Smyth's free lego

They will and do stop if this become a consistent complaint or if people make too much fuss and it becomes too much hassle for the staff

I doubt it, they won't stop because a 6 year old boy got a bit upset. They will stop if they don't make any money from it!

People making these absurd complaints are also what leads to companies deciding it's notnworth the hassle. So instead of people benefitting from a nice marketing ploy, everyone misses out

@TheWayTheLightFalls Smyths do these promotions regularly and have done for years.
The response that the OP apparently got from customer services is rather odd because every Smyths I have ever been in is laid out in such a way that in order to not have the free Lego anywhere near the Lego aisle they would have to be giving the freebies out in the carpark 😂

Agree that OP has been given an unnecessarily hard time, but as always with these things it says more about the posters than the OP. She has replied repeatedly to explain, quite level-headedly.

I also wouldn’t rule out the possibility that Smyth’s employees are at fault here (“fault” is too strong, but for lack of better term). Lego would have likely planned this promotion down to a t - where the free sets would be, the display they’d be in, how it linked to their wider offering, how they’d be promoted or advertised etc. It sounds like last year it was done very differently. Is that because Smyth’s HQ/Lego gave different instructions this year, or because a random member of staff took the initiative to do it one way rather than another?

OP I think you've had an unnecessarily hard time here. I can just imagine his wee face, being told he's going to get free Lego, seeing the really cool Lego and thinking "wow, that's the free stuff" then being instead told that no, it's the little crappy one that's free.

I get disappointed when I realise I've been manipulated by offers like that, and I'm a grown-up! It's the memory of that moment where you thought that just for once something genuinely wasn't too good to be true.

I was going to say, I think OP is misrepresenting the event to be honest, it's not advertised as a free Lego treat, it's called the 'lego event' and the free set is part of all the promotions including money off bigger sets and demos.
If reduced sets were assembled next to free ones on the table for demonstration purposes I don't see an issue with that at all.

Customer services are saying the free sets should have been in a big cardboard box but OP said they were- it's just the demo sets that were out next to other promotional items.

Yes maybe I'm just sticking the boot in some more but as frustrating as the situation may have been for you OP it was in no way, shape or form the fault of Smyths.

Oh OP I agree
It's like when shops display cheap food next to expensive food. It so unfair. All the expensive food should be banished to one end of the store...

Or, alternatively, it's a lesson for your son that things have different prices and you miss out if you throw a tantrum

You’re right 🤣 I call BS. I don’t doubt she emailed a complaint-she sounds that sort of person. But I highly doubt she got a response. And on a Saturday too 🤣

what's "retail services?"
I would be seriously impressed if Smyths customer service actually emailed you back within a few hours of you making your complaint, on a saturday. That's an incredible response rate.

OP it might be nice for your son if you ask family to buy him some Smyths vouchers for Christmas so he can go there and chose something nice to buy. My son was absolutely made up when he could do this.

Reading the OPs posts again, it doesn’t appear she ever takes her child to Smyths with the intention of treating him to a purchase 🤣 she only goes when they’re giving away free mini legos, she’s done it before-only this time, she’s pissed that Smyths employed traditional marketing tactics and advertised to her son that LEGO do much better sets than the little free bits she gives him 🤣

The other perspective is why didn't you just buy him the Lego set he wanted? Yes it might have been a misunderstanding through the displays which was free and which wasn't, but at the end of the day he's a little boy who really wanted a toy. Legos are educational, fun, encourage creativity and last for generations. Most sets aren't hugely expensive and there are always reasonably priced options within the same series.

Instead of wasting so much time writing angry emails at a toy store's marketing department and starting threads on MN, you could have just bought your son the Lego set, created a happy childhood memory, and that's the end of the story.

This thread is hilarious.@MachiavellianI do hope you look back on it one day (sooner rather than later) and cringe yourself inside out. I can't believe you really emailed the shop. How embarrassing. Though I imagine their response means absolutely nothing. It reads like business-speak for "We plan to ignore your ridiculous complaint."

I'm surprised your child refused the free Lego. In your shoes I might be inclined to teach him the expression "cutting off your nose to spite your face."

Sure.

I think so. Oh the irony. Haha

Yeah I called it out earlier in thread, I'd imagine OP picked it out as being trendy.

Lol that’s what I said😂

Imagine a OP being called Machiavellian and this being something a machiavellian would do.

If it even happened.

The fact she’s emailed to complain shows that despite 95% of people answering her question with “yes, you’re unreasonable” and everyone explaining marketing shows she’s got nothing from this at all. I bet they all had a right good laugh at the email, and of course, only apologise cause it’s easier for them that way!

‘those ones aren’t included darling, why don’t you choose one of these little ones, and we can put the other set on your Christmas list’

Not difficult.

It even says in capitals free MINI giveaway.

Here is the advert. It's very clear what were the free sets.