I would never click on any such solicitation...too dangerous. However, if you are interested in a particular product, and you have done a Google search on the name and satisfied yourself that it is a legitimate product, then go directly to the web site by putting the correct URL into your browser. Anything that you would be offered by email should be offered at the legitimate site. Clicking on a link in your email may take you to a very convincing-looking, but bogus or dangerous site, and you could end up with all manner of infections or worse.

Right click on the header, click Properties,click Details, click Message source. Click to go full screen and find the message amongst the gibberish. This way you have not opened the email if in fact you feel it may not have come from PC World.

never ever click on them from email, instead go directly to their website, you never know what you are getting in an email unless you do as Owbist said and look at the headers but I don't even bother, I go directly to the website and from there I use what ever product it is.

Good, then I am not neurotic about this subject.

I get this type stuff all the time from organization I am a member of, for example this forum. In the case of this forum and the three or four others I frequent, I do click on the email provided link, but I don't give that site authorization to run tests on my computer.

I have sent complaints to companies, investment for example, that want me to log on to the site to get my report, I always go directly to my browser and put in the URL form my source (address book).

Seems strange to me that companies like PC Magazine and Panda would have practices that invite bad guys to use their name to attack.

jerry-
I think you're absolutely right: it's ironic that security companies utilize these techniques.

it is one of the reasons I no longer suggest or recommend the panda free online scanner. They tend to spam people.