Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Free always has its costs.

In less than a month Matt and I have attended two presentations to get some free stuff. The first was for a timeshare presentation in Vegas when we went in June and the second was last night in Pasadena for some cookware.

Now I'm not going to bash these presentations but I will say that they'll have to offer me a whole lot more to get me to go to any more of them. The one in Vegas was kind of eh because we had to get up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday (umm did they know we were in Las Vegas!?) and although we did get a free room, which don't get me wrong is awesome in itself, it was at Bally's (and not the best room we could have gotten). And for that we had to sit through a two hour presentation about a timeshare that we knew we weren't going to get because really we just can't afford that right now.

And the one last night, oh the one last night. First of all, when I got the call about it and that I won some free champagne flutes I thought 'hey why not?', but then of course there was a catch and I had to go to some presentation to get them. So with promises of food and being two hours I convinced Matt and we went. Well the lady on the phone left out a lot and it was just about three hours and there about two morsels of food at the very end of it (I came straight from work, had no food and became a wee bit cranky). But I will say that the stuff the guy showed us was pretty good quality stuff just not really affordable for us right now.

So yes, as cool as a free room in Vegas and two champagne flutes are, I don't think I'll be sitting through any more presentations any time soon. It's just not worth my time or their and I can only count so many squares in the carpet.

Can't they just give me the free stuff? I mean really, I do have a review blog and all :)


What do you think about the 'free' gimmicks and presentations?




happy wednesday!

20 comments:

Larissa said...

I've been to a few time share presentations, and have gotten some relatively good stuff out of it - Disneyland tickets, tickets for Stomp in Vegas, luau cruise - but those presentations can be pretty long and tiresome.

I doubt I'll sit through another one any time soon.

weezermonkey said...

I think my time is more valuable than most of the free stuff offered.

Kalei's Best Friend said...

A very long time ago we were in Maui, and my husband told us we could get free tickets to go to Lanai, which is a remote island off of Maui... well there was a catch, he said we would have to go to a presentation.. which was in hopes of getting us to get into a timeshare.. Well we went thru the talk, viewed the condo and politely said " no".. I told him, never again.. We did get tickets, and mind u my kids had to go to this as well.. Not fun.. the island was well worth the two hr. b.s. But I agree, NEVER AGAIN... Anything free is truly not. and Not worth it... As they say, there is a reason why its 'free'

*~Dani~* said...

I agree with weezermonkey, I feel my time is more valuable than the free stuff. Although I do know some people have done this and received some nice stuff. Not for me though.

Rachel said...

There's always a catch!

Andhari said...

I'm not really familiar with conferences for freebies but this sounds pretty annoying if they don't give you the whole package, you know? They better pamper you :p

Traci said...

Yeah I have been to a few of these things myself. Not anymore! That is 2 hours out of my life I will never get back and your right, Rarely is the free stuff ever worth it.

Matt said...

I hate all the pressure they put on you at the end of those presentations.

I remember doing the whole timeshare one and I showed up to the little movie drunk. It was hilarious, everyone was telling me "shhhhhhhh".

Tessa G. said...

How funny- at my work the other day we were talking about this same thing. The girl who went said it wasn't really worth it and even though it is still free you get taxed on the stuff you get later on.

For example, one day I walked into Chase bank to deposit something for work. They asked if I had a direct deposit for my workplace check. I didn't, but if I signed up for one right then and there I would get $150 bucks. I did it, got the money, and later on my dad said I had to pay some taxes on it. Worth it for the temporary--but it still gets ya somewhere down the line.

Oh! You're coming to Chicago very soon! If you have spare time--watch Ferris Buellers Day Off! It will get you pumped for the city!

Lauren said...

We went to one when visiting Orlando once (pre-living there) and it was torture. The free stuff is really nice - but man they really make you earn it.

Ev`Yan || apricot tea. said...

Nothing is ever free. Nothing. It always comes with something.

Ali said...

I just learned about this timeshare thingie (I know, apparently I live under a rock). I think it's fantastic because who doesn't love free stuff? But based on what you said, I might just be more willing to split a room 5 ways in Vegas with my girlfriends!

Jen said...

I'm totally cracking up over here. My husband and I went to a pots and pans presentation when we were engaged too! We also did one in Williamsburg, VA for a timeshare last year and I have never felt so pressured in my life. Then at the end of the presentation they said they ran out of park passes for Busch Gardens. I was about to explode from anger. I went off on them (and I'm not one to go off on people but I was so upset). They miraculously found the park passes in the back. I will NEVER do another presentation again. Well, at least I doubt it.

Mrs. Case said...

I don't go to them if I know for a fact I will not be buying their product. To me, it seems immoral to take something knowing that the person isn't going to be getting anything in return. I guess I am sensitive to it because I have had family that worked in sales. That being said, I am the ONLY person I know who feels that way. One friend in particular will go to ANYTHING if it means she scores a free treat. MY IL's like to tell the story of this one time they went to a timeshare presentation and the guy tried to hold them "hostage" when they wanted to leave so my FIL had to strong arm the guy. Heh.

Pretty Unfamous said...

I've never taken part in one of those things. I don't think it sounds worth it, though.

Geneva Flooring said...

oh my mom went to a Wundham Resorts one, SURE she wasnt going to buy, and came out with a damn times share we can't afford. Sneaky pressuring buggers.

amanda said...

i hate all those silly presentation things. but agreed, i like the free stuff. but getting suckered into purchasing something you're not interested in is no fun.

Bayjb said...

My parents always do it for the free trip but then complain about the presentation. Yet they keep going back for it. We like free stuff.

Hollywood Sucker said...

I almost went to a Vegas one because I'm dumb and believed I'd actually won a free trip. When I caught onto what happened I back out. And then got these voicemails from TV's Alan Thicke for like 4 months.

And I got so many calls about those cookware things when I first got engaged. How did they FIND us?! I can't believe you went. It sounds as bad as I'd imagined. Matt's a good sport, though. I couldn't even dream of asking Devin to go.

Therapeutic Ramblings said...

I'd rather take my "free" stuff from gambling. Sure you are more likely to lose....but at least you have fun. I hate hard sells and all of that.