| Unless you are in the habit of walking around with your | | | | to step back and not be swayed by the flashy sales |
| eyes shut or live on another planet you can't help but | | | | talk, two years is an awfully long time to be regretting |
| have noticed the plethora of free laptop offers being | | | | a decision made in haste. A better strategy is to go |
| advertised nowadays. These offers often look too | | | | away and do your homework - calculate exactly how |
| good to be true, after all, why would a company give | | | | much you'll be paying over the term of the contract |
| away a free laptop? | | | | and then see how much the laptop would cost to buy |
| Well, as you have probably already guessed, they | | | | with cash. Then compare this to a deal where no |
| aren't really free - to obtain your free gift you must | | | | inducements are offered and you'll often be surprised |
| sign on the dotted line for a mobile broadband or | | | | at the result. |
| airtime contract which can last for up to two years. | | | | This is all well and good of course if you have the |
| Most people understand that you don't get anything for | | | | cash, but what if you don't - a new laptop is a tempting |
| nothing and generally they will say that it's still a good | | | | offer after all, particularly if you are starting college or |
| offer because you may as well sign a contract for a | | | | your existing machine is kaput. Well, if you have a |
| service you're probably going to use anyway and the | | | | credit card it will probably be cheaper to use this to |
| laptop is just a sweetener. In some cases this may be | | | | fund your new laptop and pay the balance as soon as |
| true; you'll probably want to use mobile broadband and | | | | you can. If you don't have a credit card, are near your |
| will be unlikely to switch from one company to another | | | | limit or just a little lax with making the payments then a |
| unless there is some benefit for doing so. | | | | broadband contract might be your best option. |
| However, like many marketing strategies, the truth can | | | | The key word here is 'might' and you should always |
| sometimes be stretched much further than you might | | | | take your time to consider the options. No matter what |
| realise. Often a similar offer without a free gift can be | | | | you decide to do, so long as you have done your |
| substantially cheaper and the difference you pay will | | | | research and made the decision in your own time then |
| be more than the laptop would have cost if you had | | | | you'll be a lot more likely to be satisfied with the deal |
| bought it outright. | | | | you got - that's what being a smart shopper is all |
| As with any deal with a catch it's always a good idea | | | | about - right? |