I was looking at iPods on eBay and I got sucked into a link that dumped me over on freeipods.com. At first I dismissed this as some sort of scam, but now I'm not so sure. I did a little more poking around and found this article on Wired, as well as some discussion on Collin Grady's blog. I'm willing to give this an honest chance, but to do so I'm going to need help.

I need five sucker... er assistants, to sign up for stuff along with me so I can get my iPod. The general idea behind this is that in signing up, you're giving various companies marketing leads which are worth money to them. They in turn pay the people that run freeipods.com who can then give you a free iPod. Or so they say.

There are various things that you can sign up for; a free AOL trial, Columbia House DVD club, Blockbuster's Netflix ripoff... You sign up for one of these things and once your application gets accepted or whatever, I get credit for selling you out.

I went and copied the current list of offers off of freeipods.com and put them on my site, along with the little caveats that tell you exactly what you need to do to fulfill the offer.

Some of these offers are things I might actually use. I've joined and quit Columbia House's DVD club more than five times in the past with no problems. Sure I get some junk snail mail occasionally, but other than that I'm basking in the wonder of unlimited $7.75 DVDs. Also the Blockbuster offer doesn't sound that bad.

Whatever the case, I'll do my best to make this as painless as possible for those involved. For people that want to try this, I can make you either an email forwarding address or an actual POP mail account; whichever you'd like. You can use it just for this and then toss it, along with the spam I'm sure you're likely to get.

As to what you sign up for, I'd prefer it be something that's going to credit the referral quickly; either instantly or in the next couple days. Signing up for a credit card could take weeks, and you might be denied! That would suck.

Lastly, I will give $20 (twenty) dollars to anyone who successfully completes the referral process. Thus if this works, I'll get an iPod for $100, which would make me happy.

Keep in mind that for most of these things you'll probably need a credit card to sign up, so you youngsters needn't bother applying unless you can swipe mommy's Visa.

So that's the deal. I'm really interested to see if I can make this work. I have faith. I'd like it even more if I had an iPod. Help make the dream a reality.

If you want to give this a go, shoot me an email: gabe@woodenbadger.com. If I get a few serious people I'll try rounding up some local friends that I can sucker.

Also, you'll probably need to be living in the US for most of these offers. You foreigners are eligible for a consolation prize of a boot to the head.

---
100 pounds of shit in a 25 pound sack.

If I help you out, I'll just beat you up in a dark alley and steal your iPod for myself. So I wouldn't suggest it.

Unless you get off on that sort of thing.

Any time you're ready.

---
100 pounds of shit in a 25 pound sack.

No thanks Gabe. I used to help run one of those sites, and I'm not going to aid them in suckering you.

---
Do you want ants? Because that's how you get ants.

I'd sign up, just to hear them curse when they see the UK address.

---
Please replace the handset, and try again.

Well, if they're suckering me they've already succeeded. What I need help with is them suckering YOU. You'd think $20 would be worth a little frustration trying to cancel AOL.

I'd also be willing to place side bets as to whether or not this is a scam.

---
100 pounds of shit in a 25 pound sack.

Your post was too long and boring-looking, so I didn't read it. And since I assumed the responses all pertained to your post, I didn't read them, either.

---
Legend, oh legend, the third wheel legend...always in the way.

I just took a look at the site. They're owned by Gratis, I'm not touching that shit. We worked with them.

My bet is that it's not technically a scam, but it is similar to a pyramid scheme, and every "Free iPod" site I've ever been to isn't just giving away the iPods, they're actually entering you into a contest, where you can win the iPod. Your chances are good, as not many people actually go all the way through and get into the running. The problem is, I'm pretty sure you're not assured a free iPod, or a free mini.

---
Do you want ants? Because that's how you get ants.

An iPod is waiting for you!

---
Chicken Feather Bed Bugs Bunny Hop Sing Out Side Street Walker Texas Ranger Cookie Dough Boy Wonder Years

Pyramid Schemes: Make lifelong enemies out of your friends, family and stupid people!

Actually ... they do send you out an ipod ... a cradboard picture of it to be exact. I went to a similar site, except instead of a ipod it was a game boy advance.

---
Poo perhaps?

I'm past the point of caring whether or not it's a scam.

I made a promise, Mr. Frodo. You stick with that iPod site 'till the bitter end, Gabewise Billingsley. And I don't mean to.

I don't mean to.

---
100 pounds of shit in a 25 pound sack.