There’s this article on Wired News called Wanted: Free iPod. Will Pay which discusses how people are willing to pay cash in order to obtain freebies, such as iPods and laptops. The article was a real eye-opener for me; I never knew there was an active community of bargain hunters who would actually pay other people to become their “referrals” for things like this, but I guess it does make some sense. If you’re able to get an iPod for $150 rather than $300, then perhaps the savings are worth seeking out and paying complete strangers to sign up for the required services for you.

We’ve all seen ads for places like Free iPods.com while browsing the Web, and while I’ll admit, I’ve thought about signing up to get a free iPod through them, I’d never actually do it. Who’s to say that I’d ever con convince my friends into helping me out to get one. Or, say I did manage to “refer” 5 people, who’s to say that the company would even send me my iPod.

Anyway, in the article, it mentions how people often lose money by paying strangers who never end up keeping their side of the bargain. Business idea: Set up a website where freebie hunters can find other freebie hunters and exchange referrals. It could be set up so that users auction off their time and services eBay-style and the little money involved could be stored away in escrow (ie., the business’ Paypal account) until both sides fulfill their promises. The website proprietors, no doubt, would take a small middleman “tax” for themselves. Of course, I have no idea how legal this idea is, or how financially feasible it is. It’s just an idea. : )

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