You shouldn't call it a "Free Sample" if it's really a "Sample in exchange for an hour+ of your time, and a hard sales pitch". Hard sale? Hard pass.
I woke up from a nap to my dad calling for me, someone was at the door with a clipboard and wanted to talk. I groggily threw on a sweater and walked to the door - rehearsing the line "No thank you, we're not interested." in my head. However, when I got there I'd entirely forgot my mantra.
The (very attractive) man told me about how he was here to offer me a FREE 1lb sampler of some "Locally, ethically sourced beef." and told me all about how highly regarded his company is, how their quality is above and beyond, etc. I'm a vegetarian, have been since I was 13 - but my parents are not. I try to source as much of their meat from ethical sources (not here to argue about what is considered ethical). So I was at least remotely curious. I agreed to the free sample, gave them some basic information and was told they'd call me tomorrow with a delivery time. Mistake #1.
The next day I get a call from a lovely woman, asking if I was home and would be available to receive the beef sample. I said yes. She asked "Are you going to be around for a while?" I thought she was asking in regards to the delivery (since I know they tend to give time frames, not exact times). I said yes. "Alright, [redacted] will be there shortly!". Alright, no problem. Mistake #2.
I'm now expecting a business truck, shipping van, something owned by the company... But an older man shows up in a dark SUV, carrying a leather briefcase and a small lunchbox tote. My father knew we were expecting "a delivery" so he had already let the man in. Mistake #3. He proceeded to introduce himself and sit down at our dinner table - quickly pulling out a form and a pen. By this point I had already realized this "Free sample" wasn't exactly free - it was coming at the cost of my time.
I should've just told him we weren't interested, we had only agreed to receive a free sample, we weren't expecting a whole sales pitch but I am too polite, and I avoid confrontation... How bad could it possibly be, right?
All credit due to this man, he is one hell of a salesman, but he is maybe too confident - which was really off putting. Every single question I had was answered, easily and without hesitation. But beyond that, he made a LOT of assumptions and rebuked being corrected when he was wrong.
For example, he asked our weekly grocery budget. I told him it was $100. He proceeds to write down "$140". I corrected him, he said "Well, statistics Canada say the average family spends $140 a week on groceries." Okay? But I'm telling you WE don't. I think I know my grocery budget better than you, random stranger.
Next, he asks how often we get take out or eat out of the home. We only do that for special occasions, but he wrote down once a week. Again, I corrected him and he rebutted with "Statistics Canada...". But only a few minutes later he made a personal comment, saying "I'd never eat that stuff (re: take out / fast food), it's toxic garbage." So right after determining we not only eat take out, but we treat take-out as a special thing, he insults it...
After that he makes a comment about how "The Carbon Tax is making meat products and groceries un-affordable for families." I bit my tongue. He caught on pretty quick and asked me what my opinion was - I whole heartedly support the Carbon Tax, and personally haven't noticed much of a change in our weekly grocery bill. I told him that, and he replied "It's there, you just haven't noticed.". There was something about the way he spoke that seemed so crass.
He often bounced back and forth between giving compliments (ie. He praised me on my knowledge of the word pescatarian and what it means) and borderline insults (ie claiming I was ignorant of the Carbon Tax's effect on my family). He spoke very highly of himself, though. He bragged about his active lifestyle, about his "very respectable" income level, none of which I asked about...
He seemed to allude to the concept or idea that "If you buy these products from me, you can also live the lifestyle I do." Which was strikingly similar to the psyche behind MLM's, or pyramid schemes.
He also made a habit of repeatedly telling me about how many terribly sick clients he'd helped. I asked if he had any medical background and he admitted he didn't. But he "works closely with an oncologist" that he can call if he has any questions. He told me a story about a patient who couldn't chew foods and was relying on injections/IV's to get the nutrients she needed... He claimed he worked with the oncologist to find a way to make his products edible for her. He claimed he drove 5 hours round trip to help this lady out, because he "just wanted the best for her health". He made various other claims over the duration of his pitch, mainly about how many people suffer from cancer or diabetes and (indirectly) alluded to the fact it was because of the - and I quote "Hormone/Antibiotic/Steroid infused meat products you buy at the grocery store."
So we finally get to the end of his sales pitch (which was about 50 minutes long) and he starts laying out the cost, what's included, and is now really pushing hard for this sale. Every polite way of me trying to tell him we weren't interested (beyond just bluntly stating that) was countered.
"We don't have the budget for this" was met with "We can work on payment plans my next visit."
"We don't have the space for a new deep freezer" (Oh yeah, did I mention the deal is you have to rent a deep freezer from them too?) "Well you can get rid of your current one and just use ours instead."
My dad (bless his soul) asked if we could just order a month's worth of product to try it out, before we commit to the full year's worth. That was a hard "No, it is all one bulk order.". Dad asks why, the salesman claims it's "to save on delivery fees" ... But earlier on in the pitch he told us about how they also supply extras such as frozen fruits/veggies, organic pantry supplies and even organic 100% natural house cleaners... Why would someone want an entire year's worth of all of those at one time? Who has the space?
I asked if there was a website we could go to if we wanted to see the products they offer, he said no. But beyond just saying no he alleged that since their ordering system is so precise, the average consumer wouldn't be able to do it properly. (?!). He stated that every year a NutraFarms representative would have to come to the house to prepare and place an order.
By this point we had been sitting down for an HOUR. I had 20 minutes before I had to go to work and I made a point to tell the salesman that. "I appreciate your time, but I've got to get ready for work." he counters with "When can I come back with our full ordering menu?". I tell him I am not ready to commit to another meeting. He questions me, pushing that ANY issue can be overcome (ie, making a payment plan, moving items around to make space for a deep freezer, etc) and he will "work with us to solve any concerns upon his next visit." and I again state we were not interested and didn't want to waste his time.
After realizing we had been talking for an hour I asked "So, where's the sample we signed up for? Has it just been sitting with you this entire time?Shouldn't it be in the freezer?". He pulls this small lunchbox tote out from under the chair and opens it to reveal 2 ice packs and a couple individually packaged pounds of beef. This also came with a crass remark, "It doesn't have to be in a freezer if you know what you're doing. See this? It's a 100% ice pack." (What even is a 100% ice pack? Isn't it just an ice pack?). He slides a package across the table in what I can only assume is his last-ditch effort to close the sale.
He then went into a series of weirdly personal questions as he packed his stuff, asking if he could see our deep freezer (this I said no to), asking where I worked, what my plans for the future are, where my dad works, where my mother is, what our schedules are like, etc... I answered all his questions (again, fear of confrontation) and once again reminded him I now had 5 minutes to get ready for work and he needed to leave.
As he got up to leave he made a remark that came completely out of nowhere and really shocked me. He said "legalizing marijuana was the dumbest thing our government has ever done." Had we been talking about marijuana? No. What sparked that comment I will truly never know, but I'd heard enough from him and escorted him to the door.
He reluctantly left, but not before making a point to leave his phone number and the forms he had filled out on our behalf. Oh, and the 1lb "free sample" of ground beef.
I was absolutely blown away and couldn't believe that had just happened. Even IF their product is fantastic, I wouldn't be eager to support this type of hard sale tactic. Lesson learned, even if they say it's free - it's probably not.
