These trials can go from 7 to 30 days (give or take), and don't typically let you continue on without providing some sort of credit card info. Once the trial period of time has elapsed, and of course you've forgotten about it, good luck trying to cancel and get your money back. Everything's all peachy until livelihoods are being cut into. There's usually some kind of hassle. Some companies are on the up and up over this kind of issue, but I can imagine they are few and far between. Don't catch yourself finding out the hard way. This is an old tested and true tactic that mail order companies have been doing for years. Newspapers have created it into an artform!
There are several sites that provide a service or a product. They should get paid for their efforts in helping you somehow, or for their time taken in developing their product or service that they provide. Those that deserve it, usually know it. There's no need to be sneaky about a product you believe in is there?
If you do decide to sign up for something that gives the appearance of being free, and it asks you for the bare minimum information (usually e-mail and first name), and calls it step one, be careful. Because up and coming is step two! This is usually more critical info, like where to send all the fat checks you'll be making! Then comes step 3. At times the most depressing step there is. Credit Card Info.... 'Damn. If this is free, why do they need it?' The answer is simple.
They Don't!
