FREE – Is it a trick or a consumer’s dream come true?

‘Buy one get one free, free offer, everything must go.’

Consumers are always on the lookout for ways to save money. It has become a matter of survival as financially times get worse and it is a struggle to get everything done on a fixed income or in some cases no income at all.

It is this dire circumstance which has forced many persons to cut down drastically on their spending habits. Even though they might want to spend money, consumers are forced to prioritize in order to stretch their meagre funds.

That is why the thought of getting something for nothing has enthralled consumers no matter their social or economic status.  The free offer might not even be something they need but they will eagerly take it for the most part because it has no cost attached to it.

Is Free always good?

There are some occasions when getting a free product or service is not always the best decision.  Often ‘free’ items have a hidden cost or are not of the best quality.

Consumers are usually blinded by the word ‘free’ and so are unable to discern that they should have read the fine print on the contract before consenting to the terms.

The recent promotion by telecommunications giant Digicel recently rolled out their ‘free’ campaign. Consumers were treated to free copies of The Gleaner which heavily advertised their new data plan promotion.

The promotion used the word ‘free’ several times as customers were informed that they would no longer be billed to call within the network.  This would mean that Digicel callers could talk unlimited to anyone who also was on the same network!  While it sounds too good to be true, remember there is always the fine print.

Consumers who want to benefit from this service would need a smart phone which has access to the Internet.  They would then purchase a 3 day $350.00 data plan from the company and they would be allowed to talk unlimited to other Digicel users.

Are the calls really free though?

After all you had to buy a $350.00 3 day data plan in order to qualify! Still, customers would normally have had to purchase additional credit if they wanted to make calls as well as surf the Internet. They will be now able to enjoy unlimited free calls all day.

I am happy that consumers are being given more value for their money and despite any misgivings I have about the calls being ‘free’ the company really did well in their media campaign by getting their message heard.

So what’s your take?

Teri Ann Renee Paisley

Gleaner online writer

Tags: free