play nice: flash freebie etiquette

A couple of recent events spawned this freebie etiquette blog post. 

Your first question may be, who died and made you the freebie etiquette aficionado? Well, after reading a few surely and inconsiderate comments, I dubbed myself the "Freebie Etiquette Aficionado." 

There seems to be a disconnect in regards to the meaning of the word flash; so, allow me to define flash. 

flash

/flaSH/

noun

1. a thing that occurs suddenly and within a brief period of time

The operative word in that sentence...brief.

Allow me to define the word brief.

brief

/brēf/

adjective

1. of short duration

synonyms: short, flying, fleeting, hasty, hurried, quick

Capiche?
Further clarification? Watch.

You see what I did there? I know. Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit. 

Herein lies the problem. If a seller posts a freebie status at 5:00 PM, and the seller states the freebie duration lasts for 15 minutes...at 5:17 PM prepare yourself for disappointment. You missed the opportunity. Such is life, and you must move on. If the opportunity did indeed pass you by, what you mustn't do is post the following:

• "Awww man I missed it!"
• "Are you kidding, 15 minutes?!"
• "It wasn't free!"

Yes, followers post uncouth comments like the examples above. But, never fear sellers, your girl is here to provide assistance on how to handle discourteous comments.

If you run into the following comments, take heed.

"Awww man I missed it!"

WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY

"That is not my problem."

WHAT YOU SHOULD SAY
Say nothing. Most people generally tend to post this comment. Me...personally, I recommend you ignore it. As the seller, you stated the stipulations. Once the time expires, it is what it is. 

"Are you kidding, 15 minutes!?" 

WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY

"No, are YOU kidding ME?! Oh I'm sorry, I forgot the world revolved around you. Let me make this product free again... just for you. GIRL BYE!"

WHAT YOU SHOULD SAY

"It's that time of year. Time for Back To School sales. You can find this product in my store at a discounted price."

"It's not free!!"

WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY

Like the young folk say, "Obvi. You totes missed it. The post stated 15-minute freebie. Actually, I extended the time 10 additional minutes for a total of 25 minutes. You're welcome. Life's not fair."

WHAT YOU SHOULD SAY

"There's a sample of this product available in my store."

"I'm a teacher. I don't make a lot of  money."

WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY

"I can't speak for anyone else, but welcome to my world. We are all balling on a budget boo boo. Take a seat and hush."

WHAT YOU SHOULD SAY

Say nothing. I would not justify this comment with a response. 

To the sellers:

For the most part, if you run into rude comments, choose to take the high road and resist commenting. 

To the buyers:

If I miss a freebie, I just keep scrolling and stay tuned for the next opportunity. One last word of advice...

PLAY NICE before you ruin it for the rest of us.