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Free stuff on the Web
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November 2, 1998: 9:42 a.m. ET
Giveaways abound on the Internet but might cost you some of your privacy
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - "Free speech!" may be the rallying cry of some on the Web but for a devoted group of penny pinchers, a shout of "free stuff!" arouses similarly passionate emotions.
As the Internet has continued its explosive growth each year, so have the numbers of giveaways and contests from companies looking to lure people to their sites and, ultimately, their products.
The gifts and prizes available from these firms range from the mundane to the magnificent, offering something for everybody who has an urge to travel, play or rid themselves of unsightly body hair.
For those of you with a bit of wanderlust, websites give you the chance to experience cool winter nights (Colorado ski trip) or warm tropical days (a week in Waikiki).
Closer to home, you can get free stuff for your body, from head (Mentadent toothpaste) to, well, toe (Silkies pantyhose) and everything in between (Nudit hair remover). Feeling thirsty? Try Sunny Delight, Insta-Gel or Soy Protein Drink.
The World Wide Web has been particularly well-suited toward software giveaways. Freeware and shareware have been popular ways for companies to not only introduce products, but establish them as standards from which they could make money.
But many software firms are finding freebies a good way to give consumers a taste of something, hoping it will whet their appetites for more.
Gaming companies have pursued this strongly. Electronics Arts offers, among others, a demo version of its Madden NFL 99 football game. Berkeley Systems, Inc. is distributing a free version of Acrophobia, a Web-based wordplay game which allows you to compete against other Netizens for cash prizes.
Freebie hunters don't have to stop with software anymore. Companies have been enticing consumers with hardware using prizes such as an Apple iMac computer and a Palm III organizer from 3Com.
On the trail of freebies
The Web is obviously a huge place and trying to track down where the best freebies and contests are is a tall order.
Companies offering products at least try to get things going. Often, they will begin by placing banner ads on targeted sites to notify people about their giveaways.
However, if you don't go to those targeted sites, you would never know about the prizes available. Into this mix steps a man, a humble man, named Innate Mak to help you out and make sure you get all the free stuff to which you're constitutionally-entitled.
Mak is a person just like you; he likes getting something for nothing. So he decided to create the Weekly Freebie Compilation, a website devoted to gathering the best freebies out there.
"I used to spend a lot of time looking for freebies on the 'Net, so I decided to create a site so that other people wouldn't have to do the same," said Mak.
In the three years his site has been online, Mak said he has been surprised by the freebies and prizes being given away on the Internet, some of which rival contests going on outside the Web.
Mak isn't alone. Countless other freebie-phile sites have been set up as well. They can range from slick operations like 4FreeStuff to individual efforts like Janelle's Jumpin' Freebie Page.
Additionally, a determined contingent of freebies grabbers exists on Usenet. When someone notices a giveaway, whether large or small, they often post it on alt.consumers.free-stuff. Often, companies with freebies to offer will also post on this newsgroup.
The mania for Web freebies is also giving rise to businesses devoted to the pursuit. Sheldon Leemon has set up shop offering to do the tedious work for prize seekers.
For $35 Leemon's service, EZ Sweep, will enter you in every Web sweepstakes it can lay its mouse on for a six month period. Leemon said the saved cost in time and effort will make his service valuable.
"There are just too many online sweepstakes to enter them all yourself," he said. "We concentrate on sweepstakes that allow daily entry and typically send entries for about 40 contests per day.
"Not only would it take you several hours each day to fill in the forms for these 40 contests, but think of the boredom of typing the same information on the same forms, day after day."
Leemon himself is an avid freebie seeker. The most unusual prize he's won is a replica of the robot from the recent movie "Lost in Space." The replica stands more than six feet high and weighs 600 pounds.
The price of freebies
While it may seem like you're getting your freebies for free, there may actually be a hidden cost which you may regret paying later on.
"Privacy is, and always will be, a big issue," said Weekly Freebie's Mak.
Most prizes and contests will require you to submit name, home and e-mail address and phone information to receive their goods. Often, they will take things a step further and ask you to answer questions about your education, lifestyle and salary.
While many companies will ask you whether or not they can send you additional information, call on you or give your information to third parties, some do not.
"Businesses have an underlying reason to offer prizes," said Mak. "Sometimes they're trying to increase traffic but other times they're trying to gather demographic research of their audience."
If you have to fill out pages of questions to apply for a prize, he advised finding out what they want all this information for. Ask if the company has a privacy pledge not to give your information out to other firms.
When you start applying for more and more prizes, be prepared for a bit of a shock when you open your mailbox, whether it's your virtual mailbox or your real one.
Once they have your information, many companies will send you product solicitations on a regular basis. Most of these mailing lists give you the option of unsubscribing but if you get on enough lists, this can end up being a major draw on your time as well.
You can lessen the wave of spam you'll receive by applying for freebies and prizes selectively. While the lure of getting anything free is enticing, ask yourself whether you really want it or whether it will simply go unused.
-- by staff writer Randall J. Schultz
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