One of my favorite little ladies, Leandrea, from Coupons Are Great did a wonderful write-up about the onslaught of Facebook Offers lately. I wanted to share this with you as well as provide my own insight. This post is a mix of her thoughts and my own so you can learn why you should avoid clicking Facebook Offers from bloggers.
I’m an honest gal. It’s something that my Dad instilled in me at a very young age. I do not lie — ever — and I teach my children the same values. Since 2008, Freebie Spot has been bringing you honest and legitimate freebies and deals. You will never find any scams or “participation required” offers here. I provide full disclosure, even when a free item requires shipping. Trust me, I hate spam deals just as much as you!
I use Facebook, just like you, to follow friends, company pages, and other bloggers. Lately, my Facebook feed is blowing up with friends claiming Facebook Offers. Why the sudden outburst of Facebook Offers? On September 21st Facebook announced that bloggers could try Facebook Offers for free one time. When a lot of bloggers see the word free, they jump on the opportunity to bring in more site traffic.
Freebie Spot will not be participating in the Facebook Offers bandwagon. Why? Most of the bloggers doing this are using deceptive tactics and false advertising methods.
Posting a Facebook Offer for a “FREE 8×10 canvas” or a “FREE photo calendar” is misleading because these items are not actually free — you must pay shipping on these items. Others are posting that you can get a “Free $10 Target/Home Depot/Barnes and Noble” gift card. Again, this is not true and is deceptive advertising. In order to receive the gift card, you will need to sign up for Ebates, make a $25 purchase within 30 days, and then you will receive your $10 gift card.
Don’t get me wrong. I like free offers just as much as you and I definitely like when you view my blog and appreciate the offers I post. But I will never trick you in to getting a “free” offer that’s not truly free. I will always flat out tell you if there are any strings attached (like shipping charges). I prefer quality readers who come back because they like what they see. I don’t want you to become a fan because you were tricked into liking my page.
And if you’re interested, you can get all of the offers mentioned in this post through the following links (which are affiliate links and are not free):
- Get a free 8×10 Photo Canvas (just pay shipping) OR 50% off + free shipping
- Free $10 Target/Barnes & Noble/Home Depot Gift Card from Ebates when you sign up and make a $25 purchase within 30 days
- Get a free Photo Calendar with up to 13 of your favorite photos (just pay shipping)
Have you clicked any “free” Facebook offers that aren’t really free? I’d love to hear about them! Just leave a comment below to share your thoughts.
Hi there! I'm Jenny, a coffee-addicted, busy-body, work at home mom of two insane boys age 10 & 4. I'm married to my best friend, obsessed with the Packers, and I love to cook, read, and design blogs.
Thanks for the info. I didn't know about this. I have to be careful.
Yes, it took me just twice to figure out that "free" isn't free so I no longer click facebook offers. I don't like being duped, nor do I like entering my email to get bombarded by spam mail that sometimes gets generated by this kind of stuff. Quality Health offers generate so much junk mail that I had to close down an email name I had because of it. There is another one Life...something or other that says "FREE SAMPLE OF ....." and you have to go through 55 pages and then even getting the sample is sketch at best. Eff that crap. I thank goodness for blogs that say, click here for a free sample of XYZ and that link goes right there. No junk no fuss.
@Maddie K Yep Quality Health and Life Script are big no-no's! Stay as far away from them as possible.
I don't use facebook period.
Thank you for sharing this valuable information.
It took me a couple of times to finally figure this out.....then I felt like such a dummy.....
It's mostly the "free, then you have to "earn" gold or platinum or what ever the metal of the day is.....
Sometimes I'm just a wonk!!
Thanks for the post
Sharon
lunrei@yahoo.com
@lunrei Yep, exactly! It's free IF you jump through a hoop! No thank you. :)
Jenny,
OMG there have been so many and I've even made comments about them not being free or the article is not true because I've tried it. Free coupons sent to home. Free mudd wraps, free photos etc..and I have been blocked so many times by these bloggers that it's really beginning to piss me off. I do appreciate the honest one's out there and you are one of my fav's. I gotta read more now. Thx
@not2onry You are so very welcome and thank YOU for noticing! I am not one to try to scam someone with anything simply because that is not the way I would want to be treated.
Thanks again for your comments :)
I am so glad to see a blogger not following this route. I miss the days when "free' really meant free.
Thanks Jenny for the heads up on those free offers ,that wind up not free
I have been subcribed to so many magazines. I keep getting billed for them!
So sick of sweepsteaks where can we go beside facebook
@JuneHarmonIsbel I am tired of all the sweepstakes on facebook too! I usually don't even enter sweepstakes unless they're on the brand's website page.
thanks for this info... yesterday I filled out a 'contest' for something... the next thing I was subscribed to womans day... man I was ticked off!! spent a long time figuring out how to stop the subscription
happy new year to you and yours...
@cathy henatyszen Ouch! So sorry that happened to you Cathy. :( I really dislike schemes like that which is why you'll never see me posting them!
Happy new year to you as well :)
Thanks for thi article, I amsick of seeing hes false adds and many of them have bugs attached, which slow down your computer.
pretty new to a lot of the "seasoned bloggers" I appreciate this article.
I have never do the ads on facebook. Glad I don't. Thanks for sharing this
Thanks for sharing this. I was wondering why we was getting so many of those on facebook. I don't click on them because of the simple fact that you have to pay for the shipping if you do getting one of the deals. I wish that they never would have started that. It takes up to much space.
@Theresa Reed I agree completely!
I really appreciate all you do. I enjoy your site and all the work that you do to maintain the site. I really appreciate the fact that you only post actual free stuff without any hidden agenda. So thanks again for all you do. Happy Holidays to you and your family. I hope you have a safe, healthy and happy Holiday.
@TMKohrman Thank you for saying so - that's so sweet of you! Happy holidays :)
Thank you for sharing this. I am so glad that there is somebody watching out for their fellow Facebookers. Nothing upsets me more than to click on something that says free, only to be redirected to a sign up page for unaffordable, undesirable offers in order to obtain that 'free gift'. And because they ask for your email first, I spend the next week unsubscribing from a ton of junk mail.
@MamaCasXuI agree completely!! And that's one of the reasons I never send to spam sites or post anything like that.. it upsets me too!
This is very interesting. Definitely will be on my guard from now on...Thanks!
Thank you for always only posting the actually free stuff. I really am grateful for this not wasting my time.
@daphne9 You're very welcome! :)
That is exactly my point, Brenda Waddell Wilson - I'm so happy you agree!
I agree most of these are bogus and I dont appreciate it when people say something is free when you have to pay shipping either, thanks for the honesty