My Experience on the Edge of "Pop-Up" Hell

The other day I was searching the internet for a Gameboy for my son. We are getting ready to take a long road trip and I thought a Gameboy would be the perfect thing to keep him entertained during some of the many hours we will be in the car. I was searching mostly on e-Bay for something used, but I wanted to find out the going price of a new Gameboy so I could "bid with confidence" as they say.

Not too far into my search, a link popped up that read, "Click Here For a Free Gameboy and $500 gift card to Amazon.com." I knew exactly what kind of evil link I was looking at: it was the same as those pop-ups for free X-boxes, laptops, or restaurant meals. My dad always told me there was no free lunch, and I believed him. I had never clicked on those links before, and I wasn't about to start clicking now. Or was I?

Curiosity got the better of me and I thought I would just peek to see what this offer was all about. I knew they would ask me to give out precious information like my e-mail address and phone number. I wasn't going to fall for their sly tricks, I was purely on a fact-finding mission.

The first screen popped up: "Please enter the address you'd like your Gameboy and $500 Amazon gift card mailed to."

Well, I could certainly understand why they would need THAT information, I rationalized. I have to admit, in a tiny corner of my brain I could picture myself unlocking the little door to my mailbox and finding that shiny new Gameboy. I started to wonder what color I would choose.

I clicked some more and found myself taking a pretty lengthy survey. I was instructed that I needed to complete the whole survey in order to receive my free Gameboy and $500 Amazon gift card. The survey wanted to know what kind of interests and hobbies I had. It also asked if I had needs for insurance, mortgages, loans and educational degrees. I dutifully answered "no" to everything. After a few more clicks and a few more screens of this kind of questioning, the survey became a little more tricky.

"Are you happy with your current level of education?" It queried.

"Do you feel you have adequate health insurance?"

"Are you looking to mortgage your home?"

No longer could I quickly click, "no, no, no." I had to read and think a little so as not to get caught in a solicitor's trap.

Finally, after a few more clicks, the end was in sight. "You have only 3 more steps to get your free Gameboy and $500 Amazon gift card," the message alerted me. "Just sign up for 2 of our Platinum Offers."

Well, I could certainly find something to sign up for. After all, I'd already invested 15-20 minutes navigating the lengthy "survey." I felt invested in this process and besides, I had my Gameboy color choice narrowed down to silver or blue.

I searched and found 2 services I could really, truly use. One was for an on-line music download service. Perfect for putting music on my new iPod, I thought. And at only $9.99 a month for 30 song downloads, it was a pittance compared to the prize I would be getting!

My second offer was for a Scholastic phonics package. I did my due diligence and read the fine print carefully. I would pay around $8 to preview a phonics kit and receive some free gifts. If I chose to purchase the phonics package, I would get the whole phonics package in one shipment and make 20 easy payments of $11.99. I figured this would not be a problem because I would simply decline the offer and keep my "free" gifts.

I clicked again. I was sure the next step would ask the all important question: What color Gameboy do you want? But that wasn't the question I was asked. Instead I was asked to fill out 2 more offers or "Gold" offers, as they so cleverly sugar coated it.

At this point, my Gameboy euphoria started to wear thin. I finally realized what was going on and just how deep I'd gotten into this web of deceit. If I signed up for two more offers, what would be next? I imagined it could be another two, or...maybe four.

I suddenly felt sick. What had I done? I felt like I'd sold my soul. I knew I would be receiving unwanted stuff for decades: unsolicited e-mails (I know, I know...I was supposed to use a junk e-mail address but I used my regular one!), charges on my credit card that would never come off, and worse, phone calls. I had just spent 30 minutes of my life jumping through hoops to get a child's toy that I could easily purchase, used, for $50. I wanted those 30 minutes of my life back.

I started checking around with my friends and family. I wanted to know if anyone had ever completed one of these offers up to the end and received the promised gifts? Most had never even clicked their first click (good for them!), but many had experimented as I had and gotten caught up in the snare. Those who had started the pop-up offer process didn't see it through to the end.

I decided to back out of my "experiment" and cut my losses. However, my question persisted: has anyone ever completed one of those pop up offers and seen it through to the end, receiving the promised gift? Maybe that is the genius of this twisted marketing and advertising plan: get people to sign up for two to four offers, but not complete the process. The pop-up company makes their money and they still have their laptop or Gameboy to dangle in front of another sucker.

My search for anyone who could tell me about the outcome of completing one of these pop-up free offers led me to the internet. I posted my question on a message board and only heard back from a few people who said they considered the pop ups to be scams to get personal information.

Finally, I came upon one credible source who had not only made it to the end of one of these pop up offers, but had gone on to complete more. He started off with an offer for a free dinner for two at a restaurant chain and ended up with a closet full of prizes, including a vacuum cleaner, a portable GPS, a great collection of gift cards, and a Macintosh Laptop.

My first thought was that this guy must be an unemployed, internet addict who has nothing better to do with his time than sign up for offer after offer. I was surprised to find out that instead, he was a neurology resident at Johns Hopkins University.

Michael Levy, in an interview on NPR, says he started clicking on the pop-ups with smaller gift offers, but now only clicks on pop-ups where the gifts total $300-$500. Levy manages his pop-up offers with a spread sheet to track his offers, phone calls and cancellation dates.

Levy's favorite reward was a Macintosh Laptop, which he found by googleling, "mac laptop free" and completing 6 offers. He does admit he does a bit of calling and canceling to pursue his free prizes, but in the case of the laptop, he received it 8 months after filling out his survey and completing his offers.

Levy guesses that companies which offer these amazing free prizes count on people who don't follow through, or who get half way through the survey/offer process and quit, as I did.

So, while there is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel on these enticing pop-up offers, there is some of work required on the part of the one pursuing that dangling carrot. A free laptop, GPS, or even a Gameboy could be in your future, and while you don't have to be a "brain surgeon" to figure out these offers, being a neurologist evidently doesn't hurt.