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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Bounty Reps

52 replies

Hoolahlah66 · 08/12/2019 00:59

I was just scrolling through my emails deleting all the crap, when I realised why I was getting so many marketing baby type emails. It reminded me of the fateful day I met the bounty rep!

I am aware there are some older threads in this but Nothing for a while that I can see, and I can’t believe they are still allowed to operate in hospitals. I had just woken up when the rep came bursting into my cubical, probably only 6 hours following c section feeling very vulnerable. DH was at home getting some rest following a long few days being induced, so I didn’t even have him there to fend her off on my behalf as I was eyeballs deep in pain relief. I asked her to come back, and she did...5 times during my 3 day stay!! She would not take no for an answer. she wa say perfectly pleasant person, not rude etc but I found the whole premise really intrusive and upsetting.

AIBU to think

  1. They shouldn’t be allowed to allude to being a HCA to trick women into giving details.
  2. That they have tainted the memory of our first few days. After all, she met my DS before anyone else other than DH..and I didn’t effing invite her. She also interrupted DS’ first cuddle with His grandparents.

Or like many people in older threads have stated they enjoyed the opportunity to capture the first days with some (overpriced) photos?

If I’m not alone and the majority think they have no place in hospitals, can anyone tell me why hasn’t anything been done as it seems to get a lot of people annoyed.

OP posts:
BonnieSeptember · 08/12/2019 01:06

I thought I'd feel the same having read about them however I also had a csection and was in no got state for weeks to even consider getting nice pictures taken (would involved leaving the house, being stuck somewhere in discomfort etc). Do actually really glad for them and the beautiful pictures they took (none of me by my own choice as I was a pale anaemic sweaty mess when she came!!)

They are certainly overpriced but it's a.one off expense to have professional style pictures of your newborn for life.

I think I was lucky the lady I saw wasn't overly pushy. I didn't commit to buying anything in the hospital I just said to her I'm not really in the headspace at the moment to think about the packages properly so I'd look to look when I'm at home. So she just gave me an access code for the pictures and left me to it :)

lyralalala · 08/12/2019 02:10

The only thing I'll praise our local maternity hospital for is that the Bounty reps are confined to a table/area in the foyer and you have to request them to come to you before they are allowed in to take photos or the likes

There are also signs up in the day rooms letting you know where else you can get your Child Benefit form (that seemed to be their old tactic - you need this as your CB form is in it)

areyouafraidofthedark · 08/12/2019 02:13

I must be the only person that in three births I never met a bounty rep!

TulipCat · 08/12/2019 02:16

I am still annoyed about the Bounty rep intruding on my first few hours as a new mum, and it was years ago now! They have no place on hospital wards and I'm amazed they still do this.

Hellofromtheotherside2020 · 08/12/2019 02:27

Yes, I hear ya!
Slightly different but I had a student physiotherapist come to my bed less than two hours after giving birth making me do exercises. Then the bounty person straight after. They tell you to rest but then let these people approach us. Totally not on.

By my third child I was too long in the tooth for any nonsense and just told anyone I didn't want around me to leave (not rudely).

Beldon · 08/12/2019 03:24

I just said straight away that I wasn’t interested in photos and didn’t want to be put on any mailing list. She needed to take very basic details but showed me the computer screen and she had checked the no correspondence section - I got my bounty pack containing child benefit form in, I haven’t received any junk mail

AngryFeminist · 08/12/2019 04:39

Nbu at all. The one who came to me started getting my details off my husband who had no idea she wasn't an hcp. I came in out of the shower and told her to get rid of my details and get out.

GiveHerHellFromUs · 08/12/2019 04:47

The woman who came to see me didn't introduce herself and I thought she was hospital staff. She asked if we'd like 'a' photo which I thought would be nice. She took about 100 then stood at the foot of my bed while sorting out about 10 in total.

We did buy the book and I'm really grateful we have it but it was really intrusive and we felt like we'd be seen as bad parents if we didn't buy it. How ridiculous were we!

GrandTheftWalrus · 08/12/2019 04:52

I never had a bounty rep come near me either. Just the photographer from the local paper who asked if I wanted to be featured. I said yes but baby was unnamed at that point so he phoned me a few days later asking if we had named her and if we still wanted the pic in the paper.

Busybeebeebee · 08/12/2019 04:53

Funnily enough I’m on the post-natal ward at the moment having had my baby today and I was thinking about the bounty ladies who came round the wards when I had my other children.
The first one preyed on me, she saw me as a young, naive first time mum and pressured me into photos.
Don’t think I had any with the second and so far haven’t encountered any today.

LauraPalmersBodybag · 08/12/2019 04:59

The bounty rep cane to my ward after I’d had dc2 the other day. It surprised me jow everyone just gave her their data without question of what it was for.

I told her I wasn’t prepared to give her any of my details, which said was fine and still handed me a pack.

RedHelenB · 08/12/2019 05:10

I'm glad mine was there for all 3 children. The really newborn look barely lasts the first week or so. Plus I was a proud mum and wasn't so possessive that I couldn't enjoy someone else touching my baby

tealandteal · 08/12/2019 08:57

I didn't realise how poorly I looked until the bounty rep opened the curtains, took one look at me and said "Oh bless you, you're very new aren't you, I'll come back later". I'd been on the ward several hours by then but it did give me a clue why they were reluctant to let me home. We went home before she came back. My experience wasn't that she was pushy at all, but never got to the photos/selling bit.

NailsNeedDoing · 08/12/2019 09:22

Both my children had the bounty photos as their first passport photos, and I liked the pictures, so they were useful for that reason. I was quite young when I had my first, and honestly wouldn't have known I was entitled to child benefit without my bounty pack.

However, I also didn't realise they were responsible for the ridiculous amount of marketing I received until a few years later, so if I'd known I wouldn't have agreed to that. For me, the bounty experience wasn't all that bad, but then neither were my labours, and I appreciate that for some women it can feel very intrusive.

x2boys · 08/12/2019 09:49

I don't think I saw a bounty rep but my oldest was born in Boxing day and my youngest on a sunday, I'm not sure the phto,s are professional though,my dh, ex did this for a short time and she's not a professional photographer.

Busybeebeebee · 08/12/2019 10:50

The bloody bounty rep has appeared!
This is my husbands first baby, my third. I’ve told him not to make eye contact....

Literally just typing this and she jumped me! She handed over the pack...then I declined everything Grin

AMillionMugsNoTeabags · 08/12/2019 11:02

I had a hospital acquired infection after DS’s birth and was moved to a private room. No one was supposed to come in without wearing a disposable plastic apron and gloves. There were packs of both immediately outside the door and HUGE red signs on the door. ALL the hcps, cleanse, tea lady, meal lady, even DH and DD had to “gown and glove” to visit me and DS.... guess who (repeatedly because I kept giving her the brush off) breezed in? Hope she didn’t pass the infection on to any newborns...

Name739017 · 08/12/2019 11:08

The bounty rep didn’t come to visit me in hospital. We were only on postnatal for about 8 hours but I did hear her giving the hard sell to the lady in the next cubicle. About £170?! Madness. We didn’t even think about the free pack until after we had left and I wondered what might’ve been in it. We went to the gov website to download the child benefit form.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 08/12/2019 11:10

She needed to take very basic details but showed me the computer screen

@Beldon she didn't need to take a single detail from you. What did she say she needed these details for?

anitagreen · 08/12/2019 11:47

Our hospital doesn't have them anymore I'm happy about that

OctopusNow · 08/12/2019 18:24

I was visited by one who took some lovely photos of my only baby but we couldn't afford to buy them and DH said it was a waste of money and that our snaps were good enough.

Still makes me sad now tbh. I try not to think about it.

OctopusNow · 08/12/2019 18:25

Sorry, my point was, I'd rather she hadn't have taken them in the first place.

OpportunityKnocks · 08/12/2019 18:34

Who is buying the data?
Boycotting the products would be effective in stopping them buying data?

Scarletoharaseyebrows · 08/12/2019 18:36

busybee congratulations!

myself2020 · 08/12/2019 18:36

They are scum. i send the one in our hospital away, but she made good money from some other women.