Be Wise When Requesting Free Samples

Who doesn't love getting something for free? I mean, we could all use a free tube of toothpaste, a free coupon for a sandwich at our favorite fast food place, a free sample of pet food, etc., but when it comes to requesting free samples, are we doing so wisely?

I try to find great freebies (samples, coupons, etc.) that are from reliable sources and/or well-known retailers or major companies. Oh, and just to let you know, the Freebies I post here I do visit myself and request or sign up for as well. However, I do ask that you still use your best judgment as you request samples or participate in offers.

Below are some things I've learned along the way as I've been requesting and receiving free samples, and I hope you'll find them to be helpful.

Before you get started, make sure you are properly prepared to begin requesting free samples. By this I mean which email address do you plan to use? One of the best things to do is to create an email address exclusively for requesting free samples or coupons, and participating in offers or contests. As you request free samples or enter contests, it won't be long before you notice you are receiving a lot of "spam" email. However, you will most likely also begin to receive more email offers for related coupons or products that are useful. A good place to get a free email account from is Google Gmail. If you don't intend to check this email account frequently, you can choose to have emails from your Google account forwarded to a secondary email account you happen to check more often.

Ok, you have your new email address and you're ready to click the link to go to the first free sample offer form. Once you arrive at the website, look the page over. Read how that company intends to use your email address and any information being requested. Are there little, tiny boxes that are either already checked or need to be checked or unchecked before submitting the form? Are you agreeing to receive their electronic newsletter? Are you agreeing to receive information and offers from them? Are you agreeing to allow this company to share your information with other companies? Are there instructions on how to remove yourself from future contact? When in doubt, look for a "Privacy Policy" link, click it, and read it. You'll usually find it at the bottom of the page. Remember to read the fine print!

Do you like to fill out forms? There will always be forms to fill out when requesting free samples. If you intend to request several different free samples or coupons, you may get tired (or lazy, lol) of filling out forms. If this is the case, a free resource you may like to use is RoboForm. RoboForm is a password manager and automatic web form filler. There is a free version and a paid version to choose from, although I think the free version is sufficient.

After you've provided your name and mailing address, you may now need to provide your phone number. Some people don't mind giving out their phone number, but I don't like to do so. I wouldn't even want to give out my cell phone number. An alternative to this is to get a free online voicemail account which receives calls only. One such resource is Free Personal Voicemail by RingCentral. Another good idea is to register your phone numbers with the National Do Not Call Registry.

Regarding obtaining your free sample, be sure you never, ever pay for ANYTHING. If it is truly a free sample, you won't be required to pay for anything. Don't ever give out your credit card number either. When I'm finding free samples, I will never become involved with having to pay for or qualify for an item, or first participate in an offer. Free is supposed to be Free, with no strings attached.

Whether or not you want to become involved in free trials is your choice. If you do, this typically means you will be billed (which you will mostly likely be required to provide your credit card number) and if you do not cancel before the free trial date expires, you will be charged the amount for the product or service. Sometimes you have the best intentions and think to yourself "I'll give it a try and I'll be sure to cancel before the due date", but things may happen--you forget, you get sick, or something unexpected in life occurs.

Do you like answering questions? Do you like giving out information about yourself or your family members? If so, you won't mind completing surveys as a requirement to receiving a free sample. Most companies may ask one, two, or even three questions in addition to requesting your mailing address, but I wouldn't want to spend more than a couple of minutes (if that) answering questions just to get a free sample that I may or may not even like. Again, it is your choice on how you'd like to handle each offer.

Lastly, if after awhile you seem to be receiving unwanted catalogs in the mail, you could use Catalog Choice which is a free service that lets you set mail preferences for paper catalogs you no longer wish to receive. This is also good for our environment. :)

Again, these are just things I've learned along the way that I hope might be helpful to you.