In 2019, numerous companies provided opportunities for U.S. consumers to receive free products directly by mail. These offers ranged from baby care welcome boxes to food samples and product trials. This article details the legitimate freebies available during that period, focusing on verified programs and the methods required to access them. The information is based exclusively on data from 2019 consumer reports and deal aggregator sites.
Baby Care and Registry Freebies
One of the most popular categories for free samples in 2019 was baby care. Major retailers offered welcome boxes to parents who created baby registries. These gifts often contained a variety of samples, coupons, and useful items for newborns.
- Target: Consumers could obtain a free baby registry gift by creating a registry on the Target website and then visiting a customer service desk in-store to request the gift.
- Amazon: The Amazon Baby Registry Welcome Box was considered a top freebie. It required completing several steps to receive the box via mail.
- Walmart: Walmart offered a free baby welcome box to those who created a baby registry and requested the package to be mailed to their home. However, reports indicated that delivery reliability could be an issue, with some consumers never receiving their box due to potential mail loss or theft.
- BuyBuyBaby: Consumers with a BuyBuyBaby location nearby could receive a registry gift, which also included a coupon.
Additionally, a free baby welcome box from Walmart was available by creating a registry through a specific link and then requesting the package through a cesampling.com portal. This box was reported to include various baby samples.
General Free Samples and Product Trials
Several websites specialized in curating free sample offers from various brands. These platforms acted as aggregators, directing consumers to official sign-up pages managed by the companies themselves.
- PINCHme: This site was identified as a source for legitimate free samples without the need for surveys. Users could sign up for a free account, complete a profile and shopper survey, and claim freebies on designated "sample Tuesdays."
- General Sample Sources: Reports indicated that big companies like Tide, Pampers, and Keurig frequently mailed free samples to boost product visibility. Smaller companies also utilized this strategy. Most sample requests took 6-8 weeks to fulfill, and offers could run out quickly.
- Audible: A free 3-month membership for Amazon Prime members was listed as a notable freebie.
- Lego Life Magazine: A free magazine subscription for children was available.
- Pet Products: Freebies for pets were mentioned as a common category.
Consumers were advised to sign up for company mailing lists and rewards programs to receive exclusive discounts and birthday freebies. It was emphasized that legitimate free samples by mail should never require shipping fees or credit card information.
Food and Restaurant Birthday Freebies
A significant number of food and beverage brands offered free items to customers on their birthdays. These offers typically required signing up for a rewards program or email club in advance.
- Great American Cookie: A print-out coupon for a free cookie slice with a soda purchase was available upon signing up for their email club.
- Grimaldi's: Members of their email rewards program received a coupon for a free 16-inch one-topping pizza, valid for a week after their birthday.
- Jamba Juice: Signing up for the rewards program resulted in an email coupon for a free smoothie valid throughout the consumer's birthday month.
- Krispy Kreme: By downloading the app and joining the rewards program, consumers received a free doughnut and coffee for their entire birthday month, along with other free doughnut offers throughout the year.
- Melting Pot: An email club sign-up provided a coupon for a free chocolate-covered strawberry dessert, valid until the end of the month after the birthday.
- Moe's Burritos: App sign-up granted a free burrito reward valid for a week after the birthday, with additional deals on Free Burrito Day.
Other free food opportunities included free cookies from Insomnia Cookies during a back-to-school promotion in September 2019 and free food available through app sign-ups.
Craft and DIY Freebies
For craft enthusiasts, free patterns were available for holiday projects. These included instructions for creating a DIY Christmas stocking, a DIY knot wristlet, and a DIY no-sew scarf. These patterns were offered as free gifts for customers, with some including video tutorials.
Other Notable Freebies
- Subway: A BOGO for $1 deal was available.
- Sam's Club: A $25 membership deal was listed.
- Sweepstakes and Giveaways: Consumers were encouraged to search for free samples, sweepstakes, and giveaways online as additional ways to receive free products.
Conclusion
The landscape of free samples by mail in 2019 was diverse, offering U.S. consumers opportunities to receive products from major retailers, food brands, and specialty companies. The primary methods for accessing these freebies included creating registries, joining rewards programs, and signing up for email newsletters. While many legitimate offers existed, consumers were advised to use trusted aggregator sites and be aware of potential issues such as out-of-stock samples or mail delivery problems. Always providing personal information should be free of charge and not require shipping fees.