Sunday, March 1, 2009

IDeal Frequently Asked Questions

You all asked, and I listened....I have put together a list of FAQ's for IDeal. And, I will add one for the other companies soon.

If you see any questions I am missing ( and of course, was not already included in the original write up ), feel free to post them in the comments and I will add them to the list.

This new list will be posted as a button on the Online Offers webpage soon, so everyone can access it easily.

And, thanks for the suggestion!!!

Q: Which offers are good to do once I sign up?

A: Unfortunately, I cannot advise you on which offers you should do. Each family is different in their interests and needs, and you should try and find offers that suit your needs.

Q: Can I cancel my offers during the trial and still get credit, or must I remain a member past the trial?

A: Again, I do not have the answer to this. Each company is different on when it will issue credit. You should be legitimately signing up for offers you have an interest in trying and may be interested in for your family. Please do NOT just sign up with all offers and only cancel. These companies are offering you free money and they want us to be upstanding customers and try products and hopefully keep them if we like them.

Have I? Sure have! We have had Dish Network for 3 years now, and I signed up thru a program like this ( plus lowered our monthly cable bill, since Dish Network was cheaper ). Right now, I am using an eye cream and make up I had bought thru one of the IDeal sites I had done.

Q: Will I really be disqualified if I accidentally duplicate offers from the same parent company?

A: YES, YES, YES!! I, unfortunately, have heard from 3 others this past month who got DQ'd from IDeal ( and will not be receiving their gift ) because they duplicated offers from multiple parent companies.

You MUST research to see if your companies are related before signing up for the specific offers on each page you complete. You canNOT duplicate offers or from their parent companies for 6 months!

Q: Are there offers from the same parent company on the same offer page?

A: Absolutely! You can be on the silver page, and there may be numerous offers that are all from the same parent company. You can get DQ'd on your very IDeal website ever...if you duplicate offers. Pick all your offers out ahead of time ( and a few replacements ) before every signing up for any of them. Then, research them. Once you have, and nothing is related...you can begin signing up for offers.

Q: How do I know which offers are related and from the same parent company?

A: There is no easy way to tell. This is why the more IDeal sites you do within a 6 month period, you are more likely to make a mistake and potentially risk duplicating and being DQ'd. And, if that happens, you could potentially be banned from IDeal sites going forward. You do not want that to happen.

One of the easiest ways to tell is if the companies have the same address or a phone number that is just a couple digits off ( meaning they changed the last few numbers for each deparment/product you are calling in about )

Here are some tips:

Read the terms/conditions ( copy them for your records, too ) of each specific offer. Write down their address and phone number, if available.

If you cannot find the address for each one, go to the BBB.org. Do a search on your company name there and see if it brings anything back. Look for the address and phone number again.

If you still can't find addresses or information, do a general search online. See if that brings anything back.

Nothing still working? Take a look at the site. Websites that are related will usually have minor similarities in either their check out page, wording, etc. It is looks similar, it is probably because it is a part of the same company.

All else fails? Consider calling the company directly and asking them if they have any other products their parent companies own.

Q: I have sent in my paperwork w/ Delivery Confirmation and my status has not updated even though they received my paperwork?

A: I usually recommend giving them a couple weeks ( as long as you aren't close to your 60 day mark ). If it hasn't updated in a few weeks, just send them a polite email with your Delivery Confirmation and tell them you are just checking to see if they received them.

If your status has not updated and you are in the last week before your 60 day expiration mark, I always just resend my paperwork a second time. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Q: Once my status has updated, am I done? Do I just wait until my prize arrives?

A: No. Please still check your status every so often to make sure your status has not changed. Only once has my status went from approved ( and paperwork processed ) to needing to complete one more offer. Again, better to be safe than sorry...just check in until you get that prize in the mail.

Q: If my status has updated showing they received my certificates, will they again update my account once it ships?

A: No, they will not. The update showing they received your paperwork will be the last update, unless you get DQ'd or they decide you need to do another offer. Still check your status, but they will not update once it has shipped.

Q: My certificate won't print? What do I do?

A: You did not complete the first part of your sign up process where you needed to go thru all the questionarres. It is a simple fix. Go back to the sign in page, reset up your account and complete the first portion. Your certificate should print fine, then.

Q: Is the $1,000 limit for all of IDeal or each sub company?

A: It is for each subcompany. So, you can do $1,000 for Top Notch, $1,000 for 123 Click, etc, etc.

BUT, my understanding is you still can't duplicate offers from parent companies when you sign up across these sub companies. But, I am sorry, I am not positive of this.

If anyone wants to test it and let us all know, go for it. :-)

So, if you do many more than 2 IDeal companies in a 6 month period, you really do risk duplicating offers and getting DQ'd. Not sure if it is worth that risk. You must decide.

Q: I did replacements, how long until they approve?

A: Usually, replacement offers take from 1 to 3 days to approve.

Q: Do the $500 offers or the $1,000/$1,500 offers result in a larger return on investment?

A: With IDeal, there are more things to weigh than just your return on investment. Usually ( always read terms/conditions before starting ), $500 or less offers are Do It Yourself offers. BUT, if you go for an offer more than $500, it usually becomes a referral. This means you need to refer 1 or 2 other people and they ALSO have to complete all their offers.

The problem, at least for me, is that I would feel bad if those people couldn't find anyone to refer and then didn't get their gift. Someone always is the last person and doesn't win.

The other problem, if that person makes a mistake ( does 2 offers from the same parent company ), gets DQ'd, doesn't finish their offers, etc....you are out!! You will not get your gift. So, you then invested your money and will not receive the free gift at the end.

It may be slightly cheaper ( I am not even positive, actually, because I won't do them ), but it is not worth the risk of not getting my prize or the guilt if someone I refer doesn't get theirs.


Cash-Back Christmas Shopping plus Online Coupons Galore at Mr. Rebates!

Subscribe






80 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just completed an offer and mailed in my paperwork. However, this was my first, and I had accidentally signed up for two offers from one parent company. Only one of them got approved, the other never went through. Will I be disqualified for this? I completed another offer in place of the one that never got approved.

megs92 said...

Carrie, thanks SO much for this FAQ page! This is such an encouragement. I actually have 2 questions. 1st: is it common for I-Deal to put offers from the same parent company on the same offer-page? In other words, do I have to worry about duplication if I'm only doing one of these deals w/ the same company in a 6-month time span? (Last night I signed up for 2 offers that were web-based: online grants and web design and I'm worried they might be related). Also, are you able to comment on whether you've found that the "bigger ticket" deals ($500-$1500) provide more bang for your buck than the smaller ($100-$250) deals or are they all pretty comparable as far as the work:benefit ratio? Thanks so much!

Anonymous said...

Great idea, Carrie. Thanks, this is very helpful.

One question I have is will they update your status page once the prize has shipped to you, or does it just say that you've been approved and will arrive in 6-8 weeks and that's that?

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Amanda,

If it didn't go approved...you should be fine! Whew! That was close.

Keep me posted.

Carrie

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Megs and Shawna.

I will add your questions to the FAQ now. Go up to read the answers in a few moments.

Anonymous said...

If one were to get disqualified for accidentally signing up for offers from the same parent company, when would it likely happen? Could it happen after being approved, or after being processed? I guess I just assumed that it would be safe after it said it was approved and/or processed. Just kinda curious. I hope I haven't duplicated any companies!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

It can happen anytime...whenever they find out. Most people it has happened to have already sent their paperwork in and been waiting for their gifts to arrive.

SOINSPIRED said...

Thank you again Carrie for all of your assistance. I did a replacement silver offer 4-5 days ago and haven't been approved yet. I'm hoping!!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the terrific post. I'm trying to screw up my nerve to do an offer, but for now, I'm having trouble with part of it. I'm confused about the parent company/duplicate offer bit. Does that mean the same type or brand name of offer, such as the signing up for government money offers, or is it any offer of any type from the same parent company?
Thank you!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Carrie,

A parent company can own more than one company.

For example, BMG Music, Columbia DVD and some of the book clubs ( not sure which off the top of my head ) are owned by the same company.

On the other hand, an eye cream can be owned by the same company as a make up, etc, etc.

Just look them all up and you should be fine.

Rose | RoseBakes.com said...

I have a question about the 6 month limit...is that 6 months from the first sign up day, or 6 months from approval, or 6 months from when you receive your money/gift? Where would I find that info.?

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Their terms state you can't sign up for duplicate offers within 6 months.

I always took that to mean 6 months from sign up date ( so the date it shows on your sign in page for each offer ).

But, because I always try to play everything safe...I always wait 6 months from when I get my gift...but I always have many other offers going on usually with other companies, so I am in no hurry.

You can always write them at their contact page to make sure.

Anonymous said...

I'm afraid that I accidentally did two offers from the same parent company.......they both approved, and my paperwork has been sent in, but isn't showing as received yet. Is there any way around this (completing another offer in its place), or do I just have to chalk this one up to learning?

Evelyn said...

Is there one that you recommend us do first? I want an easier one. I am sure we all say that.

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Evelyn,

I recommend most people start with and IDeal offer for $500 or less ( make sure it is not a referral )

Pick the gift you want...you will find the offers in the side bar on my Online Offers webpage in the left sidebar.

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

If they end up being duplicates, there is nothing you can do.

Anonymous said...

Hi Carrie,

Thanks so much for this page!! I was going to email you a question today, but figured it out from the questions you posted.

I'll be sending in my paperwork for a $500.00 gift card to K-mart today!

Teri

Anonymous said...

I started an Ideal offer for a $500 Kmart gift card a few days ago. My concern is that in the terms and conditions it said that they do not do manual credit. So what happens if an offer you did doesn't give you credit and you can't get manual credit for it?

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Lindsie,

Please click on the Online Offers button in my left menu bar.

Scroll to the bottom and read the instructions for IDeal. It will go over the whole process for IDeal there.

If you still have questions, pleaes leave another comment.

Erika said...

Carrie,

I am on my second offer. When I get the prize from my first one, I will be sure to send you a pic! One question- I have noticed that some of the pictures have a check and a giftcard. I was wondering if this is from the offers that say, "If you do not take advantage of this bonus offer above,
participate in any ( 4 ) of the advertiser offers listed below. " It seems that these bonus offers include a giftcard sometimes. What is the benefit of doing these, and will they count toward the number of offers that I must do?

Unknown said...

I have noticed some offers are only 14 day free trial periods and their policies state "If customer orders the product through a third party incentive website that qualifies customer for a free gift and customer cancels customers subscription before the free trial period has expired customer may be disqualified from receiving the free gift." referring customer back to the website owner where the free gift offer was made.
I have read and reread terms and conditions there is nothing I can see stated explicitly. So I was wondering with your experience have you noticed any problems with receiving any gifts after canceling on a short free trial period or are those the ones you should consider paying for the first month before canceling?

Janell said...

Hi
I am try to get the $500 for a summer vacation I believe it is through I-Deal. I did all 8 offers this past week. You all keep talking about paperwork. What kind of paperwork is there to complete these offers?
Thanks
Janell

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Janell,

After all your offers go approved, there will be a link at the bottom of your sign in page to print your paperwork.

Anonymous said...

Carrie,
I'm very excited to actually be doing a offer instead of just reading about them. I have a couple of questions. All my offers were approved within 10 days I mailed the paperwork 2 days later with delivery confirmation. How do I see when my status updates? My first offer was a $500 gift card. Can I do a second I deal within the 6 mths as long as I don't duplicate or go over $1000?
Thank you,
Julie

Rachel said...

I also am wondering if I can do a second I deal offer through 123click within 6 months or does it have to be a different off shoot of I deal?
Thanks

Rachel said...

I just finished signing up for my 10 offers through the 500$ Visa deal, and now I need a referral as well. Does the person I refer have to refer someone else who also completes the process?

Anonymous said...

Hey Carrie! You have another reader $500 richer! I did the gas card offer. I am so confused. I realized I duplicated 2 offers after signing up for them. Both approved. Then when I sent in my paperwork, 2 weeks later the link dissappeared and only the terms and conditions were posted, nothing else. Nothing saying I was approved or anything. So I assumed I was disqualified that day and never checked my account again. But low and behold fedex pulled up today giving me that envelope. I thought it was $50 for not qualifying but it had my gas cards in it! I'm hooked now! But definetly will be more cautious about duplicating offers. I'm also the one who had trouble getting that JCpenney gift card several months ago. I'm hooked now! Online offers really do work!

Mary Beth said...

Hi Carrie! Thank you so much for helping us all out to do these deals. I always thought these were a scam, until I started reading your blog.

I have the same question as Erika on 3/9, and I looked but couldn't find your answer. Erika writes, "It seems that these bonus offers include a giftcard sometimes. What is the benefit of doing these, and will they count toward the number of offers that I must do?"

If doing the bonus offer would result in the original gift card plus another $25, I'd do it, but I'm concerned that accepting the bonus will somehow disqualify me from the big prize.

Doing my first offer today, and don't want to make any mistakes, if possible.

Thanks!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Mary Beth/Erika,

As long as the $25 bonus is on a particular page ( Gold, Silver, Platinum, etc ) it will count towards an offer on that page.

The $25 bonus has come in the past for me....but beware...it is seriously like 6 months later.

In fact, I had totally forgotten about it, and it arrived out of the blue.

So, it does not come at the same time as your gift...but many, many months later.

Naturally Frugal Mama said...

The 6 months, not duplicating offers rule - I started an offer on Nov. 1; do they mean 6 months from the day you sign up, or the day you cancel? Should I be safe now to start another?

Emily (Laundry and Lullabies) said...

Hi Carrie,
I just finished my second iDeal offer. Both were from Top Notch, and both were for $500. So my question is: does the $1000 per subcompany limit apply forever, or just for six months? I've looked for this question (and answer!) on your Q/A pages but maybe I've just missed it? Thanks so much!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Just for 6 months. So, 6 months from now, you can do $1,000 with Top Notch again.

Rachel said...

I noticed a lot of the deals do something to the effect of having a 10 day trial and then if you dont cancel they send you something and bill you BI-monthly and it adds up to like $70/month. But usually the deals dont go through for 10-12 days so you'd definitely be paying at least $40 for that offer. Do you just avoid these types of deals completely? or just do one of them and cancel as soon as it goes through? (if you dont want it)

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

ChewyMama,

With Ideal, if I get the product, try it, and it isn't for me...I will of course cancel it.

If I like a product, and I do decide to keep it, I still usually call their customer service. Often times, they will lower the prices substantially. To the point, often it isn't much more than what you would pay to ship the product back.

So, always call them to check...even if you like the product.

Anonymous said...

So, if I do a $500 gift card with Top Notch, I can't duplicate offers from the same parent company if I do a $500 gift card with Bullseye Media? I was told by Nicole from Nicole's Nickels that I only had to worry about duplicating offers within a single offer not across different ones. I'm confused. Can you help???

Brenna Kate Simonds, Living Unveiled said...

Have you gotten taxed on your $500 gifts before? Or if you did 2 $500 gifts during the same year? I'm just curious :)

Vickie said...

Hi Carrie,
I sent my forms in with delivery confirmation. I know that they have been received, but my status online has not been updated. Should I send an email? If so, what is the email address I should send it to?
Thanks!
Vickie

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Vickie,

Just click on the Contact Us button on the website when you log in.

And, here is the answer to your question, copied form the Q&A post.

Q: I have sent in my paperwork w/ Delivery Confirmation and my status has not updated even though they received my paperwork?

A: I usually recommend giving them a couple weeks ( as long as you aren't close to your 60 day mark ). If it hasn't updated in a few weeks, just send them a polite email with your Delivery Confirmation and tell them you are just checking to see if they received them.

If your status has not updated and you are in the last week before your 60 day expiration mark, I always just resend my paperwork a second time. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Let me know if you need further help! :-)

NoreInCali said...

Carrie,
Thank you for the great tips and information! I am starting my 2nd deal (while waiting for my first gift card).

On the Platinum page, just below the first offer, states "If you do not take advantage of this bonus offer above, participate in any ( 4 ) of the advertiser offers listed below." I thought that this meant if I complete the first offer, it will satisfy all requirements for that page; however, it approved as only one offer (and the website indicates that I should complete 3 additional offers).

Have you ever encountered this? If so, what did you do? If not, what do you recommend that I do?

Angela said...

HI! I'm doing my first deal, a $500 VISA Card. I completed all 8 of my offers last night and my Silvers have both approved already. I'm really excited and hope to have success on this!

I have a question/comments and I hadn't seen where anyone else has brought this up yet...so here goes...

Why, in your opinion, would these sites not make painfully clear which offers are with what parent company? Would it be so difficult to put beneath a particular offer "If you've already completed offer X or Y, you cannot select this offer." It would certainly clear things up! It seems that one could be very easily disqualified by this...why on earth would they not indicate somewhere to help folks avoid making a mistake?

Or, do you think these sites are banking on average users messing up the process in any number of ways and therefore not making it to the actual gift? Thoughts?

Hmmm.

Anyhow, I think I've proceeded carefully and I sure hope I make it to my gift!

Thanks for your site. I was one of the skeptics, and now here I am...!

Whitney said...

Carrie,

I am doing the $500 Visa gift card through Save and Smile. All of my offers have approved, but I can't print, because I never found the questions at the very beginning. Now, I can't even find the the start page. The link you have posted takes you to a completely different offer now. Any help would be appreciated.

Melissa said...

Carrie,

I accidentally signed up for multiple offers through I-deal. The only way I knew these had to be the same parent companies was because of the order confirmation pages, which were the same. I actually did 3 offers from the same parent company! This was yesterday. 2 other offers have been approved, but none of these have yet.

Anyway, I canceled 2 of the 3 parent company offers that I completed yesterday. Since I never received credit for them - should I be ok? I'll be so annoyed if I go through all the program requirements to find out at the end I am DQ! I'm thinking as long as more than 1 of them does not go as "approved" I should be okay?
Thanks!

Unknown said...

I did the same thing that Melissa did in the previous post. I completed two offers from the same parent company. Is there a way to delete one of the offers so you don't get DQ'd? How do you know you have been disqualified? Do they send you an email or does it display on the status page?

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Unfortunately, once you complete both offers you can only hold your breath and hope that one of them doesn't approve, or if they both do...that they won't flag your account and DQ you.

If they DQ you, it is usually after everything has been approved, and they have received your paperwork.

You will want to keep checking your account. There will be a message at the bottom of your login page ( below where it shows all the offers that are approved and pending )

Good luck. Keep me posted on how it turns out, please.

Lucas said...

oh man!! i just did the same thing!! joined two parent companies... i spent two hours signing up for all those offers and now probably wasted lots of time with signing up and having to cancel diff. things. :( any tips? i was so excited to be done with all of them too!! :(

Julianne said...

Carrie-

Hi there. I've been reading your blog for about a month and just got up the nerve to attempt a deal. i was careless, though, and didn't read everything through before I started. I completed two deals from the same parent company for an offer (Ideal). I did not, however, complete any more because I went back and read everything in detail after reading the terms and conditions. So, my two deals are out there completed (not yet approved). Here's my question. Am I DQ'd from all Ideal deals now or can I start a new one and just leave the other one open?

Thanks!

BrookeM said...

Hi Carrie,

If I am DQ from an offer does that mean I can never do another ideal offer again or is there a time limit that must pass before I can attempt another offer again?

Thanks,
Brooke

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

If you are DQ'd, you can NEVER do another offer with that company.

So, if it was Top Notch, then don't ever do another one of theirs.

Hope that makes sense.

Anonymous said...

Carrie,
I have tried to get a hold of you via email and phone but I have been unsuccessful. I am new to online offers and I have quite a few questions about an IDeal Top Notch Media Inc. $500 gift card. (I read the privacy/terms and conditions statements)

1. The company is not listed under the Better Business Bureau, is this common?

2. Have you had any problems the the company sharing information that you give to them?

3. Can I cancel my account at anytime? There was a statement that said it canceled the account after 60 days, but it also said you could not cancel your account.

4. How much time does it typically take to receive a gift that goes through?

5. Why does the Ideal website not have a phone number to contact them? Shouldn't this be a red flag?

6. Do I need to send in any tax form if my reward is valued at $500? I heard somewhere that you should just to make sure it goes through.

7. I read somewhere that one should clear your cookies before completing an offer so that no information on your computer can be tracked by them on their website. Is that a good idea to do?

8. Lastly, do you use your high interest online credit cards to pay for the offers? Or is a normal credit card better to use?

Thank you so much! I am really excited to try an offer as soon as I understand everything.


Sarah

Anonymous said...

I have one last question. When I purchase an advertisers offer do I but the product through their website or Top Notch Media's website? I am wondering if Top Notch Media gets my credit card information.

Thanks

Sarah

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Sarah...OK..here goes! I hope I answer them all.

1. Many, many companies in the US are not registered with the BBB. Businesses join on their own, if they are interested. You can still use their service to file a complaint, if you aren't happy with the company and the BBB still tries to work it out for you.

2. If you read their terms, this is one of the stipulations. They will share your information with other companies. This is why I recommend setting up a seperate email account. Do NOT use your personal email. You will get many advertisements. By sharing your information, they earn money so that this is one of the methods they make money and can pay us.

3. When you sign up, you are registering for the gift. If you decide not to do it, you are not obligated. But, there is not way to log in and cancel your account. You just leave it inactive. It will expire after 60 days.

4. Depends. On average, 2 months.

5. You can only contact them via email thru their site. I don't think they have that large of a staff that they could field calls all day. As you can imagine, there would be tons.

6. They do require you send in your tax form for tax purposes. You do need to pay taxes on this money.

7. I would not play around with cookies. They use these to track your orders, etc to give you credit. If you start clearing them, you potentially won't get credit and not get your gift.

8. I only use credit cards that pay me cash back. I like to make money on my purchases.

Hope that helps!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Top Notch does not have your credit card info. You are going to a typical check out for whatever offer you decide on...just as if you shopped thru Ebates, or anything like that. You simply link thru their site to get credit.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much Carrie!
That answered all of my questions!

However I do have one last question that I forgot to ask.

In the terms and conditions section it states, "2.) Once you have completed an advertiser’s offer, you will not receive credit for that offer, or any other offer sponsored by that advertiser, for six months. For purposes hereof, an “advertiser” generally is the business unit sponsoring the offer, although some advertisers may apply this rule to the entire corporate entity sponsoring the offer. If you have any questions regarding which definition applies, please Contact Us. "

That really confuses me, and it seems like it says it takes 6 months for the advertiser to put the credit that acknowledges I completed the offer on Top Notch Media's site. Does this mean I will not receive the reward for six months? That does not make sense because you said it takes around two months.


Thanks

Sarah

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Sarah,

What that means is you cannot duplicate offers.

One of the main reasons others get DQ'd is for duplicating offers or offers from the same parent company.

So, it is saying, once you do an offer, you canNOT get credit for that offer AGAIN or possibly any other offer from that same parent company.

They will DQ you, kick you off the site and not send your gift if you do this.

Anonymous said...

O ok. I understand. My mom is concerned about me sending in a tax form with personal information on it with the possible threat of identity theft. Since this is a legitimate business this should definitely not happen. I am assuming you have never had any problems regarding this. Do you feel like this is 100% safe to send in the tax form? I have never filed taxes before.

Do I also need to submit a tax form to the government? Or is it just to the business?

Thanks

Sarah

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

I have never had problems with my identity, but as in all things...there is always the chance.

Your bank teller at your bank could be sneaking social security #'s, or if you have a credit card, the workers at Citi could hire someone that is dishonest.

Any time you give your # out, someone working somewhere could be dishonest. It is unfortunate, but true.

But, anytime you make money in the US, we do have to pay taxes on them and it is the law we have to submit the tax forms. This company could not stay in business if they didn't send in their tax forms to the IRS.

I always check my credit history a few times a year. In this world, you always have to be careful and check up on your information.

Lakshmi Saroja said...

Carrie,

I need you help. I signed up for $500 visa card through www.consumeropinionbureau.com. I completed all the offers and there was a Refer a friend below the offers in the gift status page. It says Referrals Required: 2. So the 2 Referrals should also complete the offers.

Thanks
Laks

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Laks,

If 2 referrals are required for the offer, then yes...you will need to send your referral link to two friends and have them sign up and complete the offers successfully, too.

When I click on the link you have in your comment, though, it does not require any referrals?

Usually, the first page of an offer, before you ever register, will show you if you need any referrals or not and you can decide if you want to sign up then.

I don't usually recommend signing up for ones that have referrals, because they are hard to do an someone is always at the end and doens't get their gift.

Go to the SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. section when you go to their website, before you log in and see what it says there.

Rach said...

Hey Carrie,

Hope you can help answer some questions for me. I signed up for the Top Notch $500 gift card deal with the Michael Jackson t-shirt. On 8-22 it showed that all of my offers had approved. I printed my certificate and sent it in with delivery confirmation. I checked on the confirmation yesterday and the post office still had not delivered it. (I sent it priority) The post office has been no help in finding it or in offering to let me send it again without charge, so I plan to go and just pay to resend it again tommorow. My big concern is that on the certificate it states that it must be received by 9-4-09 (I first signed up for this offer 8-12). I read through the terms and conditions and it states under the Redemption Process section "Your Redemption Certificate must be postmarked within 15 day of your final required offer being "Approved" or your account will be disqalified."

Is this normal? I thought I had 60 days for this whole process and am worried now that the post office may have ruined all my hard work.

Amy S. said...

Hello,
Have you ever received an email from the company saying they need you to send them a copy of your driver's license to verify your address? I started an offer from Ideals Top Notch (e-researchcenter) on July 27. I just got this email yesterday after sending in my certificates about 3 weeks ago. Is this a normal thing? They said they couldn't find me on whitepages.com. I worry about sending a photocopy of my license anywhere...what do you think?

Thanks,
Amy

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Amy,

This happens quite often.

If you have a cell phone you registered, or if the phone number is listed in a spouses/parents, etc name, they will need verification that you indeed live at the address you claimed when you signed up.

Unknown said...

Hi Carrie,

I signed up for the $500 ideal twilight offer and all of my offers approved, within about 8 days, with the exception of one platinum offer...so i went back and did another offer. I read in the posts that it usually takes 1 t 3 days to approve replacement offers is this still the case?

Thanks Brooke

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Brooke,

Yes, they seem to be approving about 2 to 3 days after you complete them.

Anonymous said...

Carrie,
The only thing holding me back from completing an offer is that fact that some of the companies that I would have to participate in their trials do not seem credible. I have five companies picked out, but the last three are really difficult to choose because I would have to pick a company that has a lot of complaints against it, such as Mineral Elements, Nicoles Savings Advantage, or Ebay trial that I have not been able to find on the web.
Is this typical to have to choose a company that does not seem credible. I am worried from reading complaints that I will not be able to contact them to cancel my trial since the customer service is not favorable, or the company being a complete scam.
Are most people having to sign up with companies that do not look very good to fulfill their last few offers?

Thanks

Sarah

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

I wouldn't look at complaints if I were you.

Most of the people who file complaints, if you read them and then go read the terms/conditions will see they didn't read the terms.

I have done all of these companies and never had issues. I will say, I never got my free gift from Nicoles Savings, but I have called them 3 times now and gotten a hold of someone every time and they were very nice. So, don't necessarily count on the free gifts.

Also, only use credit cards. This way, if you ever do run into a company you can't cancel ( I have found a few over the years ), you simply contact your credit card company and explain the situation.

In fact, if you would do a search on IDeal, Nuitech, etc you wouldn't believe how many people complain and say they are scams. But, as you can tell by the numbers from all of my readers and myself who have received our gifts, they aren't.

This isn't to say people don't get DQ'd, as it happens every month, but they always have a reason that the person did something against their terms.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much.
I think all of my questions have been answered, and hopefully I will finally begin to start a offer.

Sarah

Rene Baca said...

I've been looking into two online offers. IDeal $500.00 American Airlines and Nuitech $500.00 Kohls card. Both have the same sponser offers. (ie. coffee, posters, teeth whitening) How is it possible to participate in these two offers if you'd be interested in the same sponsers? Hope this makes sense!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Those are two different companies..one is IDeal and one is Nuitech, so you don't need to worry about duplicating and getting DQd.

But, the problem may be when you try the offer, the company may not let it go through twice. All you can do is try.

You may also want to try different offers, too.

hind said...

carrie, i am doing the 500 visa gift card through top notch. i started 9/11/09 and until now only the silver offers had been approved. so i have some questions for you.

1. is that normal?should i wait or complete more offers?

2. I duplicated 2 offers orowhite and ivorywhite. i can't even belive it only with the name i should have known. so now that i read more and more if your blog i am afraid to be disqualified.what should i do?

3. I signed up for ageinvisible maybe you already tried it. so my question is i was reading the terms and conditions and they say you can try it but you have to return the unused 30 days trial. so i am confused becaquse i received only one jar so how i know how much i can usefor the 5 days i will be trying it. i called them and the lady said yes you can use it but return the unused part. so i was just wondering if you tried it how does this works. i really want to give it a try.

Rachel said...

Hi Carrie
I did an offer and got a $500 IKEA gift card and it went smoothly. I am deciding on doing another one but it seems that they all say that you have to refer 2 unique households and complete 8 platinum offers. Have they made the requirements harder? For the IKEA card I only had to do 4 platinum and didn't have to refer anyone.

shannon1254 said...

Hey, I began an Ideal offer on 08/22 (the Twilight one) and was approved for all offers on 09/02. I printed the paperwork and mailed in with delivery confirmation that morning. The letter was received on 09/03 @ 10:09 a.m. It is now 09/22 and my status still shows as "approved". Is that normal or should I contact them via email? Thanks for all your help.

Shannon

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for giving us the tools to get these cards - successfully! I spent the afternoon yesterday (10/6) signing up for all the offers. As of this morning 10/7 - my silver offers have already been approved. I did check out the sites - but don't feel they are programs I really would benefit from sticking with in the long run. Is it too soon to cancel? Will it change my status from "approved" to "Pending" or even disqualify me? THanks in advance for any suggestions!!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

On IDeal sites, there is really no way of telling. Unlike Nuitech, they don't have a specified amount of time in their terms.

It is up to you how long you would like to keep each offer. If for some reason they don't approve, you can always do replacements.

Unknown said...

Hi Carrie,

I read through all of your instructions and FAQ's and took the time to do an offer for the PS3 slim. My boyfriend wants one and I was hoping to be able to get it for him as an X-mas gift. I did the required amount of offers and my silver one were approved the next day, still waiting on the rest. I just read today that you say not to use a work computer. I did the offers after work hours on my work computer because I do not have a computer at home. I am the only person that uses this computer. Will that be a problem with the IP address issues that you mentiones before? I hope not. Crossing my fingers that all goes well. Thanks so much for your extremely helpful posts!

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Lynn,

It will only be a problem if anyone else in your company has ever done an offer from this site.

If they have, it will show up as two people from one location ( even if you are on different computers, you probably use the same address thru work )

If you are the first one to do it from your company, then you will hopefully be OK.

Jennifer Williams said...

Carrie,

My sister and I are working on an Ideal 1,000 Visa Offer with e-solutions. It's been nerve wracking but both the silver and gold have approved. The platinum has not.

Today, I saw another pop up from e-solutions that was identical to the one I originally saw for this 1,000 card. In addition to my offer, it had an Apple Computer Offer. I clicked on the offer and read in the T & C that 8 platinum and 2 referrals were needed. Not interested in those terms, I closed the box and pop up and moved on. Tonight, I clicked on my gift status tab and discovered with dismay that it now says that I have to complete 8 platinum and 2 referrals!!!!! My name has disappeared from the top of the offer screen too!!! My approved and unapproved deals are still there, only the T & C have changed. LUCKILY, I followed your excellent advice and have a copy of the original T & C available.

My question is, what can I do to get their attention and have them respond to an e-mail about it? I am afraid that they won't read it or respond and I'll just be stuck!

Any suggestions and have you ever heard of this situation before?

Thank you for your time. I know you are beyond busy.

Unknown said...

Carrie,

How do I check my status? Do I need to go to the original offer page thru your site? As in clicking on the offer again, and then once I am on that page clicking the "check status?" I don't know how else to get back there other than thru your site, and then I am worried that you might take the link down.

Thanks,
Lisa

Carrie @ Moneysavingmethods.com said...

Lisa,

Correct..you need the exact link or you may not be able to get in if the offer ever goes down off my site.

If you notice on my spreadsheet example I have for everyone ( click on the Spreadsheet button ).

I have a spot at the very top for your URL. You will see I have the url of the site I did in there right now. Click on the link from my site. Once on the page, copy the url and paste it there. Now you will always have it for the future.

Then, check status...just as you mentioned when ever you want to log in.

Unknown said...

carrie,

I see what you're saying, but when I clicked on the ideal offer for the unemployment survey from theresearch center.us.com, the address at the top of their page was still "moneysavingmethods.com" So I don't know what the url is in order to copy and paste it.

Anonymous said...

I was told that I can only perform offer for 123 clicks and I-Deal Direct Interactive. (Long story) I don't see Direct Interactive under your online offer website. Can you please list me some of the links? Thanks. would you please email me with the answer to binbinbun77@hotmail.com?

 
Photobucket