5 helpful tips for new ‘freebie-hunters’

It is well known that many people throughout the world are obsessed with freebies. Whether you’re talking about people that are breaking world records for getting freebies, or looking for lifetime supplies of nuggets, or trying to get donuts that will be free for life, there is really no way to underestimate how far people will go just to get a freebie for doing something or sometimes even nothing!

For the committed, this becomes a way of life. Once one participates in a freebie game or competition, one has to abide by the rules, while ensuring they get the maximum benefits. For those that are not so experienced as a hunter of free stuff UK, there are a couple things that you might want to keep in mind.

1. If it sounds impossible, it likely is! So read the fine print carefully…

There are many circumstances where some of our favourite brands will offer freebies that we can take advantage of, yet our judgment often becomes clouded. “Most of these transactions will have both positive and negative consequences, something we often forget when we are getting something for free,” states Prof. Dan Ariely. When we are able to get something for free, we often perceive this as being very valuable. Essentially, common sense does not dictate why we will pursue these freebies. There are companies that will literally ask you to sell your proverbial soul just to get a sample product, so you really need to know what it is you are pursuing. It should be a genuine product (no, it is doubtful that you will end up getting a very valuable gift voucher for nothing) which is why it is so important to read the terms of service when you are signing up for something for free.

2. Don’t expect to get big sized samples

Most of the freebies that you will get access to are likely not going to be full-sized products, often delivered in small envelopes or perhaps a tiny sachet. Your goal should be to obtain a product that you can try out, and if you like it, you may purchase it later on; yet in most cases you will not want to pay for what you have gotten for free. Even if you have spent time trying to get every free sample, it’s likely that you will only get about 70% of the things that you pursue. In your mail, you may not find a lot of things that you want, but never give up hope – you simply need to keep applying, and eventually, you will have many freebies coming to you. You also need to justify whether or not it is worth your time to pursue these freebies – sometimes, you waste more time entering competitions and answerin questions than the actual value of the product you will get.

3. If you don’t ask, you won’t receive…

You don’t always have to wait for a competition or sign up to a freebie site to get a freebie; sometimes you can directly contact companies via email or letters, asking about free trials for products, especially if you are a blogger or can write about their products. You could be sent free items, trial samples or even money-off vouchers if you contact them directly. Additionally, if you do not like anything that is sent to you, companies sometimes do replace items with something more suited to your needs. Because at the end of the day, they want you to be happy with their product so you will go on to purchase it or even recommend it to others.

4. Never feel guilty

You don’t need to feel guilty about the fact that these companies are losing a substantial amount of money by giving out free products. On the contrary, they are actually benefiting in many ways because when they send you a sample product, there is always the possibility that you could become a lifelong customer. Or even recommend it to friends and family who could then go on to becoming lifelong customers.

5. Create a second email address

This tip is probably one of the most important ones that you will ever read when it comes to claiming free products. If you want to avoid getting spam mail, or calls directly to your phone, a second email address, a different phone number, and separate social media accounts can help prevent this from happening.