Merchant Fraud Squad

The world of online rewards programs, buying clubs, members-only and companion shoppers is expansive and can seem like a treacherous place to the untrained and unaware consumer. In fact it is no sketchier or more questionable an industry to shop in than any other, though this is a common perception. And for that reason alone, many shoppers steer completely clear of the industry without seeing what it has to offer. From my view, that is a real shame and it is one of my major complaints about the dynamics of online shopping. As someone who has utilized online shopping to save a ton of money, it is a real shame to see people missing out on deals I know would save them money simply because the online marketplace makes it too difficult to get a firm handle on what all of these products have to offer. Granted, like any other industry, there are products within the online rewards industry that people will love, there are products that people will like less, and there will be the few cases of fraud where companies really are trying to get over on innocent customers. You will find all three of the traits I just outlined in any large industry.

freeshipping.com

It is less important though what people “like” and “don’t like”. Those words have become so overused in the online literature of recommendations that they’ve almost lost all of their value. They’ve lost their validity, because people will employ the words to talk about products online that very often have less to do with the actual product than they do with the consumer’s own expectations about the product and those like it. What I find more valuable, especially when looking into subscription rewards services, is why an individual was or was not pleased with his or her purchase.

Take freeshipping.com. Scam is not at all the name of the game they’re playing. But when you go about the Internet in search of a freeshipping.com rating or review, you may very well find a few reviews that say otherwise. Of course this is not true, as freeshipping.com is a perfectly legal and registered LLC with over a decade of industry experience and one of the most solid reputations in the consumer rewards business. But in many cases of negative information getting spread online, it is not at all obvious that the problem really lies with the consumer. What freeshipping.com offers is simple: a subscription service that offers free shipping and other consumer benefits when and where the member chooses to utilize it. It’s not an outlandish offer; it’s a program that is designed to save customers money through practical solutions. And, it is not for everyone. That is why they provide detailed information on their website and throughout the sign up process, as well as a free trial period. Of course, this is what a trial review is for—to determine if the program is right for you. The free trial only furthers my point that freeshipping.com is a legitimate and beneficial service. But the larger point here is that, as consumers, we have to take an approach to online reviews that is always watchful for bias and misinformation. We have to be like detectives and get all sides of the story so as to determine where the truth lies. In that way, navigating the world of online consumer benefits can be quite fun and rewarding indeed.

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