WFC Home : Newbie's Guide to Freebies
How to Get the most out of the Weekly Freebie Compilation
Welcome to Version 3.01 of the Newbie's Guide to Freebies! This guide should hopefully answer all the questions and problems you may come across in your search for freebies. This guide also answers questions around the format of The Weekly Freebie Compilation. If you have any additions or questions pertaining to this guide, drop us a note. If you're interested in duplicating a portion of this guide, please email us for permission first.
General Freebie Questions and Answers
- How do I get the freebies??? (OK, so we're starting really simple here)
- First, browse through one of the lists that are linked off the main page. After you find a freebie you want, click on the link, fill out the form, and (hopefully) you'll receive a freebie in a few weeks!!
- Sounds easy enough. Do you offer these freebies yourself??
- No! (I'll be broke if I did). These freebies are offered through the generosity of businesses and organizations. So, remember, if you like one of your freebies, it doesn't hurt to support the business by purchasing one of their products. That way, you encourage them to offer more freebies later... : )
- Some of these freebies sound too good to be true!!
- Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't. I try my best to make sure the offer is valid, but sometimes, a few slip through. If you're too suspicious, then don't request it.
- Am I going to be put on a mailing list if I request this freebie??
- Since I'm not giving away these offers, I can't really answer that question. However, from past experiences, I would have to say that there is a possibility that you may be put on a mailing list. I've been put on a few e-mail mailing lists before because of the freebies I requested. (though its really easy to get removed from those lists) This is not representative of most of the freebies, though. Again, if you're skeptical about an offer, then don't request it.
- There's one alternative, though. If you want to keep your mailbox junk-mail free, a free web-based e-mail account would be perfect for you. Just create a special e-mail address and use it for all your freebie and sweepstakes forms. We have lots of free web-based e-mail services listed here.
- How long does it usually take to get a freebie??
- I've had freebies get to me as early as in two days, and as long as six months!! On average, I'd say that it takes roughly 3-4 weeks. Read the fine print on the offers... they sometimes tell you how long you should expect. Be patient; you're not paying anything for it!
- Three months have passed, and I still haven't received my freebie!!! What gives??
- There could be a number of reasons for this. The most common is that the company that offered the freebie got flooded by way too many requests than they could handle. If you really want the freebie, and you haven't heard a word from the company, send a polite note to them!
- I've requested dozens of offers, and I haven't received a single one!!! Why??
- Bad luck?? Honestly, I don't know. The best thing to do is to keep trying... you'll receive a freebie soon... the odds are with you.
- What percentage of freebie requests do you actually receive??
- It differs from person to person. For me, I've received about 65% of all my requests.
- It's Wednesday, and the new freebie is already gone!! Why do some of these offers go so fast?? What should I do??
- Many times, the company gets many more requests than it can handle. The best way to improve your chances is to visit us early in the week, preferably early on Monday, since I put up the new compilations on Sunday night/Monday morning. That way, you'll be the first in line for the fresh freebies!!
- Any general recommendations on getting freebies??
- In general, freebies offered by "big" companies have a much better chance of success. I'd say that I get about 80% of those freebies. I'm not saying that the "smaller" companies are bad; it's just that the "big" companies have more money to throw around on freebies, so there's a bigger supply available.
- If you're skeptical about all these offers, I'd say to stick to the freebies offered by the "big" companies only. In addition to the better chances of success, you're probably not going to be added to some mailing list (though there are cases when I have been). When I say "big" companies, I mean companies that are fairly well-known to the general public. These companies have a reputation to uphold, and usually don't want to mess it up. Again let me restate that these are all general remarks; there are companies that don't fit this at all.
Questions and Answers pertaining to The Weekly Freebie Compilation
- When does each compilation come out?
- I try to put out the new compilation on early Monday morning. Depending on how busy I am (and if there's a really good game on TV), it'll be out anywhere between 1 AM - 4 AM each Monday.
- It's Monday morning, and I don't see the new compilation!!! What gives??
- First, try reloading the page. Sometimes, old copies of the compilation are cached in your memory... AOL is known to do this once in a while. If the old compilation still shows up, then chances are that some emergency occurred and I couldn't update it yet; check back in a day or two, an either an explanation or the new issue will be there...
- I found a cool freebie, and I want to share it with others. How do I tell you about it?
- Use our submission form. Please note that I usually do not include any downloadable software freebies, or any "get rich quick" schemes. Before you submit a freebie, ask yourself, "Would other people enjoy this freebie?" If you answered yes, or even maybe, then please, submit it!
- I found an expired freebie. Should I tell you about it??
- Please do!! You can use the submission form. It'll make my life just a little bit easier, and you'll even get an opportunity to be included in the following issue's "Seven days of net.fame" list...
- I'm with a certain corporation, and we're interested in putting up a freebie on your page...
- Well, what exactly are your objectives in giving away your freebie, and how many would you like to give out? You have an option of either having it listed in our compilation, or having it listed on the front page as a "sweepstakes". The sweepstakes is good if you have a limited amount of freebies you want to give out (like under 500), since the WFC gets over 10,000 visitors a day! This way, everyone gets a shot at getting your freebie, and you get a pretty good spotlight. If you're interested in hosting a sweepstakes in conjunction with the page, please contact us. If you're interested in just having it listed, please use our submission form.
- I don't live either in the US or Canada. There's nothing more annoying than going to a freebie and finding out that it's USA only...
- I try to list the restrictions in the descriptions of the freebies. If you find out that a freebie has a restriction and I didn't note it, please tell me using the submission form!!