I was pointed to this item here. The exercise is concerned with attitudes to money but I think there is some interest here as far as the gospel is concerned. What seems like an asset - that it is totally free is not seen in that way by some.
Brits Fail To Cash In On Free £5 Notes
• Just 28 people took free fivers in two busy crowded streets
• Just 28 people took free fivers in two busy crowded streets
• And further research shows that half of all Brits claim they would also turn down free cash
The full extent of Britain’s financial inertia was laid bare today when passers-by in London and Manchester were offered a free £5 note, no strings attached.
Representatives from a price comparison website wandered the streets this morning wearing sandwich boards offering a free £5 note to anyone who asked. Despite encountering over 1800 people, only 28 passers by bothered to take advantage of the offer.
Even when those few plucky souls claimed their free booty it didn’t spark a stampede. The exercise was designed to illustrate that, credit crunch or no credit crunch, Brits are unwilling to take even the simplest steps to improve their financial situation.
Additional research found that more than half of all Brits (53%) admit they too would not be bothered to claim their £5 if they were in the same situation. This finding suggests that people actually overestimate their own likelihood of acting in such a situation, given the poor take up of the offer on the streets of London and Manchester. ...
The experiment also found a stark difference in the attitudes of men and women. On the streets of London and Manchester, all but 7 of the people who claimed the free cash were men and the research backed this up further. In a poll of 2000 people almost two thirds of women (64%) said they would not claim the free fiver, compared to 41% of money-shy men.
Additionally, the experiment found that Londoners were more reserved than their Manchester counterparts. Whilst just 1.2% of people took advantage of the offer in London, this figure increased to 3.1% on the streets of Manchester.
The research also found that the older the person, the less likely they would be to act on the free offer. Whilst some two thirds of under-twenties say they would claim the free cash, this steadily drops the older we get, declining to only a third (35%) of over 70s who claim they would ask for a free fiver.
Why do Brits believe they would fail to take up the offer?
Representatives from a price comparison website wandered the streets this morning wearing sandwich boards offering a free £5 note to anyone who asked. Despite encountering over 1800 people, only 28 passers by bothered to take advantage of the offer.
Even when those few plucky souls claimed their free booty it didn’t spark a stampede. The exercise was designed to illustrate that, credit crunch or no credit crunch, Brits are unwilling to take even the simplest steps to improve their financial situation.
Additional research found that more than half of all Brits (53%) admit they too would not be bothered to claim their £5 if they were in the same situation. This finding suggests that people actually overestimate their own likelihood of acting in such a situation, given the poor take up of the offer on the streets of London and Manchester. ...
The experiment also found a stark difference in the attitudes of men and women. On the streets of London and Manchester, all but 7 of the people who claimed the free cash were men and the research backed this up further. In a poll of 2000 people almost two thirds of women (64%) said they would not claim the free fiver, compared to 41% of money-shy men.
Additionally, the experiment found that Londoners were more reserved than their Manchester counterparts. Whilst just 1.2% of people took advantage of the offer in London, this figure increased to 3.1% on the streets of Manchester.
The research also found that the older the person, the less likely they would be to act on the free offer. Whilst some two thirds of under-twenties say they would claim the free cash, this steadily drops the older we get, declining to only a third (35%) of over 70s who claim they would ask for a free fiver.
Why do Brits believe they would fail to take up the offer?
• Six in 10 people say they their cynicism would prevent them from asking for free cash as they would suspect a catch or trick
• 20% of people would simply not believe the offer was real – a trend which increased with age. Almost a third of over 60s claimed they wouldn’t believe the sandwich board wearer
• Just over one in 10 people said they would feel too embarrassed and 3% of people said that £5 wasn’t worth the effort
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