No, the OP is correct. If you get the device for nothing, it's free. There is no sale. No money exchanged hands. It is indeed free and you don't sell something for free. You give it away.
No... It's all there in the post and you both failed to comprehend it.
The phone is effectively free as as result of a $99 instant rebate. Thereofre it must be purchased before it becomes free. Further you are going to be required to pay taxes on the full price of the phone before any subsidies AND before the $99 instant rebate...
Quote:
it's an instant rebate type deal."
Further you are going to have to sign a two contract to qualify for the subsidy before the rebate kicks in.
Quote:
"This offer is valid to both new lines, additional lines, and also qualified upgrades," the report said.
All in all, yes you are BUYING the free phone... And it is correct to say they are selling the free phone... Although I would probably be nitpicky and say they should have said "selling an iPhone for free after rebate and taxes"
No, it's indeed 'sell.' Getting the phone itself for 'free' requires you to buy (i.e., for them to sell you) a two-year contract.
No, the OP is correct. If you get the device for nothing, it's free. There is no sale.
The buyer is not getting something for nothing; that would be a gift. The phone requires a contract as a condition of the sale. The same concept applies to a "buy one get one free" promotion. Despite the $0 price of a "second" item, it is not "free". Some merchants properly avoid the contradiction by advertising a promotion as "buy one get one" instead.
Anantksundaram is correct. It is a sale. However, the phone is not being given away, so it is not "free". The original article misleads by implying it is.
You can argue semantics and economics all you want. All I know is that I snagged one to replace my wife's 2g. And while I had to extend her for two years, with three people in my family on iPhone's, we weren't going anywhere anyway. So, she's got a new 3GS and I didn't have to pay a dime. And because she doesn't burn up the internet or text, I moved her from $20 to $15 plan. So, I am happy. And thanks to Best Buy for a pretty painless transaction. No real hard upsell. Just told them all I wanted was the phone and walked out after 10 minutes.
Comments
No, the OP is correct. If you get the device for nothing, it's free. There is no sale. No money exchanged hands. It is indeed free and you don't sell something for free. You give it away.
No... It's all there in the post and you both failed to comprehend it.
The phone is effectively free as as result of a $99 instant rebate. Thereofre it must be purchased before it becomes free. Further you are going to be required to pay taxes on the full price of the phone before any subsidies AND before the $99 instant rebate...
it's an instant rebate type deal."
Further you are going to have to sign a two contract to qualify for the subsidy before the rebate kicks in.
"This offer is valid to both new lines, additional lines, and also qualified upgrades," the report said.
All in all, yes you are BUYING the free phone... And it is correct to say they are selling the free phone... Although I would probably be nitpicky and say they should have said "selling an iPhone for free after rebate and taxes"
No, it's indeed 'sell.' Getting the phone itself for 'free' requires you to buy (i.e., for them to sell you) a two-year contract.
No, the OP is correct. If you get the device for nothing, it's free. There is no sale.
The buyer is not getting something for nothing; that would be a gift. The phone requires a contract as a condition of the sale. The same concept applies to a "buy one get one free" promotion. Despite the $0 price of a "second" item, it is not "free". Some merchants properly avoid the contradiction by advertising a promotion as "buy one get one" instead.
Anantksundaram is correct. It is a sale. However, the phone is not being given away, so it is not "free". The original article misleads by implying it is.