Newbie with questions re: SR - sign-ups & canceling

[Belle0101]

I'm really leary for a couple of reasons.

*The first being that I've signed up for things before, not at SR, and had a really hard time canceling - Proactiv being the absolute worst

*If you have to pay for the first shipment or even just shipping / handling doesn't it sort of defeat the purpose? Wouldn't you be paying out more actual dollars than you'd get back in Disney Dollars?


For example, here's the Disney ornament fine print:
"Join now and buy one Disney Character Ornament ... then get a second one FREE! If you are not delighted with your first shipment, simply return it within seven days at our expense. You, of course, keep the FREE ornament with our thanks. When you keep the trial ornament, you’ll become a member and pay just $9.95*. Then in about four weeks, we’ll send the remaining 21 ornaments so you’ll have a complete collection for holiday decorating without having to wait. Pay for only one ornament per month at the same low issue price of $9.95 per ornament. You may preview the ornaments for seven days and return any you don’t want at our expense. After making two regular payments towards your Disney Character Ornament collection, you will also automatically be enrolled in our separate Free Preview Program to receive, up to three times a year, seven-day free previews of new President’s Edition Disney character ornaments to supplement your collection. We always notify you first with details, price (usually about $12.95 per ornament plus shipping and handling), a reply form and a toll-free number. Tell us within 10 days if you choose not to receive a supplement, or do nothing and it will be sent. If we don’t allow 10 days for your response, or if you don’t want the selection, you may return it at our expense. Disney Character Ornament collection and Free Preview accounts must be canceled separately. *Plus shipping and handling on entire shipment, and applicable sales tax. Limit one per household. Late charges apply to overdue payments. All orders subject to approval. Future contact may include e-mail if your account is overdue. Offer limited to U.S. zip-coded addresses only. Out-of-stock items may be replaced by alternate selections. Christmas Magic is a trademark of Scholastic Inc. TM & © Scholastic Inc. © Disney. Based on the "Winnie the Pooh" works by A. A. Milne and E. H. Shephard."

Is it just too early in the morning for me, not enough caffeine yet? I'm not understaning how I'm not out any money.

Help. Either here or PM please. I'd like to start saving for a trip but I guess I need a little hand holding before I get my feet wet. Thanks!

 

[alacazander]

HI,
Yep your right with some offers it doesn't pay to just try to get the disney dollars and you'd be losing money or breaking even. I think with the ornaments it's because they are Disney and we are disney nuts here so people want them anyhow and get the rewards ordering from sunshine. I didn't do the ornaments offer but have done plenty of other offers that do pay well and have been worth it.

One thing I always do is read the fine print like you did with the disney ornaments. Check out how hard or easy it seems to be to cancel and I also go to www dot rate the offers dot com and check out the actual offer. People will rate how hard or easy it was, how long it took, etc. and i've found that is a good source especially regarding the offers that are hard to cancel or take a long time to pay out. I can just skip those and save myself the frustration.

I'm leary about everything too. I won't download anything and I always try to delete the cookies before I do any offer or shop just in case. With all that said when Sunshine girl did her last big disney gift card special I cashed out $75 worth. So is it worth it? You bet!

 

[Belle0101]

$75?

I love Disney too but I think I'll pass on the ornaments since, at least to me, it sounds like I'd be out a more dollars than the points it would award. I wouldn't normally buy the ornaments so it wouldn't be as beneficial to me it sounds like.

Thanks for the help. I'm really jealous that you cashed out for $75! I guess I'm just too chicken. Back in the day, when reward programs were paying bigger, I got burned a couple times. Now I'm thinking of jumping back in and I'm just very leary.

 

[sunshinegirl]

You should always be leery of anything that sounds TOO good to be true. If you are supposedly going to be paid a whole lot of money for doing absolutely nothing, you should also be leery. But if you are making a little bit of money at a time for things like being a loyal shopper, taking surveys, trying products, etc., then it is hopefully legit.

I actually ask my advertisers sometimes "what is the catch" when they bring me an offer because I am surprised that they are willing to pay so much. But one thing that I keep hearing is that it is harder and harder to advertise traditionally to people. With Tivo, you fast forward through commercials. So now they work the products into the TV shows. People don't get newpapers like they use to, so traditional print ads and coupons do not work as well. Everything is changing. So one thing they do is funnel that old advertising money into online advertising--getting you to click on links or view banners or try a product for X days. When it isn't working for them, that is usually when we see offers get pulled really quickly and we maybe get stiffed (like Driving 4 Dollars, FreeBidding, etc). Those are the kind that are the biggest gamble.

 

[twoksmom]

Sunshine, I signed up for both of the scholastic offers because I read it that as long as I returned the ornament and the book, my credit card would not be charged. Was I wrong? Did I make a mistake? I know I may to pay shipping on the free on but that should be it.I hope I didn't mess up. Also, do they usually credit fast? I'm wanting to cash out next week for a chance at one of the $100 gift cards!!! Thanks for all the info and all you do to help us. April

 

[Belle0101]

BTT

I'm curious as to the answer totwoksmom's question too.

Thanks!!

 

[sunshinegirl]

I'm not sure about the specifics of the offer because I didn't sign up for that one myself. But I can answer to the crediting. I just did an import of everything that they have credited up through about 6pm Eastern today. So check out your account and hopefully it is there!

 

[bartleby1]

Sunshine, I signed up for both of the scholastic offers because I read it that as long as I returned the ornament and the book, my credit card would not be charged. Was I wrong? Did I make a mistake? I know I may to pay shipping on the free on but that should be it.I hope I didn't mess up. Also, do they usually credit fast? I'm wanting to cash out next week for a chance at one of the $100 gift cards!!! Thanks for all the info and all you do to help us. April

I thought the same thing as you did. Anyone know for sure? I'm new to all these sign-up things but Sunshinegirl has been doing too many things to tempt me to try them, lol!