Monday, 29 January 2018

Beware the Freebie


Yesterday at a railway station kiosk  I bought a German running magazine for the simple reason that there was a freebie, a flashed booklet "containing details of more than 3,000 running events during 2018 in Germany and Europe" in the transparent bag together with the magazine.

Could I resist such an offer? The short answer is, I couldn't. I'm always looking for details of races in European countries. In 2017 I ran in a couple of very nice races, a half marathon in a spa resort in the Czech Republic and a race in the snow in the Italian Dolomites. And in 2016 I ran in an amazing race in Snowdonia.

So this fixture booklet would be just the job. My mouth was almost watering at the thought of this year's European races!

Imagine my reaction when I arrived home with my purchase and looked within the pages of the freebie. There were only 10 races in all Europe in it. One was in Belgium. One was in Lichtenstein. One was  in Italy. Four were in Switzerland and three in Austria. That was it. Ten in all.

All the other "more than 3,000" were of course in Germany.

Well, we all live and learn. The motto is: Beware the Freebie!  I certainly won't be buying any future editions of this particular German running magazine.


12 comments:

  1. That is what we call "Pubblicità ingannevole"!
    Greetings Maria

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    1. Publiccita ingannevole. I shall immediately look it up! The lesson cost me 4.50 €.
      Venezia lagoon is a photographers paradise. The photos take themselves.

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    2. Very true about the "photographer's paradise"; so many subjects to photograph, even door knob are lovely there!
      x

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    3. Falso e illusorio anche due parole innganevole.

      Porte in Venezia sono molto speziale!

      Salute e ciao! G

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  2. The Venice lagoon has sent me into a swoon. (any intention towards poetry is entirely accidental!)
    I am afraid the moral of your story is that these days we don't get anything worth having for nothing Gwil.

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    1. This particular nothing cost me the equivalent of four pounds. I could have bought a bottle of table wine. Vino d'tavolo!

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  3. Beware the 'freebie', especially if the word 'lunch' is mentioned!

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  4. Call me dense, but I can't see the problem. As promised you got 3000 races. What did you expect, people running round Lithuania? Leaving aside that Germany, by its sheer size, has mileage - someone in Europe has to do the running, little motors that they are.

    U

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    1. Hello Ursula, I know the magazine is technically correct but I think it is not ethically correct to write those words on the cover when there are only 10 races outside of Germany. There is an excellent handbook complied by a man called Raabetz in Germany which contains details of mountain races not only in Germany but also in other German speaking countries like Switzerland, Austria, Italy, in equal measure. It costs 11 euro and is worth every cent. What did I expect? I expected '3,000 races in Germany AND Europe' to mean exactly what it said. It was a bold trick. For all I know they might do it every year. It's business.

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    2. Sorry, his name is Raatz. I just now received an email with an order form for this year's edition of Berglauf Journal which I won't hesitate to buy, as I know I will get exactly what's written on the box. There is no sharp practice at his firm wus media.

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