Jun 23, 2008

General Online Offers Questions and Comments

Do you have questions on online offers?

Have a comment regarding your experience?

Want to read what others have written?

You are at the right spot!

158 comments:

Unknown said...

Carrie, thanks so much for offering this site...I'm excited to start my first offer! I was wondering, though, if the offers for the free credit reports will damage my credit rating? Do you ever do these offers? Thanks!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

I do them quite often.

Catherine,

When they pull your credit reports, they are doing a soft pull to get your credit score, and not a hard pull.

So, it has no effect on your score at all.

Plus, I highly recommend checking your credit score quite a few times a year!

Unknown said...

Thanks! I appreciate the info!

Suz said...

I've been looking at your site and wondering what kinds of deals you have to do to get the gift cards, $, etc? I know BMG, movie clubs and book clubs, but what other kinds of promotions or programs do you usually have to sign up to do a deal.

Also, you mentioned sending items back. Is this after you have been credited for a deal & it still counts even after it's been sent back... just curious how that works too.

I'm big on saving $ and couponing, new to trying the online "deals" you're doing but considering giving them a try.

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Suz,

An easy way to take a look at offers for I-Deal sites is to click on any of the links in the left hand side bar on this Online Offer Page.

Once the site comes up, scroll to the bottom and you will see Silver, Gold, etc highlighted. These are the offer pages.

Then, click on the link and it will take you to the actual offer page you will see when you sign up.

You can then take a look around and see what all there is to choose from before even signing up.

On Netblue sites, there is a button at the bottom that says something like Click here to see a sample of what they have to offer. This won't be everything, but it should give you an idea.

Nuitech doesn't really have an easy way to preview, but, in general, they are similar to what you see on other pages..although often times they do have more to choose from and there may be some variances.

In regards to sending items back, that is only if I try something and decide it is not for me. Most of these offers are trials, so I do try the products, in most cases, to see if it is something I can use for myself, as a gift, etc.

Whether you will get credit if you send it back or not depends on that particular offer and the site you are doing.

For example, Nuitech sites maintain that you must remain a member of all but 2 of the offers for 60 days to get credit. That is usually past most trial periods.

But, with I-Deal sites, they do, most times, give you credit even if you decide not to keep the item. Again, there are some exceptions.

On Netblue sites, you will get a pop up with each offer before you sign up, and it will tell you the specifics...whether you must remain a member or not. So, that is nice.

My advice, if just getting started, is to begin with an I-Deal site that is NOT a referral offer ( meaning $500 or less gift...check your Terms/Conditions to be sure ). They are fast, usually the cheapest and very easy to do, in general.

And, have fun. These online offers can really hook you. Once you do a few and see how easy it is to get free money and so fast, it quickly surpasses the savings you get from even couponing/sale shopping, etc for the time invested.

Anonymous said...

Hi Carrie,

I know it's been awhile, but I have been reading your blog. I wanted to let you know that I received my $500 giftcard the same day that you received yours. It was quite a surprise, but a pleasant one. I wasn't expecting it so soon! Thanks for all your help! I truly appreciate your guidance, your responsiveness to my emails and telephone calls and just your willingness to help. I was a basket case at the beginning but I'm glad you were able to help me through it and gave me such positive insights!

I'm trying to do another one, but haven't found the right one yet. Now that I'm getting back to work as well, time is more against me. I'm unable to do the one that you are currently doing and I'm unsure about the pay to shop as well.

I hope you will continue with the blog. I was worried when you didn't post for a few days, but glad to know that everything is well. I just hate it when I find a blog I like and then find out shortly thereafter that they couldn't continue. (of course, they are all the reasons I understand). It's happened for me a few times already and I've only been reading them since the end of May.

Sincerely,

Jennifer

Free Is Fun said...

Hi Carrie. I'm ready to try this but I'm not sure where to find an offer. Can you refer me to one that is currently going on? Thanks.

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Steph,

So excited you are going to try your first one. You will be hooked after you get your first one.

First, you need to decide what company you want to do. IDeal, Netblue or Nuitech. Scroll to the bottom of the Online Offers webpage to see the buttons to take you to the Instructions for the different companies.

Once you decide which one you want to try ( I recommend starting with IDeal ), then you can find all the links/ads for them in my sidebars.

In the left side bar are I-Deal offers currently running. Take your pick!

In the right side bar, I have Netblue and Nuitech. Just look at the titles and then the ads below the titles belong to that company.

So, I think I currently have over 50 offers available out there right now.

I plan to post a few more today....so the sidebars will always be changing as new offers pop up.

I will always put the NEWEST offers I find at the top of the sidebar.

Anonymous said...

Hi Carrie,

I stumbled across your website last week. Wow! Thanks for all of the excellent information! I just started my first gas reward (the one you just rec'd) and I have a question. On your information page you say, "when you sign up for offers, click and see what the requirements are to get credit." Where exactly do I find this information? I am trying to navigate around to find it. Is it right in front of my eyes and I am just missing it? Or is each place different (am I finding this on the page that I sign up on for the offers on)?

Thanks so much!

Blessings,
Jenny

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Jenny,

I did say that under the General directions, you are correct.

Unfortunately, not all the parent companies have this option where you can see the requirements.

Before starting any site, such as the $500 gas card, also make sure to read the instructions for that specific company. So, in this case, I-Deal. You may have already done this.

Also, make sure to read the Questions/Answers for that parent company, too. There is an I-Deal section.

Then, you are right, it is time to do offers and get started and see what your offer requirements are.

BUT...I-Deal doesn't do that. Ugh! Netblue is very good about a pop up window appearing telling you the requirements,and Nuitech is quite clear on staying a member past 60 days, but I-Deal...well...you just don't know.

The benefit with them, though, is they approve quickly. So, usually alot of the offers approve before you are out of the trial period.

If they don't, then you just need to make a decision on your own whether it is a product you want to keep or not. This is why I like to try and find products that I can use and keep,if possible.

I wish there was an easier answer for I-Deal sites, but it is just the way their site works, unfortunately. :-)

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Carrie! This is the first offer I have "explored", so that is great to know. I actually just finished signing up with all of my required offers and the 2 in the Silver Catagory have already been approved! That took only a matter of a few hours! So, would you suggest if something doesn't approve after the 7 days with the I-Deal offers (such as this gas one) just to go ahead and do another offer? I have read the detailed info on your I-Deal page before starting this and you said sometimes you do 11 offers when they only require 8. Is this after this 7 (or 20) day period when something doesn't get approved? I know you said usually if it doesn't get approved in 7 days, it most likely won't, so just do another offer, right?
Thanks so much for your time in helping me start this new venture!
Jenny

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Jenny,

For some reason, IDeal has been approving 2 very quickly for everyone. Not sure why...but I'm not going to complain.

In addition, it appears that the rest of the offers seem to be approving on day 10 right now.

So, although I say day 7, and USUALLY most offers will be approved on day 8...don't do any replacements until day 10.

Again, I'm not sure what is going on, but that is what appears to be happening for a lot of people right now.

If not day 10, all but a few are approved..THEN do replacements. Do NOT wait until day 20, unless nothing has approved ( which you already have offers..so I bet they will approve on day 10 ).

If you wait until day 20...you are cutting it VERY close to get your replacements done, certificates mailed and received. It is better to be safe than sorry and NOT go over your 60 day mark.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions, Carrie. And I apologize, I should've asked these under the IDeal page...oops! =)

Anonymous said...

Hi Carrie,

It's me again. I have another question for you. If I want to go and look around at these offers and see what they offer (such as which companies I have to sign up through to receive the reward, etc.), can I do that without starting the 60 day or 180 period? When does this actually start? If I put in my email address and start looking around, is that considered day 1? Or is day 1 the day that I sign up for my first offer? Does this make sense? Also, do you have a new email address for EACH reward?

Thanks so much,
Jenny

Anonymous said...

Carrie,

I answered both of my own questions =). After looking around a bit more, I realized that when you scroll to the bottom you can click on the "silver", "gold", or "platinum" icons and it will show you some of the offers available. Also, I re-read some of your info and saw that you do open a new email account for EACH reward.

Thanks! See what reading a little bit more does for you! LOL.

Jenny

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Jenny,

Yep...you are right. There is a spot down there to look around and see the offers.

BUT, once you register with your email account, the clock STARTS! So, that is why you need to do your offers immediately. If you can't do that, at least do them within the next few days. You don't want to wait much time.

Also, I do set up different email accounts.

But, for example..I set one up and then need to use it for ALL I-Deal sites. In their terms/conditions, it says you must have the same email account for all sites under a particular sub-I-Deal site. Hard to explain, but read the terms and conditions...it may make a little more sense.

Then, I have another for Nuitech sites, and another for Netblue, etc.

Free Is Fun said...

carrie,
Good morning. I am full of questions! Since you ebay, I am wondering if you have ever signed up for the ebay offers. If so, was the info or service helpful? Also I saw google and yahoo offers, I think for Search engine marketing. Do you think these are worthwhile. Thanks. Steph

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Hi Steph,

Sorry it took so long to write back...I posted this comment and then forgot to write back.

I did sign up for an eBay offer a year or so ago, but I did not end up using it.

So, unfortunately I don't have much info on those offers. :-(

And, believe it or not,I havne't tried the Google or Yahoo either.

I am sorry I am not more help in those areas.

But, if you use the products and like them...let us all know!

Anonymous said...

Hi Carrie,
First of all, thank you SO MUCH for your wonderful site! I love that it's so organized and detailed. Wow! You're my new idol...
After reading thru all of your information I've nervously taken the plunge and started an IDeal $500 Home Depot GC offer. I think I'm on the right track but figuring out which offers to do is taking me FOREVER because I'm soooooo paranoid about getting scammed. For example, the ebay offer doesn't cost much and looks interesting, but in the T&C it says you can cancel during the trial period but may be charged a "restocking fee" without specifying what that is. So that made me hesitant. Anyway, I guess my question is whether you have had bad experiences with any of the offer companies and you would definitely recommend against them? or are I-Deals offer companies usually pretty reputable? My concern I guess would be hidden charges and/or having to cancel multiple ways that's not made clear.

Not to make this too long, but I was also wondering if you've noticed a trend in the offers that are approved vs. not approved? I guess I'm not sure if it's not approved on I-Deals end or on the individual company's end? I'm just wondering if it's better to go with big known companies (e.g. Netflix) for better probability of approval.

Thanks so much for all of your help! I'll keep you posted! I'm excited!

Dori

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Dori,

Congrats on taking the plunge!

It is VERY nerve wracking at first, and you will find yourself logging in to check everything many times a day, and watching your credit card statement like a hawk.

But, as you do more, it becomes 2nd nature and you just know the drill and it is much more laid back.

Anyway, unfortunately, I can't assist to much with specific offers you should do, as the companies frown on that and could kick me out. :-)

BUT, I can tell you that the larger well known companies are not always the way to go on specific sites.

For example, Netflix is a good offer to do...and great movies, etc. I highly recommend it.

BUT, I don't recommend it for I-Deal sites.

Why?

Netflix's policy is to not give credit ( or it used to be ) for 6 weeks. SO..you can't wait around that long on I-Deal sites.

But, for a Nuitech site, where you need to remain a member for 60 days, Netflix is GREAT!

In regards to companies I don't recommend, there is really only one. Feel free to email me.

But, after 3 years of doing many, many online offers, I have only run into this one I don't recommend.

If, and this is a big IF, you read teh terms/conditions, you are usually fine.

Or, in some cases, where I couldn't find the information I needed, I would call them BEFORE I finished the offer to see about restocking charges, cancellation fees, etc.

They are almost always very helpful on the phone.

Often, once you sign up, they will even give you discounts for products if you will keep them. This is a great way to get gifts for people "cheap", too.

Anonymous said...

Hi Carrie,

I am wondering if you've ever done a "free laptop" offer before? My husband saw one advertised and thought I should look into it and I've been doing some research. Just wondering, in your wisdom, if you have any advice about this.

On another note, I did my first I-Deal offer last Monday (late afternoon) and I am wondering if Monday counts as Day 1 (for approval) or if I should go by Tuesday. I ask because my first two offers got approved almost immediately and two more got approved a couple of days later. As of today, I am still waiting for all of my offers in the Platinum to be approved and today would be day 10 from Monday, but tomorrow would be day 10 from Tuesday. Does this make sense? I am thinking that if they don't approve by tomorrow that I should do 4 more replacement offers, no?

Thanks so much for everything,
Jenny

Anonymous said...

Hi Carrie,

One more question. I feel like this is a dumb question, but I can't figure out how you tell who the parent company is. How do you tell if it's I-Deal, Nuitech, etc?

Thanks!
Jenny

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Hi Jenny,

I have done a free laptop on an I-Deal site, but they ended up sending $600 instead ( which is not near what the laptop would have cost ). But, that is OK..free money.

I have also done ones for free Plasma TVs and gotten money instead. So, as of yet, I have not acutally gotten the gift. But, my girlfriend did get her laptop.

If you want to do one of those, I would highly recommend finding one from my side bar, as I know those are all related to the correct parent companies.

IF you find one somewhere else, you are welcome to email me the link and I can check it out for you to see if it is one of the parent companies I recommend.

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

In answer to your other question about knowing what the parent company is, you just kind of learn after awhile.

Usually, the easiest way to tell is by their login pages. If they are the same, they are usually related sites.

Josh and Amanda said...

Carrie,
I have recently completed the $500 gas card offer which you recently completed. Just waiting for them to come in the mail! Thanks for all of your info on your blog. I love your blog! You said that we can only do each subsite once from a parent company. What is considered a subsite? Is it each individual offer? Thanks.
Amanda

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Hi Amanda,

What I mean by that is...

The $500 gas card offer you just did was consumerreward-zone.com.

NOW, you can NEVER do consumerreward-zone.com again...no matter what the gift...even if it is for a laptop, etc. That site is over for you.

BUT, you can do another I-Deal site, as long as the web address is not consumerreward-zone.com.

Hope that makes sense.

Free Is Fun said...

Carrie,
Regarding Amanda's questions about subsites. Is your response about I-Deals only. Because I am doing a Nuitech deal at brandsurveypanel.com. I am doing a $500 gift card now but there is a pull down list of other cards. So would not be able to do these if I wanted to?
Steph

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Steph,

I was using I-Deal as an example, but this is true across ALL companies.

So, pick the card you want the most...because you can never do that site again.

And, I know some have tried to resign up under their husband, etc, but I would NEVER risk this.

If they find out, you would be cut off from doing any Nuitech site again in the future.

All of these companies are constantly coming out with new web pages with new gifts...and sometimes the same gifts again. So, there really is no need to do a site twice anyway.

This is why I had new sites to post about this week with I-Deal.

The same holds true with Netblue and Nuitech....each week I look, new sites are available...so you shouldn't run dry on options. :-)

Unknown said...

You mentioned that you need to send in paperwork for these deals. Can you do it by fax?

Thanks!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Dana,

Unfortunately, they won't let you fax your paperwork in.

This is why I STRONGLY encourage everyone to use delivery confirmation, so they can prove it got there.

Once in a great while, if you need to get manual credit with Nuitech or Netblue, they will provide you with a fax number....but they will only accept the manual credit request thru fax IF they requested it that way.

Anonymous said...

Carrie,

This is my first time on your blog and I am going to give this a shot for the 500 Gas Card. I am completing my offers and I came across this verbiage on one of the offers I am interestd in

"Customers purchasing BellaClear™ through an incentive web site (qualifying for, as an example, a Free IPOD® through a third party advertiser) and initiating a cancel before the initial product shipment has been received by the customer will result in disqualification for your free gift."

SO how I am interpreting this is I have to keep the trial AND let the 1st order ship before cancelling to get credit for this offer? Have you done this offer for Bella Clear and if so can you help answer this question or should I just call? I am trying to get them all done and was hoping you knew!

Thanks,

Lisa

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Lisa,

Welcome! Make sure to check out my main blog, too, by clicking on the Home button in the upper left hand side.

In regards to Bella Clear, those terms DO state that.

I have NOT done Bella Clear with I-
Deal, but on other sites, I always stayed a member past the trial since that is what they require. I am one of those gals that likes to play it safe...and I don't want an offer to mess up my whole process by not going approved.

If that is what their terms state, I would follow them..as you don't want to risk losing your gift due to this. Or, choose another offer you like.

Remember, you can't do more than one offer that is associated with each other. So, if you do Bella Clear, check your other offers to make sure they aren't owned by the same company. I THINK ( not positive ) that the company that owns Bella Clear has another product out there. Just read the terms/conditions to see if they have the same address or parent name.

Anonymous said...

Carrie, thanks so much for this site! I just completed my first offer and now am waiting for my gift cards. One question, though. I submitted my W-9, how much in taxes will I eventually have to pay on it? Is there a certain percentage for this kind of income?

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Hi Manuela,

Unfortunately, I don't have the tax answer for you.

As you know, taxes are different for each person, depending on what tax bracket you fall into...total household income..deductions you may have, etc.

Keep records of what you spend in order to get this free money, though, and talk to your tax advisor ( or call the IRS directly at their help lines for free ) to see what you can deduct.

I call again every year and get a record of who I talk to at the IRS help line, so that I have a record that I am attempting to honestly file my taxes and disclose all money earned and costs spent.

I will tell you, they are even confused as to how to file these taxes. And, when I have called, I have gotten different answers from different IRS associates.

Another helpful hint,I have gotten my taxes done for free thanks to Mystery Shopping in the past. As tax season rolls around, watch for these Mystey Shops. I will also try to post on my main blog as I see these come thru. This is worth $300 or more in free tax services.

Sorry I am not more help in this area, but as I said...even the IRS is confused as to how to handle this income/expenses.

Unknown said...

Hi Carrie! I just started my first offer - Gas Card by I-Deals. And then I was looking over the Nubitech one for $500 McD's (Would get the $500 Visa). It seems like that one would be pretty doable for me also and I'd like to start it in a month or so, once I have gotten all my offers approved and hopefully my certificate paperwork in the mail for the gas card offer. Anyways, my Question is -- some of the sponsors are the same like the "Deal Max" and all the sister companies of them, savings club, etc etc. I know they're all the same because when you sign up for one it always signs you up for 2 in the terms and then links you to sign up for 2 more for the Gift Cards they offer. Now the terms say you can't sign up for them 2x's within 6 months - but if I sign up once for them with I-Deals and once with them for a Nubitech deal, does that work? It's much better to sign up for those ones through Nubitech since you only get the gift cards if you fill out the survey they mail to you in 4-6 weeks and you have to still be a member. Thanks! :)

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Dan/Janel

You think just like me.

YES...save those types of offers for Nuitech if you are going to do them.

Especially with Christmas around the corner.

First, the free gift card covers the cost of the 1st month of service...so you are really only paying for 1 additioal month.

But, usually, these sites have 20% off gift cards. You can take advantage of these while you are a member over the next few months as gifts, OR buy them to pay for gifts..and get another 20% off. They are great!

In regards to doing them on both sites...you can do some offers on both sites. You won't get disqualified from the sites..since they aren't related.

What you need to make sure is that the offer will allow you sign up twice.

For example, these offers you are discussing do not allow you to sign up for them more than once a year ( at least, the last time I checked ).

So, once you sign up...you can stay a member as long as you want...but once you cancel, you can't resign up for over a year. In fact, call them and ask them...just to make sure the policy hasn't changed since I was a member.

Hope that helps.

Brenna Kate Simonds, Living Unveiled said...

OK, I tried one! And now I'm terrified I'm going to screw it up.

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Brenna,

It really makes you nervous at first, doesn't it?

It gets a lot better, though.

Which did you do?

Don't ever hestitate contacting me!

alexis said...

Hi Carrie!

I completed all of my offers for the $500 gas giftcard and was approved for the prize. I mailed in the redemption form along with my w-9 and sent it in.

How can I tell when I will receive my giftcard? I've been checking the site and it still said "Congrats! You have completed all of the offers... etc.." Now since the 60 days has passed since I first signed up, it says "Your registration is now expired." Is that normal? Is there some other way to check on the status?

Big thanks!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Alexis,

Do you have your Delivery Confirmation number? When did the post office say they got it?

Usually, it is about 2 weeks AFTER the post office shows they got it that your account will be updated.

If it has been at least 2 weeks, then email them stating you sent in you forms, they received them on such and such date via the USPS Delivery Confirmation site, and that your account now states it is inactive.

Just ask them if your account will be updated showing they got the forms, and if not, how will you know everything is OK and they got them.

Anonymous said...

Hi! I'm working on my 1st deal and I'm SOOO excited. Everything is approved except 1 Gold & 1 Silver. They are both deals that have shown up on my CC and we are using(BB rentals is one of them). Should I sign up for 2 more or wait on them to be approved. I wondered since I know all my sign-up went right if I should wait until 20 day cycle. I'm on day 14 and it's an I-Deal promotion. What do you suggest? And thanks so much for all the help!!!!!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

If it is day 14 and everything approved but the 2, DO replacements.

The odds that that they will approve on Day 20 are slim...since they usually come thru in one large group.

Also, since you only have 2 more to do...which is a good number, I have had as many as 4 before, it is worth the small investment to do two more offers to ensure your paperwork gets processed in time.

That 60 day mark will come up fast, and the sooner you can get your paperwork in, the better. My goal is usually to have the paperwork in their hands by day 30...the absolute latest.

Lorri said...

Quick question......I had Internet Explorer freeze up while signing up for an offer (before the CC stage). Can I go back & retry that one, or will it not recognize?

Thanks!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Lorri,

If you log out and back into your account and then reclick on the link and go thru the whole ordering process again, it should recognize it.

I often click on offers, look around, but then come back later to order. It has always been fine.

Lorri said...

In the waiting stage right now.....both offers for gold & silver approved already, but none of the platinum yet (currently on Day 9). Keeping my fingers crossed that tomorrow will be the day! Do you know if they normally approve overnight, or is it worth checking during the day? I'm so hopeful that this works out!

Lorri said...

Day 11 ~ all the rest approved, and ready to print off my certificates! Thanks for all your helpful advice through the process :)

Anonymous said...

Carrie, I'm about 3 days away from signing up with Ideal for a gas card. Today I looked at the terms and conditions - and it said that you had to refer 1 unique household to complete the offer too. Is there a group of people who act as referrers and referrees for each other? Thanks!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Cyndie,

You are more than welcome to do the referral ones, but I usually advise against it. I tend to like Do It Yourself sites more.

The problem with Referrals, is there is always someone at the end who gets nothing...and how is that fair, you know?

Plus, if that person you referred doesn't come thru like they promised...you are out!

In regards to the $500 gas card offer, it should say to refer zero households...meaning you don't have to refer anyone.

If it does say something different, let me know which link you are using...you can email it to me.

But, the $500 offer should be a Do It Yourself.

Unknown said...

Hi carrie,
Thanks to your help, I have completed a $500 ideal offer and an in the final stages of aa $1000 nuitech offer. I'm ready to start a new one, but i havee some questions. I was going to go with a netblue offer. On your advice I was looking at some of the lower payout ones, but the one i see (kfc vs. taco bell) still costs a ton. Am I missing something. If I go back to an ideal, how does the timing work on that? I began my 1st offer at the end of July and received my payment at the end of Oct. Can I do another ideal site now as long as the products that I choose are different? Thanks for your advice!
Meg

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Netblue does keep making it harder and harder. They used to be my favorite.

Yes, you can do another I-Deal. You just don't want to do more than $500, as the limit is $1,000 in a 6 month period with that company ( you can find which I-Deal company it is in the lower part of the main page. I also have them broken out by company )

For example, more than likely, that first one you did was a Top Notch company.

Since you are still in the 6 month period, you are right..you can't duplicate offers or offers from the same parent company. So, just be diligent in researching your offers.

Free Is Fun said...

Carrie,
Hello! I am in the home stretch (I think) of my first deal. It is with Nuitech and I faxed over my paperwork for manual credit on 2 offers. My question is this. How will they know that I am still a member with book and cd clubs if I haven't yet met my obligation with them (since I have a year to buy so many books/cds)? The credit card statement won't show a charge but I have been a member this whole time.

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Steph,

If they ask, you can log into your accounts and do a screen print of your active status, and explain the situation.

As of yet,I have never had problems with those companies, because most sites know how they work..in regards to needing to be a member who buys so many products within 2 years.

Free Is Fun said...

Thank you and thanks for getting back to me so soon. I was really worried I messed up at this stage! The next one will be a lot easier.

Unknown said...

Hi Carrie,

I remember you posting about CH DVD club doing buy 1 get 1 offers and such. Do those count for the membership agreement. Do both count or just one? Does the Disney Movie club ever offer those? I just signed up and now am reading that it has to be 19.95+ movies to qualify. The Online offer will still be a money maker, but of course not as much. I was thinking I could buy the cheapest movies avaliable (like 12-14 dvds). Thanks for your help & info on this!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Janel,

That is a great question.

I ONLY buy my required DVDs when they run the Buy 1 Get 1.

Why? Because you are right..only $19.95 or over DVDs qualify.

So, when you do the Buy 1 get 1, you need to buy 2 of the newest DVDs ( full value $19.95 ). It will ring up one at full price at the other at zero.

You will only get credit towards your requirements for 1, BUT you are getting 2 DVDs for that requirment.

You have then essentially paid approx. $10 per DVD and gotten credit.

You can use those DVDs as gifts ( that is a good price for a brand new released DVD ), sell or keep.

CH is one of my FAVORITE offers!

Erika said...

Hi Carrie!

I decided to start with an offer from eatandshoponus.com, as recommended by Lori at Moms by Heart (she linked to your site). I can't find any info on who the parent company is, except something about MarketLabs.net. Do you know who the parent company is? Also, how do I find out about this particular site and how long you have to be signed up with each of the offers to receive credit? I have found no info on this. Thanks for your help!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Erika,

Marketlabs is an I-Deal site. I currently don't have it listed on my site, but hope to get it out there soon.

For whatever reason, they seem to be running slow. Lori took FOREVER to get her cards. And, one other gal is doing them and still has not gotten hers.

If I were you, I would recommend doing a Top Notch I-Deal site ( you can get $500 in gas cards, $500 VISA, etc ). They seem to be running a lot faster. But,it is totally up to you.

Either way, read the General instructions and then the I-Deal ones..there is a button towards the bottom.

In regards to offers, keeping them, cancelling them, etc...that is the one area I am not allowed to discuss at the risk of being dq'd myself.

My only advice is to try and find offers you think you may like and honestly evaluate their service/product before you decide whether you want to keep it past the trial.

Sorry I am not more help in that area.

Feel free to contact me for any other questions you have.

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Erika,

Marketlabs is an I-Deal site. I currently don't have it listed on my site, but hope to get it out there soon.

For whatever reason, they seem to be running slow. Lori took FOREVER to get her cards. And, one other gal is doing them and still has not gotten hers.

If I were you, I would recommend doing a Top Notch I-Deal site ( you can get $500 in gas cards, $500 VISA, etc ). They seem to be running a lot faster. But,it is totally up to you.

Either way, read the General instructions and then the I-Deal ones..there is a button towards the bottom.

In regards to offers, keeping them, cancelling them, etc...that is the one area I am not allowed to discuss at the risk of being dq'd myself.

My only advice is to try and find offers you think you may like and honestly evaluate their service/product before you decide whether you want to keep it past the trial.

Sorry I am not more help in that area.

Feel free to contact me for any other questions you have.

Anonymous said...

Hi Carrie,
Sorry for all the questions - I'm sure you feel like you answer the same questions over and over... but after reading other peoples comments and questions, I thought that you could not do more than two I-Deal sites (total of $1000 reward) within 6 months. But I just re-read the terms for the gas card and it sounds like that is not the case. A scenario would be you can do $1000 with Top Notch - $1000 with Esolutions Media - and $1000 with another IDeal Company etc etc. Is that right?
Thanks

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

That is correct...you can do $1,000 per each of those sub companies.

Just remember, they all have essentially the same offers, so before signing up for any offer...go thru them all and make sure you have enough left to do.

I am going to be doing my Method Madness Marathon post on Online Offers this weekend, so I will be introducting quite a few more companies for the sub sites, esolutions, 123 click, etc.

Anonymous said...

Carrie,

I just found your site and am excited by all the possibilities! I am getting a little confused and so I was wondering if I could see an example of your spread sheets to keep track of all the different dates & prices for these offers. Thanks!

Ashley

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Hi Ashley,

Welcome. So glad you found my site.

If you come back over the next few days, I will be hosting my Method Madness Marathon and Online Offers is one of the posts this week.

In that, I will have my spreadsheet published via either Microsoft Live or Google Docs.

Sorry I don't have it uploaded, etc, yet. But, I promise...this week!

Free Is Fun said...

Carrie,
Sorry to bug you with this but I wasn't sure if my email went thru. Do you know if I have to send in confirmation emails/invoices for the offers I was allowed to cancel? I just realized I never received anything from this company other than the product which I returned. I am getting a little nervouse. What do you think I should do? Thanks you!

Free Is Fun said...

Oh sorry to keep bugging you but I didn't see my first comment and wasn't sure if it went thru but now I see that you review them first, so, again sorry and thank you, thank you, thank you!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Steph,

If it was one of the 2 offers you were allowed to cancel, you usually don't need any documentation.

What site are you doing?

Free Is Fun said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Free Is Fun said...

It's nuitech.

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Did they have a trial charge to your cc or a receipt in the box you shipped back. Anything.

As long as you don't need to get manual credit you should be fine.

If not, you may have to do a replacement, unless you can prove you signed up at one time.

No welcome email, confirmation,etc, anything?

Free Is Fun said...

They confirmed with Nuitech and they definetely charged the credit card A LOT, that is why they were one that I canceled and returned all the products. I keep EVERYTHING (even reciepts for a loaf of bread) that is why I can say I am about 100% sure they didn't send me anything. I am past my time to do a replacement.

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

If they confirmed and charged your credit card ( even though you then returned and they will reverse )...you are fine!

You have proof you had some sort of transaction with them.

Anonymous said...

Dear Carrie,

Hello again--it's Amanda G.
I have a question. I want to start a new online offer, but still have not received my offer from I-Deal (Consumer-reward zone--the gas cards), that I completed and sent in last September (this is the second time I've emailed them...hopefully they will come soon?!?).
Anyway, I also completed Nuitech's Creditfor1year $1200 and Netblue's Yourgiftcard, and giftcardfreebies ($50 each). I'm a little overwhelmed with what I can and cannot do from here. What is the limit for these different sites? Do you have another $500-$1,000 ish giftcard that you liked to suggest for me?

Thank you so much for your time and help. I really appreciate it! I just told my sister about your site after I received my money, and she just started a new $500 cash offer. She really needs it too!

~Amanda G

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Amanda G,
What are they emailing you back? When are they saying the gift cards were mailed...if ever?

Email me.

Any of the offers in my side bars I could suggest to you. I try to research and find new legit companies each month.

Free Is Fun said...

I just got an email confirmation that my documentation was received and my gift will be on it's way. I am so relieved, happy and ready to start another offer! Thank you, Carrie.

I have noticed some of the promotions like CH or Netflix say you must be a new, never before member. Do you sign up with them with no prob even after you have just recently canceled? Something tells me you may have said you have to wait 6 months. I'm not sure how you can find enough fresh deals to do if thats the case.

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Steph,

If you are doing IDeal, then you must wait 6 months before you can duplicate offers. And some of the offers won't even let you duplicate.

BUT, if you are doing sites from different companies, you can often repeat offers per household. For example, my husband may do the next Nuitech site, so he signs up for the offers then w/ his credit card.

PLUS, the offers change every so many months. You may go out 8 months from now, and there are gobs of new offers that weren't there before.

OnlyOnSale said...

hey carrie! i did an offer from superbrewards.com, which of the companies is that under? also, i did a 500 one from ideal that i am working on now. am i still allowed to do another 500 one within 6 months since i think the max is 1000 per 6 months?

Thank you so much for all of your help!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Superb Rewards should be Nuitech. Is there address Davie, Fl?

You can do a 2nd one...but be very careful. You can't duplicate offers or offers from the same company even ( Age Invisible and Mineral Make up are owned by the same company, for example )

OnlyOnSale said...

hey carrie! I was wondering if there was a limit for netblue and nuitech. also, where can I find the netblue offers? I didn't see them in the side panel.

thanks!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Hey Amanda,

The Netblue offers are not active right now. The affiliate network took them down, so once they go active again...I will definitely put them back on my site.

In the past, I have never seen a limit on Netblue or Nuitech offers. It has only been IDeal.

But, as in all of these, always read the terms again before you start. They can change at anytime.

Gigi said...

Hi Carrie..I've been having a problem and i hope you can give me some advice. So, when doing the online offers, I have been using my credit card. Well, sometimes after several purchases, my CC puts up a fraud alert b/c of these online purchases. There have been times where I have had to use more than one CC during a deal b/c of this. Is there anyway to get around this? It's frustrating b/c I would ideally like to keep all of my online purchases on the same CC for organizational reasons. Have you experienced this problem before? I have called my CC and told them that the charges were legit, etc. And I actually do appreciate the fact that they are watching out for me, however, in the middle of a deal it can put a wrench in things. Thanks for your advice!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

No way around it. It has happened to me everytime over the last 3 plus years, and I am THANKFUL!!

I think I would be alarmed if they didn't...like, what the heck? What if this wasn't me?

I usually have my CC phone number next to me before I start. And, as soon as I notice the first one get denied, I call them and ask that they release the hold.

Most CC are in 24/7

Gigi said...

Ok, great! I should've thought of that..LOL. Good to know, and yes I am so GLAD that they are watching out for us and we just have to know that these kinds of purchases trigger that alert.

Thanks so much!!

Unknown said...

Quick question, when you do a referral do both you and the other person recieve the free gift? Also, do they need to also refer someone?

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Stephanie,

If you do a referral, the person you tell MUST do all their offers successfully for you to qualify for your gift.

They will NOT get their gift unless they refer someone, too, and that person does all their offers.

Sorry for the caps...but just trying to make sure it all makes sense.

Carlie Faulk said...

I was burned on the IDeal but I'm thinking of doing a NetBlue offer ~ can you direct me to where on your site the info is on these? I saw the Nuitech and Ideal pages but not the Netblue. Thanks!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Carlie,

Did the DQ you for duplicating? This was your 2nd one, right? You got your first $500?

I would wait unil 6 months and then start an IDeal again.

The Netblue is in the right side bar on the Online Offers webpage.

Scroll to the very bottom, and those bottom offers are for Netblue. It addition, the instructions and questions/coments for Netblue are right above those offers.

If you do the high valued Netblue, they can get expensive. But, if you stay with the lower valued ones the out of pocket is not too bad.

If you are OK with investing a decent amount, then you can do the higher valued ones.

Delores said...

Hi Carrie,

I have been reading and rereading your posts and the Q&As the past couple of days. Maybe I read too much or whatever but I find myself more confused. So, if you have already answered these questions, I'm sorry. First: what do you mean by the subsites vs. the parent sites? For instance: I assume the Parent sites are I-Deal, Nuitech, Netblue; and then the subsites are I-Deal 123 Click; I Deal Bullseye, etc. Yet you also said that once you do a consumerrewardzone offer then you can never do one again, so is that a subsite or more like a "sub-subsite"? Second, what if I didn't get the offer? I did I-Deal Top Notch but didn't complete everything so won't get it. Do I need to wait 6 months before doing another Top Notch or can I start one right away? Though there are plenty of others so I think I would just wait anyway since I don't want to risk it. Third, do I understand that the limit is $1,000 from each subsite per year (as in $1,000 from Top Notch and $1,000 from Bullseye)? Or is it one per 6 months or a combo of both. Or is it $1,000 from I Deal per year and $1000 from Nuitech per year? Finally, how do we tell who is who? How do I know that an offer is from Nuitech even though it may not say Nuitech on it? Where would I look to find the Parent company info/link?

I am sorry for all of this, but after my mistakes with the Top Notch gas card offer I really, really, really want to make sure I get it and do it right. Thank you for all that you do on this site. You have no idea how much I appreciate all you do and how you always answer emails and everything.

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Hi Delores...hopefully I can answer everything. :-) Here goes:

Parent companies are IDeal, Nuitech and Netblue. Correct.

Underneather IDeal are varying companies. So, 123 is owned by IDeal, so that site is the company under them. So, again, you are correct.

Again, correct. You can NEVER ( not even years from now ) do a site again. So, if you do consumer-rewardzone.com, you can't do it again. But, you can do a different Top Notch - Ideal company again...just not that site.

You can do another Top Notch right away...BUT if you signed up for any off the offers in that program, you will still need to make sure you do NOT duplicate any offer that is related to another offer. You can still get DQ'd for duplicating.

For IDeal, you cannot receive more than $1,000 in a 6 month period. So, that is $2,000 per year.

For Nuitech, as of right now, there are no limits on how much you can get.

I have them all categorized on my blog so you can tell. In the left side bar are all Ideal sites. In the right side bar, you will find Netblue and Nuitech. I have titles over each category.

Hope all that helps.

Delores said...

Thanks, again, Carrie! Keep up the great work. I started another deal last night -- Nuitech. I am going to be very diligent, careful, attentive, etc.... :)

Nichole said...

Carrie,
I've been emailing back and forth with customer service (I-Deal Top Notch) about my certificate for a couple of weeks now and I'm getting worried.

I started all my offers on Feb.10 and they all approved very quickly. I printed my certificate and mailed it on Feb. 23. On Mar. 10 (2 weeks later) I emailed them because my account did not show that it had been recieved. They sent back an email saying it could take 3-4 weeks to show that it had been processed. So I waited two more weeks, still no change in my account. I emailed them again asking if I need to resend my certificate. The return email only says "We have yet to recieve your certificate." Thats it. So I thought I had better reprint it and send it again. When I logged in to do so, it tells me that my offer has expired and won't let me print it. I'm assuming that its because in the T&C's it says that your certificate must been postmarked within 14 days of your last offer being approved? I'm not sure. Anyway, I emailed them again explaining what it said when I tried to reprint and asked what I needed to do next. The entire return email says "I would suggest giving the certificate more time to be recieved and reviewed." My 60 days is not up until Apr.10, but I feel like I'm just being put off until I run out of time. Do you think that is the case or should I just wait? Help!?

blessings said...

Carrie, What a Fantastic blog you have!!! I am so excited to have found it (or be directed to it by a comment on 'Hiptosave'). It takes me about a week or so to digest info before I can start (I started cvsing last year). I'm trying to get everything ready to 'do my first deal', but I can't seem to find the post including the spreadsheet. I know I saw in a comments section that you were going to do a post including a copy of your spreadsheet, but I haven't been able to find it. Did you post it? Sorry if it's right in front of me (snakes bite me all the time, figuratively speaking).

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Richael,

I am so excited you found my site!!

I just got my $500 Gift Card today, so I am all pumped to get more people earning money!

Thanks for alerting me to the fact that my spreadsheet is not easiley accessible.

I just put a button on the Online Offers webpage, in the upper right corner that will take you to the spreadsheet.

Also if you go to my Facebook page for Money Saving Methods ( you can find the link at the bottom of any of the posts ) and go to the Discussions section...expand it and go to the Nuitech discussion.

I will give pointers on organizing and using the spreadsheet to your advantage.

Anonymous said...

Carrie,

How do you check the status of your reward once you send in the certificate. I did the Ideal offer and I sent my certificate but all I can see when I use the "check status" link is what offers got approved and what are pending. I know they already received my certificates because the delivery was confirmed, but I don't know how to track it now. Should I call them to make sure they received it or do they contact me if they run into a problem or something? I would like to know when it is confirmed that everything is good and they will mail me my gift card.

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Jennifer,

Once you log in, scroll to the bottom of that page and at the bottom of the section where it shows to print your certificates...that will disapear and it will have a message that says the date they received your certificates and to expect them in 6 to 8 weeks.

Anonymous said...

Carrie,

Once I log in, it shows my offers list of approved and pending and then below that it says this
"Congratulations! You've been approved!

Click here to redeem your gift.

Clicking this link will take you to the Redemption Center where you will be asked to confirm your shipping address. Follow the Redemption Center instructions to receive your incentive gift."

Then it just has the terms and conditions underneath that, like to wait for 30 days before emailing customer service and so on. Does that mean I need to call to make sure they received my certs?

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

email them thru their contact page..they don't have a call center/phone number.

Send your Del Confirm # and the day they got it.

They should send an auto response stating that it can take up to a month.

Make sure you made copies of the certificate.

If they don't have it about a week before your 60 days is up, re mail it with a copy of teh Delivery Confirmation from the USPS and a note explaining they didn't get the first copy.

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Nichole,

Those are all auto responses from IDeal.

We all get the exact same emails. :-)

Did you make a copy of your form or save it on your hard drive. Remember whenever you do ANYTHING...Online Offers, Rebates, etc...always keep copies. Stuff could get lost in the mail, they could misplace things to claim you didn't fill a portion out, etc.

If you have your copy I always advise to resend it about a week before your 60 days is up with a copy of the Delivery Confirmation showing they received it and a letter stating you are resending.

If you don't have a copy, there is not much you can do except keep copies of all the emails you have sent them in case it doesn't show received. You will need that documentation to work with the BBB to show you had been trying to work with them.

I would also email them about 2 weeks before your 60 days...so about now...to explain they haven't gotten teh forms and you would like to resend..but your certificate is gone. Make sure to also send the the DC # in the email showing they got it, and when.

Anonymous said...

If I complete a reward that required a purchase and I have to do another reward, how will I know if the next one requires a purchase as well? How will I know whether the reason the reward is not being approved is because of this or another reason?
I used e-research center. I did 6 rewards that required me to send the product back if I did not want to be billed. I know right now I won't be able to keep the product because it is outragiously priced after the try it period. What are your thought on this? I should have done the ones you recommended-the I-deal one.
This gets so confusing!
Anne

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Hi Anne,

Can you send the exact link for the one you did? I can't find the specific offer you are talking about.

Was it Nuitech, Netblue or Ideal?

Rachel said...

I just finished an offer for a ipod touch through nuitech. All of my offers have been approved but I am confused about something. It says that you can only cancel two things before the 60 days are up. If that is the case I could just buy an ipod touch for less money than what I will be paying out for all of the offers that I did. Is this really the case. Do I have to wait 60 days before I can cancel the offers I completed?

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Rachel,

Yes, Nuitech requires you remain a member of all the offers except 2 beyond 60 days. This is only a Nuitech stipulation.

Did you read the Nuitech instructions before starting and the Nuitech Discussion on Facebook?

Nuitech offers are usually better if you do the larger ones, so your return is greater. For example, many of us are are working on the $1,500.

And, because of this stipulation, it is wise to price out all your offers and choose them accordingly. Much of that is talked about on the Nuitech Discussion.

The instructions for Nuitech can be found as a button in the right side on the Online offers webpage and the discussion on Facebook can be found by clicking on any of the Facebook links on the bottom of all my posts.

Hope that helps. But, you are probbaly right. Depending on which offers you did, the cost invested might not be worth the prize.

Rachel said...

Thanks for getting back to me. I should have read through the instructions you posted better. I think I will just cancel everything and chalk it up to lesson learned. Bummer, I wanted that ipod. Do you know of any offers for an ipod that would actually be a good deal?

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Rachel,

Personally, I would never do an online offers for an actual gift.

I only do them for Visa Gift Cards or checks, because I can then go take that money, buy the product I want on sale usually....and still have money to pocket.

If you just do it for the prize, that is all you get, plus you will have to claim taxes on it for whatever they value it at.

So, if they say something is worth $500, you need to put that one your taxes. Even if you could have gone and bought it for $380 on sale.

So, my recommendation would pick an offer that pays in check or Visa/Mastercard...then go buy the one you want.

Plus, you then have somewhere to return it if it is not working, etc. If you get it as a free prize, you can't contact them if it doesn't work...they just ship them out as a middle man.

Amy Eagleston said...

I am so excited about this and have started the process of applying for the Wii and Wii Fit. I was immediately approved for two offers and received the product for a third offer today even though it still shows as pending on the rewards site. The offer is a 10 day trial and then it is pretty expensive to keep it so unless I totally love it I won't keep it but I am wondering if I have to keep it to get approved since I may not be approved on the rewards site by the time my trial is up. Does that make sense?

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Your ? totally makes sense.

Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing what will approve and what you will need to replacements on...whether you keep or cancel.

I would evaluate the product, whether it is or isn't for you, call the company anyway before the trial is over.

They often times will lower the price for you by ALOT if you explaiun you may not be able to keep it.

Unknown said...

Hey :)

i recently signed up for an offer on suveryrewardscenter...
this is my first of these offers and its for a 100 dollar gift card, i have to admit that i'm a little terrified, but that i do want to complete the offer, in doing so, i had to sign up for 1 silver,1gold, and1 platinum offer, i did this, and was enrolled in the offers, after seeing that 2 of them did not approve within the first few days, i called to cancel them, after doing so i recieved approval for one, still no approval for the other, what should i do, the only replacement offers are a credit card signup, referral, and computer cd roms.

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Hi,

Can you please enter the whole url.

When I just type in surveyrewardscenter, nothing comes back.

Do you know, was this an IDeal, Netblue or Nuitech?

That will determine what you need to do.

Unknown said...

Sorry, its surveyrewardzone...

www.surveyrewardzone.com


if you want to check out my particular offer


http://www.surveyrewardzone.com/redeem.htm?promo_name=1830name&gift=6957&catalog_id=10992

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

That is a Nuitech offer.

Please make sure to read the instructions button for Nuitech offes on my webpage. There is a button in the right sidebar.

We also had a Nuitech discussion on Facebook you can go read.

But, basically, as the directions state, you can only cancel 2 offers before the 60 day mark.

Then, you do NOT need to do replacements on Nuitech. You get manual credit.

Just an FYI, most Nuitech offers have up to 4 weeks to approve. They will not be approving within 2 days. In fact, hardly any companies approve within 2 days.

Even IDeal, one of the quickest companies, do not approve your offers until after day 10.

Hope all this info helps.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

Just wanted to know, if you see the same offer (for example, a 30-day trial to Netflix) on 2 sites that you recommended in your post, can you sign up for the offer twice and be credited by Netflix (or whatever other company)? Or would they only let you do their offer once? thank you!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

It all depends on which company you are doing.

You will want to read the specific instructions for the site you are doing ( IDeal, Nuitech or Netblue ) as they each have different rules regarding this.

On top of that, some specific companies ( Netflix, etc ) won't allow you to sign up more than once. You will find this out when you go to apply and it says that you were already a member.

Trisha said...

Hi Carrie! I'm working on my 1st online offer, I chose to do the Wii/Wii Fit offer posted by Nicole's Nickels and I am looking forward to doing many more! Today I was approved for the requirements of the offer & printed my paperwork to send in. However, 2 of the offers it said that I completed, I did not actually complete. Has this ever happened to you? How do you advise I proceed? I don't want to send in my paperwork and then find out I'm disqualified. I have completed more than enough offers for this particular promo, however only half of them show as completed which has made the process both frustrating and time consuming. I'm so close, any advice?

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

It doesn't happen very often, but it does happen.

Sometimes I wonder if a company is related, that the credit doesn't get applied to the wrong offer.

For example, you simply clicked on Mineral Make Up and didn't do it. But, instead, you did a company owned by the same parent company. The credit may accidentally get applied to Mineral Make Up, even though you actually did the other offer from the parent company.

I am not sure this is what happens, but my only guess.

You can go two ways. You can email them and let them know they credited offers you didn't do. This would be particularly important if any of these offers would be duplicates and could disqualify you.

If none of them that went approved are duplicates and the offers you did didn't get approved..you could always just count those approvals against the offers you really did and call it a wash.

blessings said...

Thanks for all of the helpful information. It was pretty straight forward last night when I completed my first 'online offer'. I have 2 questions though... 1. Is it normal for the offers on the silver, gold, and platinum pages to all be the same? (that made it a little more difficult) and 2. Have you had luck in 'try me free' offers, I mean, are the companies pretty good about accepting returns 'after you try it' and don't want it? I'm a little skeptical of these (and they were plentiful), since I have to return it and if I don't return in specified days they will charge my card $80 or more. I have no problem giving it a real try, but if I follow the guidelines to return it, are they going to be "difficult" to deal with and charge my card anyway? Thanks for your help!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Richael,

Yes, most of the pages will have the same offers over and over. So, always go thru all the pages first and map out which offers you are going to do for each page. Sometimes there might be less to choose from on one page, and you may want to save a particular offer for that level.

Most of the offers, I have tried, including the Try Me Free offers.

Make sure to read their terms, as some will let you try and just pay return shipping if you decide it is not for you.

Whileothers, if you open the box will charge you the full price. You can always call the company to check first, too, before using.

Finall, if you like a product...even if it is $80, call them. Many and most companies will lower the price if you tell them you can't keep it due to the cost ( I have had prices like that go as low as $15 before ) I have gotten great gifts this way for quite a good deal.

NoreInCali said...

Hello Carrie! I have been reading your blog for the past month or so and I LOVE it! Thank you for all the money savings tips and tricks.

I have initiated my first online deal with foodcritic101.com. It is a $100 gift card deal. After reading some of the comments, I was concerned that I used Netflix as one of my offers. I have completed the Netflix trial period this weekend and plan on keeping my membership for at least another month. It is the only offer that has not been approved yet (I believe that I am on either day 14 or 15). I noticed that you said they take 6 weeks to credit for offers.

Should I be concerned at this point? I would like to avoid signing up for other offers if possible, as I plan on starting another online deal soon.

Any tips that you can provide is greatly appreciated!

Anonymous said...

Do you know if http://www.e-researchcenter.us.com/ is legit? Today's post suggested it, but I wanted to ask anyway. THANKS! 500$ free Kmart/sears giftcard.

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Yes, that is an IDeal company.

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Since that is an IDeal offer, I would do a replacement.

Any offers that don't approve by day 10-12 usually won't approve ( if all the others approved ), so time to pick another to take its place.

You could wait the 6 weeks, but the odds are it won't credit and then you are very close to your 60 day mark. I feel that is too risky myself, as you need to make sure a replacement credits, get the paperwork to them and make sure they receive it.

Dawn said...

Carrie, do I have to use the same credit card for all offers for one company? Since some of the offers are from the same company (Purity Mineral & Vioderm)can I do one offer with a Top Notch $500 Visa Card & the other offer with another Top Notch $500 gift card?

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Woah..I am a little lost. Let me answer, and if it isn't what you are looking for...let me know.

First, i Purity Mineral and Vioderm are from the same parent company you canNOT do both of them. That is called duplicating offers and you can get DQd for that.

Make sure to read the IDeal Instructions before starting to help clarify.

But, no..if the $500 Gift Card and the other $500 card site are both with Top Notch, you cannot duplicate offers from the same parent company across any of the sites in a 6 month period.

JenniMac said...

I was wondering if you'd ever had an offer site add requirements after your offeris complete. This one that I'm doing did originally require a w-9, even though it is only a $100 reward. Once my offers were complete and certs ready for printing, I was send a fraud alert asking for not only the w-9, but a signed affidavit that says I am who I claim to be and a copy of my drivers license. I felt like all this new information might be a red light that this is not legit. I've emailed the company and they insist they're legit and allthe ddocs are required.

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Jenni,

This does happen to some. They usually request this additional information if your phone is a cell phone or if your phone number is unlisted.

They need to be able to have proof that your name does match your address and you are who you claim to be.

If they look up your phone number and cannot find it listed to you, they need additional proof.

If it isn't an issue with your phone number, could it be that you moved recently or your home address would not match for some reason?

New Born Babies said...

Carrie; Thanks so much for such a wonderful site. You are so unbelievably thorough and concise with your instructions and advise. I am so impressed with you. I have 2 quick questions: 1 why must you use a credit card and not a debit card? and is there any way around this? 2 can a person with a Mac follow all your Clerical instructions for keeping tract with this Business?I am fairly computer illiterate and also want to print out your instructions, but don't want to print out all the questions and answers. I woulde like to send this Blog to some friends, who I think would like to make $$ and are very organized people.

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Thank you so much for the nice comments,New Born Babies!

This is STRICTLY my advice. Most will accept debit cards, but I would never advise using them online.

First of all,with a credit card, you can get a virtual number. This means that the number can ONLY be used once or for the company you intended it.

That way if anyone steal it online, it will be declined.

With debit cards, if they stole your number, they could potentially charge hundreds to thousands of dollars and it would come out of your checking.

Most banks WILL refund this money, but it does take a bit of time. And, before you catch it, you could have other checks bouncing. Not a good scenrio.

Also, if you would ever forget to stop a program you dont want, or get charged for something you didn't agree with, you can dispute it with your card company. They do not make you pay and take it off your owed balance, unless they find that you are lieing, of coure. :-)

It is just ALOT safer. I just cannot stand behind using a debit card online. In fact, I dont' carry a debit card at all. I had my bank reissue my cards as ATM cards ONLY. I dont want my purse to ever get stolen, and they start charging against my checking account.

At least if they steal my purse and charge against my credit card, I don't ever see the money come out of my hands.

Anyway....hee, hee..I think I have gone on and on enough.

In regards to Mac users, I am not sure. Whenever I want to print a blog post, I usually just copy and paste the parts I like to Word ( what do Mac's use..not sure ) and then print it from there. Sorry I am not more help there.

Lisa Honickel said...

So I just did my very 1st! Im excited to see the end results! Thank you so much for all of the wonderful advice on this topic. I was very nervous when I first started, but them I just could wait to see if this will really work.
Question, have you ever worked with Superbrewards? and if so, any advice? Thanks again
Lisa in NC

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Congrats Lisa! Excited for you.

Yes, superb rewards is Nuitech, so make sure to read those instructions.

Lisa Honickel said...

thanks and i have 2 more questions.... I just saw that: i Purity Mineral and Vioderm are the same company so I should cancel one and do another offer...?
And also after completing my offers last night all but 1 are approved! Does that mean i can cancel 2 of them now? {Im using Nuitech and from what I understand I can only cancel 2 with in 30 days} Thank you again for your help! My nerves are getting the best of me today in hopes that I dont "mess" this up!!

Anonymous said...

Carrie,
I'm new to online offers and am very curious...If you can only apply for $1,000 in a six month period, how do you and others complete so many offers. Also, if you can only apply for an offer once, don't you run out of offers to apply for with little OOP?
Thanks so much for all of your information and step by step instructions. I just sent out my certificate for the Wii and EA sports trainer.
Becky

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Becky,

That is only an IDeal requirement.

So, you can get $2,000 a year from IDeal ( they change the offers on the page and you can repeat offers after 6 months, too )

But, if you also do Nuitech and Netblue and other companies, you can make even more. They do not have the $1,000 limit.

Anonymous said...

Hi Carrie,

I tried to go to consumer gain to check it out, but there isn't anywhere on the page to register. How do you register with this company?

Thanks so much!

Stephanie

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Stephanie,

This is a company I did back in 2004-2005.

You have to get invited via a link from them or a friend.

So, if anyone ever send you the link...sign up! :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Carrie, I just had a quick question for you, because of an issue due to my credit card I was unable to finish all of the offers within the same sitting. Instead, I finished them within 72hours of starting the offers, is this going to effect me because of the whole 60 day thing? thanks so much!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

You should be totally fine! That is just a recommendation of mine to do them all at once.

Anonymous said...

Hi Carrie, I am doing the Ideal $500 visa gift card plus free t-shirt and I got approved for everything except one offer I completed. Do I wait and try to get manual credit for it, or do I do another offer? thanks for your help!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Unfortunately, you cannot get manual credit with IDeal offers ( make sure you read the specific directions for IDeal, too )

So, you will need to do a replacement.

Andrea said...

I have done 4 deals and gotten 1 so far and approved for 2 others--hopefully the other one will go through soon. I am so happy I found your site there learn this.

I have a question about an online offer--you don't have any deals listed by them so I thought I would ask if you have any experience with them:
Amazing-Brand-Rewards.net

I received a deal for $1000 Target Gift Card and would love to do it but only if it is a legitimate company.

Thanks for your advice.

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Andrea,

I have not done any offers with this company nor heard anything about them yet.

This doesn't mean they are legit.

If you try it, let us know how it goes!

Andrea said...

I have done 4 offers in the last few months and want to do more but it seems the deals you have to do for the offers are all the same. How often do they change these deals?

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

They change some here and there periodically.

You will also noticed that the different companies will offer slightly different offers. For example, Netblue, Nuitech and IDeal have many the same, but also different options.

Usually, Nuitech has the most offers to choose from when completing your offers.

Also, with IDeal, remember after 6 months you don't have to worry about duplicating offers.

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

That is not an online offer, in the same sense that I talk about it.

That is a membership to their website and then you get rebates equally up to the $300 over time. For every $100 you spend, I think it is, you get $25 back.

You will want to go read the terms/conditions on how their program works.

Unknown said...

Hi Carrie! Im at day 31 with my offers! Im about to cancel my offers {the ones I dont not need} and i was wondering if you ever had a company change your status to not completed? {I will be canceling Vioderm, Freescore, Dealmax and Purity Mineral}
Thanks again for all of your help! Im hoping that I did everythign correctly and I will be recieving my $1000 Visa GC! {still nervous I just spent all that $ for nothing}!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Over all the years, I think it has only happened to me twice.

And, it was with IDeal. What company are you doing? Nuitech?

You should be fine!

Let us know when you get your gift!

Unknown said...

I recieved an email from Superbrewards saying I had to send in copies of everything {email confirmations or invoices & bank statments} after they recieve that info will I then get the certificates to claim my prize?
Im so nervous I did something wrong! Thank again for all of your help!!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Leilani,

Nope..that is right! That is one of the steps for Nuitech.

They need to make sure you were a member of the companies for 30 days, as their terms mandate.

Just block your account #'s, they just need to see the charges come thru on your statements.

If it was an offer you did that was only a one time fee, for exampel you actually bought something, then just note that when you circle the original charge.

All is good! :)

Unknown said...

Ok Carrie.... I promise just one more question!!
I finally got my vouchers! I printed and had them noterized. I sent them in the mail {with delivery confirmation}. Once I got home I realized I had sent in the copy vs the original!!! Should I re-send the papers?!?On the original it isnt a raised seal, its just a stamp. I would hate for this to disqualify me!
Thanks again for all of your help!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Leilani,

Call them tomorrow. Their number should be on their site, I thik.

Explain it to them and see what they say. They may want you to resend.

In fact, just to be safe, even after you call them to let them know what happened, I would make another copy and then resend the original, just so they have it.

Better to be safe than sorry.

Jeri said...

Carrie, I have 2 questions.

Can you use a prepaid credit card for the offers?

Like if you signed up for something through like "MY Points" can you sign up again through one of these offers?

Thanks,
Jeri

Anonymous said...

I am not sure if you already answered this but how long do you have to complete a net blue offer. I know with Ideal it is 60 days, does netblue have a time frame?

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Saraih,

In the past, they have not. But, still read the terms for EACH Netblue you do...as you never know when a company will change their terms.

They do have a timeline once your certificates are processed. Once you have all your certificates, you have a set amount of days until they expire.

Each specific certificate will have the expiration date printed on it, so make sure to look at it. This is why you want to do all offers in one sitting, so allthe certificates start coming in at the same time.

Nicolle said...

Carrie, thanks for this wonderful site. Why do you say to never use a debit card for the offers?

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Nicolle,

First of all, I don't really like debit cards to begin with..in fact, my family does not have one. Instead, we always ask that our banks issue us ATM cards instead.

But, for anything online...and especially Online Offers, if you would ever forget to cancel one of the offers, they could begin charging you a lot of money directly to your checking account.

Or, if you can't get a hold of the company to cancel, or they don't cancel it when you do ( this sometimes happens ) the money will directly come out of your account.

With a credit card, you can dispute charges that are not valid with a phone call and they won't make you pay the charges ( or charge you interest on them ) while the credit card company works it out with the company.

But, with a debit card, the money is already GONE from you and if you dispute, they are instead fighting to get your money back.

Finally, I highly recommend using virtual credit card #s anytime you shop online. Credit cards will issue a one time use # for your credit card. It is a safety measure and debit cards do not usually have this feature.

Basically, it is just a safety measure for yourself! You can use a debit card, I just don't recommend it at all.

Unknown said...

Carrie,

I started to do the unemployment survey for the $500 check you had listed under i-deal. Ran into a few snags...many offers require you go to their next page to see the terms. I did this only to find that products need to be returned after a trial. This turned me off, so I didn't go further. They still showed up in my "check status" area. Am I already committed to these offers unknowingly?

Thanks,

Lisa

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Lisa,

That is exactly what will happen. You want them to show up on your status page. They should say pending next to them with a date.

IF they don't show up there...don't do the offer...you won't get credit.

But, just because they do show up there, does not mean you have to do it. It is just a history of the offers you looked at/clicked on, and confirms that their site is tracking your clicks.

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Bethany,

Taxes will be different for each person, obviously. Depending on your tax bracket, deductions, etc will depend on what you pay in taxes.

But, I have never heard of the government taxing 100% on earnings? Why would anyone work?

Whenever you make money, you will be taxed..that is a given...but the government does not take more than you earn ( at least not yet ).

Don't forget, keep track of everything you spent. I have always been able to deduct postage, paper for printing the certificates, ink, the offers I was required to do to earn the free money.

As always, check with the IRS or a tax adviser on what you can deduct each year ( I check each year for online offers ).

Marisa said...

I just finished my first 2-2-4 for a $500 Visa Gift Card. The website was Nationalsurveypanel Web site, operated by Net Radiance (“Company”). Is Net Radiance like IDeal, Netblue or Nuitech or is it one of them?
Because it's my first offer, I was thinking I probably should wait it out until the finish before starting another. What do you think?

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

I would probably wait, until you know how it goes.

What section of my blog did you get it from? I have them all categorized by the Parent company, so you can figure out which set of directions to use.

Let me know if you didn't get it from my blog, and then I can look at it for you to try and determine if it is one of these companies or not.

Khara O'Neil said...

Hi Carrie. I am interested in trying this out. I had a question about having to pay for things. You had mentioned not using your personal debit cards for offers. What do you typically use? I do not currently have any credit cards, so that is why I was wondering. TIA.

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Personally,I only use a credit card. They will accept debit cards, but I usually advise against it because many of these are recurring fee offers. If you forget about it or if there is a mistake in a cancellation, charges will go directly to your debit card and you have to dispute them after the money is already gone.

With credit cards, you dispute them and never pay ( they clear it off of your owed balance ) until they clear issues up. It is simply an extra safety measure online.

 
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