Comments on: Freebies 101: Protecting Your Personal Information

By: Sheila

Sheila — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 00:35:12 +0000

Dear hith4life
I just found this site today, There is some good info on this site. Reguarding your question when it comes to the sites offering freebies. When they ask for your phone number type 000-000-0000 it works most of the time. I have received tons of free things over 30 years of getting things for free. I have received for free every thing from as small as a sticker to my entire house furnished several times. I even had a store pay me $11.32 to take over $500.00 in groceries home.There is ways to get things for free without putting you at risk. I suggest getting a p.o. box and a email address for freebies use.
The Freebie Queen

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 21:19:49 +0000

And never pay shipping to have a sample sent to you - it's usually a scam of some sort. Learned the hard way. Also, read the terms of service before submitting. Most majors are OK but there are some that are not.

By: Cindy

Cindy — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 01:15:26 +0000

My concern is when they know your Soc. Sec. #. Having call blocking would not be my first concern. A person who knows your Soc. Sec. # can do alot of financial damage to your credit rating. Also racking up thousands of dollars or more under your name. I would go back to the police about them knowing your soc. # and if they can't help to ask who you should contact. It is one of the problems I have with some of the cigarette and alcohol freebies. They want a # as well as if this will tell them if this is your age.The freebies are never cigarettes or alcohol so there should not be a problem.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:52:13 +0000

I use a fake phone number (like my area code, then 111-2222) and a fake bday (which is 2 yrs before my brothers) and rarely give out my first name, I often use a first initial.

Some won't shop to PO Boxes so I've never gone that route.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:52:00 +0000

I use a fake phone number (like my area code, then 111-2222) and a fake bday (which is 2 yrs before my brothers) and rarely give out my first name, I often use a first initial.

Some won't shop to PO Boxes so I've never gone that route.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 20:14:48 +0000

I send my freebies to my husband's work PO Box address (I wish I had my own, but it's too expensive)! My parents own the business, so it's obviously okay for me. Just another idea that "might" work for others.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 20:14:00 +0000

By: Betty

Betty — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 06:37:28 +0000

This is great tips, i got a lots of unknow call. It is great time for me to put my number on the do not call list. Thanks!!

By: Betty

Betty — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 06:37:00 +0000

This is great tips, i got a lots of unknow call. It is great time for me to put my number on the do not call list. Thanks!!

By: caroline

caroline — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:00:19 +0000

katie,
i've never looked into having unavailable numbers blocked before because my sons pediatricians office shows up as unavailable for some reason. And whoever the company is that's harrassing us uses disposable prepaid phones we think because they have different numbers or show up as unavailable or occasionally have numbers that are like 20 numbers long. I've even gone to the police and they said to change our number, bank acct... they said that even if they could track them down, they're not going to go to new york, L.A., florida.. to get them.

By: caroline

caroline — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:00:00 +0000

By: Katie

Katie — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:19:03 +0000

wow Caroline, that's awful. I've seen things like on Inside Edition, where the callers make threats to get money. You should call your phone company and see if you can block them. We have privacy director, and if any marketing or unknown number calls, a recording comes on telling them they have to identify thier self and thier company before it will go through. They usually hang up and our phone never even rings. Every now and then though, one will come through and it's usually a political call.
I will definately start looking at when a phone number is required now though, and probably will make up a bday to use from now on.

By: Katie

Katie — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:19:00 +0000

By: caroline

caroline — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:22:10 +0000

even with a "major" company, your info may not be safe. I only give out info that i would not have a problem with the world knowing. I just don't enter any contest that requires a phone number. I can get a new email pretty easily but changing phone numbers would be too much of a hassle. My husband applied for a car loan at one of the big dealerships around here and a couple of years later they closed down. (We didn't get a car from there). A year ago we started getting phone calls from "Mainland Marketing", a fake payday loan company that said my husband had taken out a loan and owed them money. Neither of us had ever taken out a payday loan but they had all of my husband's info- SSN, bank acct #, address, phone, employer (old employer thankfully bc when i researched them i found that they go to your work and harrass your coworkers, boss, and you until you give them money to make them stop)... All the info that he put on the loan app for the car co. My point is, you never know where your info is going when you give it out, even when it seems to be going to a big company. We are still getting harassing phone calls saying things like- if we dont pay them "only god can help you"...

By: caroline

caroline — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:22:00 +0000

By: Shay

Shay — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:51:10 +0000

These a great tips. I NEVER give my real age, D.O.B. or telephone number. Most companies would contact you by email before phoning you, so I don't thing it's necessary to give out your real number or information for that matter, unless it is for a BIG time contest for some major legit company.

By: Shay

Shay — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:51:00 +0000

By: Dana

Dana — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:05:51 +0000

All great advice, but additionally, when a lot of these places ask for birthdate information and you try to leve it blank, they won't let you continue. So, I have created a birthdate I use that is literally, the day, month, and year before my actual birthdate. I won't forget it that way, but don't have to give out my actual info.

By: Dana

Dana — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:05:00 +0000

By: Denise

Denise — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 03:51:19 +0000

I usually give my real info and have not had any problems. My husband appreciated the value more after I took him coupon shopping and we only got things for him! ;)