Whahuh?

[captain_slinky]

So we're discussing this new service at work, the 800-FREE411. If you haven't heard about it, it's really cool; free 411 service for your cell phone, all you have to do is listen to a 10-second commercial before you get your results. Considering that cellular providers charge anywhere from 75-cents to $2.50 for a 411 call, this is pretty friggin' huge news!

But one of my co-werkers doesn't like the idea.

All I can think is "Huh?"

How can you NOT like that! It's FREE! It's screwing over the cellular providers (aka "The Man")! And all I gotta do is listen to "Drink Coke" before I get my number! That's just insane! It's as if they're saying "Hey, drink Coke! Adn here, have $2.50!"

But he's all against advertisements. The conversation went further to include the fact that he would even be willing to pay *extra* for movies if they didn't put the trailers at the beginning. And as my retort, I stated that I would be MORE than happy to sit through an extra ten seconds of commercials at the beginning if they gave me the movie for free.

But maybe that's me?

Can you think of other reasons why a reasonably sane person would rather PAY for 411 service? Is there something infinitely vile and evil about advertising that would make you say "No thank you, I don't want your $2.50"?

This is the first time I have ever encountered a person like this.

Comments

[spazzychic.livejournal.com]

I'll go somewhere in the middle and say this: I don't care about ads I see or hear, but I'd rather pay more and skip as many ads as possible for Sophia. She is scary commercial... "I saw this on TV! Let's buy it!"

O.o

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

She's a good little consumer :) And I LOVE using those moments to start teachiong kids about the dangers of commercials, too. That's what I did with Brittany; it was some cereal that she saw the commercials for and begged for, so i got some, we ate it, and agreed it wasn't any good at all. Also, no cartoon animals sprang forth to play with us and teach us about nutrition as we ate. She was pretty mad at how they had lied to her on the TV, and would occasionally yell "LIAR!!!" when new commercials would come on :)

[zannah.livejournal.com]

Couldn't you call the companies with the advertisements "the man" as well?

I, personally, prefer to pay the $1 that my provider charges me for 411 calls. I don't call 411 very often (on *average* maybe once or twice a month). When I make the call, generally I don't want to wait longer than I have to for the information I want. A couple dollars isn't that big of a deal for me for the convenience.

I did a quick informal poll at the gathering I was at this evening cause I was curious if maybe I was just totally abnormal... but about 2/3rds of the people would rather pay the money over listening to the advert, though again, many of them don't use 411 very often. It sparked an interesting conversation about advertising though. :)

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

HOW?!?! I mean, okay, look at it this way...

Two people you can ask for the phone number. "Hey, do you know the phone number for my friend Mike?"

PERSON #1: "Sure! Gimme a dollar. The number is (425) 679-7777"

PERSON #2: "Sure! Keep your money. Buy a Coke with it! The number is (425) 679-7777"

My point is that the money they charge me for looking up that number? I could use that money to buy STUFF! I really really like STUFF, much more than I like the 10 seconds of my life that the commercial is gonna take!

And I'm the abnormal one in this view. I just don't get it :(

[zannah.livejournal.com]

In your example, I feel it's more accurate to say:

PERSON #1: "Sure! Gimme a dollar. The number is XXXXX."

PERSON #2: "Sure! Keep your money for something else. Now listen to me count to 10. 4..5..6..7..8..9..10... Okay, the number is XXXXX."

I would rather take my money, and use it to make the guy not count to ten. That, to me, is a Thing worth spending my money on. I think the issue here is that we just put value in different things.

I like to buy stuf (and I'm pretty sure that anyone who has either seen my house or spent any length of time with me knows this). I don't mind watching the commercials at the movie theatre, though sometimes they choose stupid ones and I hate sitting through those. But for 411, I don't mind paying the dollar. I only use it when I'm out and about anyway; otherwise, I look the number up on the internet.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

COOL! Gimme twenty dollars and I'll not count to ten 20 times for you!

(This is my big break! I'll make MILLIONS!)

[freydis.livejournal.com]

I'm a cheap ass mutha, so I'm with you on this. If I can save 45 cents by hearing some guy talk about Acuras for 30 seconds, eh, okay.

So, I'm with you on this.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

YAAAAAY! One more cheapskate in the world! Another small victory in the baqttle between Frugality Vs. Convenience!

[khristle.livejournal.com]

"...generally I don't want to wait longer than I have to for the information I want. A couple dollars isn't that big of a deal for me for the convenience."

I would just take that time to try to find a pen to write the number down with. Usually they connect the call for you, but it never seems to fail that I have to call back for some reason and then have to call 411 to get the again.

Actually, this has all become a moot point for me because I now keep a phone book in the car.

[nani-ka.livejournal.com]

Yes, I am a tightwad, eventhough I've backslid in the last few years - the last time we moved I threw away my 3-year collection of aluminum pot pie tins.

I'd listen to a commercial for 60 seconds, as long as it doesn't count against my anytime minutes. I'd want the commercials to be entertaining though. Picky me.

Of course, I have the internet & before that a REALLY BIG stack of phonebooks & haven't used 411 since I lived at my parents house on Kauai, over 10 years ago. Maybe more, because I remember finding out in high school that it cost my parents money every time I used it & from that point just... didn't... use it.

But i've come to terms with the fact that i'm frikkin WEIRD, so its okay.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

We've found that we learned to stop using 411 BECAUSE it cost so much. But now that it's free, i think we might revert to our old ways...

[khristle.livejournal.com]

Does this mean I can throw out the phone book that is in the car?!