Canadian ref mini-guide / Help your Canadian ref out!

Okay, I don't claim to know how to write a guide, and I'm not even sure a guide belongs in the Help! section, but I figured, "why not?". I'm doing this because I just helped somebody out who has a Canadian ref and didn't know some of the hazards Canadian refs face when trying to complete offers. I thought a handy-dandy little mini-guide could help lots of Canadians, or people with Canadian refs, out.

Here are some rough steps for Canadian refs to follow

[b4b5b89707b]1.[/b4b5b89707b][/size4b5b89707b][/color4b5b89707b] When you first get to the site (after clicking on the person's referral link) make sure you read the site's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Other than learning lots of "dos" and "don'ts" of freebie sites, you should quickly be able to determine if this site even allows Canadian users. These sections should also inform you if the site will ship the prize to Canada, or they only send you the PayPal equivalent. Find out if the site permits you before you sign up. Simple enough. Now, some sites do not specify in their ToS or PP where you have to be from in order to complete their site. In that instance, either browse the forums (like FiPG) to see if they've ever mentioned citizenship restrictions, or try and contact the site owner for clarification (support ticket, AIM, PM on forums).

[b4b5b89707b]2.[/b4b5b89707b][/size4b5b89707b][/color4b5b89707b] So, you're allowed to sign up, and you do. Now you need to complete an offer to go green. This is the trickiest part of being a Canadian and attempting to do freebie sites. Some sites specify which offers are available to Canadians (and man, is that helpful). But some sites do not. You are simply presented with a (sometimes) massive list of offers, with no clue as to which ones you can do. Well, herein comes some process of elimination.

[b4b5b89707b]lililili[/b4b5b89707b][/size4b5b89707b][/color4b5b89707b]First, make sure you open a support ticket on the site informing the owner that you will be clicking on the offer links just in order to verify that they are in fact Canadian-friendly. I've read about people having their accounts put on hold because they simply clicked on the offer link to check something out (this was after they completed the offer already, so the site owner thought they were frauding). This may not be necessary on all sites, but it covers your butt regardless.[b4b5b89707b]lililili[/b4b5b89707b][/size4b5b89707b][/color4b5b89707b]

[b4b5b89707b]3.[/b4b5b89707b][/size4b5b89707b][/color4b5b89707b] Following this, simply click on some of the offers you are interested in trying out, and see what happens. Typically, if the offer isn't available for Canadians, you'll see a message like this "This offer is not available in your area. You will be redirected shortly". This is fine, you simply cannot do that offer. End of story.

[b4b5b89707b]4.[/b4b5b89707b][/size4b5b89707b][/color4b5b89707b] Here's the tricky (and most important) part. Sometimes when you click on an offer which is not available to Canadians, you'll be redirected to another site; a site different than the advertised offer. These sites include, but are not limited to Smiley Central, Survey Scout, Free Hockey Jerseys, and a Canadian FreePay site. [b4b5b89707b]DO NOT[/color4b5b89707b][/b4b5b89707b] complete the offers available at these sites. I have opened a support ticket on different sites asking about this, and they all say that completing mis-directed offers like that [b4b5b89707b]WILL NOT COUNT[/color4b5b89707b][/b4b5b89707b].

Here's an example say you're a Canadian, and you click on the Celladerm offer (not saying this offer does it, just an example). Instead of seeing the message I mentioned above ("This offer is not available in your area. You will be redirected shortly"), you get redirected to, say, Smiley Central. If you sign up for that site/service, you [b4b5b89707b]WILL NOT[/color4b5b89707b][/b4b5b89707b] get credit on your freebie site, and you [b4b5b89707b]WILL NOT[/color4b5b89707b][/b4b5b89707b] go green.

[b4b5b89707b]5.[/b4b5b89707b][/size4b5b89707b][/color4b5b89707b] So then, if you click on an offer and are redirected to the CORRECT site, are you safe? Not quite. I've also heard of people completing offers only to be put on hold for fraud, because these offers are only available to Americans (even though the offer link led them to the correct site). To avoid this, when you get to the offer site, read the offer site's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. This is always recommended, but for Canadians, we can check for sure if the offer is available to us.

Here are some offers I myself have done, and had success with Zoeta, eAuction Expert, Zip.ca (bread and butter of Canadians), REMMax, Video Professor, Advantage Language - Canada, Men's Health Trainer (says US only now), and a baseball one, Hit.com, or something. These one's I've done personally, and have worked as best I can remember.

Following these few steps, you should have a happy, non-frauding, Canadian ref.

Sorry the post is long, and a little confusing. But, I figured it needed to be thorough to avoid missing any important details. I hope it's helped you, and if there's anything you feel I left out, or you would like to add, do so without delay!!

Thanks for reading )

Oh, and sorry if the font changes aren't allowed. I read that different font should only be used in the Trading Post, but I didn't think it would hurt here.

Very helpful. Thanks for the time you put into this. Karma for you!!!

Good tips. It's really too bad it seems so limited for Canadians.

Great info Frank. Thankyou for all of this. It is very helpful.

very nice +K

Thanks, it's nice that you guys think this'll help. It's just a little something to help the Canadian noobs out. I know I wish I had something like it to read when I first started.

Excellent...and I'm gonna use this link )
The only suggestion I would make is this List the offers you've successfully done as a Canadian (in case those same offers might perhaps appeal to another like-minded countryman ;) )

[quotedbb90d350a="booklover1104"]Excellent...and I'm gonna use this link )
The only suggestion I would make is this List the offers you've successfully done as a Canadian (in case those same offers might perhaps appeal to another like-minded countryman ;) )[/quotedbb90d350a]

That's a good idea! I'll do that later when I get back from work. Thanks for the suggestion! Keep 'em coming.

GREAT JOB FRANK - I AM BUMPING THIS IMPORTANT THREAD

Also - a trader who lives very near Canada could face similar issues because sometimes DSL is routed through the closest point - even if it crosses the border in the process. I have seen it happen to a few of my refs. It doesn't make any sense, but nonetheless it has happened.

Very good guide. Its helped acouple of my refs from canada!! Thanks! D

Great post. I have known several new members that lived in Canada just throw up there arms and give up. Now I am going to point them to this post. Wonderful information.