Enticed by the offer of a free iPod or free iBook? Best to really cover your tracks.

In November 2006, I signed up for four offers on gadgetcity.com in order to receive a free iPod. On page 1, I signed up and completed a Netflix offer. On page 2, I signed up and completed the Columbia House DVD offer. On page 3, I signed up and completed the CitiBank DriversEdge card for students offer. On page 4, I signed up and completed the Discover Platinum Card.

On GadgetCity's website, my account status reads as "gift confirmed." I called GadgetCity yesterday to confirm that my iPod was on its way, and was told that I had not completed the required offers. They told me that I had completed two offers each on pages 1 and 2, and none from pages 3 and 4. When I signed up, the CitiBank credit card was an offer on page 3, and the Discover Card was an offer on page 4.

GadgetCity.com claims that they have not changed their offer pages since August 2006. However, there are far fewer offers on pages 3 and 4 today than there were when I signed up in November 2006. I believe that GadgetCity moved the offers to different pages after I had already signed up for and completed them. This is misleading and fraudlent. I have completed the four offers, one on each page, that I signed up for.

I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, but I unfortunately probably do not have enough proof to resolve this matter favorably. Here's what I suggest those of you who have signed up with gadgetcity.com do:
1. Document your actions. Take screenshots of the pages where the offers appear, and of the offers themselves. Make sure the date and time are showing on the screenshots.
2. Once you complete all of your offers, go back and double-check them, to see if they're still on the right pages. Take screenshots again.
3. If Gadgetcity.com tries to claim that you did not complete all the required offers, or that the offers you completed were on different pages, file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. What Gadgetcity.com is doing (moving offers after people have signed up for them) is really sketchy.

Good luck. Don't get scammed like I did.