Do you consider a discount as being a "gift?"

karlmay1980

14 years ago

I wouldn't say a gift as it requires a purchase to receive it, a discount has no use if you don't buy, so it is an offer not a gift.

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Daniel Elss

14 years ago

I think of a discount being just that, a discount. And, you guessed it, a gift is something you give someone without expecting anything in return, hence, a discount really isn't a gift as you are still expecting something in the end.

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Daniel Evans

14 years ago

The discount itself can surely be counted as a gift - assuming it is exclusive to a select person or group.

I sent an email today with a similar offer and I stand by it being a gift.

If I handed someone a tangible 50% off voucher and they were ungrateful, I'd roll it up into a fine cone and poke them straight in the eye.

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Greg guitar

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Daniel Evans

The discount itself can surely be counted as a gift - assuming it is exclusive to a select person or group.

I sent an email today with a similar offer and I stand by it being a gift.

If I handed someone a tangible 50% off voucher and they were ungrateful, I'd roll it up into a fine cone and poke them straight in the eye.

Please don't hand me your voucher then, because we might both end up sightless.

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LarryC

14 years ago

No. To me a gift is something free. I think you must have gotten the same email as I did this morning, lol.

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fnoperi1

14 years ago

To me It's not a gift, but It's something nice to do to help you save money.

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ScottieDog

14 years ago

If it were a 25$ voucher for Amazon or another store it would be a gift.

Does it make a difference that it is a discount from a particular product only? Assuming the discount is from one particular product, and not all products that vendor sells?

It´s classified as a gift in my eyes.

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karlmay1980

14 years ago

Originally Posted by ScottieDog

If it were a 25$ voucher for Amazon or another store it would be a gift.

Does it make a difference that it is a discount from a particular product only? Assuming the discount is from one particular product, and not all products that vendor sells?

It´s classified as a gift in my eyes.

A voucher isn't a discount though, it is a voucher, that is a gift as you could more than likely spend it without having to part with your own money unless you choose to.

A discount off a product isn't a gift because it is stipulating that you spend your own money to receive it.

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Daniel Evans 14 years ago

Originally Posted by karlmay1980

A discount off a product isn't a gift because it is stipulating that you spend your own money to receive it.

The product isn't the gift. The discount is.

The recipient can use the gift to obtain the product at a lower price.
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- ScottieDog 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Daniel Evans
  
  The product isn't the gift. The discount is.
  
  The recipient can use the gift to obtain the product at a lower price.
  
  I agree, this is how I see it.
  
  Thanks
  
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Alexa Smith Banned 14 years ago

Opinions will differ about this, I think. A discount voucher can certainly be a gift, but overall that's still probably the wrong word to use to describe it, because it'll disappoint/surprise some people.
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ScottieDog

14 years ago

Originally Posted by karlmay1980

A voucher isn't a discount though, it is a voucher, that is a gift as you could more than likely spend it without having to part with your own money unless you choose to.

A discount off a product isn't a gift because it is stipulating that you spend your own money to receive it.

So what happens if Granny gives you a 2$ voucher for your birthday. You know you are gonna have to put some money towards it.. Not a gift anymore?

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Kurt

14 years ago

Like the old saying tells us, "It's the thought that counts". Is the "giver" really trying to be generous or is it just a marketing ploy wrapped up as a "gift"?

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Erdinger

14 years ago

Interesting discussion here.

I think for me it all comes down to what I can buy with that discount. If it was something that i wanted, any discount on that would be a gift. But if you were to give me a discount to something I dont want I probably won't see that as a gift.

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Daniel Evans

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Erdinger

Interesting discussion here.

I think for me it all comes down to what I can buy with that discount. If it was something that i wanted, any discount on that would be a gift. But if you were to give me a discount to something I dont want I probably won't see that as a gift.

An "unwanted gift" perhaps?

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Erdinger

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Daniel Evans

An "unwanted gift" perhaps?

if you put it that way then I guess its still a gift.

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Tina Golden

14 years ago

It would depend. If it's a discount to purchase something that the sender will earn a commission on, that's not a gift. It's a promotion.

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fluffythewondercat

14 years ago

It's very simple.

I send out offers to my lists. Some are coupons ("25% off"). Some are free-with-purchase ("You get this widget free with your purchase"). Some are a hybrid of the first two offers ("You get 5% off your purchase plus this free widget").

There are no gifts involved here, anywhere. A gift is something that's given with no expectation of compensation.

Now, I have seen people do promotions promising a "free gift" with your $300 purchase. They're mainly targeted at customers who are going to buy anyway, so you want to encourage them to make a slightly larger purchase. If the marketer was strictly honest, he'd call it a bonus or premium instead of a gift.

But to call a coupon a gift strains credulity. That's like putting antlers on your Chihuahua's head and calling him a reindeer. He may look adorable but he's not going to be pulling Santa's sleigh.

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Daniel Evans

14 years ago

Some people consider life as a gift.

They relish in it's opportunities whilst others wallow in it's percieved faults.

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JohnMcCabe

14 years ago

Originally Posted by ScottieDog

So what happens if Granny gives you a 2$ voucher for your birthday. You know you are gonna have to put some money towards it.. Not a gift anymore?

If Granny gives me a $5 Olive Garden card, it's a gift. If Olive Garden gives me $5 off IF I a) dine in, b) order two entrees and two drinks and c) come in during certain time frames, it's not a gift by any stretch of the imagination.

The difference is in the source of the 'gift'. Granny doesn't make any profit if I throw the card in a drawer and forget about it or if I use it. If I take Olive Garden's offer on their terms, they stand to make a pretty well-calculated profit.

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Claude Whitacre

14 years ago

Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

If Granny gives me a $5 Olive Garden card, it's a gift. If Olive Garden gives me $5 off IF I a) dine in, b) order two entrees and two drinks and c) come in during certain time frames, it's not a gift by any stretch of the imagination.

The difference is in the source of the 'gift'. Granny doesn't make any profit if I throw the card in a drawer and forget about it or if I use it. If I take Olive Garden's offer on their terms, they stand to make a pretty well-calculated profit.

That's how I see it. If it involves spending more money, it isn't a gift.

Once a client gave me the Christmas present that was a coupon for "Buy a pizza get one free". Thanks. The thought was what counted, and there was no thought of gift giving. A hand written card would have been much more appreciated.

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Daniel Evans 14 years ago

Clearly pizza needs to be put into perspective for some people!....

VS

(Consider the gift the one nearest the cam).
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- Claude Whitacre 14 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Daniel Evans
  
  Clearly pizza needs to be put into perspective for some people!....
  
  (Consider the gift the one nearest the cam).
  [/CENTER]
  
  That made my day!
  
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Kurt

14 years ago

Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

If Granny gives me a $5 Olive Garden card, it's a gift. If Olive Garden gives me $5 off IF I a) dine in, b) order two entrees and two drinks and c) come in during certain time frames, it's not a gift by any stretch of the imagination.

The difference is in the source of the 'gift'. Granny doesn't make any profit if I throw the card in a drawer and forget about it or if I use it. If I take Olive Garden's offer on their terms, they stand to make a pretty well-calculated profit.

Hey John,

You gave a good definition, if the giver will make a profit from the "gift" or not...

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Greg guitar 14 years ago

Originally Posted by Kurt

Hey John,

You gave a good definition, if the giver will make a profit from the "gift" or not...

It's a good start, but incomplete. Even if a business is taking a loss on a discount price, they aren't giving me something for free, so for the definition to be more precise, is it is something given without requiring anything in return.

People should think hard before they give such a questionable gift as a voucher for part of a meal, or part of any purchase. Do you know the person would definitely have gone there anyway, or that it's somewhere they would like to go if it was cheaper, and the coupon definitely drops the price more than enough to fit their budget? If you don't, then you shouldn't be giving it; you're doing the shop a bigger favor than the "gift" recipient.

If you must give coupons or vouchers, at least give enough to let them buy something without putting any of their own money into the deal; unless you know the person has been saving for something, and your coupon gets them there quicker.

Loss leaders are as old and common as dirt, and they aren't "gifts" just because there is no front end profit; they are a marketing tactic. Gifts can be used in marketing, but that's another matter.

A customer can't have the "gift" of a discount unless they spend money. To state what should be self-evident, a discount is a discount, not a gift. I might well be grateful if the discount is awesome, but awesome or not, if I have to pay the giver any amount it's not a gift. Calling it a gift might squander the goodwill points you'd otherwise get if you just called it a "great deal".

Anyone who advertises discount as a gift is going to get flack and ill will for it. Why would you piss off your potential customers by stretching the definition to the breaking point? Just call it what it is, and if it's a good enough discount, it will get takers; ones who won't be angry because you told them they would get a "gift", and then charged them (any amount) for it.
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Greg guitar 14 years ago

Originally Posted by Daniel Evans

Some people consider life as a gift.

They relish in it's opportunities whilst others wallow in it's percieved faults.

This might surprise you given what you're implying about those who would be so crass as to look your wrongly labelled "gift horse" in the mouth but...

I absolutely live in gratitude for my life; I relish many things about it, including opportunities, but more specifically, actual experiences. That doesn't mean I owe my gratitude to all the stores who send me the "gift" of coupons each week.

Unless you wanted to cast aspersions on all those who argue the majority view here, I can't see any relevance to your remark. Nobody is talking about the gift of life, and nobody who disagrees with your redefining gift to include sale prices, has remotely implied they are lacking in gratitude for things in life that actually are gifts. Criticism of the unusual labeling of discounts as "gifts" can hardly be said to be finding fault with life itself.

It seems to me, given your earlier (joke?-in the poorest taste) fantasy about poking anyone in the eye who failed to show you gratitude were you to hand them a 50% off deal, it seems when you charge people with ingratitude for life, you really mean ingratitude to you for your amazing generosity. That's some pretty bold generalizing, from one of your word choices to life itself, but I guess it shows you have a lot of self-esteem; maybe you are life itself?

There is no evidence here of the critics of the practice of labeling discounts "gifts", "wallowing in [life's] perceived faults". Not one person criticized life itself. We are only talking about the fault in telling people you're giving them a "gift" which is really nothing more than a sale price; very specific.

But you know what; none of us have any say over what you do with your list. If you want to alienate them, so be it. Don't say Warriors didn't warn you.
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Surminga

14 years ago

It's quite like an incentive to buy more. In the sellers eyes

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tyronne78

14 years ago

The discount is an incentive to get them to buy, when you give someone a gift there is no strings attached.

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Gengis

14 years ago

It's Marketing 101 and it works from the little guy trying to sell you his $18 Ebook for only $9 to the Ginormous company throwing in a $1500 rebate if you buy the truck this month..

People love it

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johndetlefs

14 years ago

While I love the idea of a 2 for 1 pizza deal, I'm not sure that it's a gift?

Type "definition gift" into google and you get:

Noun
A thing given willingly to someone without payment;

Now by that standard you could call an email, or even an opinion, a "gift", but I think if you look at the "spirit of the law" it's tough to think that a discount is a gift, as it still involves a payment.

And yep, even though Granny screwed you with the $2 gift card, it's still a gift, because you don't have to pay her anything. She paid $2 so that you could get something, so she's out of pocket, not you.

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Greg guitar

14 years ago

Originally Posted by johndetlefs

A thing given willingly to someone without payment;

Now by that standard you could call an email a "gift" or even an opinion, but I think if you look at the "spirit of the law" it's tough to think that a discount is a gift, as it still involves a payment.

And yep, even though Granny screwed you with the $2 gift card, it's still a gift, because you don't have to pay her anything. She paid $2 so that you could get something, so she's out of pocket, not you.

You got it. Good point about the technicality; if you go by the letter, any email or other ad could be called a "gift"; as in "I paid good money to film a video to hardsell you on my widget, and I generously paid to have it appear on tv, and am giving you free access to watch it-so Happy B-day; here is your pitch; enjoy it in good spirits. (and don't forget to buy when you're done being hammered)."

But I have a feeling the above ad would set a record for how quickly your autoresponder costs plummet.

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Mark Singletary

14 years ago

I understand giving a "free gift" with purchase - that's called a bonus.

I understand that winning a "gift" of $1,000,000 for a $1.00 lottery ticket is a purchase.

But this is different.

It's like saying - "mom, here's your gift - you get to buy me dinner for your birthday." That's a gift to YOU not your mom.

Some might argue that you are giving your mom the gift of time or love. While I believe that some intangible gifts such as those two things or forgiveness truly are gifts, even they are normally given without the need to pay for anything.

A good question to ask when talking about any type of gift is this: what is the motive behind the gift. Is it to truly help you, truly add value to you, truly give you something you want and need, or is it to satisfy something for me?

In this case I think the motive is clear. While the package may be helpful and may be something I want or need, the main reason for the "gift" is to produce a profit, albeit reduced profit, for the giver.

Mark

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johndetlefs

14 years ago

You might want to breathe a little there Greg.

Don't want to get a thrombo...

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Studio13

14 years ago

A gift voucher, or coupon code I believe is a good incentive to urge consumer action towards a particular direction.

For example, giving someone a choice between A Discount on Product 1 ...OR... a Discount on Product 2 — immediately has their mind decide which one they LIKE better. That means they have to form a LIKE for a product in their mind.

It's good sales psychology. So yes, it's a gift... from the marketing team.

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Daniel Evans

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Greg guitar

This might surprise you given what you're implying about those who would be so crass as to look your wrongly labelled "gift horse" in the mouth but...

I absolutely live in gratitude for my life; I relish many things about it, including opportunities, but more specifically, actual experiences. That doesn't mean I owe my gratitude to all the stores who send me the "gift" of coupons each week.

Unless you wanted to cast aspersions on all those who argue the majority view here, I can't see any relevance to your remark. Nobody is talking about the gift of life, and nobody who disagrees with your redefining gift to include sale prices, has remotely implied they are lacking in gratitude for things in life that actually are gifts. Criticism of the unusual labeling of discounts as "gifts" can hardly be said to be finding fault with life itself.

It seems to me, given your earlier (joke?-in the poorest taste) fantasy about poking anyone in the eye who failed to show you gratitude were you to hand them a 50% off deal, it seems when you charge people with ingratitude for life, you really mean ingratitude to you for your amazing generosity. That's some pretty bold generalizing, from one of your word choices to life itself, but I guess it shows you have a lot of self-esteem; maybe you are life itself?

There is no evidence here of the critics of the practice of labeling discounts "gifts", "wallowing in [life's] perceived faults". Not one person criticized life itself. We are only talking about the fault in telling people you're giving them a "gift" which is really nothing more than a sale price; very specific.

But you know what; none of us have any say over what you do with your list. If you want to alienate them, so be it. Don't say Warriors didn't warn you.

I'm not sure I've seen tongue in cheek, jovial posts taken so literally but you raised a chuckle nonetheless with your passionate, elaborate, elongated retort.

With sight for humor so clearly limited and your disposition so clearly fearful, I'll be sure to spare you of the said eye treatment.

Consider it as a gift.

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Greg guitar

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Daniel Evans

I'm not sure I've seen tongue in cheek, jovial posts taken so literally but you raised a chuckle nonetheless with your passionate, elaborate, elongated retort.

With sight for humor so clearly limited and your disposition so clearly fearful, I'll be sure to spare you of the said eye treatment.

Consider it as a gift.

You apparently are as much of an expert on my disposition and sense of humor (I have this weird idea that humor needs to be funny), as you are on the difference between a gift and a sale price.

See the winky face? Feel the joviality?

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Daniel Evans 14 years ago

Originally Posted by Greg guitar

Feel the joviality?

It shines not through your minor chord.
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ERPLeadsWriter

14 years ago

Well if there is value in the discount and that value comes with no strings attached, then yes. It can be considered as a gift (at least by some people).

Just because something comes for free doesn't mean it's a gift either you know. Ever downloaded 'free' software? I'm sure there are many of us here who know that it's actually being paid for but in a way a lot of folks don't notice.

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JohnMcCabe

14 years ago

Originally Posted by ERPLeadsWriter

Well if there is value in the discount and that value comes with no strings attached, then yes. It can be considered as a gift (at least by some people).

There is always at least one string attached to any discount, whether it is labelled a gift or not. To receive the discount, you have to buy something.

Those people who consider a discount as a gift are called "merchants"...

Originally Posted by ERPLeadsWriter

Just because something comes for free doesn't mean it's a gift either you know. Ever downloaded 'free' software? I'm sure there are many of us here who know that it's actually being paid for but in a way a lot of folks don't notice.

There's still payment involved, as you say.

I was watching an episode of "All in the Family", and Archie was explaining his racial terminology to Mike (Meathead). Please remember the words are Archie's, not mine...

"A chink is always a gook, but a gook isn't always a chink."

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ERPLeadsWriter

14 years ago

Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

There is always at least one string attached to any discount, whether it is labelled a gift or not. To receive the discount, you have to buy something.

Is that any different from this? To receive an eggbeater, you need to be a cook (or a foodie or even just have eggs at least)? How about giving a video game as a gift but the receiver has no console?

It really just boils down to value if you ask me. I don't think it's fair to characterize discount lovers as 'merchants'. Bargain hunters, maybe.

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JohnMcCabe

14 years ago

Originally Posted by ERPLeadsWriter

Is that any different from this? To receive an eggbeater, you need to be a cook (or a foodie or even just have eggs at least)? How about giving a video game as a gift but the receiver has no console?

It really just boils down to value if you ask me. I don't think it's fair to characterize discount lovers as 'merchants'. Bargain hunters, maybe.

To receive an eggbeater, you must simply be willing to receive an eggbeater. To receive a video game also requires nothing beyond willingness to receive it. Your analogy is flawed.

Now if you, as the seller, gave away eggbeaters or video games to anyone willing to receive them, you would be giving a gift. If, to make use of that gift, you also offered eggs for sale or game consoles, is immaterial. I could take my gift eggbeater home and throw it in a drawer and I would still have my free eggbeater.

Tell me that in order to get my free eggbeater I had to buy a carton of eggs from you, and we've left Gift Town for Incentiveville.

Let me clarify...

Product sellers who classify discounts as gift are not 'gift givers' in this situation, they are merchants.

Don't get me wrong. I love getting discounts on things I'm going to buy anyway. But a discount is not a gift.

Don't pee on my shoes and tell me it's raining...

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ERPLeadsWriter

14 years ago

Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

To receive an eggbeater, you must simply be willing to receive an eggbeater. To receive a video game also requires nothing beyond willingness to receive it. Your analogy is flawed.

You mean there's no willingness to receive a discount?

Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

If, to make use of that gift, you also offered eggs for sale or game consoles, is immaterial. I could take my gift eggbeater home and throw it in a drawer and I would still have my free eggbeater.

And a discount can still be discount. I think our disagreements lie more with the fact that you see a discount as immaterial, valueless. I on other hand see it as something solid. Whether it's on paper or said to my face, it has the potential to hold value. Hence, it can be considered a gift.

Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

Product sellers who classify discounts as gift are not 'gift givers' in this situation, they are merchants.

Don't get me wrong. I love getting discounts on things I'm going to buy anyway. But a discount is not a gift.

Don't pee on my shoes and tell me it's raining...

All I'm saying is that you don't need to be a seller at all to see value in a discount. It's may not have the same level of value as getting something for free but that value exists nonetheless.

Heck, this just crossed my mind. What's the difference between a 100% discount and a free product?

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Greg guitar

14 years ago

Originally Posted by ERPLeadsWriter

You mean there's no willingness to receive a discount?

And a discount can still be discount. I think our disagreements lie more with the fact that you see a discount as immaterial, valueless. I on other hand see it as something solid. Whether it's on paper or said to my face, it has the potential to hold value. Hence, it can be considered a gift.

All I'm saying is that you don't need to be a seller at all to see value in a discount. It's may not have the same level of value as getting something for free but that value exists nonetheless.

Heck, this just crossed my mind. What's the difference between a 100% discount and a free product?

If all you were saying really was that you don't need to be a seller to see value in a discount, I am sure we could all agree, but you said more than that.

Of course discounts have some value to those that find the deal attractive enough. But that is what it is; a deal involving a sale. Calling it a gift would be like the seller of a house calling each counter-offer another "gift"; a discount off their previous price.

You missed John's point; he wasn't implying that discounts aren't a gift due to nobody showing the "willingness to receive"; rather he was saying that willingness is the only requirement of the recipient of an actual gift, whereas a discount isn't a gift because a purchase is required; it is not given freely at all.

Nobody has argued yet that every time there is a sale, there is a gift being given by the party running it; surely we can all agree that would be ridiculous. I'm sure you'd think it laughable if someone you knew sent off 100 or so cards every time the Valpak arrived, thanking every merchant for their "gift".

So that begs the question; if you insist on calling discounts gifts part of the time, but not all the time, then how do you decide which deals are gifts and which are just plain old sales? What is the criteria by which a sale price rises to the level of "gift"?

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bharatnt

14 years ago

It depends on if what the product & discount is.

If I put a tag of $100 on a product that is worth $50 and offer $50 discount as gift. I am just fooling myself with an expectation that I will get some orders with this awesome hook.

But if you have a product that retails for $100 and you have sold good number of copies at that price point & you offer a $50 coupon to me as a gift. I will most likely buy it and consider that coupon as a gift - provided that it's a product that I will benefit from.

On the other hand even if I offer a product for free and call it a gift but the information in it just garbage to get leads. Again I will only fool myself that now I have a list that I can market to & can make some money because customers aren't dumb.

Just my 2 cents.

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1byte

14 years ago

Of course it's not a gift, because there are strings attached, i.e., you must purchase something to get the "gift." Although the discount may in itself be very generous, and even described by the giver as a gift, it is still just that -- a discount given to encourage sales of a product or service.

Merriam-Webster online defines gift as "something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation." Gift - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Another definition: "A gift or a present is the transfer of something without the expectation of payment. Although gift-giving might involve an expectation of reciprocity, a gift is meant to be free."

Source wikipedia, Gift - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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JohnMcCabe

14 years ago

I never said discounts have no value. If you are going to buy the product anyway, of course discounts have value. They simply are not gifts.

I can think of one circumstance where a discount might be considered as a gift. That is if the discount offer is made after the sale is agreed to.

True story...

When my brother-in-law suddenly passed away, we had to clear out his apartment while we were in Honolulu. Anything we wanted to keep, we had to ship back to the mainland. Because of the timing and location, it was actually cheaper to pay the luggage penalties from the airline than use a carrier like UPS or FedEx.

When my wife was through sorting through her brother's stuff, we ended up with a pile that covered the bed in the hotel room. I started making a track in the carpet between the shop in the lobby that sold suitcases and our room.

After the third or fourth trip to buy another suitcase, the shop owner asked me what was going on. After he heard my story, he insisted that he sell me the suitcases at his cost (including the ones I'd already paid full price for). He didn't have to do that - both of us knew that given the circumstances, I'd continue buying suitcases until we had the stuff packed and distributed as best we could. We ended up with six suitcases above and beyond what we brought with us.

That discount, offered on a full price sale already made, I would consider a gift. He didn't have to make the offer to make the sale, and I didn't ask for a discount.

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ERPLeadsWriter

14 years ago

Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

I can think of one circumstance where a discount might be considered as a gift. That is if the discount offer is made after the sale is agreed to.

True story...

When my brother-in-law suddenly passed away, we had to clear out his apartment while we were in Honolulu. Anything we wanted to keep, we had to ship back to the mainland. Because of the timing and location, it was actually cheaper to pay the luggage penalties from the airline than use a carrier like UPS or FedEx.

When my wife was through sorting through her brother's stuff, we ended up with a pile that covered the bed in the hotel room. I started making a track in the carpet between the shop in the lobby that sold suitcases and our room.

After the third or fourth trip to buy another suitcase, the shop owner asked me what was going on. After he heard my story, he insisted that he sell me the suitcases at his cost (including the ones I'd already paid full price for). He didn't have to do that - both of us knew that given the circumstances, I'd continue buying suitcases until we had the stuff packed and distributed as best we could. We ended up with six suitcases above and beyond what we brought with us.

That discount, offered on a full price sale already made, I would consider a gift. He didn't have to make the offer to make the sale, and I didn't ask for a discount.

Thanks for sharing this. Maybe the reasons why it's easier for me to see a discount as a gift is because I've actually had a lot of experiences similar to yours.

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thetrafficguy2

14 years ago

I think it is if you give it to a very limted group of people.

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mrelk159

14 years ago

I consider a gift something that is free with no strings attached, but a discount on something someone wanted is not bad either because you are helping their cause.

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aarthielumalai

14 years ago

Nope, I don't think it can be called a gift. I mean, most of the people will open the e-mail thinking they are going to get something without having to pay for it, and they would properly get upset or feel that they were tricked when they find out that it wasn't the case; I know I would be. Discounts are great, but I'd like to know upfront if I'm being asked to buy something or given something for free, so mentioning a discount as a discount would be preferable for me.

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dukegman

14 years ago

Well thats how most many companies do it. 50% off as a gift. But I dont think it can actually be considered a gift.

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Alex Blades 14 years ago

Originally Posted by dukegman

Well thats how most many companies do it. 50% off as a gift. But I dont think it can actually be considered a gift.

Wrong, most companies don't, most companies call it a sale. Only in I.M do people call a sale a "gift"

P.s For All World, please stop blaming the whole nation for the mistakes of some idiots. I am a Pakistani, does that makes me a terrorist??

And wrong again, being Pakistani does not mean you are a terrorist, it means you are Pakistani :p

I've meet alot of great Pakistani people online

Everyone has a right to their opinion, so if someone says "Pakistani's are terrorists", then that's their opinion. Don't worry about things you can't control, your sig would be better used for something else
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Greg guitar 14 years ago

Originally Posted by dukegman

Well thats how most many companies do it. 50% off as a gift. But I dont think it can actually be considered a gift.

Your conclusion is correct; some Warriors' misguided opinions aside, a discount is obviously not a gift.

However, you aren't paying enough attention to marketing messages if you believe most companies are naive enough to do what these Warriors are claiming is okay. Most companies do not call their discounts "gifts", because most companies do not wish to piss off everyone they market to.

They do often misuse the word by offering a ""gift" with purchase"; but it's a lot safer of a lie than saying "click here for your gift", only to offer a discount instead. I think the reason it's fairly safe to offer "gift with purchase", is threefold:

1) People are told upfront that they will need to make a purchase, so there is no unpleasant surprise, unlike the subject line "Gift for you inside", or similar, with only a discount waiting.

2) The "gift" really is something extra; it's not just a cheaper price, although I still think it's not entirely honest; like someone else said, a more honest marketer would call it a "premium" or a "bonus", since it isn't given freely.

3) In spite of #2, this type of dishonesty is so common as to get virtually no negative reaction; people expect to be lied to so the lie barely registers; instead, if they have any interest, their thoughts are more likely on whether the offer is attractive enough with the added bonus that's being called a "gift".

People might forgive a company that calls their coupon a "gift", if the word "gift" is used after it has been made clear that it is only a discount, as in "Take 50% off today, as our gift to you", because there is no trick; it is misusing the word, but there is no attempt to deceive you, unlike what I believe started this thread: subject lines enticing people to open an email using the word "gift", only to have it revealed inside that the gift is not a gift, but merely a discount.
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Alex Blades

14 years ago

It is NOT a gift IMO. When you get an ad in the mail for 50% off select items, it IS a SALE, not a"gift". The only person getting a gift is the emailer, who is making money from you buying his product. To say it is a "gift" is a bit deceptive, but to each it's own

I received an email today from someone offering a "gift" and his "gift" was to install wordpress for free, for any of his subscribers, now that is a "gift" He is gifting his service, not having a 50% off sale on his service. A more accurate heading would be " A Christmas sale, receive an extra 50% off my product name " Calling a sale or discount a "gift" only serves one purpose, and that is to get you to open the email. It is a widely used tactic, but not really a gift.

gift (g

ft)n.1. Something that is bestowed voluntarily and without compensation.

sale (s

l)n.1. The exchange of goods or services for an amount of money or its equivalent; the act of selling.

dis·count (d

s

kount

, d

s-kount

)v. dis·count·ed, dis·count·ing, dis·counts
v.tr.1. To deduct or subtract from a cost or price.

"gift" not to be confused with "sale' just as the picture below is not as advertised

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GrowMyForumCommunity

14 years ago

I don't treat discounts as a gift, but rather, a privilege to let more people get in a specific product without spending tons.

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Do you consider a discount as being a "gift?"

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