# Do you get free company products where you work? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 2, 2006, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052 "2006-08-02T19:12:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Heckxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f1d935/32.png) [@Heckxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heckxx)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/1 "2006-08-02T19:12:52Z")
Me and my brother and my brother’s gf work for Wrigley, so we get a ton of free gum. Right now I have a case of Winterfresh and doublemint at my house (case = about 25 or so packs). We had more Orbit but I go through like a pack a day. And around the office they have free gum at the receptionists, which is free for the taking. So what kindof free stuff does your company give you? (…i think i said free one too many times…) ---
**Author:** ![Emilio\_Lizardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/2 "2006-08-02T19:39:24Z")
I work at a university and I get to take classes for free; does that count? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/3 "2006-08-02T19:41:29Z")
Nothing at all. In fact, it usually **costs** me to work there. (Meaning I have to buy a lot of my own supplies.) I really don’t want any of what we produce. ---
**Author:** ![Dottygumdrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Dottygumdrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dottygumdrop)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/4 "2006-08-02T20:04:37Z")
I steal stationery occasionally, and do personal photocopying and colour printing without recording it. Does that count??? ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/5 "2006-08-02T20:08:42Z")
Well, my company provides services (a variety of specialty insurances) rather than products, but I do get some of those (roadside assistance, for example) for free. ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/6 "2006-08-02T20:12:50Z")
I work for a wine company. I think I (and most if not all employees) average about 2 cases of free wine a year, maybe a little more. Wine is the big one, but we also get all kinds of other free things like corkscrews, drip stops, wine glasses, foil cutters, pens, magnets, mousepads etc. Your typical company logo swag. And clothing with the company logo. It’s usually pretty nice stuff. Right now I’m wearing a suede jacket with the company logo embroidered on the sleeve. Very subdued and elegant. And I’ve got more hats, t-shirts, vests, fleeces, etc. with various logos than I know what to do with. I usually end up giving a bunch of stuff away to friends when they come over for visits. Oh, and free tickets to wine-related events in the area, the biggest one being the Sonoma County Harvest Fair Award night gala thingie every September. Dubbed the ‘Academy Awards of Wine’ for this area, it’s one of my favorite perks. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/7 "2006-08-02T20:20:16Z")
I work in a call center travel agency, so we get special airline, hotel and car rental rates, though I have yet to take advantage of this yet. At my last job I worked as a tester for a major printer manufacturer. Being a contract employee, I didn’t get dick for company freebies or discounts. At the job before that I worked in retail for Office Max. Other than twice a year (back-to-school in August and Christmas) when we were eligible to use coupons for 10% off of non-electronics and 5% off electronics, we didn’t get any sort of discounts. Before that I worked at Burger King. Crew members got meals for half price and free soda; managers got free meals (up to $5 a day) and free soda. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/8 "2006-08-02T20:21:01Z")
I used to do purchasing for a small 10 store chain of sporting good stores located in athletic clubs. Vendors I purchsed from often gave free goods away as a thanks for ordering from them. In two years I got 10 pairs of shoes (nike,wilson,saucony,prince), 3 tennis racquets (I don’t even play tennis), a case of daily vitamins, boxes of clif bars, more workout clothes than I know what to do with (nike,adidas,under armor), and a couple pair of Bolle sunglasses. ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/9 "2006-08-02T20:26:51Z")
Where I work, I could get the finest art or design education available tuition free, but the catch is, you can’t go part time or at night or anything. My kid, sadly, has no interest or aptitude in art or design but it would be free for him also. You can take extension classes for free too and I’ve done that. It’s pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/10 "2006-08-02T20:28:08Z")
I’m a librarian, and I can check out as many books as I want, all for free! Well, I also don’t pay overdue fines. So that’s good. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/11 "2006-08-02T20:51:02Z")
I have a web design business and we do our own hosting. So I get access to 4 Web servers for free! whoohoo! ---
**Author:** ![Future\_Londonite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9dc877/32.png) [@Future\_Londonite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Future_Londonite)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/12 "2006-08-02T21:19:00Z")
I work for a large hospitality company though I get no freebies, I do get associate rate (ranging from $49 to $69) for myself and Friends&Family rate ($69 to $119) for well friends and family… ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/13 "2006-08-02T21:24:41Z")
At my current job, we make engine oil and gas additives. In bulk. So no freebies here – difficult to top off your engine oil from a railcar. My last job was product development for a group of not-for-profit manufacturers. I ended up with hundreds of prototypes and samples of office products, paper products, plastic products, writing instruments, etc., etc. If someone saw a new pen, they knew I’d be able to get them some in a month or so after. I still discover oddball pens at home from time to time. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/14 "2006-08-02T21:31:53Z")
Nothing at all. It’s retail, though. We get a 10% employee discount. That’s it. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/15 "2006-08-02T22:00:44Z")
I get one each of a free checking and savings account. But… we give customers the same thing with direct deposit. So it’s kinda meh. One valuable perk is with mortgage loans. No opening, processing, document, closing, etc. fees, and a quarter-percent discount on the interest rate. Likewise on auto loans - a quarter-percent discount. ---
**Author:** ![Tamryne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@Tamryne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamryne)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/16 "2006-08-02T22:42:38Z")
Um, half off food? I work at a sushi/lounge restaurant. No free drinks either, except tea and soda. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/17 "2006-08-02T22:50:15Z")
Well, I’m done working there Friday (just a summer job till I start grad school,) but I got all the free lip balm I could handle, and then some, at my job. In case you couldn’t tell, they make lip balm. And it’s probably not a company you’ve heard of, but they make products for many well known retail stores, including Victoria’s Secret, Gap, Bath and Body Works, and The Body Shop. All told I think I have four or five gallon sized freezer bags full of dozens of types of lip balm. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/18 "2006-08-02T23:05:28Z")
At the last place I worked, employees could buy “scratch and dents” (laundry appliances) at less than cost, with an option to pay via payroll deduction, over time. Which probably explains why there’s no laundromat in town. You could buy as many as you wanted, and re-sell them. Hubby works security for an egg-processor and gets 7 dozen free eggs each month. We’re keeping the whole town supplied with eggs. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/19 "2006-08-03T00:04:42Z")
> [@Emilio Lizardo](#): > > I work at a university and I get to take classes for free; does that count? That’s a pretty good benefit. Is there a limit on how many courses you can take? I went to college with someone who got a bachelor’s degree through one of those programs. We don’t get free products at all, although some employees take copies of publications for their portfolios. Some years, for a holiday bonus, the owner gives us baseball caps with the company logo on them. We were recently told that for a limited time, we could buy polo shirts with the company logo on them (only $23.50 each!). I don’t think the company had any takers. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/20 "2006-08-03T00:19:11Z")
Other that the free promotional items during publicity events, we get nothing where I work. Figuring out what to do with a brand new 737 would be quite a conundrum though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052.md?page=2)