November 05, 2004

• I'll know shortly if it is or not. I got the five referrals and am awaiting confirmation and shipping. Although, I have seen considerable online evidence that it is not too good to be true, and does work.
• from everything I've heard, this is a classic pyramid scheme. the early adopters did get free iPods - that's why there actually is evidence that it works - everybody since has got nothing.
• I have seen similar evidence; check the article on Wired. Harder to get my luddite frieds to sign on to this, but seems legit.
• There was a news report on this I heard awhile back. It is legit, evidently, but they've had problems keeping up with demand. You'll probably eventually get your iPod, but don't be expecting it anytime soon.
• Didn't people used to offer gmail invites for referals back when people actually cared about them.
• This is a great explanation of the impossible odds of the pyramid scheme.
• No personal experience here but your question has been asked on Ask Metafilter as well.
• There is no such thing as a free lunch. Or a free ipod.
• I probably should have changed the word "probably" to "might" in my last comment. I believe that the news report said there are tons of people who have been waiting months for their iPod and still haven't gotten them. The company was willing to answer questions and go on the record, FWIW.
• from University Wire, Oct. 7: HEADLINE: Users complain about free iPod site BYLINE: By Byron Kho, Daily Pennsylvanian; SOURCE: U. Pennsylvania DATELINE: PHILADELPHIA For better or worse, consumers nationwide -- and across campus -- have started to take notice of a novel online marketing scheme that seeks to acquire new customers through the lure of free iPods. FreeiPods.com, run by Washington, D.C.-based company Gratis Internet, offers users a chance to receive a free iPod by first subscribing to one of several online offers and promotions, then persuading five friends to do the same. The company may have to give out an additional $50 million worth of iPods, if all "confirmed identities" redeem their iPods. However, complaints of lengthy delays and spam e-mail have brought a shadow on its reputation that the company has vigorously defended. "We are working extremely hard to get orders out the door," said Peter Martin, a company co-founder, in response to complaints that iPods were not being shipped and that queries were being left unanswered -- some of these from University of Pennsylvania students, who are still waiting for delivery of their iPods. "We are currently working with new vendors and making improvements on shipping times, customer service and more. About 1,000 iPods are on back-order status right now." (there's more to the story, i can email anyone interested)
• It's all semantics: it's actually a site advocating the release of iPods back into their natural habitat.
• I thought it was a complete scam too and laughed when all my friends went a did it. I think only one of them ever got 5 offers completed - and she got her iPod about a month later. Take with a pinch of salt.
• So someone's email address is now worth $50 to a spammer? Wow. That's pretty scary.
• Well I think it goes without saying that ***you give them an email address you use for spam and short-term needs*** if you're going to do it. I mean, it already seemed intuitive to me. Wild dogs couldn't get me to give those sleazebags my real address. Um, that being said, who wants to help me get my iPod?
• By the way, thank you SideDish and Jerry Garcia for the extra info.
• Is it set up so that you can invent 5 friends with hotmail/yahoo/gmail email addresses for your referrals?
• I'm not sure how much they check into it to make sure you don't cheat the system, but not all offers are free. I signed up and my offer was basically free (a directory per call fee, which I will never use, but nevertheless had to give credit card info for, but that offer is not on some of the referals). Anyone wanna help me join the iPod clan? ;)
• They check. One of my five referrals was denied. Probably because we had the same address.
• Ok, a bit of followup. FUCK Free-ipods.com. They put my account on indefinite hold because they think I was being fraudulent, all because I convinced my girlfriend to sign up as well. I guess I'll just have to get my iPod the old fashioned way - take my clothes off in front of a webcam.
• Hmmm, I'm guessing the same thing is going to happen to me shawnj. I got the 5 referals and I am awaiting confirmation but I'm holding out little hope at this point of NOT being put on indefinite hold (especially with all the "we can put you on hold without telling why" bullshit) but I should probably know for sure beginning of the week. How long did it take for your confirmation to go through before they put the account status on hold?
• It took them five days, and they denied one of my referals. When I asked about it, my account was frozen.
• Well, just a bit of a followup here. Around the same thing that happened to shawnj happened to me. They denied one of my referals but when I asked them about it they told me they had removed all holds and I could place an order, however for some reason nothing changed on the status page. Then after a second inquiry they said there was a problem with my last referal and they would have to contact them directly about it, but when I went to the status page all the referals were gone and there was a button to place an order. So I did, and sure enough yesterday I got a 20gb iPod in the mail. From ordering to shipping it took about 2 weeks. Total time spent on the process: about 2 months exactly from start to finish. So it looks like they're legit but sleazy at best. Seems like company policy to always deny at least one referal but every so often they must let some through to get iPods to keep the hype up. sorry shawnj...