# Free Electronics **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 6, 2003, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electronics/193429 "2003-08-06T21:34:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reckless\_Humor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Reckless\_Humor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reckless_Humor)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electronics/193429/1 "2003-08-06T21:34:28Z")
I keep getting e-mails from some schmo who wants to sell me a “method” for getting free electronic equipment (televisions, computers, stereos, etc) from manufacturers with no strings attached. I’m not one to fall for e-mail marketing, but I’m curious if anyone has an idea about what this “method” might be, and whether it actually works. Personally, I’ve never gotten anything for free, even when it was “free,” so I imagine there’s a rather large catch somewhere. I can’t think of any other group that I would trust as much as the teeming millions to educate me on this topic. ---
**Author:** ![desdinova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@desdinova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/desdinova)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electronics/193429/2 "2003-08-06T21:39:54Z")
This has been discussed here before, I think the answer was that you pretend to be some kind of journalist that reviews new electronics, and the companies send you free samples to test out. As with everything that sounds to good to be true, I’m pretty sure this one is too. ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-electronics/193429/3 "2003-08-06T22:21:27Z")
You generally have to return the products, anyway.