When I was right out of high school and new to living on my own, I made some dumb mistakes. One in particular I remember involved a drawing for a free car at the mall. I was told entering the drawing was free and one lucky winner would win a red sports car. I figured I would fill out the sweepstakes form and drop it in the box like everyone else. I did not read the fine print. On the back in microscopic letters it said that by signing this form I was agreeing to switch long distance companies. The sign simply said enter to win a free car and said NOTHING about switching phone companies. I just failed to read the fine print on the entry form. It took forever, lots of phone calls, and switching fees to get back to my preferred provider. Other instances very similar to that occurred. I have learned to break out a very large magnifying glass and scrutinize the fine print of any and all contests, sweepstakes, or “free” offers. Most of the time it is a scam, especially online.
The funniest thing was when my father was told he won a “free boat” from some dealership. He had entered some contest. He was told he had to come pick up the free boat in person. It was two states away. He drove hundreds of miles, excited that he had won a free boat. When he got there it was a tiny inflatable raft that looked something like a swimming pool toy. He was really mad.