# What happens exactly if I actually click on the "You have won a free I-Pod!" ad?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-exactly-if-i-actually-click-on-the-you-have-won-a-free-i-pod-ad/388849>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 21, 2007, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-exactly-if-i-actually-click-on-the-you-have-won-a-free-i-pod-ad/388849 "2007-01-21T17:00:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-exactly-if-i-actually-click-on-the-you-have-won-a-free-i-pod-ad/388849/1 "2007-01-21T17:00:35Z")

</div>

Thanks to various popup blockers and other such defenses I no longer get such  
annoying things. I know they’re a scam of some sort, but what happens if I click  
on the ad-do they shunt me to some server somewhere for me to type in some  
private information? Other variations include “You are the 10000th visitor to this  
site and you win a free prize!” [Oddly I would get this message EVERY time I  
visited the site…] Obviously I’m not going to chance clicking on the ad, just  
wondering what would happen if I did.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-exactly-if-i-actually-click-on-the-you-have-won-a-free-i-pod-ad/388849/2 "2007-01-21T17:07:37Z")

</div>

I’ll hang around to find out, too. I thought it was something like, “Hey, Mr. Virus, Come on down!”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![phaemon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/977dab/32.png) [@phaemon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phaemon)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-exactly-if-i-actually-click-on-the-you-have-won-a-free-i-pod-ad/388849/3 "2007-01-21T17:26:16Z")

</div>

It’s weird how you seem to see loads of these things, but then when you want one it takes much longer to find…

Anyway, from a banner ad on a website I clicked along to see what I’d “won” in the way of a “free” laptop. I was redirected to a website called [consumersavingcenter.co.uk](http://consumersavingcenter.co.uk). A quick read of the Terms and Conditions shows:

> [@](#):
>
> Complete your choice of sponsored offers.  
> You must successfully complete the following sponsored offers: two (2) offers from Silver Offers, two (2) offers from Gold Offers, and six (6) offers from Platinum Offers. Our sponsors cover the entire cost of the free Laptop along with the shipping & handling fees.

You must also drag family/friends in:

> [@](#):
>
> Referral Requirement:  
> You must also refer at least one (1) unique households who, as described above, must join and each successfully complete the required number of offers under the terms listed in this document.

And to complete your requirements:

> [@](#):
>
> ```
> What does "complete" exactly mean?
> By "completing" an offer, you are fulfilling the registration requirements unique to each offer. For credit card offers, you must be approved for and activate that credit card by making a purchase, balance transfer or cash advance to "complete" the offer.
> 
> For High-Speed Internet Service offers, you must order and install that High-Speed Internet Service to "complete" the offer.
> 
> ```

In other words, you sign up for a few (quite a few?) things, get someone else to do the same, and then you get your “free” gift stuff. What do you bet the interest rates on that credit card aren’t the best going?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2007, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-exactly-if-i-actually-click-on-the-you-have-won-a-free-i-pod-ad/388849/4 "2007-01-21T17:44:11Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=phaemon]  
What do you bet the interest rates on that credit card aren’t the best going?  
[/QUOTE]

Oh, I bet they _are_ the best rates in the world…for the first 6 months. After that, you’re boned.