A new free music site with the ominous name "YourFreeMusicDownloads" claims to offer free, open MP3s in exchange for a user filling out a survey. However, the survey involves divulging your mailing address, phone number, email, and credit card information. Oh, and you have to pay $5 in order to complete the survey.
When I registered, I realized that the data was being sent to expressmailmarketing.com -- not a good sign. Then, the program asked me for the email addresses of at least two friends. I filled in some gibberish with an "@" and a ".com," and it let me pass. However, the fact that my own email address had been sent to expressmailmarketing.com was disconcerting enough.
Then came the surveys. I had a choice between a Visa card, 250 free business cards, a weight loss pill, a weight loss tea, and wrinkle remover -- all of which required that I submit my mailing address. The business card survey timed out, so I went with the weight loss tea survey, "as seen on Oprah." I tried to submit phony information, but they asked me to pay a $4.95 shipping charge via credit card (which would require my real details), in order to receive my "free" sample and "free" music.
Getting a free MP3 is by no means worth receiving spam via email and mailbox for the rest of one's natural life, not to mention the issue of giving credit card information to one or more of these dodgy companies. Stay away from yourfreemusicdownloads.com.
