More thoughts on is this frugal or stealing....

[sweeps]

Re: More thoughts on is this frugal or stealing....

The people offering these free goodies hope that even though you're convinced you're not going to spend any money that they can change your mind. I consider it ethical to take them up on that.

Now if you're at the supermarket and you hit the table of cocktail wienie samples 50 times before leaving the store, that's unethical.

[Ima saver]

Re: More thoughts on is this frugal or stealing....

Very often when I try a free sample at the grocery store, if I like it, I buy it.

[Aleta]

Re: More thoughts on is this frugal or stealing....

I have gone to timeshare presentations and told them up front that I would listen but had no reason to buy another one. They don't care what your reason is. They have told me that they need to update us on the different kinds of timeshares today (points and weeks) and they would try to show us why we needed another week. We have honestly told them that we don't see the need for another week.

They're hoping that once they get you there that you will change your mind. Many people do change their mind. My husband was very tempted to change what we had for the points system, but we changed our mind. As long as you are upfront with them and you truly are looking at all of the new options that you might be interested in. Your life changes and so do your choices. You might see a new way of selling your own timeshare. You have to keep abreast of the newer products and sales pitches.

[creditcardfree]

Re: More thoughts on is this frugal or stealing....

Isn't there a difference between a business setting out free food samples, popcorn, or offering a lunch to see a presentation and a business providing condiments or toilet paper as a service to their already paying customers?

In my opinion, take the free samples, have some coffee or popcorn. The business has provided it free for a reason and it is definitely not stealing. Now it might be considered that you are taking advantage of a situation if you take more than one of each sample, or see the same sales presentation over and over just for the food.

At a business, such as a restaurant, those items that are set out on the table are for your use and convenience as a paying customer. I say don't use more than you need...it's just common sense to me.

[Aleta]

Re: More thoughts on is this frugal or stealing....

It's much the same thing that when a grocery store has specials buys and it says LIMIT OF 2 DEALS and the customer just keep going in there and buying beyond the limit or sends their kids in there. The grocery stores can't be making any money from this and to me, that is a form of stealing.

[pearlieq]

Re: More thoughts on is this frugal or stealing....

Is it stealing to attend a timeshare sales presentation just to get the cash or gift they are giving if you know you have no intention of ever buying a timeshare? Thousands of people do this all over the country every day. Are they all thieves?

Honestly I do find that to be stealing, or at the least very unethical. If there's at least a 1% chance you may now or sometime in the future buy, go right on in and enjoy everything. But if you know there no chance whatsoever you'd ever buy, or wouldn't even qualify to buy if you wanted to I do think it's a rotten thing to do to show up, take up a salesperson's time, eat the free food, and waltz out with your promotional items.

It's not illegal or anything but I wouldn't be proud to do it in front of my kids.

[disneysteve]

Re: More thoughts on is this frugal or stealing....

It's much the same thing that when a grocery store has specials buys and it says LIMIT OF 2 DEALS and the customer just keep going in there and buying beyond the limit or sends their kids in there. The grocery stores can't be making any money from this and to me, that is a form of stealing.

I just don't see it that way. Maybe I'm a crook at heart.

If the offer says, "limit one offer per family" - period, that's different than "limit one offer per person per shopping trip". That means my wife, daughter and I can go in and each buy one offer if we do it as 3 separate transactions, and we can go back the next day and do it again.

As long as you don't break the rules that are established, how can it be considered theft?

How about credit cards? The CC companies offer 0% deals because they know a certain percentage of users won't pay off the balance before the promo period ends and they'll get to charge tons of interest fees. So if I take advantage of a 0% offer and pay it off in full in time, have I stolen the money from the CC company because I didn't screw up and pay them interest?

There is a difference between cheating/stealing and beating the system.

[disneysteve]

Re: More thoughts on is this frugal or stealing....

Honestly I do find that to be stealing, or at the least very unethical.

Is it still unethical if you are totally upfront about it and tell the salesperson when you arrive that you have no intention of buying anything? I know plenty of people who do that. The salespeople still have them stay. They sit through the talk, take their gift and leave. If it is okay with the people running the show, how is it stealing?

You can't steal something that is being given away.

[tinapbeana]

Re: More thoughts on is this frugal or stealing....

i direct everyone to princess perky's forum signature:

"you didn't steal it, i gave it to you"

in the context of this discussion, i would have to say one cannot be guilty of stealing something that is being freely given away. one can, however, be guilty of perhaps taking too much advantage of a situation.

for instance, if there's a business card fishbowl at your favorite restaurant for a free-lunch drawing, it's OK to drop a card in. it's OK to drop a BUNCH of cards in. is it OK to remove all the other cards first and then drop a bunch of your cards in? this is an example of perhaps taking too much advantage of a situation.

[pearlieq]

Re: More thoughts on is this frugal or stealing....

Is it still unethical if you are totally upfront about it and tell the salesperson when you arrive that you have no intention of buying anything? I know plenty of people who do that. The salespeople still have them stay. They sit through the talk, take their gift and leave. If it is okay with the people running the show, how is it stealing?

Yes, in my opinon it's still unethical. I realize this is hyperbolic, but if someone was totally upfront that they were going to mug you, would that really make it any better?

My first thought is that I wonder if the salespeople would even be allowed to say no or ask you to leave if you announce you have no intention of buying. I can't imagine that would be allowed. So, someone who's trying to make a living is now stuck entertaining someone for 2 hours with no possibility of a commission.

Maybe they think you aren't serious or that they can still convince you. But if YOU know for 100% sure that you would never, ever buy I think it's wrong to hinder someone trying to make a living.

I really don't care of someone fills up on free coffee at their bank and enjoys the sample buffet at Costco. But when a real person is involved I would prefer to put consideration before self-interest.

[LuxLiving]

Re: More thoughts on is this frugal or stealing....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gift

Most gifts come w/some form of obligation behind them...even if it's
just a societal nicety. If someone gifts you, you'd usually feel some
small obligation to them. It is what marketers are counting on and
there is a concerted knowledge base behind it and they know how
many people they have to connect with to get a certain percentage
of conversions to sales.

[disneysteve]

Re: More thoughts on is this frugal or stealing....

Yes, in my opinon it's still unethical. I realize this is hyperbolic, but if someone was totally upfront that they were going to mug you, would that really make it any better?

Totally different situation. If someone announced that they were going to mug me, I'd refuse or run or fight back. I wouldn''t encourage them to go ahead and take everything.

My first thought is that I wonder if the salespeople would even be allowed to say no or ask you to leave if you announce you have no intention of buying.

I know people who have gone in, said they had no intention of buying, and they were just given the gift and not forced to sit through the spiel so as not to waste the salesperson's time.

A similar example is when car dealers advertise a free gift for taking a test drive. I know plenty of people who go and take the drive to get the gift. That's the offer made and they take them up on it. The offer doesn't say that you have to be interested in buying the car.

[GoodBuyGirl]

Re: More thoughts on is this frugal or stealing....

It's much the same thing that when a grocery store has specials buys and it says LIMIT OF 2 DEALS and the customer just keep going in there and buying beyond the limit or sends their kids in there. The grocery stores can't be making any money from this and to me, that is a form of stealing.

The stores bring this on themselves. If they are losing money then why would they continue to do the same promotions over and over?
I feel that it is fraud when a store doubles the regular price and then has a buy one get one free sale.
I pay the asking price for all items I choose to buy. On the other hand I don't shop to make the stores money I shop to save money for my family. If something is at a rock bottom price I will buy enough to last until the next sale even if it means several trips to the store. I find this no more stealing then when I see Potatoes for .99 for 10#s one week and the very next week they are $3.99. I find it hard to believe the potatoes cost the store that much more the very next week.

[PRICEPLUS]

Re: More thoughts on is this frugal or stealing....

Free is just that....free. If you feel that taking something for free under some circumstances is wrong then for you it is wrong. I am not advancing moral relativism but it is hard to steal that which is being given away freely.

If the folksgiving the stuff away were losing money they would cease doing it. Just drawing a crowd and hoping that a minute percentage buy something is the gamble.

Sweeps, I see you have shortened your name. If I ate 50 weinies I hope they have free samples of Tums or Maalox!