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PINCHme Review – Free Samples to Your Door?

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I have mentioned PINCHme so many times that I figured it’s time for an in-depth review.  In short, it’s a company that will send you samples, usually in what’s known as a PINCHme box, at no cost.  More about this later.

In today’s review, I wanted to see if you can really get free items at no cost and if it’s worth your time.  As you probably know, there are so many scams online that I wouldn’t want you to fall into yet another trap, especially in the “freebie” industry.  This is where I can come into the picture to help save you time.

As with all of my reviews, I test these sites in depth and offer my honest opinion, no matter the affiliation I may have.  Near the end, I will offer my thoughts as to whether or not it’s worth your time.

If you’re a fan of freebies and love seeing items show up on your doorstep, then let’s see if PINCHme lives up to the hype.

PINCHme Box Review:  Free Samples at No Cost?

How Does PINCHme Work?

PINCHme wants to send you free samples to your home in exchange for your feedback at no cost.  That’s right.  No credit card is ever required, but again, all they ask is that you submit your feedback after testing out the products.  You won’t get paid; rather, you just get to sample some great products.

The company was founded in 2013 as a way to serve as a “destination for members to sample products from the world’s leading brands.”   To date, they have more than 5.7 million members and currently operate out of New York City with more than 40+ employees.

To get started, you will need to answer a series of questions, along with your shopping habits, and with this information, PINCHme will match you up with offer samples that may work for you.  It’s then up to you to decide whether or not you want to accept the sample job.  The company continues to add freebies and doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

Signing up is 100% free and you never have to pay a penny, so put your credit card away.



Getting Started

To sign up with PINCHme, the process is relatively simple and only takes a minute.

At first, you will be asked to fill out a simple form which asks for your basic information such as your name, email as well as your birth date, to name a few.  If you choose to do so, you can link your Facebook profile instead, but this is 100% optional.

After you sign up, you are then taken directly to your simple dashboard where you’re asked to fill out a profile.

First, the “Offers”

Before you’re able to access your profile, however, PINCHme will first ask you to click through a few questions in the hopes you click on “yes.”  This is what’s known as the “offers” section on the website. It will look something like this…

Keep in mind that you don’t have to click on “yes.”  They only hope you do so as they will make a commission if you do.  This is 100% optional, but don’t feel you have to commit to anything.  Hey, they have to stay in business somehow, right?

A lot of companies use this tactic, and I don’t mind it as long as they don’t overdo it, but be careful if you sign up with any of these offers as you’re often bombarded with spam.  The same can be said about “trials.”  If it’s too good to be true, it is!

Getting through the offers section only takes seconds, and honestly, there’s usually nothing of value, at least to me.

Your Profile

After you get through the “offers” portion, it’s now time to fill out your profile.  This part may take some time, but it shouldn’t be more than five to 10+ minutes.

In this section, it will ask you a lot about your shopping habits as well as some personal details.  If you have ever completed a profile before on any of the larger survey websites, then it shouldn’t be a surprise to you.

To start receiving free samples, it’s so important that you fill out your profile in depth so that the company can learn more about you and your shopping habits.  The company does not want to send you baby-related items if you don’t have a baby.  Like the many research companies I have talked about a myriad of times, you can’t skip this option as they need to learn more about your demographics.

Even after you fill out your profile, PINCHme may continue to send you more profile questionnaires to increase your chances of landing even more samples.  These are optional, but in filling them out, you can receive even more samples.  You will be able to find these additional questionnaires inside your menu.  It will look something like this…

If you see an “!” next to it, then it more than likely means you have more questions to answer. Again, I highly recommend you do so to increase your chances at even more samples.

The Samples

After you complete your profile, PINCHme will immediately show you any samples that you qualify for.  When I played around with it for the first time, I was immediately presented with a free sample.

To play it safe, I’m not going to post a screenshot due to terms and conditions, but you can be assured that I was given the opportunity to test a food product.

Just add any of the samples to your box, confirm your selection and then wait for it to arrive on your doorstep.  Typically, it can take anywhere from four to six weeks for the sample to arrive.

After you add your samples, the company will continue to post more samples.  You will just need to be on the look out as to when they will.  For example, when I was writing this, the next batch of samples would be released on January 14th at 12:00 EST…

If you’re serious about getting samples, it’s best to log in at that time because the samples often go fast.  After you log in at that time, you can then qualify for even more samples.  They will do this every month.

In the past, they have sent out Mac blush, for instance.

Be Warned!

You will often see that you can take advantage of a free sample, only if you complete an offer.  While this is fine, be sure you know what you’re getting yourself into if you were to complete an offer.  What you’re going to find out is that some will offer you a “free trial,” but you’re then charged a ton if you don’t cancel in time.  Some offers are fine, but just let it be known that these offers can either charge you in the future or send you a lot of spam.

Leaving Feedback

In exchange for your free sample, PINCHme asks that you provide simple feedback after you test your sample for a few days/weeks, whatever the time frame may be.

To do this, you will need to log into your account and select your profile to see the samples you have claimed in the past.  From there, you can click on the “feedback” icon to take a quick survey in relation to your sample.

As with any surveys, remember to be honest and provide detailed feedback to increase your chances of landing more opportunities in the future.  Unlike most survey companies, however, PINCHme won’t pay you for your feedback; rather, they just let you keep your sample.

What Others Are Saying

It’s not always about me when writing reviews, so in this section, as with all my reviews, I scoured the internet to see what people are saying about PINCHme.

No matter how great a service is, there are always negative, so always take it with a grain of salt unless you find hundreds of people saying the same thing.  I just include both the pros and cons so that you can kind of get an idea as to what you’re getting yourself into.

The Pros

  • Almost all samples are catered to your profile, while means you will only receive samples you’re interested in.
  • Works with very prominent brands, such as Purina, P&G and 3M, to name a few.  Check out the “past samples” page to see who they have worked with in the past.
  • Aside from free samples, they also hold giveaways on Instagram and even have the QWIZme challenge, where you can win some cool prizes.
  • A very reputable company, having sent out more than 10+ million samples to more than 2 MILLION members.


The Cons

  • Some members report never receiving a box, but this greatly depends on your demographics.  Your results will vary.
  • Sometimes, the box never comes, even though the company promises it will.
  • Samples can go fast when released.
  • You won’t make money, but as mentioned, you can get some great samples.  Don’t plan on making any cash.
  • From my research, there seems to be a lot more members than samples, so your samples may be limited.

Is PINCHme Legit?

Yes!  PINCHme is 100% legitimate.  They will send you a sample if you qualify, but don’t expect one just because you signed up.  As long as you have this mindset, you won’t be disappointed.  Like surveys, the advertiser in question wants to send out samples to those who qualify.

Most companies like this, however, tend to send out a lot of promotional mail once you sign up, so be prepared to see a lot of email.  This is one of the reasons I suggest you use an alternative email or filter to separate these websites from your important emails.

Final Thoughts

6/10In the end, you won’t get paid using PINCHme, but you can get some pretty cool samples.  If you’re the type that loves trying out samples, from food to even treats for your pet, then it’s a program to at least consider, seeing it’s free.  You never know what you can get.

PINCHme, without a doubt, is 100% legitimate and will not cost you a penny as long as you ignore the optional “offers” they send your way.  While you will find that they send you a lot of offers and advertisements to your email, you can’t really blame them as they need to make money somehow aside from working with their sample partners.  Remember that these offers are optional, and you do not need to sign up for them in order to get the samples.  In some cases you do, but it will tell you ahead of time.  These are the ones I would not do.

For now, at least consider creating an account to see what it’s all about and what kind of samples you can get.  Worst case, you can always cancel in the future if you don’t like what you see.  It only takes a few minutes to set up and you could be receiving free samples for quite some time as long as you jump on the opportunities when they pop up.  Personally, I find it to be pretty fun!

If you have ever tried PINCHme and/or you want to vent or even ask questions, then you’re always welcome to do so in the comments below.  I always love hearing your reviews as well.

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Tom Nathaniel

Hi! My name is Tom Nathaniel, and I created LushDollar to help share my honest thoughts on everything money. You won't find gimmicks here. It's the Internet's most honest money site after all. I graduated from Arizona State University, and I have worked in the finance industry since 2006, consulting with multiple Fortune 5000 companies.

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