FreebieMom.com Review - Not Legit, Very Spammy

FreebieMom.com Review - Not Legit, Very Spammy

FreebieMom.com is a couponing blog that has been around for a couple of years. During our time following this blog, we did come across a couple of issues. FreebieMom was previously known as CouponClipinista, but they have rebranded (in May of 2016) in order to try to revamp their spammy reputation. Don't be fooled.

PROS:

• Updated everyday.
• Posts are in order and are easy to follow, chronologically.

CONS:
Unfortunately, there are a lots of problems that do need to be addressed.

• Very, very, very cluttered website. Definitely not user friendly.
• Had a difficult time navigating the website.
• Hard to distinguish content from ads. This site probably had the most amount of ads that we came across while following all blogs reviewed.
• Often mentions "RUN!" in Facebook posts, and even post titles, when the coupon or freebie isn't likely to expire soon. Misleading.
• Norton Anti-Virus did issue a 'Virus Warning' twice during our regular visits, probably due to the amount of ads. Be cautious.
• Seemed to regularly copy content from other blogs. Very similar wording, and FreebieMom posted after. Lack of originality.
• Never ever gives credit to other websites when they post a deal found on another website.
• Their Facebook page is worse than communism. Mention ANYTHING the admins do not like (including asking if a freebie is legit), and you're banned.
• Huge logo on website makes it harder to see the actual content. Need to scroll down a lot.
• Purchased well over 2 million Facebook "Likes". Don't believe the hype, they are purchased "Likes".

BOTTOM LINE: Stay away from FreebieMom. There are plenty of other websites to visit and are worth your visit. This website is incredibly spammy and is making thousands of dollars a day tricking you into signing up to 'freebies' when in reality, the admins are promoting these spammy offers for a big paycheck.

FreeStuffTimes Review - Decent Freebie Site

FreeStuffTimes Review - Decent Freebie Site
FreeStuffTimes.com is freebie that has been around for about ten years. We followed FreeStuffTimes over the course of 3 years and we are glad to be able to review it for you.

PROS:

• Updated all day long, day and night.
• Freebies are posted fast.
• Site loads fast.
• Freebies that are expired are updated to let you know they are expired.
• Only freebies appear on main page. Coupons has its own section, which is great for those who just want freebies.

CONS:
There are a few minor issues with FreeStuffTimes.

•  The website layout is VERY boring. FreeStuffTimes doesn't actually blog about the freebies. All they do is provide a link to the post. It's straight to the point but it is very boring. They do not include any pictures of the items either like every other freebie website does. 
• They never give any credit to any blogs, which is unethical. They are not finding 100% of the freebies. Credit should be given when it is due.
• Sweepstakes section is hard to browse.

BOTTOM LINE: If you love freebies, FreeStuffTimes is a nice site for you to visit since the freebies are all on the home page. It can be a boring site to browse with no pictures or any text, but the freebies are all there for you. You don't have to worry about any virus issues here either. If you want just freebies, FreeStuffTimes is a good place to visit.

FreebieShark Review - One of the Best Freebie Sites

FreebieShark Review - One of the Best Freebie Sites
FreebieShark.com is mainly a money saving blog that focuses on freebies that has been around since 2009. FreebieShark also posts sweepstakes, instant win games, coupons and deals besides freebies. We followed FreebieShark over the course of 3 years and we are glad to be able to review it for you.

PROS:

• Updated everyday with lots of freebies and other ways to save money.
• Deals are usually straight to the point.
• Easy to follow posts.
• Never misleads you in anyway like many other blogs do.
• Not too many advertisements on the site.
• Updated everyday with lots of freebies and giveaways.
• Text Alerts feature is awesome. If there is a hot time-sensitive freebie, you'll get a text message when it is available to make sure you never miss out on any great freebie. Convenient for those on-the-go.
• Legit freebies. FreebieShark checks and confirms with the company that the freebie is legit before posting it so no one gets spammed.
• The sweepstakes page is amazing if you are into sweepstakes and instant win games. Updated daily with new giveaways. A lot of work goes into maintaining that page.
• Gives credit when credit is due. This is huge because lots of other bloggers just steal content without linking back, but FreebieShark is always linking back. Awesome.
• VERY friendly. Have any questions? Ask away and you'll get an answer. Jason from FreebieShark is really friendly.
• Great community of people on Facebook. Probably one of the best.
• If you are on Instagram, FreebieShark is probably one of the best accounts to follow. They highlight all of the deals and freebies so you can see them while browsing Instagram.

CONS:
There are a few minor issues with FreebieShark.

•  During the Holidays, FreebieShark posts more online deals than usual and it might get annoying if you are new to the blog at that time since FreebieShark is a mainly a freebie website. You can browse just the "freebies" category to get around this.
•  If you like to coupon, you'll see that FreebieShark posts a lot of Target deals. Deals for Walmart and the drugstores are also posted, but this blog seems to favor Target and it might be an issue if you don't live near a Target.
• Layout is becoming outdated and needs a refresh. Site loads slow at times, but I am not sure if this is related to the layout. 
• Whenever there is a hot offer text alert, the site loads slow and is sometimes hard to access the blog for a few minutes. Can be frustrating if there's a very hot freebie you want to request.
• Beginner guides for requesting freebies and learning how to coupon can be more in-depth. Seems like those sections haven't been updated in a while.

BOTTOM LINE: If you love freebies, FreebieShark is definitely one of the best freebie sites out there. All the freebies posted there are legit and you won't be mislead like some of the other freebie sites mislead you. The text alert feature sets FreebieShark above and beyond the rest. FreebieShark is also usually one of the first blogs to post a freebie when there is a new one available. Besides the freebies, I personally love their sweepstakes page and their Instagram account. Although they could improve in some ways, two thumbs up for FreebieShark.

Hip2Save Review - Great for Deals, But Maybe Too Much Content

Hip2Save Review - Great for Deals, But Maybe Too Much Content

Hip2Save.com is mainly a deal hunting blog that has been around since 2008. Hip2Save also posts coupons and freebies besides the deals. We followed Hip2Save over the course of 3 years and we are glad to be able to review it for you.

PROS:

• Updated everyday with lots of deals.
• Layout "Grid" view is useful to get an overview of all the posts.
• During the holidays (and all year round), the deal posts can save you a ton of money on gifts. 
• Site loads fairy fast and isn't bogged down by advertisements.
• Freebies section is very easy to follow.
• Gives credit when credit is due. This is huge because lots of other bloggers just steal content without linking back, but Hip2Save is always linking back. Awesome.
• Great YouTube video series on how to coupon.

CONS:
There are a few minor issues with Hip2Save.

• The amount of posts can be VERY overwhelming. Some days, there is an upwards of over 50 posts and that is simply just too much to take in. It's hard to keep track of the deals. The average person doesn't have enough time to swift through 30+ posts each day, so it is easy to miss out on something good.
• Freebies are sometimes posted late and they are out before the readers are able to take advantage of them. Freebies are posted a lot faster on other sites.
• This might not be a con for everyone, but Collin (the owner of the blog) has her face posted literally everywhere. Her face is all over the template and images in blog posts. It gets a little bit annoying to the average person who just wants to save money.
• Collin has a big team of employees working for her but most people seem to think it is just Collin running the blog. This is due to the fact that the Hip2Save team make it seem like it is Collin posting and commenting on the deals.
• Affiliate links. Affiliate links everywhere. The Hip2Save disclosure policy does state this so it isn't a secret, but literally every single deal-type post has affiliate links. We understand the blog has to generate revenue, but this leads us to question if deals are posted JUST for the purpose of making money. What if the deal isn't really a great deal but just to help the blog generate revenue?

BOTTOM LINE: If you can put up with the tons of deal posts posted everyday, Hip2Save is overall a great blog. It can be overwhelming with all the deal posts, but you can browse in "grid" view to see an overview of all the posts. If you are trying to save money with just freebies, then Hip2Save might not be for you since it focuses more towards online deals. However, we really like Hip2Save for the fact that they credit other blogs, which is huge! Overall, thumbs up for Hip2Save and the site is safe to browse (no virus warnings like some other sites).

FreeStuffFinder Review - Most Unethical Blogger Ever, Spammy, Not Legit

FreeStuffFinder Review - Most Unethical Blogger Ever, Spammy, Not Legit
FreeStuffFinder.com is a freebie/deal blog that has been around several years. We followed FreeStuffFinder over the course of 3 years and we did see several issues with the blog & unethical blogging.

PROS:

• Updated everyday with lots of deals.
• Deals are usually straight to the point.

CONS:
Unfortunately, there are a lots of problems that do need to be addressed.

• FreeStuffFinder is LOADED with advertisements, which slows down the site a ton and makes it hard to browse.
• FreeStuffFinder copies several other deal and freebie blogs. However, NO credit is ever given. That is VERY unethical. Credit should be given where it is due.
• Tina, the site owner of FreeStuffFinder is extremely cocky and is known to BLOCK followers and even bloggers from her Instagram pages for no reason. When questioned about this, she denies blocking the followers and bloggers and will not unblock them. During an e-mail conversation we gained access to from a reader, she mentioned she was 'too good for other bloggers'. We believe this is because she feels threatened by competition from even ordinary people.
• We spoke with 3 of her previous employees who once worked for FreeStuffFinder. They all told us that she paid VERY poorly and actively PUSHED them to take deal posts from other blogs and not credit them back.
• 'Freebie' posts are misleading. She uses a lot of referral links and tricks you into signing up for the freebies that are not legit. She gets paid big time on these and your information gets sold to spammy companies.
• Tina from FreeStuffFinder once got a Target employee fired (who followed her on Instagram) once she found out that the follower could no longer give her early access to Target weekly ads. She called the Target she worked at and told them that she was taking the ads, getting her fired.
• Check out her Periscope & YouTube Channel - you'll see that she is more into talking about herself than the deals she is supposed to be helping you out with. Is it maybe because she doesn't know about the deals since they didn't originate from her? 
• Speaking of Instagram, Tina buys roughly 80% off her followers. Also on Facebook too. The HUGE amounts of followers she has is just a lie. Don't believe what you see.

BOTTOM LINE: We highly recommend you stay away from FreeStuffFinder. You can find these exact deals and freebies on other blogs, but without the spam. Consider the fact that Tina is a very unethical blogger, you probably shouldn't support a blogger who thinks she is higher than everyone else and steals content without ever linking back to the original source.

FreebieRadar Review - Not Very Original

FreebieRadar Review - Not Very Original
FreebieRadar.com is a freebie/deal blog that has been around for about a year. During our time following this blog, we did come across a couple of issues.

PROS:

• Updated everyday.
• Not too spammy with advertisements.
• Easy to follow posts.
• Not misleading, deals are straight to the point.
• Very fast loading website. Probably the fastest and cleanest loading site compared to other blogs.

CONS:
Unfortunately, there are a lots of problems that do need to be addressed.

• FreebieRadar copies several other freebie/deal blogs, almost word for word.
• In the 1+ year FreebieRadar has been around, they have never given credit to a blog yet. We all know that they aren't finding the deals themselves (taking from other blogs), so credit should be given when it is due. 
• Layout is even a replica of another deal site that I have been monitoring. Digging deeper into this, I found out that FreebieRadar copied the same layout template code and used it on their site.

BOTTOM LINE: Due to the fact that FreebieRadar is obviously copying posts from other sites (almost word for word) and not giving credit, I recommend staying away from this blog. Other blogs deserve your traffic since they have original content and give credit when it is due. If FreebieRadar ever changes their layout and becomes more original, I will definitely change my review to a great one and would love to become a regular reader of the blog.