October05

FreeiPods.com = Bad Customer Service

A while back, I posted the news about how to receive a FREE iPod. The premise is simple: complete an offer and then get five friends to complete an offer, and you get a FREE iPod. So, I signed up, completed an offer, and now have three friends who have completed an offer – with three other signed up that have not completed an offer.

One of those people is Todd, who signed up to complete an offer over a month ago. The offer he signed up for was the Blockbuster Membership trial:

FREE 2 Week Trial to Blockbuster Online! Rent DVDs Online! More than 25,000 Titles! Free Shipping both ways! No Due Dates! Plus, get 2 FREE in-store rentals a month! Start Your FREE Trial Now! You must register, select movies and remain a member during the 2 week trial to receive credit.

Todd completed the offer as stated above (signed up, remained a member for the two-week trial, rented movies, etc.) He cancelled his membership the day after the 15-day trial – also in accordance with the offer requirements. The only problem, he still has NOT received credit for completing an offer.

Doing minor investigation on the FreeiPods.com site, you find this text:

If you have not received credit for completing an offer, please be patient. It can take up to 15 or more days for your credit to appear under the "Check Status" page. Please wait until that amount of time has passed before contacting us with any questions.

Fair enough, but he has waited the 15 days. So, you have to weed through the FAQs/Help section of the site to get more answers. Choosing the appropriate link from the list of five choices you have on the first FAQ page, here is the path of links you go through just to get to a more concise answer:

1. My issue is about receiving credit for an offer.
2. I completed an offer but did not get credit.
3. I believe I successfully completed an offer more than 15 days ago and still have not received credit in my account.
4. I completed all of the steps required, clicked the offer via your webpage, did not leave the offer part-way through, and strongly believe that I did everything correctly.
5. I completed this offer but canceled right away.

The answer you get when clicking on "I completed this offer but canceled right away.":

We are able to give away free products by sending our advertisers potential new customers. We cannot operate our site if users simply join a site or service with the intent to quit only to receive their free product. Since we are 100% funded by our advertisers, we rely on their money to pay for your free product(s) and free shipping as well. We track who stays with an offer, and who does not. Please only click on offers you have a true interest in trying, and those who join and cancel right away run the risk of not getting credit of even being placed on hold.

Uhhhh, WHAT!?! Never anywhere does it say that you have to remain a customer to receive credit. That's the whole idea, you're TRYING something, that's being a POTENTIAL customer! Give me a break.

+ original post date: October 5, 2004 09:32 AM
+ categories: WTF