I went to a athletic store to purchase my little boy new tennis shoes. At the checkout, the cashier asked if I would like to get 3 months free of Sports Illustrated - sounded great.

I signed up for the subscription and completed the transaction with my debit card. After about 4 months, checks started over-drafting all over the place, and it occurred to me that I hadn't gotten a bill from SI to continue my subscription even though I was still getting the magazine. I went to the bank and found that they had drafted a whole year's subscription out of my checking account using my debit card that I used to pay for the shoes at the store! I had NO idea they were going to do that!

When I called, they said I had signed the agreement and that they would not reimburse me for anything, and ultimately it was my job to know what I was signing, not the salesperson's job at the affiliated store. The bank agreed with SI! (I don't bank with them anymore.)

Total cost of that "free" 3-month subscription: $158.50 (including all the overdraft fees)

Lessons: Nothing's free. Always read the fine print.

Had I used cash like I do now, they wouldn't have had access to anything. They would have had to send me a bill that I could have canceled. Always use cash if you can.

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