# 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:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Andros\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Andros\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andros_X)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/41 "2006-08-03T23:11:36Z")
I work tech support for the university. I don’t really get free products, but sometimes my bosses will give out industry swag during our monthly training sessions. I also hear about new network services faster – of course, so does everyone else that works for IT. If I ever turn this into a salaried position in IT at the university, I could take work-related courses with the approval of my boss. Not sure of the limit, but I think it’s 6 credit-hours’ worth. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/42 "2006-08-03T23:41:39Z")
[QUOTE=Mtgman] I work for a phone company. From the company I get a free phone(unlimited minutes, web access, etc). I also get special pricing on purchasing wireless phones through the company(basically I get the post-rebate price any time I want it) and $30 worth of long distance on my home phone. I can get a broadband wireless data card with unlimited access for $15 per month if I want to give up my free phone, or for $25 a month if I don’t. That’s it for stuff I get that we have a hand in making/running. [/QUOTE] When I first worked for the Bell System, I got nothing. After divestiture, when there was competition in long distance, we got I think the first $50 of long distance free and 50% of the next $50, or something like that. We also got discounts in phone stores. Where I work now, a computer maker, I get nothing. I got T shirts during the bubble. 🙂 My wife used to be quality control director of a vegetable cannery. They had to open cans for samples, and she got to take home large buckets of beans. Good beans, but still. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/43 "2006-08-03T23:42:00Z")
I work at the corporate headquarters for a retailer (actually, it was mentioned somewhere above) and I get some free stuff from vendors, some company labelled stuff, and store discounts. They also have a deal with a bunch of other retailers where I get discounts from them, too, I don’t know how that works. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/44 "2006-08-03T23:46:25Z")
I work for a local government agency. They won’t even let me take home an empty cardboard box for moving. ---
**Author:** ![tashabot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tashabot/32/6250_2.png) [@tashabot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tashabot)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/45 "2006-08-03T23:51:07Z")
I work for a newspaper. I get a free newspaper subscription and free classifieds advertisements, and half off paid obituaries. I like it better when I work through the media network - all kinds of free gadgets and video games to review. 😃 Also, I get a lot of free swag when I work conventions as a stage hand, but that’s more from the vendors than from my employer. ~Tasha ---
**Author:** ![dinahmoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dinahmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dinahmoe)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/46 "2006-08-04T02:16:42Z")
Every ski industry job I’ve held came with a free ski pass. Which was pretty much the whole reason I started working in the ski industry in the first place. As for my current job, I have no need for medical malpractice insurance, and it’s so hard to re-gift. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/47 "2006-08-04T02:23:44Z")
I am not an employee of Google, but my contract work as a Google Answers Researcher has garnered me some neat Google merchandise. As bonuses, I’ve received t-shirts, a wristwatch, a cap, a blanket, a mousepad, a CD caddy, a beach towel, a caller-ID display, an umbrella with a lighted handle, and a Lava Lamp (all bearing the Google logo). ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/48 "2006-08-04T02:31:15Z")
I work in a museum. Occasionally a donor will drop off a box of “junk”\* and tell us if we don’t want it, throw it out. When they don’t want to add it to the collection, they let anyone who wants it take it home. I’ve gotten some really cool old newspapers and a lovely set of six lace curtains that way. - My curator jokes that we should add the slogan, _We’re half of the distance to the dump!_ to our sign. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/49 "2006-08-04T02:41:20Z")
I work in a dermatology office, and I get all kinds of swag. Lotions, creams (cosmetic and medical), shampoo, conditioner, soap, laundry detergent, anti-fungals and antibacterials, acne medications, office visits, surgical excisions of moles or skin cancer or what have you, laser treatments on red things, all that stuff and much more is free. Discounted are Intense Pulsed Light treatments, which can help with a variety of cosmetic skin problems and permanent hair removal. From drug reps come pens, note pads, mouse pads, clocks, snacks (our office doesn’t permit meals from them but my old office had free lunches 3 days a week), trade-size bottles of lotions, etc., t-shirts, hats, socks, chapstick, and whatever else they have in their bags for us. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/50 "2006-08-04T18:25:26Z")
Yep, 3 cases of beer a month. And a fourth case the month of your birthday. You would think that I would have cases of beer stacked 12 deep in the basement, but somehow my friends help to keep me from having that problem. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052/51 "2006-08-04T19:03:03Z")
[QUOTE=August West] Yep, 3 cases of beer a month. And a fourth case the month of your birthday. You would think that I would have cases of beer stacked 12 deep in the basement, but somehow my friends help to keep me from having that problem. [/QUOTE] New goal: get job at brewery. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-free-company-products-where-you-work/367052.md?page=2)