Don't Fall for the Promise of 'Free': The BBB Warns That Offers for "Free" Merchandise Can Cost You in the End.
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By Daily Press, Newport News, Va.  Jun. 18--The come-ons and ads seem endless:  "Take our survey and win an iPod.""Click here for a free $20 Target gift card.""You're a winner of a dream vacation!" The real reason behind many of these ads is lead generation.
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The agency said this week that it had settled with a spammer who had failed to tell consumers they actually had to spend money to receive "free" products.
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B-to-B advertisers often pay high click costs to reach a very small and very specific group of potential buyers. More than anyone, they need to be sure the right people are clicking on their ads.
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Hint: It's not necessarily designed to save you money.
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NEW YORK - Few things are more popular than free money in the form of a gift token ... unless it is redeemable at a store you don&#39;t like.
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Consumers thes e days have to navigate a plethora of return policies. Be certain you know the store&#39;s rules before you pay. By Joe Goldeen.
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JJB Sports is offering a free football shirt to any customers who can prove they were the victim of illegal price fixing.
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Also: Online grocers can bring you many things, they just can't deliver a profit. Read these stories and more from around the Web on News.com Extra.
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The FreeiPods.com website looks as phony as a $3 bill. In fact, it's at the forefront of performance-based marketing, as advertisers discover it's more effective to spend $50 million on gifts than to blow the cash on TV ads. By Leander Kahney.
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When 'free' isn't free An online advertiser that falsely claimed consumers had won free prizes has agreed to pay a $200,000 penalty to the Federal Trade Commission, which says the outfit failed to disclose that people had to spend money first.â¦Learn &amp; Contribute, Live &amp; Online - The Register Debates Green Computing
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A company that does a poor job of bringing in cash, even if it's selling lots of stuff, should be avoided.
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A free Viagra prescription or a  no-cost trial of sleeping pills are examples of growing offers  to U.S. consumers, but regulators and critics worry about the  side effects of pitching medicines like selling soap.
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Your credit card company might be needlessly costing you thousands.
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Companies love to give away prizes, but that doesn't make them winners.
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Like companies that buy back their own shares? You may not be getting what you think.
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It says subscription fees can't outweigh potential ad revenue from increased traffic to a free site.
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If you build it -- and it's cool -- they will come. The business model to support it comes later. That's the new economics of the free lunch: Giving away a product or service builds the customer attention and loyalty that rack up earnings.