anyone having problems with trial memberships?

[jodi]

I just signed up for a freel trial through PC Safety Plus for a $20 Circuit City gift card through mypoints. After I completed that, a new window popped up asking me if I wanted to sign up for a $20 Exxon gift card for trying Great Fun. I sure did! $20 in gas? Too good to pass up. So I signed up for that one too.
I got me e-mail today to claim the card through Great Fun and it stated I was getting a Circuit City gift card. I don't WANT another Circuit City card - I want an Exxon card! So I e-mailed Great Fun and was told that I was "signed up" to get the CC card, but I could call them if I had further questions. I just got off the phone with them, and was told the same by the CSR (who spoke to her supervisor). I kept asking "But that's not what I signed up for!" and kept being told "I'm sorry, that's what we can offer you". The worst part is that they are still advertising the Exxon card on their web site, yet they won't give it to you!
Bait and switch? I'm taking it because it's better than nothing, but you better believe that I will be cancelling Great Fun the minute I receive that card (well, not that I wasn't going to do that anyway...).
Anyone else having a problem with this?

(and, yes I do realize the irony in complaining over which FREE gift card I receive, but I'm not above it!)

[getforfree]

Re: anyone having problems with trial memberships?

I tried the Great fun too, and received 2 $10 gc to Circut city. I called them and asked where is my gc. They said they are sending it today, so I called the next day and canseled. If you can't use them, you can give them for christmass.

[Ima saver]

Re: anyone having problems with trial memberships?

I am scared to try any of those trial things!

[mountainmist]

Re: anyone having problems with trial memberships?

I won't sign up for trial memberships, I don't believe in their business model -- they can deduct all the expenses of the "promotion" while claiming all those "members" as true customers, while I know very well from all the freebie-type boards that for years, 1000s sign up just to get the premium and then cancel.

I don't want to participate in this marketing nonsense, it disgusted me after I read about the tax deductions possible to megacorporations for so many types of promotional advertising.

Years ago someone told me that all those "FREE twenty dollar" online coupons -- that they are deducted as an advertising expense, but that the items purchased with that FREE 20 bucks are actually counted as SALES.

If that's accurate, then I think it's a disgusting way for online mega-merchants to drive America's independent smaller merchants out of business. I only shop locally nowadays.

[mountainmist]

Re: anyone having problems with trial memberships?

I forgot to answer the question. There's two things I'd do.

First I'd file an online fraud complaint with the FBI for the obviously false online offer, and then Number 2, I'd call the attorney general in my state and make a report about this ILLEGAL online "bait & switch" offer.

But as I explained above, I don't participate in these online "OFFERS" anymore, I hadn't realized that the corporate tax attorneys can put all those "free gifts" as actual sales, so that the sales look GREAT, and meantime are able to deduct those same gift certificates as a business advertising expense.

I find it disgusting that plenty of independent small businesses are collapsing all across America and so I never buy anything online anymore.

[greedy4chips]

Re: anyone having problems with trial memberships?

But as I explained above, I don't participate in these online "OFFERS" anymore, I hadn't realized that the corporate tax attorneys can put all those "free gifts" as actual sales, so that the sales look GREAT, and meantime are able to deduct those same gift certificates as a business advertising expense.

Do you still use coupons? Exact same thing is done with them.

Free is free to me and I would take every legitamate freebie I could find. I wouldn't sign up for these offers, since many of them sell your personal info to recoup the free gift amount.

Corporations don't pay taxes, customers do. Too often you hear people wanting the government to raise taxes on corporations. Where are the corporations going to get this extra money? From increasing prices, cutting wages, increased production. lowering employee benefits, etc.

Cutting management pay is not an option either, since it would be hard to attract qualified people to run the company. Would anyone here be happy with a 10%+ paycut just so their company could pay more taxes? I doubt it.

Sorry that was so off topic.

[jodi]

Re: anyone having problems with trial memberships?

Ok, I have e-mailed Great Fun three times now. Each time they insist that I signed up for the Circuit City card. Each time I refer to my notes in front of me that say "Great Fun - $20 Exxon". I KNOW that I'm not NUTS. I simply would not have bothered to sign up for the trial for another $20 Circuit City card - I never go there. But anyway, in their last e-mail they told me that I must have been confused with a different account I had with them, in which I got an Exxon card (yeah, about a year ago). Whatever. I told them that I was done arguing, and will accept whatever, but I certainly will not recommend them to anyone. Bah!

[mountainmist]

Re: anyone having problems with trial memberships?

Do you still use coupons? Exact same thing is done with them.

Free is free to me and I would take every legitamate freebie I could find. I wouldn't sign up for these offers, since many of them sell your personal info to recoup the free gift amount.

Corporations don't pay taxes, customers do. Too often you hear people wanting the government to raise taxes on corporations. Where are the corporations going to get this extra money? From increasing prices, cutting wages, increased production. lowering employee benefits, etc.

Cutting management pay is not an option either, since it would be hard to attract qualified people to run the company. Would anyone here be happy with a 10%+ paycut just so their company could pay more taxes? I doubt it.

Sorry that was so off topic.

I stopped using coupons about ten years ago, and only recently wanted to start back up, but then decided, NO - they are simply too time consuming, and I felt like I was some little roboticized chess pawn on a corporate grocery boardgame.

I stopped using rebates a really long time ago, I remember approximately 15 years ago that there must have been a WAR going on between hand lotion corporations, there were SO many "Try Me FREEs" and I'm sure there were at least a dozen different brands all vying for you buy THEIRS, there were coupons galore, sale prices, AND total rebates for the purchase price.

So why did I stop doing rebates? Well, just how MANY bottles of hand cream & body lotion can one family use up? And HOW LONG are those various chemical concoctions safe to use? I actually threw some of them away as the years went by, because I frankly was scared to open them after they'd sat and aged for so long in my home.

I hadn't meant to purchase more than we could posibly use, but the offers were EVERYWHERE and if you followed the market at all, you wound up with the product AND money back, well over the purchase price & postage, they were "paying" you to buy it free.

I'd much rather buy ONE lotion as needed, and use it up while the lotion is fresh.

I decided to try doing that current Del Monte rebate -- and within days of my purchasing all those canned veggies, tomatoes & fruits, they all went on sale, down forty cents a can.

I feel really silly, like that some corporate marketer is laughing at this stupid consumer pawn who actually bought all that stuff with intents to send in the rebate. I'm really embarressed that I had no idea that all the grocery stores would have a big sale on that brand a week later. I'll just make a point to never purchase any more items by Del Monte, obviously there must be something wrong with the regular prices, that they are able to cut them by a third, have $5 coupons and $10 rebates.

No, I have no further interest in rebates or coupons, but many years ago I was very interested in all of them, but not anymore, I guess I'm way too jaded.