Can’t Be Free From The Free Gift

(I take calls for a popular clothing line. The clothing line is popular but cheap and offers many discounts. Around the holidays they offer a free gift with purchase.)

Me: “Thank you for calling [Store]. My name is [My Name]. How may I help you?”

Customer: “I placed an order and qualified to receive the free gift, but I didn’t get it. It’s not on my order.”

Me: “I’m really sorry to hear that. Let me pull up your order and take a look at what’s going on.”

(I pull up the customer’s order and notice they placed an order after the “while supplies last, free gift with purchase” went out of stock.)

Me: “It looks like you placed the order at nine pm. We went out of stock at five pm. I’m sorry, but unfortunately we were out of stock when you placed the order.”

Customer: “I want my free gift. If you advertise a free gift, I should get it.”

Me: “I understand your frustration. Unfortunately, it was ‘while supplies last’ and we ran out before you placed your order.”

Customer: “Well, then, I want to be refunded for it. It isn’t fair that I’m not getting it.”

Me: “I’m sorry, but I am unable to refund for a free gift.”

Customer: “No, I paid the amount to receive it. I should be refunded for the price of the item.”

Me: “…”

(I don’t know why people think that they are entitled to things and I don’t know how they expect to be credited back for something that was free. “Yeah, sure, I’ll refund you 0.00 dollars.”)