Freebie Heaven: ShopSmart Finds Best Websites for Free Stuff

YONKERS, N.Y., June 11, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- We all love free stuff--and the Internet is bursting with giveaways and coupons that let you nab cool things without spending a penny. The July 2012 issue of ShopSmart magazine, from the publisher of Consumer Reports, found the best websites for freebies plus tips to avoid letdowns and protect your private information. 

"Let's face it, free is good. When you sign up for freebies, it's a win-win--you get the swag you want and in exchange, companies get you to try their products or services," said Lisa Lee Freeman, editor-in-chief of ShopSmart. "But, you have to be smart about getting free stuff without falling prey to the gotchas such as giving up too much personal information."

Insider Tips for Getting Great Giveaways

Part of the fun of freebies is the opportunity to try new products.  Here's a sample of ShopSmart's tips for finding freebies and avoiding letdowns:

• Act fast.  The best stuff runs out quickly─so act on freebie offers before the supply is exhausted.  In our hunt, pet goodies went especially quickly.
• Know when to quit.  Some giveaways just aren't worth jumping through hoops; some sites will try to collect your info with no payoff. Save yourself time and trouble by reading comments on referring sites where others might have already complained about the problems.
• Share deals with others─or yourself.  Some freebie offers come with a friend component.  Some offers even allow you to enter your own mailing address for the giftee, and you could score two samples for yourself.

Freebie Gotchas

Manufacturers and retailers aren't giving their stuff away just to be nice--they usually want something in return.  Here are some smart ways to minimize the aftershock of sharing your contact information:

• Create a new email address.  Use it for freebies because all offers require one. When you request freebies on Facebook, you can enter an email different from the one linked to the account.
• Fudge your personal info.  Many offers request names and birth dates. Make up something so that your identity remains private.
• Opt out of mailings.  Usually it's presented as an option. Only two companies forced the ShopSmart team to agree to mailings before freebies could be ordered.

Where to Get Free Stuff

1. Freebie Aggregator Sites.  These are the best places to find tons of freebies at once. Some sites to check─freebies4mom.com, freeflys.com, heyitsfree.net and hunt4freebies.com.
2. Facebook.  Many companies offer exclusive giveaways to folks who "like" their brand on Facebook. Search for your favorite companies, retailers and products, and if you find something good, you can share the offer instantly with your Facebook friends. You can always "unlike" the page later.
3. Manufacturer Websites.  Signing up on manufacturer websites can net you multiple freebies in one package. Procter & Gamble's site, at pgeveryday.com, offers the best selection we've seen. Your free registration entitles you to one freebie order (several items) per household, per quarter. Kraft Foods First Taste, at kraftfirsttaste.com, requires registration and offers deep savings coupons and mails samples of new products.
4. Retailers.  Try online retailers like Target, which has a sample section at samples.target.com. Some items are free to all─others—such as a beauty bag with samples from Neutrogena, Nexxus, and Nivea—require a code from an in-store receipt. CVS had one of our favorites at cvssavingscentral.com. Skip Walmart's Free Samples & Savings section, which had few freebie offers that didn't work. For in-store items, go to Nordstrom Sample Saturday and you can pick up the week's featured item (view it on Nordstrom's Facebook page). Starbucks offers free downloads of music, samples of books, TV shows and apps.
5. Customer rewards programs.  Sign up for frequent-moviegoer programs, such as AMC Stubs Rewards and Regal Cinemas Crown Club, to get tickets, concession items and waived booking fees. Your bank might hook you up with events and tickets; Citibank or debit MasterCard cardholders are auto-enrolled in the Citi Private Pass program; Bank of America cardholders can visit museums gratis (museums.bankofamerica.com) once a month.

About Consumer Reports:

Consumer Reports is the world's largest independent product-testing organization. Using its more than 50 labs, auto test center, and survey research center, the nonprofit rates thousands of products and services annually. Founded in 1936, Consumer Reports has over 8 million subscribers to its magazine, website, and other publications. Its advocacy division, Consumers Union, works for health reform, food and product safety, financial reform, and other consumer issues in Washington, D.C., the states, and in the marketplace.

About ShopSmart magazine:

Launched in Fall 2006 by Consumer Reports, ShopSmart draws upon the publication's celebrated tradition of accepting no advertisements and providing unbiased product reviews. ShopSmart features product reviews, shopping tips on how to get the most out of products and "best of the best" lists. It's ideal for busy shoppers who place a premium on time. ShopSmart has a newsstand price of $4.99 and is available nationwide at major retailers including Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, Borders, Kroger, Safeway and Publix. ShopSmart is available by subscription at www.ShopSmartmag.org.

ShopSmart is available 10 times a year.

Subscribe at www.ShopSmartmag.org.

SOURCE ShopSmart