Silly Beggar

angelthecat

I'm new to this site and not sure if this is the right place to post this, but it is about freebies, so please forgive me if it's the wrong thread.

I'm reading a very funny book about scoring freebies and I thought it might interest readers of this thread. The book is called Silly Beggar: The World's Stupidest Begging Letters by James Spence. The author was interviewed on Richard and Judy on Watch last week, prompting me to get it.

Basically, he wrote to loads of companies coming up with hilarious (and bizarre) reasons why he deserved their freebies. For example, he wrote to Vauxhall and said that an alien creature had left a foul-smelling liquid on his shirt and his car, so they sent him a Vauxhall shirt and some car air fresheners to cover up the smell of the alien goo!! His unique approach to blagging seemed to work most of the the time and the companies got into the spirit of the game and often wrote back with some very funny replies!

Has anyone else read it? I'm about halfway through it just now and looking forward to the second half!

zfrl

Not read it but heard about it on the Chris Evans show. He sounds like a bright lad who will go far.

kim_ley

i think id like to read this... in my experience funny or personal emails/letters get a higher response than the generic 'can i have please thanks'

layla1979

Im gonna look to see if its on ebay

masterbrown

I would read it but Errol my hamster chewed it up and is now using it as bedding, I was going to buy another copy but discovered Errol had also chewed up all the paper cash in my wallet to make pillows to go along with his new bedding.....Maybe I should email the author...

Enterprise_1701C

I would read it but currently my daughter's gerbils have taken it with them to visit their cousins on Mars, and they've taken my credit cads with them too:eek:

Seriously though, I want this book, but what happens when all the manufacturers and companies get wind of this, it could rather spoil our fun.

Dawnhoney_2

http://www.sillybeggar.co.uk/
just have a look

jenniewb

masterbrown wrote: »

I would read it but Errol my hamster chewed it up and is now using it as bedding, I was going to buy another copy but discovered Errol had also chewed up all the paper cash in my wallet to make pillows to go along with his new bedding.....Maybe I should email the author...

Errol:rotfl: is this coincidence or did you read the attempted scam story too?:rotfl:

angelthecat

ROFLMAO! This is a brilliant thread! I feel sorry for your poor gerbil, but at least he got a good meal out of it!!

Thank you so much for posting the blog address. I love the funny videos! Those dance moves can't be legal!

pineapplejelly

masterbrown wrote: »

I would read it but Errol my hamster chewed it up and is now using it as bedding, I was going to buy another copy but discovered Errol had also chewed up all the paper cash in my wallet to make pillows to go along with his new bedding.....Maybe I should email the author...

Please do, it would be hilarious!
(Although I suppose you might not be the first person with that idea. Perhaps he's getting tired of the joke - then again, perhaps he wouldn't mind sharing the good fortune given that doing the same thing got him a bunch of freebies and a book deal.)

slick_detective

this reminds me of that book called the timewaster letters it's not about freebies but this guy who writes to companies and places like 10 downing street offering ideas that are hilariously stupid although one about having 2 prime ministers one for during the day and the other for night time while the other one is asleep isn't a bad idea at all,it's hilarious and a fantastic read would recommend for someones birthday or for a christmas present!! actually i think i'm gonna go and by the timewaster letters book now along with silly beggar thanks op for telling us about the book called silly beggar sounds hilarious and i'm gonna be writing letters and e-mails for weeks now,because it'll be hilarious i soooooooooo want to write to 10 downing street and to companies making funny story up and hopefully getting freebies in return but if i can help it will wait a few months maybe a year before i make funny stories up and get freebies as they will be inandated with them(so i will stick to 10 downing street and maybe the queen and other stupid stuff)i'm ecstatic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EDIT:i've given up on waiting for a few months before making stories up,but i hope it works!!well they were offering the freebie but i asked for something else aswell.