Progress Report: Rob tries to convince strangers to part with precious marketing info in order to score a free iPod. (see original social experiment)
Saturday, at 5:30 PM, I received an e-mail from http://www.freeipods.com/ stating that I had “received credit for completing the Buyers Advantage offer.” According to the information I had read when signing up, I would have to be a member of Buyers Advantage for 7 days in order to receive credit. I signed up @ 5PM on 3/2. By 5:30 PM on 3/5, I've completed my offer? Not too shabby.
What it costs me:
- First month's membership: $1
- Should I fail to cancel in the first month [fat chance], automatic billing to my credit card of $8.99/month.
- The sharing of my e-mail, snail-mail, credit card info with a firm that is short-sighted enough to decide that the value of this information is on par with the bulk purchase price of an iPod+$19.
What it costs Buyers Advantage:
- A $20 gift card to Circuit City. I've already got my eye on the PS2 game, Katamari Damacy. Something I can play with Margot that seems like fun to me, but seems like I'm doing housework to her.
- A per-contact fee to Gratis, the marketing firm that is managing the freeipods site.
What do I get from Buyers Advantage?
They offer to give me the kind of purchase protection one would get on a real credit card for $9/month. Joy. Leap. Yawn. If they want to make the sale, I think they should sex up their pitch a little. I think somebody is just running through the motions. If they are relying upon word of mouth recommendations for the success of their business, they aren't doing a good job convincing me.
Update: Margot just asked me if I would give her my $20 gift card in exchange for her signing up under this pyramid of techy fun. Hmmm. I'd have to think about this. Is each referrer worth $20 cash money?