Feelings about "free" offers from smaller businesses being OzBargain'd?

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  Davo1111 on 24/03/2015 - 23:00

  +1

  they just cancel anyway… it's happened many times

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  PVA on 24/03/2015 - 23:02

  +17

  I feel the same. That's why I don't enter to get the sticker, sample , whatever.
  If it's Gillette, Coke fair enough but not if it something like Freds Discount Dog Shoes giving a pair of dog socks for free - especially if you haven't a dog.

  • 

    GnarlyKnuckles on 24/03/2015 - 23:41

    +2

    "Freds Discount Dog Shoes giving a pair of dog socks for free - especially if you haven't a dog."

    LOLOL, you crack me up PVA, you're a cunninglinguist to be sure!

    • 

      PVA on 25/03/2015 - 08:55

      Thanks.

  • 

    PJC on 25/03/2015 - 10:59

    +1

    I'd wait for a quartet of dog socks.

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  BigTed on 24/03/2015 - 23:18

  +4

  This is now so common that any business with half a brain doing something like this would include 'limited to the first xx customers' in any advertising, and they just discontinue the deal once that number is reached.
  Failing to do this nowadays is just plain stupid.
  Just my 2c

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  GnarlyKnuckles on 24/03/2015 - 23:50

  I think that most businesses would fulfil their "distribution/ market-awareness-expansion" aim more quickly than they'd anticipated by being "OzBargained", and thus they may actually be glad of it. In giving away a limited number of freebies, their ultimate aim is presumably to "get some product out there", to as many of those as possible who don't already know about it / buy it; in the hope that those recipients become new customers.

  Most OzBargainers who get free stuff that they know they'll never use via such offers, I'd hope, redistribute it to friends and family that they know can/will use it. Thus the businesses' aims re offering the freebie are fully realised. In fact, some could say OzBargainers are DOING THEM A SERVICE, under that type of hypothetical scenario.

  Then there's another consideration… I've acquired some awesome freebies (or very close to free), and though I've not subsequently become a customer, if the product has been good, I've not hesitated to recommend it to anyone who's asked me if I know of such a product; in person/friends, or on web-forums, etc. So if their product is actually good, then the freebies function in that way too; "ozBargained" or not.

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  [Deactivated] on 25/03/2015 - 02:43

  +1

  Free's free. It's an advertised, fixed price set by a business person who either knows what he's doing or will soon learn -> get ozbucated by us.
  I would limit unlimited orders to max. 20 million or so just due to the storage of that many dog sox, and that I really don't want a dog.

  Seriously, if it's free squid rings day, you just go for what you can eat.
  However if it was DS, HN or Franks' University Cameras I would borrow a semi-trailer for haulage.

  • 

    GnarlyKnuckles on 25/03/2015 - 02:57

    +1

    "ozbucated"… lolol, another hilarious term borne of this site…

    Re borrowing a semi-trailer to haul cameras though, that kinda' illustrates a potential pitfall… some stuff that seems "worth" acquiring as much of as possible at the time because it is free (or almost free) can actually become worthless over time; and thus, actually becomes a liability.

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  inherentchoice on 25/03/2015 - 05:48

  The smaller businesses usually have a limited number of freebies to give out. It's not really going to be any more of a burden to them if people obtained those freebies via an OzBargain post.

  If anything, the business gains access to the email address of the members of a very active online community. So if they can follow up the freebie with some genuinely good deals they have great odds of getting them featured on OzB with a similar level of popularity.

  Personally I often don't get the freebies because they are not actually something I want or would have use for. They can just become clutter. At least with digital content freebies they can be kept in the cloud and cost the vendor next to nothing.

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  Geewhizz on 25/03/2015 - 07:14

  +1

  I totally agree with you OP. Jumping on something just because it's free, whether you need it or not simply results in piles of stuff that you're never going to use, and in spite of what some may have deluded themselves into thinking(as an excuse for their actions,) doesn't come close to achieving the organisation's aim in offering them in the first place.

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  tryagain on 25/03/2015 - 10:25

  I think t probably a matter of perspective, most people who have own a small business or had a close friend or family member own one would be with you. Those who have only been employees maybe not so. Sure the obvious solution is to cap it but the majority of small business people also have a lot of other things going on so might not necessarily think of this. I think the bigger issue is that the business is spending money to get their name and product out there to would be customers, however if its just a large contingent of people from OzB jump on board purely because its free then it's money wasted for the business, as the promotion doesn't get out to the relevant targeted people and their product also ends being wasted by people who don't really have a use for it.

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  JimB on 25/03/2015 - 14:56

  +1

  I agree.

  Large companies can wear the loss, but I don't want to take advantage of the goodwill/marketing budget of smaller companies when I know I wouldn't buy their product.

  If there was a chance I would buy the product or am interested in the product, then I'll be happy to sign up.

  But getting something free or super cheap that I won't use is just a waste of time and resources for everyone.

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  grasstown on 27/03/2015 - 18:28

  They will never get a dime from an ozbargainer.

  • 

    GnarlyKnuckles on 30/03/2015 - 00:42

    +1

    "They will never get a dime from an ozbargainer."

    Generally probably pretty true grass, but not entirely true. I really do appreciate freebies, so if a mob gives me a freebie that is decent quality, if I need that item in the future I will buy their product, if my choice is between them and some other brand that is ~the same price. So just one well-timed freebie can win my "brand loyalty" for life, provided all other things (quality and price) are equal.

    Supercheap Auto (SCA) is another slightly more general example… I've been so impressed with their (multiple) "free $10 credits"/etc. in the last year or so, that now if I need something they/Bunnings/Masters/etc. all sell, I'll go to SCA to get it (provided no real price/quality difference exists). And I never used to shop there at all!