How to Guide: Get a $500 Gift Card for Only $4.80!

So I was curious about these free offers and how they work. Some offers require you to sign up for services (free trials, small cost for a trial, or just paying for a service) and/or require referrals (where other people sign up for a service and have to pay-the logistics of all that are too much of a hassle for me so I just go on to an offer that doesn't require a referral).

I found this link: www.yourtopbrands.com

I signed up for it on Thursday, February 15, 2007. You get a $500 AmEx gift card (GC) (it is less than $600 so you don't receive a 1099 form and have to pay about 30% taxes on it) and only have to sign up for three services (some offers for the same amount you have to sign up for 6 or more services).

There are 3 pages which have about 10 service choices and from those I did the following:
Page 1: Complete Home w/ free $10 Lowes gift card (30 day trial, no initial cost)
Page 2: PriceStore by Bargain Network w/$25 WalMart gc (be careful because it is a 7 day trial and thereafter is a charge of about $39.80 and it initially costs $1)
Page 3: CallWave (30 day trial, no initial cost)

I called YourTopBrands and asked about how long it would take for those services I signed up for to show on my status page that I had completed them. The representative said the companies have up to 30 days to let YourTopBrands know that I signed up with them. That is the part that stinks because that would mean I have to keep the Price Store past the 7 day trial and pay about the montly cost). However, for fun let us say I canceled all the services at the 30 day mark:

Complete Home: +$10 Lowes gc
Price Store: -$39.80 +25 WalMart gc
CallWave: nothing

The total cost is $4.80 for a $500 American Express gift card. TOTALLY WORTH IT!!!!

Here is a link so that you can read more on your own for YourTopBrands http://www.scam.com/showthread.php?t=13985&page=1&pp=40&highlight=yourtopbrands and come up with your own opinion on whether you think it is worth it. On this link and other forums within this page there are lots of people who have received gift cards, checks, gifts (t.v., PS3, laptop, etc). Honestly, I will keep with the lower dollar amounts so as not to pay taxes on it and as to not sign up for numerous services that would be a hassle to keep track of. Still, it is neat because it is semi-free. The "profit" outweighs the initial cost.

Some other sites that people have had more luck with are:
www.nuitech.com, www.brandarama.com. But it would be wise to read through some of the posts and threads to get an idea of how it all works: www.anything4free.com

Some people have had to wait 5 months before they received what they signed up for. It can be frustrating but worth it. Plus, lets say you spend $100 total on the services you had sign up for (usually about 24 services) and you receive a laptop-you can turn around and sell that and make money off of it or give it as a gift!

(Update as of 3-15-07: only 2 offers show completed. I called the one that doesn't show and asked for an extension to the trial offer so I won't have to pay for a whole month and it will give them time to show that I have completed that offer for Your Top Brands and then I will be fully qualified for a $500 gift card!)