Before I signed up, I wanted to get to the bottom of the ?????. I didn't want any sweaty, filth pushing webmonkeys to have all my info, so I did my research. Gratis Internet, the parent company of the FreeIpods, FreeFlatscreens, etc. sites,  recently did an interview with Wired Magazine.
In this article Gratis states that they are acting as Head Hunters for companies (more on that later) and are paid between $50-$90 per referral. Although this seems like a lot of money, this is nothing compared to what these companies spend for print advertising which does not guarentee ANY customers. So now we know what ?????? equals. ??????=$50-$90 for Gratis per guranteed customer (referral sites).

How Does it Work?
You sign-up on one (or more) of the following websites:

Ok, so here is the tricky part.  Once you sign up with one of these websites you have to complete an "offer" from 1 of Gratis's advertisors.  There are usually 5-10 different offers, some being better than others.  Now, remember the ???????=$50-$90 equation?  In order for you to receive your ipod/Flatscreen/Desktop PC/Handbag you have to refer 5, 8, or 10  of your friends, and they have to complete one of the offers as well.  Then in order for them to receive theirs they need to refer others, and son on.  So lets just look at why they are going to send an Ipod to you. (1(you) +5(your friends))x$90=$540-$250(ipod)=$290 profit for them just for you signing up.  The advertisers are more than willing to pay, and FreeIpods is more than happy to send you your ipod.  Works out for everyone.

What process should you use to sign up (to ensure that you will get your item)
When signing up, it is recommended that you use Internet Explorer (sucks) some people have reported problems using other browsers.

1. 1. Click on one of the links above and enter a VALID US mailing address.
   
2. 2. Complete the marketing survey - not your answers do not have any impact on you receiving your item.
   
3. 3. Once you have signed up, you should receive a verification email. If you did not receive one, go to the "My Account" page and click the link to have them resend it. If you still did not get it check your spam folder.
   
4. 4. Sign-up with one of their partners and complete the offer. (see the section which offer should I choose) It can take up to 15 days for your offer to show completed (unless you follow my steps!) =)
   

• * InFone: This requires a credit card but is FREE. *INSTANT VERIFICATION*
  
• * Zooba: Instant verification, and you get a Best Seller Book for $10
  
• * AOL /w MusicNet: Sign up for their 45 day free trial. If you cancel before 45 days you are not charged anything.
  
• * Ancestry.com: Try a free 30 day trial of Ancestry.com's "Find your Ancestors" service.
  
• * Blockbuster Online: Try a two week trial of Blockbuster's Netflix-like service.
  
• * Video Professor: This costs $7. *INSTANT VERIFICATION*
  

Update: (1/22/2005)
After 4 Invalid referrals (not sure what happened there) I finally have enough referrals to submit for my iPod.  Originally I was just going to get the $250 iTunes Gift Certificate, But I wasn't sure if you could order an iPod with it or not, so I decided to just put in for the 20gb iPod.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that it shipped the same day!

My iPod came today!