Do you want to try new skincare or beauty products, or anything else with a hefty price tag, but are worried you’ll be wasting your money? Have you thought about getting samples or freebies?
Before blogging, I was still getting free beauty products and new things to try in the post frequently due to going on freebie websites or getting them from magazines. I wasn’t an avid freebie hunter as such, but perhaps an opportunist! If I saw something free I’d instantly want to try it, because why not? A lot of beauty and skincare products I love and use regularly now are because of the initial freebie or sample I tried.
Back then, I would add my address anywhere, tick all the boxes agreeing to 1000s of emails, and basically disregard any standard internet safety measures.
I’m now a bit more picky about my freebies and samples, and even when asked to be gifted something because of this blog, I’m selective in what I say yes to.
Do you want freebies?
The world that we live in is freebie-obsessed. Whether we attempt to break a world record when asking one of our favourite eateries to give us a lifetime-supply of chicken nuggets for free or standing in long queues for hours just to get a Krispy Kreme doughnut for free, there is no underestimating what lengths some people will take to achieve that freebie buzz. But before you join up with this freebie game, you need to be aware of the rules you need to follow so you too can make the most from it.
When It Sounds Like It Is Too Good to Be True, It Usually Is
In some cases, the frenzy of trying to get your hands on a few of your favoured free brands, our judgement can become clouded. Professor Dan Ariely states that most transactions are usually associated with a downside and an upside, but as soon as something is offered for free, many people forget about the downsides. The word “free” gives people such an increase in emotional charge that we think we are offered with something of high value when it really is not.
What this means basically is that we forget about common sense, when we are offered with a free item or product in return. And when it comes to certain companies, the willingness to do more than you usually would just for a small sample. For this reason, you need to understand what you are getting. Ensure that a freebie looks and sounds genuine, which means you won’t be receiving a £1,000 gift voucher for free anytime soon. It is also important that you always read up on the company’s terms-and-conditions, so you are aware of what you are signing-up for.
Don’t Expect the World
The full-sized freebies are usually rare, and most of the products are delivered in small envelopes or tiny sachets. The goal is based on getting people to try out a product to assess whether you like the product enough that you will make a future purchase, and to avoid wasting your money on something that you might not like. It is also important to understand that you shouldn’t be expecting each freebie that you applied for.
Even when you have claimed just about every free sample currently available, it is usual that you will only receive about 70% of them. When you feel like your mail is a bit sparse, don’t give up just yet, keep on applying and you will soon find that you are receiving free samples all the time. To ensure whether the freebie that you are interested in applying for is worth the time and effort, check on the T&Cs to find out the size of the product and the number of available samples.
If You Fail to Ask, Then You Will Fail to Get
It is well worth your time to write a letter or send an email to a company to find out if they currently stock samples that they are willing to give you. Some people have received large boxes of money-off vouchers or free items just from contacting a company to give them information on how much they enjoy their products. At the same time, if you don’t like a product you should also let them know. You will find that many companies are more than willing to give replacement freebies and extras when the product is unsatisfactory.
Never Feel Guilty
Never feel like one of your favourite brands is losing out on a lot of pounds, just because you have asked for or ordered a couple of freebies. In fact, they benefit a lot more than you think. For each sample that they are sending out, they are raising their potential to gain a new customer. The truth is that when you receive a product for free that you really like, you will probably buy this brand again.
Open A Second Email Address
This is probably the most important advice for people interested in claiming free products. To prevent receiving unwanted calls or spam, it is a good idea to open another email address, telephone number, and even a social-media account, which you can use for claiming your freebies. Trust me you will thank me for this advice!
Do you prefer to try before you buy? Have you used any freebie sites before?
This post is a partial guest post from wowfreestuff.co.uk, a website with genuinely great freebies.
