Abuse of the word “free”

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Abuse of the word “free”

This topic has 64 replies, 37 voices, and was last updated 4 March 2016 at 10:49 by Ian S C.

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31 January 2016 at 10:59 #34611
MW
Participant
@mw27036
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31 January 2016 at 10:59 #223315
MW
Participant
@mw27036
This is a bugbear of mine, its not really offensive or annoying but it just gets up my nose sometimes.

Things in many places have advertised things as "free" and then usually in much much smaller print (if you do this, or get that). I just sit there and think "well, it can't truly be free then, can it?" In my simple mind, free is when someone hands something to you, expecting nothing in return and with no future restitution for the goods delivered, otherwise, its basically a trade or a barter of sorts.

It just seems misleading for advertisers to do this, its just abuse of its real meaning.

It definitely is a bit of a storm in a tea cup but if they put the word in there hoping to pull a consumer in, it certainly makes me wince or steers me away from the potential trade, so its having the reverse effect.

I just wonder if anyone ever notices this, i wont name companies or names because so many retailers are guilty of it.
31 January 2016 at 11:24 #223320
Ian S C
Participant
@iansc
There is another one that annoys me in retail shops it seems to be common, buy one, get one half price, which is well and good, if you want two of what ever it is.

Ian S C
31 January 2016 at 11:34 #223322
Involute Curve
Participant
@involutecurve
I use to work in the land of the free, after a while I found it to be the most oppressive and controlled place I've ever worked, and it appears the general population don't have a clue what the word free really means, at the time I was installing huge data storage systems in international telecomms hubs……. and this was years ago. lol

As far as I can tell the only thing that's truly free are my own thoughts, the rest has a debt added by someone…….
31 January 2016 at 11:44 #223327
Nick_G
Participant
@nick_g
.

Free postage.

No it's not.! It's nothing of the kind. It is built into the retail price.

Nick
31 January 2016 at 11:50 #223329
MW
Participant
@mw27036
Yeah, i've seen those deals too, any method of getting a few more £ out of you!

i think in my case i'm trying to think of a solution or alternative and i think it would be more appropriate to say "included" rather than "free". It just makes more sense. It doesn't sound as brash or bold though, so it might not be as eye catching, but it would be concise.

And yes, i think theres alot to be said of what we make of free as a concept but basically its a given thing – full stop. no "if's" or "buts" ha ha.

Michael W
31 January 2016 at 12:16 #223334
Ady1
Participant
@ady1
As far as I can tell the only thing that's truly free are my own thoughts

So true. Anything else claiming to be "free" will always have a cost, a penalty or a caveat
31 January 2016 at 12:25 #223335
Mike
Participant
@mike89748
During my many years as a magazine editor, I was constantly being badgered by the idiots in the marketing department to use the words "win", "save", and "free" on the front cover. On the occasions I allowed these obnoxious words to be used, I always hoped that my readers saw through the bull**** and realised, like Nick_G, that it's all built into the price of the product.
31 January 2016 at 12:37 #223337
MW
Participant
@mw27036
wow,i'm surprised to hear that, sounds typical of a place to ignore the feedback of the people who actually read the print lol maybe the marketing departments have got alot of catching up to do.
31 January 2016 at 13:00 #223338
Spurry
Participant
@spurry
Free. That's nearly as bad as those who advertise something for a reasonable price, then in small print at the bottom – VAT to be added. Grrrh.

Pete
31 January 2016 at 13:11 #223340
Nick_G
Participant
@nick_g
.

Today we are all Victor Meldrew clones.

Nick
31 January 2016 at 13:33 #223344
John Stevenson 1
Participant
@johnstevenson1
Yabut at least we are all FREE Victor Meldrew clones
31 January 2016 at 13:34 #223345
Mike
Participant
@mike89748
You and me, Nick_G!

Another thing that these marketing folk sincerely believe is that the attention span of the average reader is no more than 30 seconds. Doesn't say much for the human race, does it? Obviously it doesn't apply to ME and MEW readers!
31 January 2016 at 14:04 #223350
David Clark 13
Participant
@davidclark13
Hi Mike it is a lot less than thirty seconds. It is about 8 seconds.
31 January 2016 at 14:32 #223352
JA
Participant
@ja
How about the word from. As in "Low cost broadband from £8/month".

JA
31 January 2016 at 15:51 #223364
Ian P
Participant
@ianp
A recent BT email newsletter I received was for a service that claimed to, 'get rid of 'up to' 100% of nuisance calls. (small text 'up to' large text 100%)

One unwanted call qualifies as a nuisance so the BT device or service, did not seem to be worth the cost, even if it was cheap.

Ian P
31 January 2016 at 16:23 #223366
Gordon W
Participant
@gordonw
How about- congratulations you have won— ? ebay. No I've just paid for it. BTW That BT " stop nuisance calls does not work, not with me anyway and it is expensive.
31 January 2016 at 16:23 #223367
KWIL
Participant
@kwil
For "free" it should say "free of additional charge"
31 January 2016 at 16:30 #223368
Ajohnw
Participant
@ajohnw51620
Many of the things mentioned are related to everything being dumbed down. I often wonder what IQ these people assume abounds in the general population. Clearly we all must be much thicker than a typical plank even an extremely strong one.

That's not being fair really. The fact is that stupid statements probably boost sales a little bit and that is all they care about really and don't care if it causes some people irritation. All they are really intended to do is to get people to look at what ever it is.

The UK's usual buy 2 get one free really means over priced or short dated / too much stock and not selling quickly enough. Our local co op has a new manager that has started doing that with all sorts of things.

I've found caller id is the best way to avoid answering nuisance phone calls. Near 100% of them come up out of area or with some none existent std codes. If we get it wrong there is an answer phone. I have been known to set that so that it answers after 2 rings in rather painful periods – claiming loan repayment insurance refunds hitting the heights for instance.

John

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Edited By Ajohnw on 31/01/2016 16:32:06
31 January 2016 at 16:30 #223369
ianj
Participant
@ians
What about the "THE FREE CASH" sign above some cash point machines

Ian
31 January 2016 at 16:36 #223371
V8Eng
Participant
@v8eng
One of my Granddad's favourite sayings was: "you don't get owt for nowt lad", I reckon that still stands!

Edited By V8Eng on 31/01/2016 16:39:58
31 January 2016 at 16:39 #223372
Ajohnw
Participant
@ajohnw51620
If it comes down to discussions about truth surely politicians take the biscuit for miss leading adverts and statements of one sort or another – yet no one prosecutes them. I'm sure if an add agency was miss leading to a similar degree they might get prosecuted but that gets less and less likely day by day.

John

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31 January 2016 at 16:42 #223373
Enough!
Participant
@enough
Posted by Ian Phillips on 31/01/2016 15:51:26:

One unwanted call qualifies as a nuisance so the BT device or service, did not seem to be worth the cost, even if it was cheap.

I'm not in the UK so I don't qualify anyway but given that 80 – 85% of the incoming calls on my land line are junk calls now, anything that could reduce that significantly would be of interest.
31 January 2016 at 17:05 #223374
JA
Participant
@ja
If you buy a bottle of wine discounted to £5 from £8 in the supermarket you are buying a £5 bottle of wine not an £8 bottle of wine. All they have to do is to offer it for sale at £8 for a few days somewhere in the country. I think the same applies to some furniture.

Hopefully this practice will not reach model engineering.

Just a thought concerning another thread, I wonder if the defence industry uses such a practice?

JA
31 January 2016 at 17:26 #223378
clivel
Participant
@clivel
Posted by Involute Curve on 31/01/2016 11:34:32:

As far as I can tell the only thing that's truly free are my own thoughts …….

Something that offends most world governments who have been trying their damnedest to try and find a way to tax.
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