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In this issue
Nov. 20, 2009
Rabbi David Aaron: How to make every second of your life come first
Caroline B. Glick: Whither American Jewry
Nov. 19, 2009
Binyamin L. Jolkovsky: Please Listen to this Godcast (5 minutes)
Jonathan Tobin: ADL Crosses the Line with Report Bashing Obama Critics
Nov. 18, 2009
Rabbi Yonason Goldson: What Judaism has to say about the secret of the Mona Lisa's smile
JWisdom.com: The (Jewish) Dating Game with Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff (8 minutes)
Nov. 17, 2009
Steven Emerson: How Does the 4th Amendment Impact Terror Finance Investigations?
JWisdom.com: If Frank Sinatra married Edith Piaf with Rabbi Y.Y. Rubinstein (2 minutes) Life lessons from what would be regarded as the most inappropriate lyrics ever sung
Nov. 16, 2009
The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir : When borrowing is stealing
JWisdom.com: Deconstructing faith with Rabbi Warren Goldstein (9 minutes)
Nov. 13, 2009
JWisdom.com Sarah's subjective reality with Rabbi Sroy Levitansky ( 6 minutes)
Caroline B. Glick: Obama's failure, Netanyahu's opportunity
Nov. 12, 2009
The Kosher Gourmet By Marialisa Calta : A sweet sweet potato treat
JWisdom.com Does God get tired? with Rabbi Harvey Belovski ( 5 minutes)
Nov. 11, 2009
Rabbi Avi Shafran: Jews and money: When anti-Semitism isn't
JWisdom.com Marriages are not made in Heaven with Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff (VERY fast 15 minutes)
Nov. 10, 2009
Michael Doyle: Author of book exposing CAIR ordered to remove supporting documents from Web
JWisdom.com If the creation so loudly shouts the existence of the Creator, why aren't more people believers? with Rabbi Naftali Brawer (9 minutes)
Nov. 9, 2009
Mark Steyn: Shooter exposes hole in U.S. terror strategy
JWisdom.com It's never too late to have a happy childhood with Sarah Chana Radcliffe (5 minutes)
Nov. 6, 2009
Rabbi Berel Wein: Choosing to hear
JWisdom.com Zero to 1/60th: How to Empower An Hour with Gavriel Aryeh Sande (7 minutes)
Caroline B. Glick The mullahs' big week
Suzanne Fields A Fallen Wall for Fallen Man
Nov. 5, 2009
The Kosher Gourmet: Three scrumptious -- but simple -- butternut squash dishes
JWisdom.com Hidden Hints: Unlocking Faith & Prayer with Rabbi Jay Yaacov Schwartz (10 minutes)
Nov. 4, 2009
Tom Hamburger and Kim Geiger: Should prayers be covered?
JWisdom.com When God played peacemaker With Rabbi Sroy Levitansky (5 minutes)
Nov. 3, 2009
Martin Peretz: Beware, Barack. Beware, Rahm. Beware, Axelrod
JWisdom.com Are you are closet idolater? With Sara Yoheved Rigler (10 minutes)
Nov. 2, 2009
Paul Greenberg: The Holocaust is now on Facebook
JWisdom.com Abraham's Strange Change With Rabbi Yitzchok Fingerer (5 minutes)
Oct. 29, 2003
Mortimer B. Zuckerman: Graffiti On History's Walls (MUST-READ!)

Jewish World Review May 21, 2008 / 16 Iyar 5768

Want a free laptop? I'm still waiting

By Vicki Lee Parker


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT) Despite countless warnings that nothing in life is free, many of us continue to fall for the promise of something for nothing.

With money tight in many households, offers of free laptops, iPods, gift cards and even medication sound even more alluring. But the reality is far from the promise.

In the past year, the Federal Trade Commission has charged dozens of companies with violating advertising laws and reached settlements amounting to millions of dollars, said Claudia B. Farrell, a spokeswoman for the Federal Trade Commission.

It's not fair to say that all companies that advertise free products are operating illegally. But even legitimate offers can come with strings attached and fine print that you must read carefully.

You might have heard one radio pitch by a company called I Want My Free Laptop. The ad makes the deal sound so simple. It claims that the company can afford to offer free laptops because all the traffic the giveaway draws to the Web site generates publicity for sponsors.

So I logged onto www.iwantmyfreelaptop.com to find out just how free it is.

The home page is designed to get you excited, asking you to choose which computer brand you want. My choices included a Sony Vaio, Apple MacBook and Toshiba Satellite.

Next, I had to type my e-mail address to continue. Once I finished a marketing survey, I would be on my way to getting my free laptop.

Nearly two hours later, after completing about a half-dozen surveys, I came to a screen that indicated that I had to purchase three products at a discount to continue. When I read the big print, it appeared that I was getting cheap Disney DVDs. But I saw in the fine print that I also was signing up to buy five DVDs a year - for more than $20 each.

I stopped there. I didn't get a free laptop. But I did get other freebies: about 30 e-mail messages a day and daily phones calls from sales people offering to sell me things I had said I liked in the surveys.

Dale Baker, president of TheUseful.com, the company that runs the Web site, said that purchases are not required to get the free laptop and that I must have done something wrong. He said I could have called the customer service number on the Web site and someone would have guided me through the site. He said his company has given away thousands of laptops.

Beverly Baskin, president of the Better Business Bureau of Eastern North Carolina, wasn't surprised by my story. Her office regularly gets complaints about free offers.

"`Free' is a relatively elusive term when it comes to online offers," Baskin said. "If you are willing to jump through some pretty extreme hoops, give your name and e-mail information ... expose yourself to countless sales pitches and unwanted ads, you may eventually get a laptop."

But use "extreme caution in responding to a too-good-to-be-true offer."

You can check the companies out at the FTC (www.ftc.gov) or Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) Web sites.

And don't ever get blinded by that powerful word: free.

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.

Vicki Lee Parker is a columnist for The News & Observer. Comment by clicking here.

Previously:

Put an escape hatch in your travel plans
Put up or shut up for card companies
Don't fall for rebate check scams
Recall agency needs help
Account can help you save
Gift refund made him feel cheated
7 gifts to build wealth
Dump your bank escrow account, earn some interest
Enticing e-mail may lead to viruses, ID theft, malware
Ask to receive discounts
Learn from a con man
Nitrogen: pricey way to keep tires pumped
Buying private health coverage
Better Business Bureau ramps up
Two beeps, one item: Listen for overcharges
Recalls: What to do next
Do your homework before home repairs
To tip or skip it: Gratuity must be earned
Advice is free, if you look
Hire a cleaner who won't clean you out
Teach children smart money tips that will keep them busy all summer long
Warning: Don't trust the ATM
Reasons to beware of ‘We Buy Homes’
Too wise to fall for a scam
Untethering cell phone from carrier
Re-check your credit card rewards
Treasure might be buried in medical bills
Tax-time saving tip: Free filing is available
College money is waiting; don't procrastinate
Extended warranties rarely worthwhile
Too busy for tax planning? It'll cost you


© 2007, The News & Observer Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

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