“Try on shoes, get a free smartphone,” declared a sign in the window of Ryan’s local Journeys store. That sounds like a deal that can’t possibly be true. And it’s not.

That tiny fine print actually reads, “With a new 2-yr. plan plus data feature. See store associate for details. Limitations and conditions apply.”

(For the “pics or it didn’t happen” crowd, here’s a version of the picture where the fine print is actually large enough to read. It’s 1600 pixels wide.)

The “free smartphone” is only part of the deal if you sign a two-year service contract (including data plan) with an unidentified mobile phone carrier. Yes, you might try on shoes, then get a not-so-free smartphone, but these events aren’t necessarily related to each other.

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