the catch? - there isn't one!

Every day new websites pop up offering free gadgets and the internet is littered with people claiming to have received free games consoles, iPhones, iPods and even laptops and Plasma HDTVs.

As hard as that may be to believe, the majority of those claims are true and here's how...

The phenomenon of referral marketing allows consumers to receive free goods through what are essentially advertising websites (known as a referral sites).

It's probably best to illustrate this with an example. Let's say you decide to sign up to get a free iPod Shuffle:

STEP 1 - you will be asked to do is take out an advertiser's offer. If you are based in the UK, recommended offers include a free, no obligation DVD rental by post trial with LOVEFiLM, most US sites carry similar offers with Blockbuster and various other well known and respected sponsors.

Step 2 - is to refer others to repeat the process (hence the term “referral website”). An iPod Shuffle would typically require just two referrals and we all have a couple of friends who could be persuaded to take up their own DVD rental trials. Job done, just wait for the postman with your free iPod Shuffle!

This all seems very quick and easy but who are the winners? Why does it work?

Who	Spent	Received
You	Nothing, nil, zip!	Some free DVD rentals and a free iPod Shuffle.
Referrals website	£40 on your iPod Shuffle.	Three commissions of between £20 and £30 each from the advertiser – Profit = up to £50
The advertiser (LOVEFiLM in this example).	£60 - £90 (A drop in the ocean compared to a TV or newspaper campaign).	Three potential customers who have actually tried their service and might well stick with it.

Referral rates vary depending on the item you are after but - EVERYBODY WINS!!

DO YOU HAVE ANY PROOF?

What better testimonial could you want than real items received by real people - I received my first free item from Apple incentives - a MacMini about 6 months ago and here are some more happy customers and what they have to say CLICK HERE

The system has proven so successful in the states (see you tube videos top right) that it qiuickly migrated over to our shores and became so popular that it was also featured in a video podcast by the BBC's Newsnight program (also top right).

That's all folks... Choose your product below and follow the simple instruction.