However, I thought I could use it to show how I vet freebies when I’m unable to contact the freebie company directly. So if you’re interested in learning more about the process as well as following along while I hunt down who exactly is behind this spreebie (I just made that word up), then please read along. Warning, it’s fairly lengthy.

First, what’s up with their domain? Suzzly.com? Why isn’t this on GetSnuggie.com, which is the Snuggie’s official site? Furthermore, Suzzly’s WhoIs info is hidden, which is the #1 sign of a freebie spam site. WhoIs is publicly available info on who owns a domain, kind of like a phone book for websites. For a fee, the info can be privatized, but I can’t think of any company that does so. Instead, they put their office mailing address and a public 800 number so that their customers can reach them. A spammer, however, is most likely operating out of his/her/its home and doesn’t want their info available, for obvious reasons.

As seen on TV? No, I've never seen Suzzly.com on TV.

Second, the signup page is an iframe, which is pulling from a second domain, SuzzlyPromo.com. An iframe is an old-school technique that in a sense is like a window on a website. It allows a webmaster to load part of a page from Site A and another part from Site B – usually this indicates they only own one of the sites. HIF’s Coupons.com page is an example. The banner should look familiar – it’s part of HIF! However, the coupons load in an iframe below. I don’t manually own or update that section, Coupons Inc. does. It’s a handy technique for many websites, however a legit company has little use for it. If they were offering a freebie of their own product, they could simply host the signup form on their own site.

Now let’s get back to Whois info again. SuzzlyPromo not only has private info, but it was registered on Oct. 19, 2009. If hidden info is the #1 sign of freebie spam, a site registered hours before the freebie offer became available is #2. Spammers work in bulk and domains cost $10 a year ($20 if they privatize their info). Typically, a freebie spammer will set up a very basic site with a signup form and collect as many submissions as possible. However, before the year is up, folks like myself ID the site as spam and thus people stop signing up. The spammer will then simply delete the domain after a year and start the process all over again with a new domain and spreebie. If I see a site that was registered in late 2009 (or whatever the current date is), it’s cause for further examination.

By now, I would have moved on to the next freebie since it’s clear to me that this isn’t legit, but let’s keep digging. We submit our info, reach the confirmation page, and…Google Ads? Quick, name a large company that both (A) Gives away freebies and (B) Has Google Ads on their site. BZZZZZ, time’s up. I notice that collectively we came up with zero examples. Now, Google Ads aren’t evil or spamish at all, but they’re used by smaller sites like HIF, not companies giving away freebies. Furthermore, check out the footer links on the confirmation page. They all go to a third domain, Spooluff.com. That domain doesn’t even have a main site and two of the four links (Shipping & Contact) go to dead pages! The owner of Spooluff isn’t a company, but some some random guy named Joshua Comeau, who lists his address as 96 St. Patrick, Toronto Canada, his e-mail as joshuav@gawab.com, and his phone number as 647-833-9673. Oh, and the domain was registered on October 9, 2009. How lovely.

Gaweb.com is a spamish directory (surprise!), the phone number plays a recorded “this number is not assigned to anybody” message when you call, and Google says the address is home to the Toronto Standard Condo Corporation, which certainly (although not definitively) looks like a residential complex. Furthermore, a Google search of “Joshua Comeau Toronto” pulls up this discussion from almost four years ago where a person by the same name in Canada was running freebie spam sites. I know, I’m shocked!*

Finally, if you call the phone number (206-337-7752) that’s on Suzzly’s site (and in the confirmation e-mail), you’ll get a recorded message and then be given a prompt to hit # for more options. This is followed by “to enter your K7 security code, press 4″ which means they’re using K7.net, a free voicemail and fax system. Now come on. This supposedly legitimate company has the financial resources to give away tens of thousands of Snuggies (which retail for what, $10-$15 each?) but they can’t afford anything more than a free telephone service for their clients? (edit: The number now plays a recorded message saying Suzzly.com is a spam site and that their snuggie offer is not legit! It looks like K7 received a few complains )

Now if you signed up for this, don’t fret. No creeper will show up at your doorstep. You’ll most likely start receiving more spam e-mail soon (which is why we suggest using a separate e-mail account for freebies instead of your personal or work e-mail!) and at the very worst, a few extra telemarketers will start calling. It doesn’t ask for credit card or banking info, so you won’t be out any money.

But this is what I get paid to do (apologies to my college History degree!) and perhaps this post has not only helped show how I judge freebies, but will maybe nudge this damned snuggie offer closer to the grave. The fewer sites harvesting our info, the better!

—

*I decided to keep following the Joshua Comeau trial, for my own personal enjoyment, and will continue to do so in this thread on the forums. Feel free to join us and help track down this potential spammer!

The same Google search above brought up a message board profile for a JoshuaV, which lists his job as “affiliate marketer” and his location as Toronto. It also lists twoequalsone@hotmail.com as his e-mail, which when searched on social media sites, brings up Josh Volsh (Facebook), Josh (Myspace), and Joshua C (MSN Live). If I search for his new Josh Volsh name, more results pop up of him linking and advertising even more spam sites that I recognize from the past.

I contacted him via e-mail, asking if he would like to comment on this post, but so far I’ve yet to receive a response. I can’t prove anything definitively that he’s behind some of these spam offers, but there’s enough circumstantial evidence here for me to never post anything he’s associated with. If you happen to have any contact info for Josh, please join us on the forums and chime in. I really would love to talk to him…

© Hey, It's Free!™ LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Ryan "Goob" Eubanks for Hey, It's Free! as Why The “Free Snuggie” Offer Is A Scam. If you are reading this article on a website, then that site is guilty of copyright infringement.

Just thought I’d pass along that info. The full e-mail address of the confirmation letter is OrderConfirmation@perks.com, so you might want to add them to your contacts list if you think you might get a gift certificate through ExpoTV.

Off Topic Sidenote: One of the features Expo has is that it lets you see the first video of anybody you referred to their site. So, I’ve been watching a ton of reviews from Hiffers and they’re all pretty good! It’s nice to see some of the faces of my readers as well

© Hey, It's Free!™ LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Ryan "Goob" Eubanks for Hey, It's Free! as Quick Note About ExpoTV. If you are reading this article on a website, then that site is guilty of copyright infringement.

I initially wrote about ExpoTV a little over two years ago when I first discovered it. I was using the site to make some extra cash just for making videos reviewing household objects. I eventually ran out of things to review, but that was a while ago and I decided to have another look at the site. Turns out they recently shifted to a new points format, but the premise is still the same: you set up a camcorder, webcam, or even the video mode of a digital camera and then review any product in your house. In exchange, you earn points that can be redeemed for prizes, giftcards and cash. Kind of like Swagbucks but for video reviews instead of searching. As an example, a $15 Amazon gift certificate costs only 1800 points but you receive 2000 points for uploading your first video!

In addition, they’ve got a new section called Tryology. Basically what this amounts to are free full-sized samples of new products in exchange for promising to make a short video review. Current and recent Tryology product offers include Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs, Honey Bunches of Oats, Herbal Essences, Pantene, Mister Salty Chocolate Pretzels, and more. To find out if you qualify, simply register, fill out your profile, and they will then e-mail you if you qualify.

You won’t make millions with ExpoTV, but it is a fun way to make a little extra cash as well as try out new products for free!

© Hey, It's Free!™ LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Ryan "Goob" Eubanks for Hey, It's Free! as ExpoTV & Tryology = Free Prizes & Samples. If you are reading this article on a website, then that site is guilty of copyright infringement.

Oh my gosh freebie people! It’s me, Shaynon, your freebie reviewer guru! Remember me? Well I am back and I’ve missed you all so much! I have been MIA for way too long, but you’re not here for that, right? You’re here for a FREEBIE REVIEW! Well, my friends, you are in luck because I am starting off my return with a current freebie that was recently posted – coupons for Dove Go Fresh Body Mists and Dove Cream Oil Body Lotion.

But let’s take one thing at a time. First up is the Dove Body Cream Oil lotion. It’s instant relief for your dry skin, inexpensive, non greasy, and a non oily alternative to some of the higher priced brands out there. It is a lotion, so don’t let the oil part fool you. I have tried this and it absorbs fast and does not leave you Perspirants wanting to wash your hands. You can feel it working because it soaks into your hands. It hydrates extremely well without the feeling to reapply later on. The scent is also not over powering…like flowery or perfumy. It has a mildly pleasant smelling aroma. And guys don’t be fooled – this is just not for us women! My brother was caught by his wife using it! These lotions come in 3 different kinds, intense, dry skin and pro age…a little something for everyone!

The second part of this Dove-tastic freebie is Dove Deodorants and go fresh body mists. Anyone who has ever used Dove knows that you have your baby powder fresh scents but these new scents really sweeten things up! The alluring combos come in 4 different scents. Burst, which has the scent of nectarine and white ginger, Energizing that is grapefruit and lemongrass, Cool that smells like cucumber and green teas and Refreshing that is water lily and fresh mint inspired. I have tried all of these also and they are a great springy smelling line! All of them also have a go fresh spray to pair up with the deodorant and they all are very long lasting and airy. They have a lightness to them that is alluring not over powering. My fave is the Refreshing!

You can’t do wrong with Dove, the name alone just screams pure and inviting! And the really cool thing is that you can get two coupons by signing up for the Dove Dimensions newsletter, which Goob wrote about late last month.

Now these are not expensive at all as Dove is really reasonably priced. I have priced thes at Wal-Mart for you and they are $2.99 and under. When paired with the coupons, it’s not too bad. If you’re like most smart and sassy shoppers, you can pair these coupons with an in store deal and get them for free most times!

Well friends, we have come to the end. You know what that means, a rating for our review!

(Rating 1-5) – Dove Body Cream Oil Lotion
Dove Deodorant / Go Fresh Spray

And remember, “if it’s for free, it’s for me!”

© Hey, It's Free!™ LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Ryan "Goob" Eubanks for Hey, It's Free! as Freebie Review 35 – Dove Offers. If you are reading this article on a website, then that site is guilty of copyright infringement.

The cakes were a Walmart freebie, the best kind of course! I got mine on October 30th, so they came pretty fast. Two kinds were offered: Cheese and Caramel. If you’re a smart freebie getter, you just put in two different emails or used your middle name as your first like I did. I received both samples!!

First up is the cheese. They are way better then regular rice cakes, sort of a white cheese flavor. What I like about the rice cakes is they are not greasy like some other snacks. They also are not salty, which is something I like a lot. The cheese flavor reminds me they have sort of a white cheese –it, very mellow and flavorful.

The caramel is next. I’m not a big fan of caramel, but these are pretty good. What can I say; it’s like eating caramel popcorn. I like these because they are sweet but not in the over sweet eww kind of way. Also you don’t have the stickiness associated with caramel. I like this kind better then the cheese but that is just me.

There are about 13 or so little cakes in each pack, not bad. They are the size of a potato chip and make a great snack. I actually crushed some up and put it on cottage cheese and it was yummy!!

The freebie sample isn’t up anymore, but you can go to any store and pick these up. Wal-Mart has a 12 pack box for 2.99. I found a coupon in the Sunday paper a few weeks ago for a dollar off, so still 1.99 is not a bad deal. These also come in Butter flavor and Sour Cream and Onion.

I recommend these!! Keep checking with HIF to see when these are up again!

Rating (1-5):

© Hey, It's Free!™ LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Ryan "Goob" Eubanks for Hey, It's Free! as Freebie Review 34 – Orville Redenbacher Popcorn Cakes. If you are reading this article on a website, then that site is guilty of copyright infringement.

I ask because friend of the site Alyssa is holding a Freebie Idol 2008 and is looking for freebie addicts! She’s looking for whoever thinks they are the biggest freebie addict to do anything creative: sing a song about freebies, write a poem, review a sample you have received, take a photo of all of your freebies, or anything else you can think of! Submissions are open until December 31 and prizes will be handed out soon thereafter.

So if you’re snowed in up north or need a little break from all the friends and family that might be swarming around your house right now, get a little creative and have some fun with this! I know I’ll certainly be entering.

© Hey, It's Free!™ LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Ryan "Goob" Eubanks for Hey, It's Free! as Are You The Biggest Freebie Addict?. If you are reading this article on a website, then that site is guilty of copyright infringement.

Dear Freebie Friends,

If anyone ever tells you chocolate is bad for you, laugh in their face then go on eating your chocolate dream covered/filled/dipped whatever.

Love,
Shaynon

So yes, today we are reviewing something so chocolaty and so yummy I don’t even know where to begin. If you have not received your free Turtle Chex Mix Bar yet, you have my deepest sympathies. If you’ve already signed up for this freebie, you are gonna love it! And if you haven’t, what are you waiting for?!

This sinfully goodness comes from the people over at the Betty Crocker website. You have to sign up for their email newsletter, but if you have in the past before just use a different email address. Now I got this freebie really fast – I signed up for it on November 1st and got it on the 8th. (ed: Hooray for freebies that come fast!) I was very surprised at the quickness.

Now on to the bar of oh my gosh chocolate! Turtle Chex Mix, it just sounds good. This little bar is covered and drizzled in chocolate and caramel with chex pieces and pretzels and peanuts. That’s a lot I know, but it all works so good together. It’s got that salty and sweet flavor that makes the taste buds go nuts!! It’s a crunchy yet chewy little piece of heaven that makes all those carrot sticks and healthy food just be pushed aside. This is good for you though. It’s 150 calories. That’s not bad, but believe me when you taste it you are not going to care how many calories it is. This most definitely satisfies the sweet tooth, well teeth…and while your teeth are rejoicing in the yummy-ness, your mouth is going to be telling your brain to go out and buy a box! If you like Chex Mix, then there is no doubt you will love these!

Besides the scrumptious Turtle, these come in the Chocolate Chunk flavor as well, which I don’t even have to explain to you because if you’re like me your mouth is already craving it! These aren’t priced too bad either – I found them at Wal-Mart, 6 in a box for $2.50.

So what are you waiting for, go order your sample!

Rating: (1-5)

© Hey, It's Free!™ LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Ryan "Goob" Eubanks for Hey, It's Free! as Freebie Review 33 – Turtle Chex Mix Bar. If you are reading this article on a website, then that site is guilty of copyright infringement.

Hi my favorite freebie friends! Welcome to another yummy freebie review, this time being a yummy little treat with a funny little name – free Bear Naked Fruit and Nuts granola.

This freebie was posted on September 17th and said it would come sometime in December. But as I opened the mail today, there it was! So hopefully if you ordered this sample when it was posted you will get yours soon too.

I was so excited and as I was sitting down to inspect the little bag I noticed something. One of the ingredients listed was COCONUT. I am deathly allergic to it, but why should that keep you from a review? And no, before you become concerned that I took one for the team and got all covered with hives while reviewing this, I didn’t! My stand in and friend Chloey is going to give us her thoughts on this freebie.

First of all the Fruit and Nut flavor came in about a cup serving little bag, snack pack as we freebie people know. The ingredients include whole grain oats, honey, almonds, raisins, cranberries, coconut, walnuts, pecans, maple syrup and oat bran. It smells really amazing, ah just to taste it.

As Chloey is inspecting each little piece with words like, ohhhhhh and ahhhhhhhh, I am like well? She says it’s very crunchy and sweetly drizzles in honey. It has a smooth peanutty flavor but it’s not over powering. Almost like trail mix – a little sticky but hey, licking your fingers makes it all the more fun! Choley then poured some on the yogurt and freaks out. “Oh my god! You have to try this!” she says. Um, yea…allergic…Well by the face she made when she was eating it and the sounds I never knew a person was supposed to make, I have come to the conclusion that your Bear Naked treat is going to hit the spot. And hey, it’s healthy for you!

It comes in 2 oz bags which makes it perfect for on the go or to throw in the kid’s lunch box. It’s price range isn’t bad either. I could not find it in my local stores, but on the site it sells for 12.99 per 12 packs with free shipping. Flavors include Heavenly Chocolate, Banana Nut and Peanut Butter. There are also hot cereals, trail mix and protein packs.

You can head on over to the site and pick up your free sample, just click this link and fill out your info! Hey, even Yogi and Boo Boo would like this!!

Rating (1-5):

© Hey, It's Free!™ LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Ryan "Goob" Eubanks for Hey, It's Free! as Freebie Review 32 – Bear Naked Fruit and Nuts. If you are reading this article on a website, then that site is guilty of copyright infringement.

EDIT: The original freebie is no longer available, but this freebie review is still a fun read

Hello all my wonderfully fabulous Freebie Friends! I hope the end of your October is going great! Since we are getting on to Halloween in a mere five days, I thought I would spare you another sugary product review. Now we know that too much chocolate or sugar is supposed to cause breakouts. Some people claim it doesn’t, but honestly, I’m gonna eat my chocolate either way. But if you care about your face, which I am hoping you do, you could try this free Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub cleanser. It’s an oil-free acne wash for your face and it’s a great freebie!

This freebie was up around August 20th, 2008 and mine came almost a month later in a little trial version 0.5 oz. So if you don’t like it, you’re not really losing that much. I love grapefruit to begin with though, so this is perfect. The thing I like about this is that when you go to smell it you don’t get the over powering smell of a cleaner. You get the smell of fruit, which is nice, especially if you’ve used some nasty smelling things in the past. So let’s give this a shot.

Early this morning, I tested this out. I set up my little recorder so I can tell you what is going on. First of all the directions say to wet face. Check. Next apply to hands and add water, work into lather. The cleanser itself is pinkish clear with little white scrubbies in it. It’s gel like, feels gritty but that is only the scubbies. I used about a dime size dollop of the gel. When rubbing it into my hands and applying it to my face, the grapefruit smell clearly starts intensifying. It smells amazing, just like I sliced open an actual grapefruit.

After my face is completely lathered up I move on to the next and final step, rinse thoroughly. Warm water is a go. Blot your face dry. Looking in the mirror I would have to say that it is a very refreshing scrub. My skin feels amazingly clean. There doesn’t feel like there is anything clogging up my pores like some scrubs make you feel. My skin doesn’t feel tight either, which is a very good thing. My skin feels totally soft, very very nice. Sitting here writing this 8 hours later, my face feels totally refreshed and soft.

I would definitely recommend this to a friend. My hands also have a feel of “oh my,” so your getting your face and hands for one! This freebie didn’t come with a coupon, which I know…I was cursing them. But just look for them in the Sunday coupons, we’re certain to get one sometime. I priced this at Wal-Mart and it was 6.99 for a 4.2 oz bottle. Now the free sample isn’t up anymore, but over on the Neutrogena site there are offers for 5$ off this and that so go have a look.

Rating (1-5):

© Hey, It's Free!™ LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Ryan "Goob" Eubanks for Hey, It's Free! as Freebie Review 31 – Neutrogena Face Wash. If you are reading this article on a website, then that site is guilty of copyright infringement.

Hi my Freebie Friends! I hope that many of you are very warm today, because here in PA, I am freezing!! I woke up this morning to a 29 degree, wind blowing, and mind numbing cold. It’s October and I usually don’t turn my heat on till November, but today I might have to. What a perfect day for a cup of coffee! I’m going to brew a pot of Seattle’s Best Coffee and use my new free Sun Crystals Sweetener to go with it.

Now in my house I don’t use regular sugar. We use Splenda in everything because my best friend who eats me out of house and home is a diabetic. Plus, it’s healthier for you. So seeing this freebie, I checked it out and saw that it was safe for diabetics to use and ordered my sample. That was on August 25th, 2008 and about 2 weeks later the sample showed up at my door. It came in a little tri-fold heavy paper envelope that contained 2 sample packs. Each sample pack is about a teaspoon. The good thing about this sugar is that it’s only 4 calories! The information included on the envelope says that it is made with raw cane sugar and a zero calorie erythritol sweetener. So far I am liking this. So let’s try it in the coffee!

I use one packet to begin with. I usually do 2 or 3 but let’s see. I put one packet in and stir. Oh my goodness, the taste! It tastes really amazing! I so don’t need the extra pack of it. It has a really crisp taste that regular sugar and Splenda doesn’t. It tastes very pleasant and has no after taste, which is a big worry. It’s not as sweet as sugar either which is a big plus with me. I hate having sugar be so sweet you feel like you need a teeth cleaning. The real test is trying to eat it with something… That is a very big difference in organic sugars. Grapefruit is the fruit of choice. I sprinkle some on a half of grapefruit and go in for the taste. Awesome!! I really can’t believe that this is not sugar. The taste will wow you. If something can make my grape fruit yummy worthy, well then that is the way to go.

Over all the experience of the free Sun Crystals is a great one. I like Splenda, but I think I may be changing my mind very soon and switching to this. Each box comes with 250 packets, but they can be kinda pricey though. I couldn’t find this at my local Wal-Mart, even though their site states you can buy it there. I finally found it at Target and it was 14.99. Sometimes the site offers coupons for 2 dollars off, but the it looks like that promotion is now over.

This is something I would buy and recommend though!

Rating (1-5):

© Hey, It's Free!™ LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Ryan "Goob" Eubanks for Hey, It's Free! as Freebie Review 30 – Sun Crystals Sweetener. If you are reading this article on a website, then that site is guilty of copyright infringement.

Hello Freebie Friends! Welcome to a fitting October freebie. Today I am reviewing the free Quaker Simple Harvest Chewy Bar for you. I ordered this freebie back on September 4th and it came on September 29th, not bad time at all. The flavor of the freebie was Cinnamon Brown Sugar with Apple and Cranberries, which is a long title for such a cute little bar!

The bar itself smells really cinnamony, which duh, I guess is the point or else it would be called something else. It’s mostly natural, which is really great, as it has oats, barley, and wheat in the ingredients. You can see the little cranberries flakes and oats as well. The bar is very chewy; it tastes very brown sugary, not over powering but that is the main flavor I am getting. The cranberries provide that little burst of WOW and while you’re trying to get over the fact that your going wow your nose is just like AHHH with the smell of goodness! I like that it’s not bland like some other bars. There’s nothing worse then a bar that turns out tasting like cardboard. Luckily nothing like that is going on here. Simple Harvest has always provided good stuff, but this…it reminds me of the oatmeal cookies my gram used to bake when I was little. I love how eating something can take you back!

This bar also comes in other flavors, namely: Maple Brown Sugar with Pecans, Apples with Cinnamon and Vanilla, Almond and Honey Bar. I would try any of these. The name Simple Harvest does not do this little bar justice.

My sample also came with a $1 off coupon and just so you don’t feel left out, oh my gosh, I have a link for the coupon for you! It’s a printer coupon, so make sure you have some paper loaded up.

These bars are not very expensive either. They are priced around $3 per box and with your dollar off, well…it just makes sense!!

Rating (1-5):

© Hey, It's Free!™ LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Ryan "Goob" Eubanks for Hey, It's Free! as Freebie Review 29 – Quaker Oats Simple Harvest. If you are reading this article on a website, then that site is guilty of copyright infringement.

This just wasn’t any tea though, it was a tea infuser. What is that you ask? What is the difference between that and a regular old Lipton tea bag? Let me explain. A tea bag makes one cup per time unless you make a pot in the coffee maker or on the stove. You don’t normally cover your coffee cup either. With a tea infuser, you steep it covered for about 10 minutes. It also makes about 3 cups of tea at one time. My infuser came in Berry Melange flavor. It’s nothing more then a little triangular mesh tea bag with itty bitty little holes in it. The little holes are meant for the flavor to escape, but not the components that make up the tea. So doing this review on my own, minus the amazing Choley, I went into the kitchen and put some water on for my yummy tea.

The ingredients for the Berry Melange tea include; Hibiscus, grapes, elderberries, black currents and blueberries. All which sound like they are going to make a rocking cup of tea.

As I am waiting for my water to boil, I decide I am going to make hot tea and iced tea. I don’t really like iced tea, but how do you know you won’t like something unless you try it, right? Water boiled, yea! It’s really true what they say about a watched pot never boiling. Anyway, it’s super simple to make the tea. Take your 6 ounces of water or ¾ of a cup and put your infuser in it…Cover it so it “steeps”. Give it about 10 minutes and your ready. Now since I am making both hot and iced teas, I’m splitting what I have. Half into my tea cup and the rest into another cup.

For the hot tea, add hot water to your steeped part, no matter what size your cup. Then add sugar, cream, or whatever else you might like. I didn’t add anything to mine. It smells very fruity but you can’t really pick out the fruit. Tasting it, wow that is some sweet tea, no sugar needed. I am not a fan of sweet tea and if you’re not I suggest adding a little more water to yours.

On to making the iced tea. Since I’m just making a cup or so of it, I used one of those plastic water bottles that I know we all seem to have. I added my steeped tea part and filled it with water the rest of the way. It’s a few hours later and into a glass it goes. Still fruity but not as sweet as the hot was. Abby even liked it. This is not something I would try again myself. But then you’re not me so why not give it a try!?

They are not taking taste club members anymore unless you buy a tea or coffee. (ed: Again, like before, if you sign up for a free account on their site, they will send you a sample whenever they get more in.) The teas are pretty reasonable in price. All the infusers are 15 dollars for 15 infusers. That’s a dollar a piece, so not bad at all. Other teas range in price from 25 dollars and under. They sell Green teas, Black teas, Flavored and on.

If you’re a tea lover this is the perfect thing for you or a loved one. To me, well this just wasn’t my cup of tea!

Rating (1-5) hot and cold:

© Hey, It's Free!™ LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Ryan "Goob" Eubanks for Hey, It's Free! as Freebie Review 28 – Apres Cafe Tea. If you are reading this article on a website, then that site is guilty of copyright infringement.

Hello my Crazy Freebie Friends!

Welcome to the latest freebie review, which will should call “yummy!” Because that is all I can say about this freebie. Read on my friends.

A few weeks ago I got a little post card in the mail from Après Teas and Coffees. I was like what? I don’t remember signing up for this. I went to my trusty hif freebie list and lo and behold, back on July 20th I did sign up for this taste club. Almost 3 months for a freebie makes it easy to forget. Okay, so the little card says “Your free samples will be on their way soon!” The next day, there was a box sitting on top of my mail box from Après.

So today we are reviewing Part 1, Organic Mexican Chiapas. I am splitting this in two for you because I noticed I tend to write long reviews sometimes. Besides, what I have to say about the coffee will leave you craving the tea!

Inside the house I opened the box to find not one, but TWO samples!! Woo hoo! The first one was a coffee called Organic Mexican Chiapas. The first two things I thought were “eww, organic” and “eww, Mexican, it has to be hot.” But I will try anything once so it was the coffee first. The coffee says it’s “medium body with a hint of nuttiness in the flavor”. We’re all a little nutty, so why not! Ok, the coffee is brewing and I’m calling my friend Choley over to taste test with me.

The coffee smells amazing as it is brewing. Like hazelnuts roasting. It’s done and it’s time for tasting. I pour myself a cup of black first to explore the taste. OH MY GOODNESS! This is organic? Where? It tastes like a little piece of heaven. Nutty with a smooth aroma. Bold with almost creamy undertones. After my first cup I go for the second, this time with a little half and half. Delicious! The half and half makes it taste (to me) like a crème Brule. This coffee doesn’t need sugar either. It’s not sweet, it’s just so pleasant that your content with your little (or big) cup of happiness. Choley can’t stop going “oh my” which is a good sign. I ask her, well what do you think?

Choley: Can you give me the website so I can order some of this?

Enough said. Right now the tasting club has been filled to the brim with costumers but you can still order coffee and tea. (ed: I’ve contacted the company to see if they’ll be offering any new samples soon. In the mean time, all you have to do is create a free account on their site and they’ll mail you a sample as soon as they get them in stock again.) Also if you order anything, you are automatically in the tasting club!

Now the coffee’s range in price from 15 dollars and under for a pound of coffee, but I would buy this. It makes a nice gift also. Enjoy your coffee! And I will meet up with you and I’m sure part 2 you will think of as your cup of tea!

Rating: (1-5)

© Hey, It's Free!™ LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Ryan "Goob" Eubanks for Hey, It's Free! as Freebie Review 27 – Apres Cafe Coffee. If you are reading this article on a website, then that site is guilty of copyright infringement.

Welcome to September my freebie friends! I hope your Labor Day was awesome. Mine, was okay. When your uncle threatens to deep fry your cousin, you know it’s going to be one of those kinds of days. What I didn’t like about Labor Day, NO MAIL! I know it’s a holiday and all, but really. So when I opened the mailbox the next day, I saw IT. Among the junk, ABC Soaps magazine and my phone bill, there it was a little box of freebie heaven. It is the sample of free Fiber One cereal: honey clusters flavor. If you recall awhile back I did a review of the Caramel Delight flavor, I have to tell you this is even yummier!

Ok, first of all this was a Wal-Mart freebie. I signed up for mine on July 13th, 2008. It came today, September 2. Two months… I really love Wal-Mart samples because they are always in the nice cardboard boxes, less crumbs!! So as I am opening the box that contains the little box of cereal, I get a surprise. There is a Fiber One Chewy Bar also!! It’s oats and chocolate and sounds yummy. I figure, hey….its a mid-day snack so lets sample! First up is the cereal. It’s about a cup serving. It contains little flat flakes and clusters. Smells really good, wheat like and sweet at the same time. Splash on a little milk and yum! It tastes like honey almost. Well, it’s in the ingredients so I guess it’s supposed to taste that way. Over all the cereal is good, it stays crunchy in milk and does not taste like cardboard, which on the box it states “Cardboard no. Delicious yes.” I have to say I agree. Sometimes things that you think won’t be good really are!

Now on to the chewy bar! Chocolate and oats! It smells amazing!! It’s a full size bar and is drizzled in chocolate. You can even see the little oats sticking out. It is very chewy and moist and has little chocolate chips in it. It reminds me of a chocolate rice crispy treat. Totally delicious.

Okay, now if you’re like me and eat both of them by now your feeling full. They make a great afternoon snack!!

Oh and get this, your going to get coupons for Fiber One products too!

- 50 cents off on a box of Chewy Bars (Oat and Chocolate or Oats and Strawberry’s with Almonds, Oats and Peanut Butter, Oats and Caramel or Oats and Apple Streusel)

- 75 cents off Fiber One Cereal (Original, Honey Clusters, Raisin Bran Clusters or Caramel Delight)

- 1.00 off Yoplait Fiber One yogurt (Strawberry, Strawberry Peach, Vanilla Peach, Vanilla Key Lime Pie)

- 1.00 off on Fiber One Toaster Pastries (Brown Sugar Cinnamon or Strawberry)

Why not sign up for your own free sample and enjoy chocolaty oat filled bliss like me? Click on the link below, fill out your info and in about 8 weeks enjoy!

And remember to always look for Fiber One freebies on hif!

Rating (1-5): Cereal –
Chewy Bar –

© Hey, It's Free!™ LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Ryan "Goob" Eubanks for Hey, It's Free! as Freebie Review 26 – Fiber One Cereal. If you are reading this article on a website, then that site is guilty of copyright infringement.

The product is called Explorer’s Bounty Coffee. (Goob: this freebie sporadically goes up and down.) I signed up for my sample around June 30th, 2008 and it came in the mail on August 1st. The sample they sent me is called “Expedition Inca, Light Peruvian.” It smells amazing…a little nutty with a little spicy thrown in. I have allergies so it might smell different to you! Upon making it, I invited my cousin Amanda and best friend Chloey over to sample it. Sitting down, I had my first cup without anything as not to take away from the coffee itself. Boy I’m glad I didn’t add anything. This flavor is way sweet! Like caramel sweet almost with a little nutmeg. It still has its spiciness but more of a nutty overtone. My coffee panel agreed that it was sweet and spicy also.

Making my second little cup to taste, I added a little cream and it made a difference. It was still sweet, but very mellow tasting. It isn’t strong either, I would say on the medium side. This coffee reminds me of those spring mornings where you have a hint of coolness in the air and the sun is shinning and everything smells very new…lol… This is definitely a good coffee. It falls behind my other favorites but its something I would have again.

This is an organic coffee by the way. You can get it in ground or whole bean and do it up yourself. I checked some local stores, Target and Wal-Mart and they don’t carry it. But some organic shops did, so you might have to shop around or just head over to the website! I have link for you. Click on products and your good to go.

This freebie has long since died on hif and is hanging out in the grave yard (Goob: see edit above.) but if it comes to life again as many do, you will always find it posted up on the forums in the freebies section!

Rating (1-5)

© Hey, It's Free!™ LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Ryan "Goob" Eubanks for Hey, It's Free! as Freebie Review 25 – Explorer’s Bounty Coffee. If you are reading this article on a website, then that site is guilty of copyright infringement.

My Dear Freebie Friends,

Hello!! I hope everyone is doing okay! I have a treat for you today. My little sister Abby has once again put together her own version of a freebie review for you. I will get to that in a minute, but wait you probably are thinking, I forgot to tell you what we are reviewing!! We are having our cake and eating it too with a review on these free Betty Crocker Warm Delights Minis. I signed up for these in late May and my sample arrived on June 25th, 2008. Then about a week ago I received a second one…YEA!

I got received the Molten Lava Cake flavor. The directions are easy. Empty your little bag of cake mix into the bowl. Add 1 Tablespoon and 1 Teaspoon water, stir and finally add whatever flavor gel icing/chocolate they include. Microwave for 30 seconds and you have a bowl of warm happiness. People, we have so been missing something. What follows is Abby’s add on review and you are going to love it!! *all spelling mistakes were kept the way Abby wrote it*

Homemade Warm Delight
By
Abby

So hi people of the freebies! It’s Abby and boy do I have something to tell you. We have those warm mini delight things and as good as they are, I have something your gonna love even better! After eating my warm mini delights I kept wondering if you could put boxed cake mix in the bowl and make your own. I used to make all my stuff in my easy bake oven but it got recalled so I don’t have it no more. I am not allowed to use the oven cause I’m little so I thought I would figure this out microwave style.

I kept the directions from the last WMD that we had and tonight when Shannie wasn’t paying attention to anything but Michael Phelps stuff I made chocolate cake! Okay this is what you do. Any boxed cake works. We had a Dunkin Hines one, chocolate. (make sure you put your extra cake mix in a tuperware bowl) I got one of the little black bowls and messured out 3 Tablespoons of cake batter and 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of water out. I put it in the bowl and stirred it. I put it in the microwave for 30 seconds and prayed nothing would burn, burst and fry. Thirty seconds later I prayed for the best and opened the microwave.

OH MY DEAR GOODNESS! It worked. I had chocolate cake. Okay, do you know how many little cakes you can make with a box of cake mix? LOTS! Hif people, the simple message in my review is this, EAT CAKE AND LOTS OF IT! Take my word, this honest truelly worked. Shannie didn’t believe me until she came in and I showed her. She said that I was awesome, (well duh). So have fun and let Shannie know how you like your cake. (You can’t let me know cause I’m not allowed to talk on hif)
Bye!

–

There you have it and yes, I saw it with my own eyes. You can make a Warm Mini Delight with regular cake mix. Just follow the directions of what Abby told you or your Mini Delights directions. If however though you want to be lazy and buy your warm Mini Delight, well you can find them at Wal-Mart of your local grocery store for around 1.99 each and you get 2! Watch HIF for the next time these come up as a freebie and in the mean time, enjoy the free Betty Crocker Warm Delights Minis!

Rating (1-5)

© Hey, It's Free!™ LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Ryan "Goob" Eubanks for Hey, It's Free! as Freebie Review 24 – Warm Delights Mini. If you are reading this article on a website, then that site is guilty of copyright infringement.

Haha, it was actually pretty fun making the costumes. We scrounged up some old clothes we were going to give away, drew and colored in the spots, and then fiddled around with some ears / horns. My mom mentioned we should glue on some udders, which was a great idea, but a word of caution: super glue eats right through cotton and burn the heck of your chest

We rocked up to the joint half mooing and half laughing. Most of the workers in the back came out to see us and we found out later that we had by far dressed up more than anybody else that day. While eating, one lady drove through the drive-thru and died laughing when she saw us. She ended up circling around to take a photo of us with her cameraphone!

We both got our full combo meal for free and just in case you’re wondering, I went with the chicken wrap and it was freaking awesome. We stayed there for about 15 minutes to eat and during that time, at least six or seven more people came in for some free food. Most just had on a white t-shirt with spots, but that was enough to get them a free chicken sandwich, which isn’t bad!

Afterwords, we drove by the local mall since there’s another Chick-Fil-A inside, but sadly it was already closed. After that little letdown, we swung by 7-11 for our free “dessert” Slurpee and had to explain more than once why we were dressed like cows. A chicken farmer stopped us when he saw our “Eat Mor Chikin” signs but he didn’t quite understand the whole concept of freebies or HIF.

I saved my outfit and already plan on adding a few things to it for next year: a full mask, a tail, some fake grass to chew, and a cowbell! We took a ton of photos, but unfortunately most of them were blurry. Anybody interested in seeing the good ones thought can check out the HIF flickr page I just set up.

So hooray for a day full of freebies, goofiness, and a little creativity! Did anybody else participate in this? Share your story in the comments!

© Hey, It's Free!™ LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Ryan "Goob" Eubanks for Hey, It's Free! as Freebie Review 23 – Dress Like A Cow. If you are reading this article on a website, then that site is guilty of copyright infringement.

Well friends, hello! It’s well into the second week of a hot start to June for me here in PA. (Goob: oops, I took a while to post this!) Suffering 93 degree days already where the opening of my door to retrieve the mail leaves a person needing a shower…its so much fun! Going out in this kind of heat requires being frozen in ice if it lasts that long and the age old ritual of frying an egg on the sidewalk just to prove it works takes place. No matter how hot the day though, freebies are the main mail objective for the day. When I’m home I wait for the clang of the mailbox lid. So as I find my unreliable mail lady wobbling down my side walk, arm full of freebies making her day oh soooooo hard, I laugh. I wait for her to read each piece of mail hating me more and more because of my obsession. Bringing in the mail I see my next freebie review.

Seattle’s Best Coffee is the choice review today. It was posted as a freebie on March 20th, 2008. I signed up for it then and received it on May 5th, 2008. About a month and a half wait, but you know with freebies…..you must be patient!! Why you ask, are we drinking a hot beverage on a 93 degree day? Truth be known a hot drink actually cools down the body, don’t believe me? Look it up… Bring on the java!

The little pouch of coffee I decided was perfect for one pot. I like it strong, lol. It smelled amazing as it was brewing. I always add a little cream and sugar with mine and the result was YUMMY! It had a nice smooth intense taste. Roasted and sweet but not so sweet you couldn’t handle it. It was bold and nutty without being overly strong and overbearing. A great coffee find I would most definitely buy in the stores.

Speaking of the store, where can you buy this you ask? You know I love Wal-Mart, so you can get it there for about 7.57$ and that is for a ground bag of the yummy java. That isn’t bad because most coffees like that (Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks) are around the same price. And my free sample came with a dollar off coupon, so that helps.

I would most definitely recommend this coffee and lucky for you, this freebie is still available.

Flavors available are Henry’s Blend and Seattle’s Best Blend. Sorry, Vanilla Bean is no long a free sample. Just fill out your info and you’re done. And remember, “If it’s free, it’s for me”!

Happy day people!

Rating (1-5)

© Hey, It's Free!™ LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Ryan "Goob" Eubanks for Hey, It's Free! as Freebie Review 22 – Seattle’s Best Coffee. If you are reading this article on a website, then that site is guilty of copyright infringement.

Happy Day Everyone. Hope your Memorial Day was awesome! ( I know I’m late with that sorry!)

Welcome to the latest freebie review, Emergen-C Pink Lemonade. (Goob edit: see link below for info on still getting a free sample!) This freebie was posted back on April 29th. I signed up for it then, they said it would take 4 weeks and I got mine on May 27th. Just about a month, a freebie that was actually on time! This was a Wal–Mart freebie and it came in the standard white Wal-Mart envelope and included 2 packets of the pink stuff. If you don’t know what Emergen-C is, well it’s a great little energy boost of B vitamins and electrolytes and stuff. It claims to be a “Super Energy Booster” on the front of the packet. I have had the tangerine kind before but this was going to be a challenge. Something pink that looks like pepto bismol….

Okay, so the directions say to use 4-6 oz of water, got it… Opening the packet, the powder is white with a light pink tint.…smells like lemonade. Into the water, its turning pink, smells good. It reminds me of the color of crystal light pink lemonade. On the packet it says “Fizzy” but it didn’t fizz much. Tasting it, it seems very weak. It really doesn’t have any taste to me. It tastes like watered down lemonade. Now I have never had this flavor but I know the tangerine kind was really powerful. This is disappointing. I finished it and I feel more sick then boosted. I know that it leaves your mouth feeling dry, well it did to me anyway. It also has a very sweet nasty aftertaste.

You may like this, I would say give it a try… as my mother used to say, “how do you know you don’t like it unless you try it”.

As always you can find this and every other kind of Emergen-C at your local Wal-Mart. The flavors including the Lemonade are, Raspberry, Tropical, Tangerine, Lemon Lime, and Super Orange. There is also a joint health brand in Tangerine, and a lite kind. Priced at Wal-Mart, it’s a box or 36 packets for 7.99$. I personally wouldn’t buy these, but that is just me.

The free samples from Wal-Mart are over with but not to worry, I have you covered. On their site there is a form where you can send a sample to a friend and yourself. Click the “SHARE THE GOOD” bubble and just fill out the form and make sure you check the little box on the bottom right and your all set!

rating (1-5)

© Hey, It's Free!™ LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Ryan "Goob" Eubanks for Hey, It's Free! as Freebie Review 21 – Emergen-C. If you are reading this article on a website, then that site is guilty of copyright infringement.

Anyway, I’m here to give you my first freebie review of the month. Today we are reviewing a very very old freebie, Crayola Twistables. This was posted way back in the beginning of 2007. We received ours in March I believe. I shouldn’t say us, Abby received them. Awhile back I was talking to Goob and I mentioned that she had gotten a bunch more of these in the past weeks, so he said I should let her review them and then just edit it into a review. So what you are getting is a mix of 2 reviews, Abby’s being first followed by mine. Enjoy!

- – - –

So guess what I got these really cool color pencils in the mail. It’s a freebie from the site hey its free.They are called Crayola twistables. Shannie told me mr goob said I could write this so now here it is. These pencils rock. They are in a plastic shell almost like a pen, they never ever need sharpening and you twist them, that’s the whole twistable part. You twist the bottom and up comes your pencil. When I first got the freebie it was red and blue ones, like 20 of each. A few weeks later Shannie bought me a pack of them, there were all the colors of the rainbow included. Then last month a big pack of them came from the ups man. There are 30 in them and I didn’t even sign up for anything, how cooley awesome is that? I think everyone should own these color pencil cause they rock and because I said!

Loves,
Abby

- – - –

Okay so in reading that if it confused you at all, I’m sorry. Let me clear some things up. We did receive the initial 2 colors of blue and red. The colored pencils are great, they color smooth (yes I have colored with them) and there is no mess to clean up from little hands sharpening pencils. And if you have really little kids, they wipe off of walls easily too. The pencils are non toxic so no worries about anyone (kids and animals) eating them. Not the I recommend that. Since the color part is encased in plastic there is also less breakage, I know around here you can find snapped in half colored pencils everywhere. The plastic of the pencil itself is color coded on the ends to whatever color the pencil is and it’s clear looking in the middle, you can see the pencil part inside which around here is like magic, as I’m told.

These pencils last much longer then the regular have to sharpen pencils. Your not wasting time on a little pencil sharpening away its outside for the inside. After we received the red and blue ones I found the 12 pack at Wal-Mart. Colors included were your regulars; blue, red, yellow, black, brown, green and orange. There were also a few added blues, lighter and darker and the same for the greens, making them a set of 12. Last month UPS delivered a package for Miss Abby and it was a 30 pack of the pencils. You would think it was Christmas. I have no idea how that came about seeing as I didn’t sign up for anything after the first time. If anyone else has received these, please comment about it.

Pricing the pencils is easy. Wal-Mart is the store of choice. The 12 pack is gonna run you around 4$ and the 30 pack around 8$. I think the prices are right since your not going to go through these as quickly. A very good buy. If you have kids, you have to have these!! These now come in erasable and number 2 pencils. The link for the free ones has long been dead but someone will post Crayola freebies when they come around. For now, to see what I am talking about check out this link!

Rating (1-5):

© Hey, It's Free!™ LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Ryan "Goob" Eubanks for Hey, It's Free! as Freebie Review 20 – Crayola Twistables. If you are reading this article on a website, then that site is guilty of copyright infringement.