, cancel it and be done. but no, my only choices were a car loan company and a home mortgage company. so yeah. not the best thing ever. i stopped there. seeing that i am a college student i didnt feel like buying a house or car just to get a free iMac. yeah, they change the free item from iMac to mini, to iPod to whatever. its all the same. maybe if you actually went through everything they would give you something. but there is always the clause that says they can replace the winning item with whatever they want of equal or less value. so they could send you a bic pen and say congratulations! heh. there needs to be a new sergeon general's warning "do not drink and surf the web" lol!!!!

 

[corywoolf]

I totally did that!!! I was really drunk one night. got back from the bars, was in the drunk thread, then FREE iMac was on the MACRUMORS website!!! I thought what could be better!!! So in my drunken state I clicked on it. I read the fine print. You had to sign up for some stuff and once you did that you got a free mini. Sounds great. The companies were simple, a vitiman company, a printer ink company, BMG music and some others. I chose the printer ink and BMG, cause my printer always uses ink and well, i always use music. I bought ink and songs. I got my confermation e-mails, i was on my way. so then it said sign up for one of our top tier companies and you will be finished. I figured it would be a credit card (thats what they advertised) i would get the credit card, charge the minimum to it, cancel it and be done. but no, my only choices were a car loan company and a home mortgage company. so yeah. not the best thing ever. i stopped there. seeing that i am a college student i didnt feel like buying a house or car just to get a free iMac. yeah, they change the free item from iMac to mini, to iPod to whatever. its all the same. maybe if you actually went through everything they would give you something. but there is always the clause that says they can replace the winning item with whatever they want of equal or less value. so they could send you a bic pen and say congratulations! heh. there needs to be a new sergeon general's warning "do not drink and surf the web" lol!!!!

I can't PM you for some reason. I noticed you have a 12" PB with 640 MB ram. My bro will be getting a 512 MB upgrade in ram for the same model PB you have. How does tiger run on it?

 

[Eric5h5]

Just remember, nobody ever just gives out free stuff, not really (or at least not of any real worth). If it sounds too good to be true, etc.

--Eric

 

[Nermal]

I can't PM you for some reason.

He's turned PMs off in his account options.

 

[SpaceMagic]

The point is, it's not free. You sign up to one of their affiliates and that activates your account. Then you get x amount of people to do the same. As a rule the affiliates are usually gambling sites as this attracts people to spend more money on them, thus the original Mini***** site gets a percentage each time you deposit money.

Therefore, the one I signed up to, gets some of the money I spend on one of their affiliates site and the money my friends who have signed up through me. Eventually they have more than enough money to buy a Mac mini. My problem is getting people to sign up. It's against the rules for me to give you my link, however if you would like to start referring yourselves, could you start by being one of my referrals?

PM Me.

 

[wPod]

He's turned PMs off in his account options.

of all things i didnt know i could turn PMs on or off. <edit> i think i have it turned on now.

but yeah, the PB is much better with more ram!!! and i just got mine at a cheap discount store, none of this ultra expensive apple ram. it works just as well in my opinion.

 

[Ryan T.]

Some of them work, but they're a hassle. When free ipods dot com first came out I did it, back when completing an offer was as easy as signing up for eBay.

I got a free 4th gen 20GB iPod. So did my roommate, my friend and my girlfriend.

So it's definately possible, because there were a lot of free iPods around at school this year, but it's getting increasingly difficult.

 

[feakbeak]

Call me crazy - but doesn't logic dictate businesses need to generate more revenue than they spend on expenses. Therefore, they will only give things away when it is a part of some sort of scheme that will recoup at least the same amount of money, if not more. These offers also usually involve a significant amount of effort in filling out forms, disclosing information, exploiting your family and friends, etc.

Simple rule: If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.

If you want something really bad, buy it. Look for deals, buy refurbs or used from someone else - save up your money. Every once in a while you might win something nice in a promotion or some sort but you can't count on that and I think it's a waste of time to go looking for it or clicking on banner ads for it.

Buy what you want. If you don't have enough money for everything you want (who does?) then it is not a bad thing. It makes you think about what you really want and what is important to you. You must prioritize. You'll appreciate the things you do purchase because time, effort and thought went into it.

I NEVER click on ads - especially annoying banner ads. You know, if everyone stopped doing it they would go away. Then again, we might loose Google too.

 

[Ryan T.]

I NEVER click on ads - especially annoying banner ads. You know, if everyone stopped doing it they would go away. Then again, we might loose Google too.

Those ads support macrumors and fund this site. There's nothing wrong with clicking on a few and looking around.

 

[feakbeak]

Those ads support macrumors and fund this site. There's nothing wrong with clicking on a few and looking around.

I never said it was wrong. I said I never do it. I realize advertising serves a practical purpose. However, 95+% of advertising irritates the hell out of me and I would be pleased to see it disappear.

Edit: Contributors also fund MR. I know that the practical implication of less/no advertising is that more services would have to charge. I'd rather pay for the services and products I like and want to support, which is why I contributed to MR. It is just a personal belief, nothing more.

 

[wdlove]

There is no free lunch. All these free offers are gimmicks to obtain information. That information can be sold. The offers just put you into additional obligations. Also the chance of angering friends.