Is there a Startsampling anonymous?
Written: Dec 21 '00 (Updated Jan 05 '01)
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It starts out harmlessly enough, I am surfing the web looking for freebies. I love a good bargain and a freebie is almost irresistible to me. Some search engine or another sends me to Startsampling.com for some free samples. It seems so simple, just sign up, select a sample and poof! it will appear on my doorstep in the not too distant future...maybe (I'm a little jaded when it comes to freebies offered on the internet, which never come).
Not only will I get free samples, but every day I visit I will earn points which I can trade in for gifts after I have saved up enough points. The gifts range from a free pass to the movie of my choice to an amazon.com gift certificate to a mug, and so on. The value of the gift reflects the number of points I trade in. The minimum trade in is 1500 points, so I realize I had better get as many points as possible, because it will be months before I can get my gift.
Points are also earned by reviewing the samples, answering surveys, by visiting information sites which market the products being sampled, and through bonuses given at the 10th, 20th, and 30th monthly visit.
I answer every survey and visit every day so I can order more samples because members are only permitted 1 sample every 24 hours. I am beginning to feel my heart race with every visit because ordering samples is not as simple as it seems. Startsampling has a few batches of different samples, which are offered at different random times every day. So I must come back several times a day to see if there is anything available.
I have come to believe that this sample site is legit because I have been reading a lot of reviews of samples. I have been waiting several weeks to get my samples and I am beginning to get discouraged.
Low and behold I got my first sample, prunes. I would have never bought them, but it turned out they were tastier than I expected. So now I can leave feedback on my sample and earn more points.
I almost wonder if I would like my prunes so much if I did not have so much invested in this whole process. I am dying to get a free gift, I hardly care what it is, I must have it. Aha! That is the trick! I have stopped coming here for samples, I am here for points. I need points to earn my gift. I am now an addict and I must go to Startsampling.com daily.
By the way, I did eventually get my free movie pass, which, oddly enough, I keep forgetting to use. Now I am saving up for the sweatshirt I'll never wear.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
laura10801
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Member: Laura
Location: Somewhere over the rainbow
Reviews written: 112
Trusted by: 136 members
About Me:
A patient asked if I ever have problems.
"Do physicians ever get sick?" I replied.
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