The first year they had SO Kindles, there definitely were a lot of good offers via the ads. Many of us more than made up for the cost of the Kindle with what we saved through special offers on items we would have purchased anyway even without special offers. But then Amazon pulled the old bait and switch routine and the special offers were on crap no one cared to buy. Then eventually they went away altogether. Now just ads from what I hear. I always pay to have them turned off.