The subject of this article was delivered to my email inbox just today. The email advertises free tax preparation and includes a huge picture of an H&R Block logo. In smaller print, underneath this ad photo is the information that the company offering this service is not affiliated with H&R Block in any way.

But I decided to look this gift horse in the mouth - well, in the small print anyway.

Of course, it is as I guessed. Click on the link and it takes you to a website where you can fill in your personal information to participate in their “program”. Only participants in the program will get the free gift. In even smaller print, is the information that the program entails signing up for at least 2 Silver, 2 Gold and 2 Platinum offers.

Still, it sounds good - you can sign up for offers without actually taking the credit card right? No, because in the Terms & Conditions it says:

“To claim your reward you must perform all of the following: (i) provide and submit Your correct name, email address and current mailing address; and (ii) sign-up and, where applicable, get approved for, activate and/or any other conditions that may be stated in the offer”

Better still, you aren’t guaranteed the exact gift that they advertised because also in the Terms & Conditions they reserve the right to substitute any reward with another reward at their discretion.

I have seen this same advertisement using DVD players, iPods and nearly every imaginable gadget and product. As always, it is only in the small print that you find out that they have no affiliation with the company that makes the product or provides the service. All they do is recruit applicants for credit card offers that are probably pretty poor deals.

You see the ads everywhere on the net - Free Credit Report. The problem is that consumers who sign up for their free reports often find themselves enrolled in a continuing program, one that charges fees for all subsequent services.

Recently Consumerinfo.com doing business as Experian Consumer Direct agreed to pay $300,000 to settle charges by the FTC that the company’s ads for its “free credit report” offer failed to disclose adequately the fact that consumers who signed up would be automatically enrolled in a credit-monitoring program and be charged $79.95.

The company had already paid $950,000 in August of 2005 to settle similar charges. Consumers were asked for credit card numbers to establish their accounts and automatically billed the $79.95 annual membership fee after a 3-month trial period. The FTC charges that following this settlement, the company continued to run deceptive ads about “free” reports.

Again, every consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually. These can be obtained by going to www.annualcreditreport.com.