Google that question to see for yourself. Or better yet, read on – I’ve done the work for you. On each of the following sites, the exact same question has been posted and the exact same reply given:

• Yahoo! Answers
• OhComments.com
• answerspice.com
• Xkaw.com
• As FAQs
• FreeDownload1.com
• AnswerDigger.com

Now just before you start to question, well couldn’t the same person have asked all those places and the same couple people answered? The answer: possibly, but not probably.

However, the above is not the only evidence. Here’s some previous fishiness and its cousin. Keep reading.

Scam Examiner

Now, there’s a website called Scam Examiner that claims its mission is “Exposing Scams So You Keep Your Money.” Interestingly, there has been only one post, dated April 26, 2010, a day before the domain was even registered, according to GoDaddy.com. The author of the post, named as Ron Kindall, is “a journalist and also a correspondent from ArrowOutlet.” Interesting. Additionally, not only is the email address given (ron.kindall@gmail.com) invalid, but instead of it linking to that email address, it links to ron.kindall@domain.com, also invalid. (Tests done here.)

Top It Off

If only I had thought to ask the opinion of the Better Business Bureau first! It turns out ArrowOutlet, LLC has a BBB rating of F on a scale from A+ to F.

My Mistake

This all started because I actually joined arrowoutlet.com in hopes of winning something cool. Worst mistake of the year. (This was, of course, before I checked the Better Business Bureau’s rating.) Fortunately I was somewhat wise enough to only spend the required $19.95 in order to obtain 40 bids. I then was able to bid on a “newcomers-only” auction that allowed me to win an additional 15 bids for just $0.02! Imagine that!

The newcomers section then disappeared and I was left in the real world. In this world, those bids I purchased with my two cents soon became worthless as I realized it was not just difficult, but impossible, to win an auction as a lowly user. A more likely story is that ArrowOutlet bots bid on things and then close the auctions when they want to. What really instigated my investigation was that at least two separate times, an auction ended even though I had clearly pressed the Bid button. I soon found that others had experienced the same problem.

Spin, Anyone?

ArrowOutlet even has a “Spin for Bids” page, remarkably similar to a slot machine, that promises a 96% win rate, but doesn’t deliver. In other words, it’s another place for you to waste money. So now I’ve spent $19.97 for 55 bids, have 8 left, and am that much more cynical. It wasn’t worth the thrill of bidding, at all.

The only thing about this place that might be for real is the Buy-it-now option, but by the time you’ve earned enough of a discount from the Buy-it-now price to actually get below the retail price, you’ll have paid ArrowOutlet way more in fifty-cent bids than any discount they ever give you.

Conclusion

It’s a scam – avoid it! If you’re a Christian, like me, we should be careful about falling for these innocent “casino” websites. Let’s call it what it is: gambling, in this case, with a 0% chance of gain.

Comments are welcome through private message.

Update: 2011-01-14

I did email ArrowOutlet about getting a refund for my bids, and was directed, via automated message, to a website that gives automatic refunds based on the number of bids you have left. Since I had 8, I got back $3.99. Since I never went and paid the $1.02 (apparently there’s a $1 tax?) for the 15 bids I won, I never got them, and thus, did not have to pay for them. That being that, I ended up spending exactly $15.96 cash (much more than that counting time) to bring you this post.

This update also added the BBB section above. Can’t believe that was the last place I checked!

I went ahead and placed a pre-order yesterday (Thursday), and the device will ship next week. Whether or not it had received all those features, I needed a portable, pocket-sized PDA to use at college. The iPad I was gifted is really cool, but it really only fits well in my playflow, not my workflow, which is why I’m not planning to take it to college with me. I expect to mostly use the iPod to manage to-do’s, calendar, and mobile work, occasionally getting the opportunity to play Doodle Jump or take an HD video. What I love most about it is its flexibility. It’s the most all in one all-in-one I’ve ever seen, well, except for the iPhone itself. Gone are the days when an iPod was bought to play music…