Something for nothing raises questions
If you have ever heard the expression “a funny thing happened the other day on the way to the Forum,” the following experience might amuse you.
It is the time of year when our mailboxes are blessed with mailings from automobile dealers trying to lure us into their car lots with a promise of prizes if the attached key opens a treasure chest in their facilities. These opportunities for a “freebie” seem to come in the spring and again in the fall. We have recently received at least three — some go directly into the trash can and never make it into the legitimate mail that gets looked at before it is discarded. Having no desire to undergo the abuse that comes in a trip to win a prize, we don’t pay much attention to the fantastic opportunities they have to offer — a chance to win something valuable (?) for nothing (?).
To further explain my pessimism, a friend of our family in Boston was a marketing consultant and used similar mailings in his work for some of the companies in Massachusetts. His understanding of statistics and the human desire to get something for nothing worked well together in designing programs for his consulting clients. The likelihood that anyone would win a significant amount of money or valuable prize was so small that only by a miracle or a rigged card would anyone win anything significant. But the games (opportunity) drew the customers into the program.
Having discussed these marketing activities and understanding the clients these programs are intended to appeal to, we have never taken advantage of the offers. Recently, however, we received a different kind of mailing from an auto dealer we have had some experience with in the past. All the lures on the advertising were the standard lines with the exception of the key. The brochure included some attractive used cars of numerous makes and models, but not the brand or model we have owned. The name on the mailing was to me or “current resident.”
Being a bit more curious in my old age, I called the dealership office and talked with a lady who assured me the ‘off site” event was real and that the company was sponsoring it at the location given on the brochure. We discussed the mailing and the fact that I had been a customer in the past and asked her if the company wanted to risk my future business (if any) with a gimmick program. I got no meaningful answer to that other than if I had any doubts I should not go to check it out.
Curiosity prompted me to go and the experience was entertaining, to say the least. Upon my arrival, I was greeted by a nice young man as I entered the roped off area where the sale took place. I quickly assured the young man, whose name I have forgotten, that I was not there to buy any car but only to see how the system worked and that I intended to write an article for the newspaper about the experience. I learned he was from the Houston, Texas, area and the crew was there to sell used cars for the car dealership which explained the variety of used cars on the premises. He explained that when a car dealer had too many used vehicles to sell, it was common for them to hire a firm like theirs to move them quickly.
Since it was evident I was not there to buy any car — used or new — we talked freely about my purpose and what specific wording in the literature protected them against anyone winning a ‘”major prize.” (Wasn’t a major prize the award that Darren McGaven won in the Christmas Story? It was the lamp that helped carry the story of the Daisy Red Ryder BB gun.) Anyway, one was pretty much guaranteed to win something even if it cost money to collect the prize.
My host was quick to point out the notation in the information that stated having a number that was identified as a “winning number” did not guarantee that it was connected to the prize shown in the brochure. At this point we were seated at a table under the tent and a lady asked over my shoulder “we have the same number, what did you win?” It turned out I won a $25 redemption card available on Restaurant.com. This is where the promise “everyone is a winner” just for coming in, or taking a test drive, or whatever, comes in I guess.
The morning certainly proved to be entertaining and re-emphasized the fact we have gone further down the path of a consumer oriented society when we overstock used cars to sell new ones. So, we will keep receiving these once in a year opportunities to upgrade our own personal means of transportation.
To sum up the experience, it is probably a good place to buy a used car, but don’t expect to win a million dollar prize and you can learn a little bit about the used car market if you ask the right questions.
Editor’s note: Leo Lynch, an award-winning columnist, is a native of Benton County and has deep roots in northwest Arkansas. He is a retired industrial engineer and former Justice of the Peace.