Be Careful with "FREE" Online Rewards!

Go to privacy.com/ple... to get $5 free money! Seriously!
I ran into a KZbin video saying I could win a FREE Dr Pepper fridge if I answered a few questions. Well....it wasn't that easy! Here's my adventure with uplevelrewards.

[@joonglegamer9898]

A crisp and clear warning sign to just walk away when offered something "free" is when they ask you for your credit card.

[@valuecalc]

Those sleazy scammers will do anything to get your data.

[@rCiuuuu69]

Free=No credit card

[@ashlolol5557]

“This is free but how will you pay?”

[@minties51]

i was about to sign up for a free trial for something the other day when i was given a prompt for my card number. after seeing all the memes about this stuff, i closed the tab right away. it’s not free if you give them your card number

[@genericskimaskrapper7268]

I once put my mom's credit card information into a website that asked for it because of a mini Lay's bag. Never knew what happened next

[@Jynxx_13]

The whole point was to get you to buy a $10 fridge for $29 that you were only interested in because it was free. Good Job

[@serb619]

29 bucks for a fridge sounds pretty good

[@gamingwithcallum6087]

Love your profile picture by the way. Is it from The Wall by Pink Floyd?

[@pubeman]

@@serb619 chances of the average user being able to remember then subsequently easily cancel all the services they signed up are pretty slim. Unless you use a virtual card like he mentions, before you know it you'll be balls deep in useless subscriptions.

[@matheusjahnke8643]

Imagine if someone automated that "(fake reward) crawling" Bonus points if it automatized chargebacks so the person doesn't lose their money, but the business do (and risk getting fined and have their bank accounts closed)

[@stefanfrankel8157]

Actually, they are $38 at Amazon. $30 at Walmart. Frigidaire brand at Home Depot, $27.

[@christianhudspeth3338]

Remember this. These rewards companies are using the info you give them and selling it to companies so they're making a profit off of you wasting time. It's a legit scam no matter how many people say it isnt.

[@valuecalc]

christian, how is a scam "legit," anyway?

[@christianhudspeth3338]

@@valuecalc ??? Read my comment again buddy. Read and maybe think about what I said a little harder too.

[@Theunicorn2012]

Remember this. These rewards companies are using the info you give them and selling it to companies so they're making a profit off of you wasting time. It's a legit scam no matter how many people say it isnt.

[@GL-RTA_SOR]

​@@valuecalc1. it's an oxymoron and 2. saying so is an amplification of calling it a scam (and in so doing, self verify that it is, indeed, truly a scam) in colloquial English. By speaking colloquially, which is a manner of speaking which does not need to be precisely grammatically correct so long as the message is understandable by the target audience

[@SlimThrull]

If you want to fight this (and I think you should), take them to small claims court. As a caveat, this will probably cost you $20 in court fees and an hour filling out forms and taking the the clerk's office. The trick here is to ask for damages of around $200. Small enough so that they don't bother fighting it but large enough so you get your money back AND then a little. You could also contact the FTC, but they are unlikely to do anything about it.

[@HackerActivist]

Not if it's international

[@SlimThrull]

@@HackerActivist True. It will only work within the US.

[@bluetheta]

Normally it would work but since they are international all it'll do is just create a "record of claims" which is not enforceable under international law. That why I want a law the would enforce a KYC (Know Your Customer) to obtain a U.S. telephone number. Someone needs to be chargeable for wrongdoing, preferable executives.

[@Laluan]

This is so American

[@Puggy42069]

That’s if they actually get served the papers and don’t ignore the serving.

[@zimfan101]

I guess the seller on Amazon saw your video because the fridge is now $39! You've created a scarcity of Dr. Pepper mini fridges!!!

[@PleasantGreen]

Haha!

[@darrengordon-hill]

Smart businessmen these scammers...

[@KillahEU]

Plot twist, the guy who sells the Dr. Pepper mini fridges on Amazon is the friend of the channel who gave Ben the video that lead to all of this in the first place.

[@madizzle90]

Reminds me of when I was in college and had to buy book for my English class. My professor discovered that when the seller learned that their book was being bought for classes, he/she jacked up the price to something like $350 each.

[@georgeyreynolds]

Apparently 'Haha!' translated to English by Google is 'Lol!' What is going on here?😂🤔

[@mattanonymous7063]

I have always wondered what actually happens if you complete one of these scams to the maximum level. Props to you for easing my curiosity!

[@Theunicorn2012]

I have always wondered what actually happens if you complete one of these scams to be maximum level. Props to you for easing my curiosity!

[@233j]

@@Theunicorn2012 I have always wondered what actually happens if you complete one of these scams to be maximum level. Props to you for easing my curiosity!

[@edwardelric4975]

As a kid I learned this lesson trying to get "free" premium currency in browser games. Some of the survey ones worked, but the vast majority of them were designed to make you give up. I'm glad I watched this. Now I know for sure that some madlad actually jumped through all the hoops to see if it was even legit.

[@CooltasticOG]

What's the anime on your profile

[@captainprice3368]

@@CooltasticOG full metal alchemist

[@scuffedjays3862]

yup! kids who grew up in the 2000s and 2010s trying to get free currency know all about this BS.

[@Cruzer871]

I thought I was the only one 💀

[@channelunknown5060]

Yeah, the rewards for My singing Monsters is absolute BS. There was once a Minecraft quiz, and one of the questions didn’t even have the right answer attached to it.

[@jontibloom6125]

As someone wiser than me once said "Free can often be very expensive"

[@mq5731]

A wise saying indeed

[@Theunicorn2012]

As someone wiser than me once said "Free can often be very expensive"

[@shawnn6926]

I almost fell for the same thing about 5 years ago. Heard a commercial on the radio for something (I forget what it was now) but I went to their website and was hit with "optional buys" to obtain my item just like you. I didn't go any farther.

[@VirtualBilly]

I’ve got a Dr. Pepper theme in my kitchen, so I actually bought this thing on purpose from Amazon. I never really expected it to cool anything because it’s obviously one of those shitty “camping” fridges that doesn’t actually work, but I was disappointed when the cheap plastic handle broke the very first time I opened the door. Still, nothing a little super glue couldn’t fix, and it goes well with the theme. It’s a $29 decoration, nothing more.

[@mycitysucks8096]

That's funny because I have one that matches the colors in my kitchen and until I saw your comment, I never used it once. Now I'll put it in the kitchen somewhere as a decoration 😂 thx

[@isaacsrandomvideos667]

I want to see that kitchen!

[@garlottos]

The Amazon page says 'freon-free' and 'eco-friendly', so you know it can't be a good fridge

[@TroyFoxxin]

Really those fridges are just not well insulated, to begin with. As you stated about your handle which sucks to hear. But yeah flimsy plastic. The main issue is they also stick the crappest Peltier device (which is what used to provide the cooling.) in the thing likely not using really any proper thermal transfer compound on the heat sinks so it never really can reach its max and is wasting energy. They always just end up burning out in like a month if your lucky with daily use and if you get a halfway decent one. The sad thing is, even if they put a proper Peltier device in them, it would really jack up the cost of the fridge, and second. really unless you're running it off a solar and powerful enough battery bank system to last overnight into the day, and recharge before sunset while still powering the fridge. They really aren't eco-friendly at all. They are really not efficient with power at all when used in this fashion. They are more suited when used as little generators when heat is applied to them, but even then they are pretty piss poor at that too. But in a pinch with a camp fire could maybe charge a cell phone with one. lol

[@zxyatiywariii8]

I lucked out getting my mom's mini "college fridge" from the 1980s. It still works great; and ironically, the company had asked if she wanted insurance for an annual fee ($10 she thinks it was) which would've ended up costing more than the fridge!😆 And my BF's kitchen fridge is older than everyone in the family and still works perfectly. Some of these vintage fridges really are better (and cheaper!) than new. . . And definitely durable!

[@CaseyDplays]

As a claw machine game lover I can assure "most" claw machines aren't nearly as bad as getting that fridge was.

[@njalsand133]

At least you can see what is in the machine

[@zxyatiywariii8]

@@njalsand133 Exactly!

[@FermentingSoysauce]

True, claw machines in japan are a lot better than the ones in the west. Although I have been good enough to win consistently in japan, it's nothing in usa because the claws are way too weak compared to what I'm used to. They're extremely fun if you know how to play properly, but some are scams too.

[@phydeux]

The problem with claw machines is that they're built out of cheap parts and assembled poorly so they won't get a good grip. I used to manage an arcade and I had to rebuild my claw machine to make it more fair. A stronger solenoid for the claw, tighter rivets on the joints, Loctite on the housing so the screws wouldn't wiggle loose, beefier capacitors on the power board, and less play in the joystick switches. It was still profitable, but at least you stood a chance of getting the best items in the pile.

[@mangotail6808]

True, at least claw machines dont tell you, that ,,you have already won a price 24 months, so you dont qualify to win,,

[@pensacolian211]

They had some Coca-Cola themed fridges like this at Walmart a few months back, and with me being a lifelong Coca-Cola addict I really wanted to get one. It cost $30, so I suspected that it probably wouldn't cool drinks to a level that I would consider satisfactory, and on top of that I didn't really have anywhere to put it either, so I ultimately passed on getting one.

[@PhilLesh69]

I bought an unbranded version of this fridge at CVS for around $19 or $29 way back in 2004. It came with an AC cord and a car 12volt DC cord to use in a car or rv, etc. It uses a Peltier device to create heat or cold. (Technically by reversing the current this thing supposedly can warm up or keep items warm, but it does that as well as it cools items) I think at best this could be considered more like a cooler that doesn't need ice. But it won't chill water or anything, it might keep it cold a little longer though.

[@gooddogtrainingservices5351]

That’s not how that works. Ac also is not polarized it moves back and forth.

[@jcrowley1985]

So basically get a real minifridge at home depot for less than $100 and slap a Dr pepper decal on it if that's what you want

[@nikkimcdonald4562]

These are thermoelectric coolers. I have a cheap Wal-Mart one that cools very well.

[@GameNetTrailers]

Not true i got a $30 mini fridge from walmart and it actually works really well, makes me drinks really cold.

[@bassblaster505]

@@gooddogtrainingservices5351 Your wrong, that is how it works. There's a DC power supply inside of the fridge and a slider witch will reverse the polarity to the Peltier. the AC only powers the power supply inside

[@unstoppableExodia]

The funniest part for me is the last couple of days I’ve been seeing a sponsored video for how to get a Coca Cola fridge for free. I just ignored it because nobody would be paying to boost a video like that to supposedly give something cool away for free if there wasn’t something in it for them. This video confirmed that and did so in an entertaining way. And the sponsorship integration was tight. It was something that would be useful for exploiting free or cheap trial offers and it the service itself was crucial to the video itself. The fact that he got paid to promote the company offering the service doesn’t bother me. Probably the first time in ages I couldn’t skip past the ad

[@Mviews-hb4ib]

Same her 6 months after you

[@iamjoebuddah]

This reminds me of the affiliate rewards programs of the early 2000s. Except with crappy rewards. Back then they were 24" led monitors and iPhones.

[@JBKiser]

Great video. I work at a call center in the fraud department of a credit card company. 1/2 the calls are people who didn't know that they signed up for a trial. This is definitely an underhanded practice and unfortunately it's also probably really profitable.

[@PleasantGreen]

Yikes!

[@JBKiser]

@@PleasantGreen Ha wow I have never once ever gotten a reply from a video creator before. Kinda neat.

[@PleasantGreen]

@@JBKiser have a great weekend!

[@JBKiser]

@@PleasantGreen Also, I just deleted them, but that video with the sponsor for the plot of land or whatever? You know the one. I left some mean spirited comments and I know you either didn't see them or didn't get bothered by them, but anyway just wanted to apologize. I was kinda going through something and just was in a bad mood to say the least, but that isn't a reason to be mean. So anyway, for what it's worth, I do apologize and really appreciate what you do. Just wanted to say that. Thanks.

[@itszoe2913]

Unrelated but Jesus loves you Have an amazing day

[@xientau9028]

One of the most important lessons my father ever taught me: "There's no such thing as a 'free lunch', there is ALWAYS some fine print to it."

[@chicofromph33nix64]

If the product is free, then you're the product...

[@arcrides6841]

Agreed. No free lunch. Certainly no free fridge ❌

[@nolives]

Ive bought people free lunch before though?

[@arcrides6841]

@@nolives lol that's actually really good

[@foxxfurrz]

Actually thats not how the theory goes. If you get a "free lunch" is it truly free when people work to make the lunch? Or if someone bought it for you, they paid for it with their money. That although you are getting something supposedly free, in the end someone ends up paying with their labor or their own money. So is it ever truly free then? No. TINSTAAFL

[@benjaminjwilson6694]

You are the first and only person to be sponsored by something I could see myself using and signing up with your code.

[@God_of_Poets]

I love this channel. Since being retired, scamming scammers has become my part time job. It’s soooo much fun messing with a scammer!!

[@zxyatiywariii8]

Awesome! 👍

[@cannedcan9788]

You're awesome, I hope I'm also this cool by the time I retire

[@RCichard]

Wow, i watch a ton of videos with sponsors.... but your Privacy add was by far the most valuable one I've ever seen! I'm going to sign up, seems like a great way to protect your account info on websites that dont accept paypal - and god knows i love odd niche items from small boutique sellers lol. Thanks for sharing, since you recommend it - i trust it a ton more then anything else floating out there. Keep up the killer videos man!!

[@premierlitnant1570]

I was always taught that nothing is free. And because of that knowledge, I can probably say I have never been scammed.

[@Nexalian_Gamer]

Unless you dumpster dive. I've found probably over $2000 worth of free stuff from going my neighbor's trash piles during bulk pickup day, and from going through random dumpsters around the city

[@lambdalambdalambda257]

Finally somebody covers this. The worst part is KZbin doesn't GAF and keeps pushing them as ADs

[@flakietrends]

i find it so funny that i legit have this same fridge next to me while watching this.

[@nightmareking7122]

Hi

[@larryscarr3897]

Wall Mart 25 bucks..

[@TheTallOne890]

I'm curious how cold does it get a can of soda and how energy efficient is it (more or less energy used then a xbox

[@ToxicFruitSnack]

Hi

[@westcoast2372]

@@TheTallOne890 it only holds six cans but those six cans stay cold 24/7 and can chill them even faster than a normal fridge, i have two mini fridges

[@bozzrobin]

This is next level sponsor advertising! Not only advertising it but also use it for good reason. Well played.

[@ScammerPayback]

Good stuff man, 1 million soon!

[@PleasantGreen]

We’ll have a party when I get there! 🎉

[@raz0229]

@@TomGeek1980 Did you complete at least 3 premium surveys though?

[@englishwithme9922]

@@PleasantGreen any updates on chickrita

[@Phantom_Deluxe7]

5 reply?

[@J_Lynn]

@@englishwithme9922 ... the pokemon?

[@tagsby81]

I spent HOURS doing this sort of website when I was in high school, but you got "points" instead you could convert into a visa gift card. After 7-8 hours of surveys in my spare time I finally had enough for a $10 gift card, went to redeem and got an email saying my account violated the terms and conditions

[@patcam8652]

I've actually had one of those survey things work before, it worked twice before I gave up because I realised the time I spent answering questions wasn't worth the money.

[@shybzrk]

@@patcam8652 There are a lo of legit survey sites and a lot of scam survey sites. The legit ones pay so little it's not even close to worth it imo

[@polocatfan]

I did this once and got a family guy DVD with the $1 amazon credit.

[@AlexCS8]

@@shybzrk Exactly they pay is so little and the questions are endless simply not worth it, this reminds me of that time i was a broke college student.

[@Mizai]

i did surveys and got like 3 $10 amazon giftcards a week but it takes too much effort

[@KomboEzaliTe]

If someone is giving any product for free, YOU are the product.

[@jrzgrl73]

Donate the books to an early childhood education center, LOCAL CHURCH OR FOOD PANTRY! The workers usually know how to get them to someone who could use them! Love your work. Started to fall for this with the we'll send you a box of clothes to review and then the series of questions started.. I quit right away, because it felt wrong. Clicked around found the *super fine print and was one of these chain schemes.

[@MsZsc]

dunno if those books are quality

[@maysmith4906]

@@MsZsc Mark the Shark is one I've read at school. :)

[@dannsthamann195]

@@maysmith4906 same

[@lukeisapanini]

I came across this scam a few months ago for a Coca Cola Mini Fridge - being a Coca Cola enjoyer I decided to go for it. Noped out the moment I saw the "Deals", I had a thought it was sketchy but that just confirmed my suspicions. Great Video Ben! EDIT: Some advice means so I got so many likes 😂 anything that asks you to do a deal or survey is 100% a scam, I learnt that at the ripe old age of 13 trying to get MineCraft for free 😂

[@verlax8956]

There are four levels of Coke Balls: 1 - Coca Cola enjoyer 2 - Coca Cola enthusiast 3 - Coca Cola connoisseur 4 - Coca Cola licker i am level 4 i am a god compared to you ahah ha hah hah ah a hah ha hah ha ha hahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaavhahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaahahhahhaa

[@itszoe2913]

Unrelated but Jesus loves you Have an amazing day

[@itszoe2913]

@@verlax8956 Unrelated but Jesus loves you Have an amazing day

[@dralenvan]

@@verlax8956 Unrelated but I DONT WANT TO DRINK THE FIZZY DRINK I DONT WANT TO DRINK THE FIZZY DRINK NO CORNSYRUP NO CORNSYRUP PLEASE LET ME GO

[@waqasahmed939]

Back in the 90s, when I was a kid, I filled out all sorts of stuff with bogus information in the hopes of getting a free laptop / similar devices I has the correct shipping details but I thankfully didn't have any credit card details available

[@momothebug]

Thank you for donating to Save the Children, it's an amazing organisation. I volunteer for STC and support them wholeheartedly. They do amazing work. It's nice to see you at least put your money into good places.

[@emmestein]

Unfortunately I think the scam website took everything but a few cents at best.

[@momothebug]

@@emmestein I don't think so, I believe they do take a referral cut but it directs to the STC website. I believe that it works the same as, say, an amazon affiliate link.

[@emmestein]

@@momothebug Let's hope so! :)

[@GicN]

@@momothebug I hope that you are right. But remember they can easily copy paste the whole website with logo’s and everything. And then redirect the button to pay to some of their own payment information. I don’t hope this is true but I believe if the can make 20 bucks a reward for it they will do it.

[@B.H.56]

Thanks for the info. I made the same discovery about 20 years ago - the surveys/questions/offers NEVER end. They count on you giving up.

[@zxyatiywariii8]

Exactly, and they know by the time you give up, they've mined a lot of data.

[@Stretch1931]

I've used Privacy for years. Greatest thing for online transactions. You never give your real account info, and can pause/unpause as needed. Burner option is also great. Also allows you to set a max per period of time you specify. So if your monthly electric is a given amount, you set the threshold, and no one can take it and drain your bank account.

[@adamguymon7096]

One of the things is that they got you suckered into selecting all of these offers and as you did that counted towards your getting something from them. The other thing is that if you would have selected the platinum package at first I wonder if you would have had different results? I wonder if they considered the offers that you selected as you accepting a prize?

[@hughejass9461]

I always wondered about these free offers. I keep seeing one for a free tactical backpack that after watching your videos assume it's a scam. Thanks for taking the hit so we don't have to.

[@BeetleBuns]

I keep seeing one for a free pack of lures, I went to the site because the company is actually real and sells lures, but they want you to pay an insane shipping price that equals what you would pay for the lures anyway... needless to say I'm not buying from them again out of principle, even though their lures actually catch fish. It's just scummy business practices.

[@nathansavage8692]

I followed one of these through once, hoping it would end with a "delivery payment" scam. I was hoping that i would be able to abuse it by feeding it a few thousand fake cards and having the scammers foot the bill.

[@PorkyMinch]

Claw machines are less scam. They can be good or bad, but at least you know you can likely win something but this is so evil

[@quitaquita79]

Thanks for doing this video as I work for State Farm and we get what is called leads, people who supposedly are wanting a quote on auto insurance, and a lot of these people ask us how do we even get their phone number. I'm glad that Geico part popped up because this is how I think they're grabbing the customers information. This is something very valid and I'm going to show this to my colleagues to show how they are getting customers information. Thanks for the videos and keep them coming🧡

[@DecrepitBiden]

Also contests like a free car at the mall, where you fill out your info, drop it in a box.

[@quitaquita79]

@@DecrepitBiden yes that's another one

[@zxyatiywariii8]

I always thought some legit businesses were getting contact info from people who don't have any interest in whatever they're selling. It's unfortunate, because these callers really think these are legit leads, and I'm sure a lot of them get screamed at by customers who think these callers are scammers when the callers really didn't know.

[@Chunkuns]

Having worked for State Farm, most "cheap insurance" companies sell customer information to advertising companies, which end up being bought by both State Farm and Farmers to name a few, thats also why you get notifications for "This customer is shopping around for insurance"

[@pf4773]

Fantastic video!!! Thanks so much for your patience and good humor. By the way, to make this even worse, as you are aware, by donating to these charities listed on the website people are probably paying a huge commission not to the charity but to the scammer---far better to pay the charity directly (of course you know that :) ). Thanks again for a great informative warning to us to not be so gullible.

[@ImSafeonSite]

In grocery store yiu see those little tables and people selling you on buying a 100$ massage, or dinner for 2, or donating to children... the money goes to the Marketing company.

[@PleasantGreen]

Yep. Exactly. Learn from my experience!

[@Jinx-z2g]

@@PleasantGreen I made the same mistake

[@kneefreedom817]

Never seen this type before

[@Mara.La888]

@@kneefreedom817 There are soooo many like this, have been around for a couple of years - at least in THE UK

[@TheAaronmcmahon11]

Love your attitude and comments in the video. This was fun to watch.

[@Tablesaw818]

I can’t imagine life without privacy now. It’s such a good service!

[@ArmoredCricket]

All the subscriptions aside, your time has value. Even at $10 an hour, the 3 hours you spent could have bought this fridge. Be just as aware of how you spend your time as you do your money.

[@theendofit]

Whats crazy is that fridge was being sold for $5-10 at walmart for a few years

[@AxeGaijin]

My grandfather used to say; "Nothing in life is going to be free, if someone offers to give you something for free, there will be strings attached, maybe not now, but later." I'm nearly 50 and he's been dead for over 25 years but I still live by that, nothing is ever free.

[@cosmicsvids]

That is true for the most part legally but if you pirate things such as games they are free since you can play the full thing with out paying it.

[@ticketyboo2456]

@@cosmicsvids Yes but that's just theft. You could say shoplifting gets you free stuff too. Downloading illegally is no different to five finger discount.

[@cosmicsvids]

@@ticketyboo2456 I guess but if it some old game you could say the good out ways the bad since the games likely not sold anymore and piracy is the only good way to preserve it. I'm on the side of stuff being presvered rather then a massive company trying to make a quick buck of an old games by taking years to release it to hype you up for old games. Pirating old games is morally right

[@cosmicsvids]

Not that i would since i like to support the creators but in a case where you can't support them anyways because the product is no longer sold i'd compare that to pulling old stuff out of a rubbish bin that is no longer cared about and is gonna be thorwn out anyways.

[@declaringpond2276]

@@ticketyboo2456 would you not say it's theft to sell a game that's unfinished for $70? At that point who's really the criminal. As for shoplifting, if insulin was sold on counters it would 100% be shoplifted and those people would be justified in doing so, it's a life saving drug being price gouged for 300% of the original price.

[@spliffnotes8359]

This is an affiliate scam. Here's how it works: The owner of the website joins a bunch of "affiliate programs" (just like KZbinrs do when they tell you to sign up for a service using their code so they can have a small commission, even Pleasant Green does this). This means that if they send you to a website through their link, the website recognizes you came from their referral and gives a small sales commission to them. Next, because the website owner isn't a popular KZbinr and they have no way to generate traffic, they buy ads or make KZbin videos promising free giveaways. Then when people come to get their free prize, they convince the person to click on their affiliate deals. Boom, commission earned. Then, once the person is done clicking on all the affiliate deals, the website owner has a final page that gives some kind of error so they never have to give you the prize and assumes you will just give up. It's a very gross scam. But, the good news is, even though the scammer is getting a cut of all the products and services you buy, you ARE buying from the actual companies. So you're not technically losing any money. You're just buying legitimate things that you didn't actually want.

[@Hedning1390]

Yes you are losing money. Where do you think the scammers get their money from? Its ultimately from you.

[@spliffnotes8359]

@@Hedning1390 you're not "losing" money. You're purchasing a genuine product at the correct retail price. The scammer gets their money from the commission. Buying something you don't need and "losing money" aren't the same thing.

[@Hedning1390]

@@spliffnotes8359 That's why I said "ultimately" and not "directly". The same as shoplifting and other theft. If someone shoplifts a steak I didn't lose the money directly, but the price of steak is increased to cover the loss, so I'm still paying for it.

[@spliffnotes8359]

@@Hedning1390 that's honestly a terrible metaphor. There is no loss. In your example, the company lost a steak and increases the price on future steaks. A company with an affiliate sales program already factors commissions into the price. They WANT to pay commissions, that's their COA per customer. The business and the "victim" both got what they paid for. The scammer just connected them to each other in a shady way and took a sales commission. Super unethical. But not theft.

[@Hedning1390]

@@spliffnotes8359 If it was not a scam the scammer would have paid the tiny fridge as compensation for the money he got. He did not deliver the fridge but he still got the money. That's why it's called a scam. Are you a scammer yourself? Because you are trying desperately to find some loophole to say there is no loss, but there is a loss because the scammer made money. Every single cent the scammer got is money stolen. It's like MLMs saying they are not pyramid schemes because they have a product. It's just scammer rhetoric. You are on the wrong channel to try such bs language.

[@ANONYM0US]

Really funny, never seen anyone talk about these "free" prize scams before. subscribed.

[@blackleague212]

I got a free grill once. Also free McDonalds... But these things are so iffy, like 95 percent of them are wastes of time.

[@HeavenlyiceDream]

Grammar and Font play a big part in my judging a website. I would never trust a website using multiple crazy or cute fonts like this one did. I admit to laughing when it kept you answering questions. I love your videos Edit : that voice they use is in a lot of brightside videos here on youtube.

[@olliefoxx7165]

Look at the profile pics as well. Pics used for advertising are often cropped by scammers to use in fake profiles. They can be ridiculously obvious.

[@hamishphistopholoes6540]

OK bot.

[@LilLeanCuisine]

Your comment is not grammatically correct.

[@josephwilson8133]

Comic sans or nothing at all!

[@oddpoppetesq.3467]

I actually entered one of these weird competitions years ago and won a genuine 'Tetleys' bitter pub fridge. After that I entered loads of competitions and soon came to realise I think I found one of the only genuine giveaways first time and got phished for the rest 😔

[@zenochara7522]

At least you got a fridge. But you should check your passwords and information.

[@holafishingtonpancakes4785]

I wish someone would just give this man a Dr. Pepper fridge sooo much right now.

[@melissamcclain34]

Always makes my day when I see a Pleasant Green upload!!! I too started down the rabbit hole of trying to win a Dr Pepper fridge but ended up giving up and walking away when I was asked to make an order. These scammers are constantly perfecting their craft but thank goodness for you who constantly makes us aware of these sleaze balls!!!

[@deathstrike]

They are, but what its really about is click schemes for web traffic. There are places that pay you to "click" on websites and pay like 1/10th of a cent per click. Well phishing scams like this lead people to click on those sites while the "phisherman" reaps in the clicks. It rarely amounts to much, but....There have been reports about massive click scams that can reap up to hundreds of dollars a month. It's not hard, create a fake page with redirect features, put out a fake "lure" (usually a prize) and make you click and keep that carrot dangling juuust out of your reach. Oh and btw? Walmart had a closeout sale on those novelty fridges and they were $9.99USD. Bought one for my mini bar. Umm the trick to get them to work is this. Make sure the drinks are COLD from your big fridge, and the little fridge will keep it cold for 2 days. You have to shut it off and shut it back on. Stupid I know. But it will give you a little bit of function from those steaming heaps of plastic.

[@DrinkyDrank]

I was suckered into one of these when I was younger. Luckily, I only spent about $3 on “trials” of subscriptions. As soon as I saw the “gold” and “platinum” deals I knew all bets were off.

[@robertcop9889]

Oh hey, I actually have this exact mini-fridge with the window and shiny silver hinges, except mine doesn't say Dr Pepper, it has the retro Frigidaire logo. I actually did get it for free, but I can say it's really not an amazing fridge. It keeps things cool-ish, but they never quite get cold. The shelf for the sideways cans is removable, so I'm able to keep 16.9oz bottles of water in it.

[@saintguardian3639]

I really do enjoy these videos. Knowing you try to see the best in people regardless of being scammed makes me want to become better. Thank you.

[@luizmaranhao4824]

That’s a sweet thing to say✌️

[@DSN262]

Becoming better > wanting to become better

[@ivanleterror9158]

Reminds me of PCH in the past where you could enter their prize drawing with out having to order some mag subscriptions, At that time it took a half hour to sort through the huge envelope they sent you and you had to paste all these included stickers on an entry form stating to enter you with out getting some mag scrips. Eventually they were being questioned publicly as to whether or not any of the winners were entered without making purchases. Shortly after that these huge offer envelopes disappeared from the mail.

[@J_Lynn]

they're still up to it. I did a little looking into it cuz my mom was mad for it last month when they started putting on commercials again. I'm not sure if you actually get entered without buying products but it's heavily implies that you won't. It'll have a banner saying something like "Don't miss out on your chance" in huge letters and then "to get 35% off these amazing products" in really tiny lettering underneath. Like to at least trick you into really thinking you won't be entered without a purchase. I think it's largely an ad revenue farm, though.

[@VanwithTim]

Off topic *maybe*? But those thermo-electric mini-fridges actually use as much electricity as a FULL SIZE RESIDENTIAL REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER COMBO. Not to mention they only cool ~30F below room temperature and NEVER TURN OFF! Madness at its finest.

[@ckinggaming5bucketmadness766]

My scam detector was going off very early, and later on my “this is a large advertisement to earn money off of people who were scammed into thinking they were getting a free fridge” detector went off

[@lisaistyping]

I like how his sarcasm is so sophisticated, if you're not into his channel u think he's serious lol

[@Nabooru]

I was thinking about that and was wondering if anyone actually thought he went into this with total ignorance, so it's good to see a lot of fans already see through that. I also think he could just be presenting in a way that is genuinely relatable to people who might actually get excited by these offers because they don't know the kind of rabbit hole they lead to, yet. It's a lot easier to go on that journey with someone than to just watch a video on "why YOU shouldn't do these things," which might feel condescending to some people. Whatever the case may be, I appreciate Pleasant Green's delivery because he shows genuine empathy and really captures the feeling of going through these scams for the first time. It satisfies everyone's curiosity about them in an entertaining way while making sure that they don't make the same mistakes!

[@patriciahazeltine9986]

Still waiting for mine...lol....I did lose about $37 by ordering from a site that had Dyson hair cair items, and a 8x10 plastic storage shed. Still waiting for those too. It was too good to be true.

[@ashleyschfer7483]

I think almost everyone tries to get a "free" item by filling out surveys and signing up for "offers," I did one like 8 years ago and it took me 3 months to notice it was charging me $9.95 a month. My CC blocked it and refunded the last month.

[@zxyatiywariii8]

The only legit ones are IRL. There's a mall near us (before the pandemic) where a Survey person would ask if we wanted to make $20 cash for answering some questions about (whatever) product. I did that once and they asked about a food franchise and what I would or wouldn't like, and gave me $20 after about an hour. Those can be a fun way to spend some free time. Or were. They've stopped here since the pandemic.

[@ryeinc]

You scratched my itch! I see these ads all the time and wondered what process it would send someone through. Can of DP to ya, Ben. Cheers!

[@Samuelfblair]

I was just watching a bunch of Pleasant Green video and an ad for this fridge just popped up

[@HumanBeanChild]

I love these videos so much. They bring me joy every time and at the same time expose scams that need to be exposed. Hope you enjoy your Dr Pepper!

[@PleasantGreen]

I always do!

[@allwehadtodowasfollowtheda3061]

Your pfp doesn't look like a human bean child

[@squidiskool]

there were no humans, beans, or children.

[@kcgunesq]

I would definitely write a short letter, including a link to this video, and send it to your states Consumer Protection department that is often part of the Attorney General office. Probably won't do anything, but it can't hurt.

[@NicholasAndre1]

FYI the sensitive digits in a card number are the middle 8. The first four are the company and the last four are public.

[@Twompwomp]

I have that exact same fridge in cyan from walmart for $15

[@nickbreakfield1257]

I am slightly ashamed to say that that I have spent a depressing amount of time talking myself out of throwing money away this way. This video perfectly encapsulates the experience and serves as a good reminder to stay away from these things. Also, Privacy seriously kicks ass. I've been using them for almost 2 years I think and I love them. Between that and a good password manager those are easily the best tech decisions I've ever made.

[@jublywubly]

6:30 It's ironic that ABC Mouse Early Learning Academy don't know the meaning of the forward slash symbol (/). They wrote "$12.99/mo". The slash symbol does not mean "per" (per means "for each"). It means "or" in grammar and it means "divide" in mathematics.

[@joshs5772]

Another great video. Please never leave this platform. You are an amazing creator and in a way, a news outlet to let us know about scams. Keep up the work 👌

[@MacXpert74]

Always ask yourself the question “Why would they give me this for ‘free’” if it doesn’t make sense, you can be pretty sure it’s some kind of scam. Getting a ‘free’ mini fridge for just answering useless questions and writing some review, doesn’t make sense. I would have immediately figured it was a scam.

[@cryptojare8295]

10:38 "Dear Ben Dover" 💀

[@TrentTheTraveler]

Dr Pepper sales after this video 📈

[@pamelasutton4554]

That’s true mr van man

[@OneMeanArtist]

I'm in AZ and remember seeing this on YT. Pro tip: Nothing is free, everything is a scam. Welcome to the real world. The end.

[@tamoozbr]

Have you heard of some random pebble in a forest? Is it not free?

[@Josh-jw3go]

@@tamoozbr You have to spend gas to drive out to the forrest to get that pebble. Not free

[@tamoozbr]

@@Josh-jw3go you can walk

[@J_Lynn]

@@tamoozbr pebble is great until you're caught on satellite "stealing protected wildlife" from a nature preservation area and the government wants to fine you $500 or something.

[@tamoozbr]

@@J_Lynn how is a pebble wildlife?

[@Nzeenzi]

Mr. Ben Dover you really go all the way. I've always wondered where all these survey-price end up! Thankx for being our gene-pig

[@joshuashaw9384]

I've never actually clicked on a company's ad on any media site. This has to be the 20th time seeing Privacy sponsor your videos, and I always thought that it was a really cool idea. I went and signed up on the Mobile App after the 21st time lol. Thank you for only taking advertisements from useful companies and helpful products. Some influencers push absolute nonsense and borderline scams for a few bucks.

[@PleasantGreen]

I’ve been accused of doing that in the past, haha. I’m trying to be better.

[@Julia-uh4li]

What bothers me tho is that Ben promotes Privacy as a company to trust instead of the company who is asking for payment details because they could be compromised or hacked but Privacy is no different, they could also be hacked. You can't 100% guarantee your payment details will be secure with any of them. So imo, it's a bit misleading to say Payment will stop this from happening by using them.. No?

[@joshuashaw9384]

@@Julia-uh4li Yes theoretically Privacy could also be hacked. However that sets them up for a class action lawsuit as it's foreseeable that they would be targeted because of what they promote as a business. As a company they are responsible to with due diligence protect their customers from cyber attacks. However yes they will not directly reimburse you in the case of hacking most likely but that's a stupid easy lawsuit to win.

[@JBKiser]

@@joshuashaw9384 This is the same kinda thinking I have about that app where you can save all your passwords. I feel like that is the last thing you want to do is save all your login credentials for every place you visit in a 3rd party app. Hackers get in there and it's like a password buffet for them.

[@cu3d]

@@JBKiser @Justin Blair As for password managers I can recommend Keepass 2, which is open source and fully local to your device. I have used it for many years, since I also don't really trust these companies keeping your passwords in their servers. I keep the password database on my NAS, so I can access it from the phone as well.

[@joepederson2371]

I end up traveling the US a good bit and I remember seeing that this was always “only available in (insert state I was in currently in here)” my favorite was in Georgia where they used a map of the country of Georgia but then put the state flag on top of it.

[@110311DONTWANTCHANNE]

about 20 years ago, I managed to get 2 laptops from 2 different programs. I don't remember how much I spent, but it wasn't much (may be $50). and mostly on things i would otherwise spend on...but the set up has become so much more sophisticated and unless there are expensive products you would be buying anyway, you end up taking a financial loss

[@bi0lizard1]

Your channel is great! The perfect balance between information and humor.

[@shellbacksclub]

i used to work at a transfer station & we would get hundreds of these plastic "cold" fridges dumped every other week. They were shipped from china for promotional uses and they didn't end up meeting basic standards so they were all thrown away. I gifted family members with them at Christmas & they all hate me now. One of them burnt the carpeting of my uncle's boat.

[@jb888888888]

Pretty nasty way to get back at you, by burning the carpet of someone else's boat.

[@FusionDeveloper]

I reported a KZbin ad that said something like "get a free mini fridge, this method still works" and I got a reply saying the ad was taken down unless it gets disputed. I used the information from this very video. Thanks!

[@morganrussman]

Did you check to see if it has stayed down?

[@goobergang8501]

Broooo I see these every day on KZbin and have really wanted to know what’s behind it. Thank you so much!!!!

[@scottheffley1753]

I’ve been watching you for awhile and the amount of joy I get when you post is awesome love you man

[@elgabri1878]

Dejasela cómo Barney

[@mlondiingcobo255]

Me too

[@emmanuelvargas296]

*Sees like count* Won't be me...

[@jamesd5767]

Watching pepple get scammed gives you joy?

[@sceneitallwithjeffandjon6984]

@@elgabri1878 who's Barney?

[@bob8776]

I won three goldfish at the county fair earlier this year then proceeded to spend $150+ on a tank and all the related accessories. Feels like the exact same process but in reverse

[@grapeday9540]

"Validating answes" is done within a few milliseconds, no matter the programming language (it is probably done in JavaScript, since that is the easiest language to code something like this in). So that "Validation" is just for show and can be considered a HUGE red flag :D

[@grapeday9540]

Another red flag is the "comments"

[@cassidy8307]

@@grapeday9540 Yep, it's easy to tell when comments are fake. Generic comments and names, can't post messages yourself, can't click on names to go to profiles.

[@wtos9153]

@@cassidy8307 And it’s just an odd place to have a comments section.

[@Nabooru]

I think the crane game analogy is great. That being said, I love playing those things, and I know what I'm getting into! The prizes will never be worth what I put into the machine, and that's okay as long as you go into it knowing that (which is probably more than can be said for these scams.) Usually, I'm not even interested in the "gettable" prizes, but I've made this habit of giving them away as soon as I get them and really brightening peoples' days, and THAT is what makes the whole thing worth it!

[@darrengordon-hill]

You're paying to play a challenging game. You could easily buy that stuff if you truly wanted it.

[@Nabooru]

@@darrengordon-hill That's exactly it! IT helps if you know what to look for, too. Many crane games these days are coded to change the grip at a "payout" point, and they aren't true skill cranes as they're about as challenging as a slot machine. I don't touch those, often. I love the old school skill cranes, especially those two-direction ones. If you land them right, the grip will almost never fail you. The toy still won't be worth what you put in, but there is authentic fun to it!

[@neverstoplearning7214]

At least with a crane game you get the amusement of playing a game, that you probably won't a prize

[@OneOfDisease]

Sometimes you get lucky. But yeah normally you lose even if you win.

[@dakat5131]

tbf playing a crane game is probably more fun and/or stimulating than slogging through paying for "deals" or taking surveys.

[@psykro5735]

The first sponsor in 10 years that I’ll actually use from KZbin

[@nguyen275]

I always tell myself nothing is free in life because it is too good to be true and someone have to pay something for it.

[@Chris.Rhodes]

I'm glad i seen this. I started to do something like this a few weeks ago but it was for Milwaukee tools, not a fridge. Same thing though.

[@PleasantGreen]

I just saw that. Same guy running it!

[@Chris.Rhodes]

@@PleasantGreen seriously? I keep getting texts now to come back for gold but I'm not doing it

[@rempanda]

@@Chris.Rhodes If you have a smart phone a lot of them have options directly on it to block a number, but if it doesn't you can contact your phone carrier and they'll block the number for you and the texts will stop :) glad you realised the scam in time.

[@GilaMonster971]

Yeah that scam ad is on KZbin a lot.

[@Chris.Rhodes]

@@rempanda yeah i blocked it the other day. I own a lot of Milwaukee tools, so when i seen I'd receive a free tool i started it, but quickly realized it was too good to be true lol

[@JeEhaO]

Companies will not give you free stuff without wanting something in return. A free something usually means that they got a huge stockpile for free and want you to buy something. The only free thing I have gotten was a phone-case, but they probably earned money on my getting that thing since it was an online competition.

[@judithhansford4629]

Haven't seen you in a while. Good to see you're still getting the info to protect people from scammers. And will be one the lookout for more from you. 💕

[@MrRoomba2321]

Man It'd be great to use Privacy if it actually worked. Ran checks they seemed reputable. Gave em all the information they asked for, and then once the account was all set up they manually review your information before letting you use the service. Then they just say "Nope, can't activate your account because the info you gave us is wrong. Re-submit all your info again using this link ." And when filled out the information again they just said the same thing again. I asked what I did wrong they told me "We can't tell you that. So we're going to delete your account now" Like wtf.

[@Br1ttany1992]

Glad I read this because I was gonna sign up for Privacy but glad I read this first.

[@FrankChickens]

Always wondered what would happen if you stuck it out until the end with these and now I know. Turns out you get nothing but fobbed off and a gift card to get you to bugger off and leave them alone when you complain. Thanks for letting us know.

[@marveloussoftware4914]

Very useful video. I fell for something similar. Once they asked for money i bailed out but i wondered if i could get my reward. You not only exposed the scammers but stopped me and im sure others for falling for it (again). Plus you even provided a solution! Thank you.

[@ItsDopeSponge]

This guy has done what we never finished

[@scottcol23]

They sell that fridge at WalMart for $20. I got the MtDew version for my desk at work. I love it.

[@NinjaJay2001]

Shotgun a soda every time he says "Dr. Pepper Fridge" xD Great video! I ended up going down one of these reward trails at one point and i think I ended up with a Pandora charge even though I cancelled it before the trial ended. I used your Privacy link because I think it sounds super useful! Again, very nice video!

[@twizz420]

I'm pretty impressed that George Bart was able to lose so much weight between filming the Dr.Pepper fridge and taking his display picture! Can I sign up for his personalized workout program, too?

[@microgamingrepairs1981]

I remember way back when these types of ads were floating around for free ipods. I think one was called freepay, I offered to pay my friends the $1 for a text thing and did it with mine and 4 numbers. I actually did get free ipod touch in the end. Would never do it again though.

[@draheim90]

Very important lesson to keep in mind: if you are getting something free (or think you are about to), it very likely means YOU are the product. Scams and other shady companies also often exploit the sunk-cost effect. They make it seem like you don’t have to do much at first but then incrementally increase the requirements, making you put more and more effort into it. They keep you hooked by constantly dangling the carrot in front of you, knowing that once you put in some time and effort, you’re not willing to abandon the process without a payoff (since you feel like you wasted something). A lot of free games and apps also exploit this principle.

[@rickybobby5153]

Wow… that privacy thing sounds amazing. I may actually use this 🤣 I get so many NSFs and my moms fallen for so many damn scams like that

[@emmestein]

What's a "NSF"? :o

[@JonSmithchannel]

What makes it worse typically with those donation subscriptions, they will receive a commission much higher than a complete year of donations, so when people sign up and cancel after a month they make a large loss.

[@jamer25]

Finally, someone covered this. I’ve been seeing these ads for a while and was wondering when someone was gonna cover it. I’ve also been getting these for tools. If you spot one could you also do a video on those?