How to Guide: Get a $500 Gift Card for Only $4.80!

So I was curious about these free offers and how they work. Some offers require you to sign up for services (free trials, small cost for a trial, or just paying for a service) and/or require referrals (where other people sign up for a service and have to pay-the logistics of all that are too much of a hassle for me so I just go on to an offer that doesn't require a referral).

I found this link: www.yourtopbrands.com

I signed up for it on Thursday, February 15, 2007. You get a $500 AmEx gift card (GC) (it is less than $600 so you don't receive a 1099 form and have to pay about 30% taxes on it) and only have to sign up for three services (some offers for the same amount you have to sign up for 6 or more services).

There are 3 pages which have about 10 service choices and from those I did the following:
Page 1: Complete Home w/ free $10 Lowes gift card (30 day trial, no initial cost)
Page 2: PriceStore by Bargain Network w/$25 WalMart gc (be careful because it is a 7 day trial and thereafter is a charge of about $39.80 and it initially costs $1)
Page 3: CallWave (30 day trial, no initial cost)

I called YourTopBrands and asked about how long it would take for those services I signed up for to show on my status page that I had completed them. The representative said the companies have up to 30 days to let YourTopBrands know that I signed up with them. That is the part that stinks because that would mean I have to keep the Price Store past the 7 day trial and pay about the montly cost). However, for fun let us say I canceled all the services at the 30 day mark:

Complete Home: +$10 Lowes gc
Price Store: -$39.80 +25 WalMart gc
CallWave: nothing

The total cost is $4.80 for a $500 American Express gift card. TOTALLY WORTH IT!!!!