High Pressure Sales

A few days ago someone called asking if they could bring me a free book and for me to do a short questionnaire. So, today a couple shows up at my door with the "free" book, that only costs 3 Euros for the cost of production and the " short questionnaire" which took about an hour and a half. Throughout the whole presentation and hugely biased questionnaire (where she virtually fed me the answers she wanted) she continued to say that they weren't selling anything and that it was a marketing promotion.

It all started out nice, just a normal marketing questionnaire. And then she began to offer me all these great gifts she wanted to give me for "free." The only cost would be the cost of their production, of course. But the cost was a joke it was so little.

She was going to give me a camera, a breadmaker, a water purifier, two sets of books, and I don't know what else, for a low low price of 1,500 Euros, of course at a low monthly price of 54 Euros for two and a half years. I then told her that I didn't think I was interested, that it seemed like a lot of money to me. She of course reiterated that it was a very low price and that it was only a small monthly price, not to even look at the total. As I continued to say "no," she began to act shocked and offended and, as I half expected, she then offered me half the stuff for half the price, a mere 750 Euros in total.

It was interesting how the tone changed completely when I told her that I didn't think I was interested, that if she wanted to give me some time to think about it I might change my mind, but frankly that it was stuff that I'd love to have, but that I don't need and that I would rather spend that money elsewhere. She told me how I was going to regret this decision and that she couldn't believe I was passing up such a great offer. The guy with her agreed and said, "You know, it is a really good deal." And it may actually be a fairly good deal for all that you get, but it is still the fact that I don't want to spend the money on what they are selling and that I really don't like to be pressured into buying anything.

I really can't stand telemarketing and door-to-door pressure sales. If I don't say "no," I generally regret it, at least a bit, and if I do say "no" I feel fairly frustrated after the whole transaction. I usually feel bad for them and for the time they've spent and yet it infuriates me that they try to then make me feel bad.

And let me just say that it would be nice if they could actually listen to you and what you are saying, since they act as if they care. And I kind of hate the fact that the whole bate and switch, they say they need your help for one thing and then end up trying to sell you things (even if they say that they are merely in the marketing department).