Every few months an "accepting freebies" posts pops up somewhere. The post is ultimately tweeted and then dissected and commented on by anyone who feels strongly about it. Seems everyone has an opinion, for or against. In the latest one I read, the writer insisted the full disclosure should be at the beginning, not a footnote at the end. One Australian blogger has even posted a list of Australian bloggers with a $ sign alongside those that have accepted "freebies"
I am one of those bloggers who accepts freebies. Not all that are offered, but certainly those I'm interested in trying.
Personally I cannot see what the fuss is about. I have always writen openly and honestly about freebies. Some freebies have not even made it to a post. Not because there was anything wrong with them, more a case of I just didn't get around to writing about them. In those instances I have given feedback direct to the company.
The business world runs on freebies. When I worked and received a salary I received freebies all the time. One of my clients kept me supplied in Chanel No 5. The suppliers to the company I worked for inundated us with gifts. Silk scarves, silver plated champagne buckets, champagne, wine, liqueurs. When I visted Paris on holiday, Bryan and I were wined and dined in Michelin starred restaurants as if we were royalty. Various wineries in New Zealand and Australia gave me extra special treatment when I visited their cellar door. And I was just an employee of the company......imagine how well my boss was treated.
Now I write a blog, for which I don't get paid, and I receive the occaisional freebie. I am fully aware the freebie is given in the hope I will write about it. For PR companies it is a cheap and effective way of promoting their client's product. Like the majority of honest bloggers, I accept freebies on the understanding I am under no obligation to write about the product favourably.
Which brings me to the title of this post.
When I was invited to be part of the Lindt Lovers programme I had no hesitation in accepting. I have been using Lindt as a cooking and eating chocolate for years. Long before I started blogging. Furthermore, the Lindt Lovers programme is not about pushing their product on our blogs. They ask only for feedback on the chocolate samples we recieve. I distribute most of the chocolates amongst family and friends to get a number of opinions. Any I use in cooking I write about about if it fits with the recipe I'm posting.
In the pictue above you will see a selection of my latest Lindt stash. The majority of which has been dispersed amongst family and friends, much to Bryan's displeasure. I have saved the Peanut Butter balls for us 'cos I really like them. The little stars and bells wrapped in red paper (which you can't actualy see in the photo) I plan to use as a decoration on our Christmas Eve dinner table.
