We've all seen the flashing banners, annoying pop-up ads and junk emails with the too-good-to-be-true free gift offers, like “Free iPod!” or “Free Laptop” or “Free Digital Camera.” Many of us simply think to ourselves, nothing is free; this is just a scam, right?

Not necessarily. The plain and simple fact is, many incentive programs actually do work, according to their Terms & Conditions. But who really wants to read all of that legal mumbo jumbo?

Well I'm here to tell you that I have read the fine print for many of these free gift incentive programs, and even completed a few. That's right. I have received a few free gifts from these programs, including a Sony Vaio Laptop, an Apple iPod, and several free gift cards.

This is quite fortunate for you. Since I have already been through some of these free gift incentive programs, I know what to expect, and how to avoid any hassles, and I've written this article to show you how.

Wait. So you are saying these programs are legit?

Yes. Most of them are anyway. As long as you complete all of the requirements for the free gift incentive program within the time period allowed you will receive a “free gift.”

How can these companies afford to just give stuff away?

It's all pretty simple. Free gift incentive programs are created to drive prospective customers to “sponsors” who then pay the incentive program for each lead sent. This money is then used to buy and ship your free gift.

For example, imagine a free gift incentive program offering a $50 Wal-Mart gift card. In order to receive this gift, you are required to complete 6 sponsor offers. If the guys running the incentive program receive $10 for each lead, then they have enough money for your gift and a few dollars profit as well.

So how can I make this easy?

As long as you are careful, receiving your free gift should only take a few hours of your time over the course of a month or so, depending on the program you choose and the free gift you want to receive.

It's best to

**Pitfall Preventing** These free gift incentive programs usually have time restrictions, so complete all offers as quickly as possible. Some companies will give you up to 90 days from the time you complete all the offers to claim your free gift but others may only give you 90 days from the time you register. Quickly scan the Terms and Conditions to be sure you know the time restrictions.

The most important thing you can do during this process is to keep some simple documentation of what you are doing. Write down every piece of information that you send or receive along with the respective dates, including the date that you registered, and the websites and cancellation information for each of the offers you complete.

Most offers will probably involve some sort of subscription with a free trial period, after which you will be billed automatically. Be sure to cancel these before the trial period ends. Set schedule alarms, place reminder sticky notes around your house, whatever it takes, but DO NOT forget to cancel them.

You will definitely have to spend a few bucks here and there for shipping and spend some time filling out forms and making phone calls to cancel memberships, but the free gifts will almost always outweigh the cost to you.

The bottom line here is that these incentive programs DO work if you know how to complete them correctly. Hopefully these tips will be helpful for you in your next free gift incentive program. Best of luck!

About The Author

Elijah Klay is an Internet Marketing Associate for Family Marketing Inc. who has scoured the web to find the easiest free offers and incentives. To take advantage of tons of simple offers for great free stuff, check out http://www.PlanningFamily.com.