Freebee: A Facebook Application that should be BANNED!

Thank you so much for posting this. Awesome. Exactly what I needed. I thought it looked fishy when the Fb app prompted me to take annoying steps in order to get my “free” giftcard from my dear friend, so I googled “freebee on facebook” and found your story.

It bothers me that a filthy rich company would settle for such unnecessary and nasty ways of making money. I am happy to just entertain people and feed myself, I can’t imagine selling out my website so crapily in a way that would embarrass my viewers just to make a buck. Facebook needs to do something about this. It is hard to have any respect for them otherwise.

I totally agree with you, Andrew. Have a wonderful vacation!

Hi Andrew

I liked your thought about rejecting “gifts” etc. that require you to load an app. I setup shoebox, one of the few fb apps I have, and decided to create and archive special unique gifts I made up in my shoebox for friends to pick up - wouldn’t you know it - they have to have shoebox too. I understand the viral idea behind it, but stronger usage would come out of people seeing shoebox and deciding to use it. — its all fb growing pains right?

I agree very sleazy and shoddy marketing by FreeBee. After the application popped up, I read their TOS. And not only do you have to apply for a credit card but also your friends and you all need to be accepted by the bank or whoever is issuing the card, after all that then you need to fill out a form on their website, print it, sign it and mail it to them! Yep, as in snail mail! Then and only after all that bs do you get your “free” gift. What a joke.

Nice “free” gift huh?

Below is a copy/paste right from their TOS…

You have to complete at least one of our partner offers. Credit card offers require that your application be approved in order for the offer to be deemed complete.

b) A certain number of your friends have to complete an offer. (Since people can complete multiple offers, they have to complete one that’s credited to your account). The number of friends required depends on the gift. Each person can only complete one offer per game.

c) As soon as you’ve completed requirements a) and b), you’ll need to print out, sign, and mail a form you print out from our website—the link will become clickable once you complete the requirements. You have to sign and mail it no later than 30 days after you’re approved (the link becomes available), or within 90 days of beginning the game, whichever is later.

Hi Andrew,

Interesting blog and post..I am somewhat cautious about marketing using facebook…your story about that app…it is just downright misleading. I become very weary of facebook apps for a different reason. Though some may be fun and interesting, it seemed that companies were using it just to track data (maybe not personal individual data, but still data). Now I understand that I allow Google to track all sorts of data on me…and yah it kinda scares me, but I guess for now, I am willing to trade tracking my info for a great service.. So when I look at those apps I think, how much value is the thing really giving me. I find it annoying too, the way it works, the apps that I do like, it hardly seems that my friends use it. Most of the time I install something because I am curious and end up deleting them. I still poke around being curious if marketers can monetize facebook…I don’t go to facebook to click on things (this is why I heard that facebook themselves was not able to use simple ads) to generate revenue…and instead went towards applications. I suppose somebody might figure it out, how to give their target market what they need and somehow monetize it. Aside from going on facebook to see what is going on, I do find it nice to keep in touch and share information with real friends, also colleagues, and others. And I was shocked when my brother joined …that to me seemed like the moment when you say “and everybody and their grandmother” My brother joined to reconnect with highschool friends, and I have connected with a lot of folks from elementary school…but if we don’t have much in common today, I don’t know how long those connections will last. My favourite thing is seeing what people that I know and like post about, and looking at photos…I guess I tried to explain to my brother, there are people I don’t want to perhaps talk on the phone with, or msn, or email, but I like to follow along with their lives and interests, but most importantly I like it, when I find out that we have similar interests. Oh and I was able to use facebook to re-unite co-workers from a startup that I used to work for…we were a fun tight bunch, and will be getting together finally after about 5-6 years. So facebook was great for that. Similar interests only go so far I think…if you don’t actually get to know, respect, meet or connect on a more “deeper way” …..it just seems like they will always stay in an outer orbit. I am very interested to follow your “experiments” and commentary. I look forward to reading more of your blog.

ps: I found your site searching for some info on Anne Holland from marketingsherpa…

These “free offers” are worse than email spam. I’ve tried it. I was horrified with the amount of work required - and the people who had to be scammed - and the money that had to be spent - for me to receive even one of these ‘free’ offers.

This is the New Spam of the Web 2.0 Generation.

Just Don’t Do It.

Lorne.

I agree that there is a concern about the morality of requiring your friends to sign up for a credit card or whatever before you can receive your “free gift”, however is there any evidence that Freebee won’t send you the “gift” provided you and your friends jump through their marketing hoops?

Cheers,
mrDween

Dear Jeanne,
what a great video. I feel honored that our lives touched at the Sawtelle Hospice.
Peace.

The blog post was right on. It was a good read. Outstanding, Lula Bousar @ tinypocketpeople

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