Complaint Review: FreeFlixTix.com

The same day I submitted my rebuttal, I got an email from a friend of mine that told me he got a "reminder" email about signing up for FreeFlixTix, and it was made to look as if I HAD SENT IT!!! He emailed me and asked why I sent him this email (and he sent me a copy of it so I coudl see for myself). Not only is it bad enough that FreeFlixTix is spamming my friends (if they didnt' sign up with one invitation, all OTHER correspondance is considered SPAM in my opinion), but they are making it look like I am the one sending it. This is OUTRAGEOUS! So much for their "anti-spam policy", which I pointed out sounded worthless to begin with.

Moral of the story: DO NOT give out the email addresses of any of your friends to any websites with the promise of free stuff!!!

I was the one who wrote the origianl report, and I have a few comments about the rebuttal:

First they say that I claimed that I accused them of "not disclosing that you will be required to complete an offer". If you READ what I actually WROTE, you will see that I never said that. I said you have to read the FINE PRINT on the site (you have to dig a bit to find it, and you know most people won't take the time to do it) and then they say you MAY have to complete an offer. Notice they NEVER DISPUTE my contention that I doubt this is really a "MAY" but a "MUST". I can't say this with absolute certainty, but of all the people I have talked to that have signed up on their website, NOT ONE got the tickets automatically WITHOUT having to complete an offer. Again, do you REALLY want to sign up for these "free trials" where they may "forget" to cancel you in time, or YOU may forget to cancel in time, in which case those "free" movie tickets will be far from free!

I'm not impressed with their anti-spam policy either. They say:

"Our No Spam Policy and Terms of Service prohibit all users from engaging in any activity involving spam ON OUR SERVICE. Violations of these policies may result in immediate termination of service and legal action against any spammer. FreeFlixTix.com's Terms of Service expressly prohibit: uploading, posting, emailing, transmitting or otherwise making available junk mail, commercial advertisements, or other form of commercial solicitation ON THE FREEFLIXTIX WEBSITE OR THROUGH FREEFLIXTIX'S SERVICES." (emphasis mine)

I don't care if it is on their service or not, I want to be sure I will nto receive spam in MY EMAIL. I don't believe the wording of their terms of service prohibits this.

One other thing. They now say:

"Or if they prefer members can choose to ONLY submit referrals and complete NO OFFERS."

That's interesting. How come when I complained directly to them, they never gave ME this option? I wouldn't trust a company like this one that seems to have difficulty telling the truth!!

In response to this posting, we would like to offer the following rebuttal:

FreeFlixTix.com offers its members a valuable and unique opportunity to earn free movie tickets. We are able to do this by facilitating advertising and direct marketing for our partners. Our deals with them enable us to offer you free movie tickets (admission certificates).

In less than two months, our site has benefited thousands of members by allowing them to earn free movie tickets in exchange for their time.

As we strive to improve and simplify our requirements, we believe that we will continue to enhance our members experience. Our goal is make it even EASIER to earn MORE free tickets in the near future.

We agree that there has been some confusion during the START UP of our new website. That is why on June 1st, 2003 we simplified our redemption process. (And we will continue to improve our site on a regular basis.)

In response to the accusation of "not disclosing that you will be required to complete an offer" We offer the following:

We want to emphasize that we have clearly and completely state the conditions of our service under the several locations on our site:

Please note that on the FreeFlixTix.com HOMEPAGE it is clearly written:

By signing up, I agree to your Terms of Service.

Within the Terms of Service, in Paragraph B Description of Services, the third item states In some cases, users might be required to complete an advertising offer or to send in a redemption form to redeem the free tickets.

The second step that each member was required to complete was based on demographics such as age and/or address. If David's friends were all of a similar age, or lived in a similar location, then "YES" they likely were given the same requirement.

Also, under our FAQ section it further reads:

"Why do I need to send in a Redemption Form when I earn a free ticket?"

The Redemption Form is required so that we may confirm your identity and confirm that all of the referrals who signed up and gave you credit for the ticket are in fact valid referrals, of real people, with real addresses. Making up fake email or postal addresses, or referring email addresses that belong to you is strictly prohibited and will disqualify you from earning free movie tickets.

"Why do I need to complete an advertising offer?"

In some cases, you might be required to complete an advertising offer instead of sending in a redemption form to redeem your ticket. In these cases, it is because our partners are sponsoring your free ticket and paying for processing, shipping and handling of your free ticket.

In response to David's claim of potential Spam, please read our policy below: (This is listed under the Privacy section of our website):

"No Spam Policy"

"We at FreeFlixTix.com are opposed to spam. Our No Spam Policy and Terms of Service prohibit all users from engaging in any activity involving spam on our service. Violations of these policies may result in immediate termination of service and legal action against any spammer. FreeFlixTix.com's Terms of Service expressly prohibit: uploading, posting, emailing, transmitting or otherwise making available junk mail, commercial advertisements, or other form of commercial solicitation on the FreeFlixTix website or through FreeFlixTix's services.
Any violation of our policies, by sending unsolicited email advertisements to or through FreeFlixTix.com computer systems, will use or cause to be used FreeFlixTix.com servers, located in California. Accordingly, any unauthorized use of FreeFlixTix.com computer systems is a violation of our policies and certain federal and state laws, including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (18 U.S.C. 1030 et seq.), Section 502 of the California Penal Code and Section 17538.45 of the California Business and Professions Code. Such violations may subject the sender and his or her agents to civil and criminal penalties."

In conclusion:

We have taken steps within the past week to make our instructions clearer, and the redemption process EASIER.

For example: We are now offering our "over 18" members the opportunity to IMMEDIATELY redeem certificates. (No referrals necessary). Or if they prefer members can choose to ONLY submit referrals and complete NO OFFERS.

We hope that David and his friends will "revisit" our site and feel free to send us their constructive comments to: help@freeflixtix.com.