Gourmet Free Web site
Addicted to Starbucks and crave expensive teas such as Mariage Freres, but cringe at the price tag attached?
Your savior may have just arrived.
Gourmet Free be its name.
Gourmet Free is a site that offers gift cards good at gourmet retailers such as Dean and Deluca, igourmet, Starbucks and World Market for free.
Users on the site earn points towards the gift cards by referring friends and family and filling out surveys online.
"It really couldn''t be easier. All a person has to do is sign up and complete a few surveys," said site owner Tiffany Harte.
"Once you reach the point threshold, you tell us which gift certificate you would like. And we send it to you."
Currently, 50 points are needed to get a $25 gift certificate for your favorite gourmet retailer goods and foods retailers; each referral nets participants one point.
Like other entrepreneurs. Harte said she started the site because she believes there is a market for it.
She said the idea came to her, ironically enough, while having a cup of tea.
"One of my guilty pleasures is drinking expensive tea…my cupboards are full of the stuff," she said.
"My husband was complaining about my collection as usual, when I thought to myself," Just because I have caviar tastes on a peanut butter budget doesn''t mean I (and others) shouldn''t be able to get the good stuff."
Though Gourmet Free is a freebie-in-exchange-
"We''ve all seen the sites before ''Complete a survey to get an iPod or iPad'' or some other high-tech gadget," she said.
"The difference between my site and those is that I actually deliver; I stake my reputation on it."
If Harte and Gourmet Free''s online rep is any indication, the site just might be credible.
There are no complaints about the site floating about the Internet, and there''s lots of positive buzz on sites like Twitter.
"We''re very active on Twitter. We''re gaining a good following. I think it''s because of the ''Question of the Day,'' we do where you can earn free points just by interacting with us."
