Free stuff just by asking for it? Anyone tried this?

Happy_shopper

vixarooni wrote: »

I think its awful to write into a company to praise them or whatever to just see what you can get out of them. You'll end up stopping the freebies altogether by abusing their good nature so that everyone looses out.

For the Simple samples (see my post above), people have just asked for samples and received samples, all honest and straightforward. By a 'nice request email', I meant 'please ask politely', not 'please lie and be obsequious'. I know you weren't referring to my post specifically (and I agree with your comments) but I thought I'd clarify my previous post.

Badger_Lady

Innocent have been known to send out "samples", particularly to your workplace so that you can share with your colleagues.

Of course, their "samples" are actually the little bottles that retail for £1.75 each!

Just remember not to take the pee

scuzz

I sent an email to Tetley shortly after they started introducing their fruit tea range saying how nice they were and wondered if they had plans for any more to come out.

I got a letter back with a £1 voucher for me to try more of the range. At the time the teabags cost 60/80p each so I got two packs and paid around 20p!!:T

llol_slim

vixarooni wrote: »

I think its awful to write into a company to praise them or whatever to just see what you can get out of them. You'll end up stopping the freebies altogether by abusing their good nature so that everyone looses out.

Theres enough freebies and money to be made on this website without going down the decieving route to gain more. Its just making people greedy.

I dont believe in "begging" for freebies, like you say there are enough freebies without this.
However the two times I have done it, neither times did I ask for anything.
Why not praise a company if you appreciate them? Brylcream actively request comments positive and negative, which is why I contacted them.

Personally, I think companies appreciate customer feedback and they reward it with freebies/tokens/whatever.

NickiM

For my GCSE Graphics project I had to design a perfume's packaging, so I emailed as many places as I could asking for packaging as we had to do research. Some said they couldn't send me anything, some sent me nets, and some sent me little samples of a variety of different products.

Also, I emailed Smarties when I was about 5, as I had "designed" a watch - they regretably informed me that there wasn't a big enough market but sent me some things to make up for it!

Badger_Lady

There are good reasons why companies will give out freebies and, as long as you "play fair", there's no reason why you shouldn't be part of this:

• PR opportunity - e.g. supporting charities / events (as per OP)
• Word of Mouth promotion - giving out samples (like Innocent)
• Trial launch of products - e.g. the Brylcream remover (what do you think of this?)
• Customer satisfaction - to compensate for minor complaints

So it's not extortion of companies unless you lie, cheat and sell on!

vikki_louise

I've got quite a bit of free stuff by asking but only for charity/good causes (mainly things being donated for www.postpals.co.uk to send them to sick kids), it bugs me though when companies won't help because they get too many requests for other things, an example being claire's who used to (dont know if they still do it) let kids get dressed up in their shop and take a picture for £10, i asked if they would donate thatto a really poorly kid and they said no because they give money to charity, despite the fact it wouldn't of cost them anything but ce la vie

milesoneill

While working in Romania in 97 a friend of mine became ill after drinking a bottle of coke (or was it the beers afterwards - we never figured that one out...). I kept the label and when I returned home I wrote to Coke Cola explaining what had happened and asking them to check the quality of water used in their bottling techniques in Eastern Europe. 3 weeks later a van arrived at the door, the driver had an apologetic letter from Coke Cola and 2 cases of Coke for me (each containing 24 bottles of 500ml):j
Ended up giving most of it away to friends and neighbours! Way too much fizzy stuff for me to handle!

llol_slim

milesoneill wrote: »

While working in Romania in 97 a friend of mine became ill after drinking a bottle of coke (or was it the beers afterwards - we never figured that one out...). I kept the label and when I returned home I wrote to Coke Cola explaining what had happened and asking them to check the quality of water used in their bottling techniques in Eastern Europe. 3 weeks later a van arrived at the door, the driver had an apologetic letter from Coke Cola and 2 cases of Coke for me (each containing 24 bottles of 500ml):j
Ended up giving most of it away to friends and neighbours! Way too much fizzy stuff for me to handle!

when I went to Morocco, we were told to look carefully at the lids of Coke bottles. Apparantly, the locals who sell them open them up, took out a quater of a bottle and topped up with tap water - not nice in Morocco.
If you see what I mean, they made an extra bottle out of every 4, saving them money.

Smick100

I once wrote to Slush Puppie with a ridiculous letter going on about how much I love Slush Puppie and how disappointed I was that there is no Slush Puppie branded merchandise.

They sent me a t-shirt, baseball cap and two towels!