** Question ** -- Who here would turn down free stuff?

[Wuffsunie]

Greetings all.

This was inspired by a lot of the self righteousness flying around here of late. There's difference between being grateful for a gift and accepting leeway with a purchase someone wants to make for you.

Let's toss out an example all of you should be able to grasp; computers! Your old P233, while working fine, is quite a dated machine and has been upgraded about as far as it'll go. Your folks offer to buy you a new Dell, with any options you want (their words), just pick.

How many people would
a) Order themselves a top of the line uber-machine
b) Order a machine with what are accepted as medium/high-end options for the time that you know will last you for years.
c) Order a machine with factory defaults
d) Decline the gift, as you machine is doing what you want.

Bonus question if you picked a or b: The machine comes, and instead of what you ordered you have machine c. Do you
a) Call Dell, ask WTF happened to your machine
b) Call parents, ask what happened to the specs you gave them
c) Say nothing about the incorrect machine, because it was an unasked for gift anyway.

This was based on a situation a friend of mine was in last year.

Let's see where it goes

-- Jack Kain

 

[OREOSpeedwagon]

hmm... if free stuff = used condom then yes i would turn it down.

 

[Richdog]

If youre parents offer to buy you a top-spec machine then they obviously understand the cost involved and want to buy me it, so I would agree to it (a). If the said machine then arrived with factory defaults I would indeed ask WTF (in a polite way) happened to the specs, as Id rather save up for a computer with decent specs myself than have money wasted on me getting a bog-standard one.
Id then politely tell my parents that the machine that arrived wasnt the one they ordered for me, then phone DELL and ask for my uber-machine. And if you hadnt of guessed Im not a self-righteous pr*ck. LOL
The way I see it, if someone offers a gift, they like you to accept it, otherwise they wouldnt offer. Its the same as when in the future I have kids, ill buy them expensive stuff like computers with pleasure.

 

[OREOSpeedwagon]

wait a sec, you said there was a poll here but there's not. bastard :|

 

[Acanthus]

Originally posted by: OREOSpeedwagon
wait a sec, you said there was a poll here but there's not. bastard :|

 

[Haden]

It depends, maybe they want to buy that PC because you *need* it (for work or education) so one should make clear why he needs such a gift, maybe money can be spend somewhere else.
If I wouldn't make my own money, I would probably go for d) for as long as I can, then b).

 

[rh71]

There's TONS o' FREE STUFF on Kazaa!

 

[Kevin]

I work in PC Sales, and people generally think computers cost around $800. Normally if your parents are telling you to get something good and have no knowledge, then they are thinking probably $1,000 at the most. Especially if its a Dell, they think you're going to order that $499.99 machine they see on TV...

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: Acanthus

Originally posted by: OREOSpeedwagon
wait a sec, you said there was a poll here but there's not. bastard :|

 

[MercenaryForHire]

I got a free car once. The keys didn't come with it though.

- M4H

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
I got a free car once. The keys didn't come with it though.

- M4H

:Q

 

[Kaervak]

I'd honestly go with option b. My parents have already spent enough money on me and I'm hesitant to have them buy me anything. I'd be appreciative of the offer, but I wouldn't get the most expensive setup just cause I could.

 

[NutBucket]

I'd ask how much I could spend. That's what happened years ago when my parents bought me a computer. Dad wanted to go get a Compaq but instead I bought one from a small company that I configured. I paid the difference since it costed a bit more then he wanted to spend.

 

[MrCoffee]

I'd go with option B. I don't like to spend money, or at least waste money. I don't like to see others waste money either.

Now, if Dell called and offered me a free computer of my choice, well... that would be a different story!

 

[Wuffsunie]

*Prostrates himself before OREOSpeedwagon, Acanthus and Zim Hosein while screaming "I'm sorry!! I'm so, so sorry!! I've wasted your valuable time and bandwidth with... oh wait."* </sarcasm>

I do hate when posters contribute jack to a discussion, just reintereating what others have said. (Guess that explains posts numbering in the thousands for some people around here.) Off course I guess it's only fair. You feel your time was wasted, now you're doing the same to lots of others.

To the rest of you who GOT my point, a hearty thanx. (I still find it amusing based on other threads that no one would actually turn it down, though Haden was closest.)

-- Jack Kain

Everybody has an opinion. Some of them just don't matter, though.
-- Anon.