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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To really dislike those Bounty packs that get forced upon us, whether we want them or not?

326 replies

electra · 10/09/2008 22:13

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised since everything is a commodity today. But for some reason I find them in such poor taste. You go for a booking appointment with a midwife, so very early on in a pregnancy and it's an opportunity for you to be bombarded with advertisements for oak cots and so on...

I feel it's not entirely appropriate that healthcare providers buy into this kind of thing and endorse it and I felt the same when I was given one after dd2 was born and I barely had the energy to mumble 'I don't want one thanks'

OP posts:
PielightIsMyNewLove · 04/09/2009 23:41

No it's not a good thing - fgs the govt should be funding maternity services rather than them being dependent on letting strangers into our hospitals to stalk new mums for a fee

See Spam's post as an eg

busybutterfly · 04/09/2009 23:42

Well Pielight, we don't do photos at our hosp so can't comment on that.
BUT - the bags are free. FREE. Gratis. No strings attached whatsoever. If you want one, it's yours. If you don't want follow up vouchers say no to giving out your details. You can either refuse to give any (then you get no vouchers or mailings) or you can give your details and ask the lady to tick the box marked No Mailings. You'll get a bag anyway. I promise, I have never had anyone say no to giving me their details (in fact, they tell me lots more than I ask!)

PielightIsMyNewLove · 04/09/2009 23:47

some really dreadful stories here

carrie1985 · 04/09/2009 23:49

how could you not like a bounty pack? all those freebies oh the joy!!

PielightIsMyNewLove · 04/09/2009 23:50

Bet you are glad you bumped this thread eh Bounty Lady

LovelyTinOfSpam · 04/09/2009 23:51

Yes that was the thread!

Really bad.

PielightIsMyNewLove · 04/09/2009 23:52

awful company

LauraIngallsWilder · 04/09/2009 23:56

If I go and hunt I suspect I have still got marvellous useless freebies of conditioner under the sink from a bounty pack

From 5 years ago

I like freebies but in the main my bounty packs were a waste of time and packaging

ravenAK · 04/09/2009 23:57

I posted on this thread last time!

Ask the Bounty lady to hang on a minute, whilst you tip the pack out on your bed & sift.

Smilingly return everything you don't want, & ask her to make sure the shiny card tatt is suitably recycled - after all, polluter should pay.

TrillianAstra · 04/09/2009 23:58

Leave it then. No-one is making you take it home. Some people might appreciate some freebies. YABU to be moaning about free stuff, even if it is overloaded with advertisements. You are allowed to ignore the ads and just take the free stuff, or to leave the whole lot if you don't want it.

ravenAK · 05/09/2009 00:07

It's not quite that simple, if you click Pielight's link.

& not everyone, post-birth, is robust enough to deal with what's effectively cold selling techniques.

They're v dodgy, however handy their little travel tub of Sudocrem may be...

busybutterfly · 05/09/2009 00:09

Well, I'm off to work tomorrow - will let you know if anyone refuses their bag or to give me their details. Bet they don't! Because you're missing the point completely. It's free. And mtb's out there, if you don't want it, say no.
And Pielight, yes I am glad I came on here - I could tell by the thread headline it probably wasn't going to be the friendliest piece to Bounty...
Night all x

PielightIsMyNewLove · 05/09/2009 00:14

enjoy your day

katiepotatie · 05/09/2009 00:21

I have 2 children, no hard sell lady here. I have never had any junk mail either. You can opt out of all mailings. I did buy the photo's though

busybutterfly · 05/09/2009 12:06

No-one refused. What a suprise. NOT.

littleducks · 05/09/2009 12:13

But they arent going to refuse are they? The ones they hand out in hosp contain the child benefit forms dont they (mine did) thats why i had to get them, i hardly felt like a trek to the jobcentre with a newborn

busybutterfly · 05/09/2009 12:29

To clarify, Littleducks, everyone I saw today gave me all their personal details. You can have a bag without signing up for vouchers/marketing but my (unpopular) point is that people want free things, even if it comes with potential stuff you don't want too.
Anyway. Am repeating myself and that's unnecessary...feel free to read my previous posts on this thread.

Kathrina · 05/09/2009 12:35

Last time i was pregnant (4 yrs ago) i was given a voucher for a bounty pack to collect from my local Asda store. I was appalled by what i had. Leaflets, a sample of washing powder, conditioner and a sample of ovaltine. The vouchers i had were a month or so out of date so i didn't bother collecting anymore. They were always so good before in my previous pregnancies.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 05/09/2009 12:37

"I barely had the energy to mumble 'I don't want one thanks' "

Really? As a grown woman you couldn't say those few words? Are you very ill with your pregnancy?

I don't think they're forced on you if you want them or not. If you don't want them just say so. Healthcare professionals in general don't buy into this sort of thing, but don't get a choice. I'm guessing either the government or the hospital execs have signed some sort of mmarketing deal and all women have to be offered them.

IcingOnTheCake · 05/09/2009 12:39

The best Bounty pack is the one you get when the baby is 6 months old! That was full of samples and coupons

juuule · 05/09/2009 12:53

They weren't forced on me.
I had to go looking for them in the m/w office(I asked first)

juuule · 05/09/2009 12:54

I liked the 6month one. All the trial sachets of baby cereal

QueenOfFuckingEverything · 05/09/2009 13:02

busybutterfly would you care to comment on this?

I'd be interested to hear what you think

busybutterfly · 05/09/2009 13:25

Well, QofFE, as there was another article on that site called "The Demise of Motherhood" I don't think it's the most positive place to look!
From my personal point of view - breastfeeding is best. But lots of mums choost not to/can't/find it too stressful so at least they have an alternative. You're always going to be able to find negatives (esp on a thread with this title!!) but myself and my colleague (we do 7 days on, 7 days off at our hosp) find we get an incredibly positive response.
I have even seen my local GP when she had her baby and she, fully aware of Bounty/marketing etc etc, happily gave me all her details too.
Take it for what it is. And if you don't want it...Just Say No...(where have I heard that before?!) x

LovelyTinOfSpam · 05/09/2009 14:39

Personally I don;t have a problem with the packs but have a huge problem with the photos.

I am surprised that people expect women who have just given birth to be able to respond in a rational way to a very heavy hard sell. "It's your baby's first pictures" is difficult to decline at that point.

Not least the women who have had sections and are on morpine "on demand" drips, I mean you're as high as a kite. To have someone come and pressure you to buy photographs is just not on IMO. And surprised that there are peopole defending this practice TBH.