Reporter Wants to Write Article on Ultimate OzBargainers + Epic Memorable Deals throughout The Years. Suggestions?

Associatedneil @ OzBargain on 22/11/2016 - 11:16
Last edited 28/11/2016 - 17:46

Update: Here is the article: SMH:From birdseed loaf to pulled pork rort, site swaps tips on the cheap, cheap, cheap

A reporter for a major newspaper in Australia wants to run a piece about the OzBargain community and is looking to talk to some members. They want to talk to some people who live the bargain lifestyle (don't we all) and have some interesting bargain stories. The caveat? You must be willing to identify yourself in the article with your full name but you don't need to mention username.

The reporter is an OzBargainer himself and he gets how the community works. So looking for suggestions of users or if you are willing to do it, let me know in the comments here or PM me.

Also epic bargains over the 10 years. We've come up with the following:

McFlurry Hack
Kogan $5 Lens Mug as he mentioned it in his talks
2012 Dick Smith Gaming Sale
Dick Smith Enters in Liquidation, Closure of Stores / Closing Down, Sales
Free $5 Paypal Credit
First Ever 15% off eBay Sale
$40 Rebel Gift Card
$2 Hungry Jack's Whopper and Fries from Scoopon
Dell $9 Printer
COTD Sale 2009

My personal favourite:

Zacardy stuck in airport

Got any more?

EDIT:

Epic bargains from the comments:

OzBargain's "Tablet Headache" deal makes the Herald Sun, Gerry Harvey calls us professionals
HP TouchPad @ Harvey Norman 16GB - $98 32GB - $148 from 2PM
Bonus Mystery Flight & Overnight Stay When You Buy 6 Bottles of Jacobs Creek Cool Harvest
Everyday The First 10 Samsung Galaxy S II Will Be Sold for Only $2.00
Earning 1m FF Points by Making 7000 x 1c Transactions on Citilink
guy who did the sums on how to get a free wine fridge by hitting up various bottle-os around Canberra

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Comments

  • too_much_boost on 22/11/2016 - 11:21
    +8

    HP Touchpad firesale?

    • Associatedneil @ OzBargain on 22/11/2016 - 11:43

      Ah yeah good one. HP TouchPad @ Harvey Norman 16GB - $98 32GB - $148 from 2PM

      Funnily enough, a search for HP Touchpad OzBargain lists lots of people trying to sell them in the classifieds.

      • too_much_boost on 22/11/2016 - 12:55

        I got a 16 and a 32. One is still soldiering on but one died. Great tablets

        • sed8ed on 24/11/2016 - 21:12
          +1

          I was at work when this deal was emerging, probably one of the best I've ever had from this site… I'd just got back from lunch and begged my Boss to let us go!

          Myself and three work colleagues crammed into my two door Yaris and ripped down to the closest HN from Albert Park lake!

          There were only two other people at the store asking for Touchpads when we arrived. I still remember the sales guy handing us one each,,, the shiny packaging and $799 price tag! Was such a good day! I remember stacks of people running through the front door 10 mins later…

          Two mates still have theirs running Android!

          There was also a really good Adidas deal once,, started late at night and was finished at 9am… epic deals on that one! I got some great shoes from that sale.

        • too_much_boost on 25/11/2016 - 06:27
          +1

          @sed8ed: I was stuck at work on site so I outsourced the purchasing job. I sent a work colleague to the Broadway store to grab one and my wife to the Campbelltown store to get one

          My son is still happily using the 32gb but its not so quick with all the newer games

  • drdolphin on 22/11/2016 - 11:23

    What about the Dick Smith sale on Blu-Rays (when they were getting rid of them all for $5). I know there were a lot of staff who hid the blu-rays for themselves, but I was able to get about 20 great ones and I'm sure other people did too

  • onetwothreefour on 22/11/2016 - 11:28
    +7

    How much are they paying?

    • Scrooge McDuck on 22/11/2016 - 22:45
      +2

      As an actual real-life professional, I live a life of plenty, leisure and excitement while barely spending at all.

      I have a particularly juicy story involving an overnight train, camping out, a major Australian retailer, a price error, the NSW government, bank transfers and a very profitable loophole.

      But what's in it for me to share my story?

      • [Deactivated] on 24/11/2016 - 21:06
        +5

        OzBargain doesnt need any more unwanted attention - all this article will do is encourage freeloaders to think they can just get a bunch of 'stuff' for free and not ever contribute anything back.

        • Grandslam on 25/11/2016 - 00:28
          +3

          Faceman has a valid point. These sorts of stories have the potential to negatively impact on the Ozbargain community. By publicising hacks such as the McFlurry in the media, many more people will use them with the result that the loopholes will just be closed for everyone. I remember there was a movie ticket hack a couple years ago. As soon as it was publicised, it was shut down. Bargain deals are great, but they often need to be for a limited audience.

          I was a member of a competition forum a few years ago, when one of the current affairs shows came along and wanted to interview a couple of the members. These people went on TV bragging about how much they'd won and how easy it was and explaining how it's done. Immediately after the story went to air, it became much harder to win anything because of all the people who'd seen the story who were now entering comps. The point is, it's fine to publicise Ozbargain, but I don't think exploits and hacks should be broadcast far and wide on TV.

        • [Deactivated] on 25/11/2016 - 08:17

          @k23man: spot on

  • justhooked on 22/11/2016 - 11:28

    Woolies Air Wick freebie voucher fiasco

    • imcold on 25/11/2016 - 12:17
      +1

      I wasnt a winner but I won a free candle. Lol

  • Succulent Synth on 22/11/2016 - 11:37
    +21

    The Broden PS3 incident of 2011 - https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/38542

    • MeesusEff on 22/11/2016 - 12:20
      +2

      i always wondered where the term 'broden' came from, and now its all clear!

    • ProjectZero on 22/11/2016 - 14:22
      +2

      Was going to suggest that myself

    • mafmouf on 23/11/2016 - 19:12

      Incident? More like a debunk haha.

    • fastnbulbous on 23/11/2016 - 23:07
      +1

      An AMA with Broden would be really good

  • cashless on 22/11/2016 - 11:39
    +2

    Who can forget the original Lenovo fail?
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/116348

  • silverrat23 on 22/11/2016 - 11:40
    +6

    Big W's gaming clearance and the amiibo figure crisis last year.
    Also, a 3-month Netflix subscription for $14.50 by buying a cheap phone

  • whyisave on 22/11/2016 - 11:41
    +28

    wouldn't (more) mainstream press simply ruin this whole site's niche appeal.

    i mean, there's a saying that when the taxi-driver is giving you stock tips, then that's when you get out of the stock market!

    • Clear on 22/11/2016 - 16:08
      +7

      You mean like how ACA/TT ruined Catch of the day?

      • outlander on 22/11/2016 - 16:29

        I missed that, what happened there?

        • Clear on 22/11/2016 - 16:29
          +3

          Publicised it so much that it became mainstream and the quality of their deals went down.

        • [Deactivated] on 24/11/2016 - 21:07

          @Clear:
          Yeh, I mentioned the same thing to Scotty a few days ago, never got a response.

          This site does not need any more unwanted attention… although I think its already passed that point.

    • outlander on 22/11/2016 - 16:28
      +3

      It does. Getting a bargain is about beating the market. Can't beat the market when you are the market, but we're already getting kinda close to that already.

      However, with greater numbers other possibilities open up, which although less exciting could end up saving you more

      • Scrooge McDuck on 22/11/2016 - 23:47
        +7

        That's why you use the exclusive OzBargain PLATINUM™ member deals page. ;)

        • [Deactivated] on 24/11/2016 - 13:53
          +1

          What is this and how come i don't know about it? I'm on here daily!

        • hamza23 on 24/11/2016 - 15:42
          +2

          @m parsons:

          They are joking :)

        • iseenya on 24/11/2016 - 18:11
          +1

          @m parsons:
          Didn't you get the special invitation? ;-)

        • Scrooge McDuck on 24/11/2016 - 21:21
          +2

          @hamza23:

          Thanks for the non-gender-specific pronoun.

    • Polde on 23/11/2016 - 00:49

      Exactly what I was thinking :/

      I can see it now, old people and the ill-informed who rant post about not getting what they want then goes viral, and before we know it the site changes for the worse.

  • spackbace on 22/11/2016 - 11:54
    +4

    Harvey Norman pricing error, causing Gerry to call us 'professionals' :)

    Maybe go through some of the biggest comp wins as well?

    The Dick Smith sale was more-so funny with everyone having the stock lists that were shared on here, so 90% of the people in store were members/lurkers

  • spackbace on 22/11/2016 - 12:04

    Hey neil, how about the free bottle of body lotion? ;)

    • Associatedneil @ OzBargain on 22/11/2016 - 13:42
      +2

      Hey, free is free right? I think that ended up in the bin after sitting in my house for a few years.

      • Kangal on 24/11/2016 - 02:31

        Whatever you do, you must praise highly of our Toilet Paper Deals and our Eneloop Gods which we call with Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 phones (when band 28 reception is available of course)!!

  • 2jzzzz on 22/11/2016 - 12:13

    $60 DVD Head Unit from JB HIFI. Bought 7, sold 6 for an amazing profit.

    • tassieeagle on 22/11/2016 - 12:51
      +9

      New account broden?

  • Geewhizz on 22/11/2016 - 12:33
    +4

    Jacob's creek mystery flights

    • spackbace on 22/11/2016 - 12:37

      ^^This! That was good fun :)

      https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/85335

      • Geewhizz on 22/11/2016 - 12:38
        +1

        I still wonder to this day what they had to gain from it. I rarely get junk mail from them.

      • Associatedneil @ OzBargain on 22/11/2016 - 13:40

        Wow, I recall seeing that but since I didn't drink wine I skipped doing it (doh).

        • spackbace on 22/11/2016 - 13:41
          +17

          Lol proposed to the Mrs on that one :) Had 2 nights in Melbourne

        • SomeGuyOnOzB on 23/11/2016 - 16:34

          @Spackbace:
          that's a story that's gotta be written :)

        • spackbace on 23/11/2016 - 16:35
          +2

          @foundit:

          I did throw my hat in the ring to talk to them, but it's hard to make sure I've got the time to actually talk to the guy. Would've preferred to just email some responses

          Ah well, next time :)

  • tassieeagle on 22/11/2016 - 12:50
    +1

    That finish tablet bargain from HN a few months back was pretty amazing (did a search here but can't find the link)

  • loulou1 on 22/11/2016 - 13:05
    +5

    That time when the Nescafé dolce gusto cashback was more than the cost of the item resulting in a free machine and some money :) and I think it was a modem router thing that was similar (cashback greater than item cost). My two absolute favourites. Both made great presents for my mother in law. She was worth every penny I spent ha ha

    • loulou1 on 22/11/2016 - 13:06
      +1

      Also the schik double cashback promo. Free razor and some $$ again, will also be a stocking filler for guess who

    • endotherm on 22/11/2016 - 17:16
      +7

      I remember the Lavazza ModoMio coffee machine at Target, where the cashback was greater than the purchase cost. Then when you registered the machine they sent you free coffee pods. Plus an offer for a cut price milk frother. The purchase that kept on giving. Bought two. And when I encountered a small problem with the brew switch — they sent me a new machine!

      The other was the DLink DIR865L AC router when AC wireless was first released. $100 cashback on a $84 purchase. Bought two units.

      It's deals like these that represent the spirit of OzBargain to me.

      • imcold on 25/11/2016 - 12:25

        Yes and all to prop up sales figures to make the company appear to be increasing its market share. The new owners of the company had no idea of the offer.

  • tomleonhart on 22/11/2016 - 13:25

    I'm living the life of an ozbargainer. Happy to answer any questions :P

  • Associatedneil @ OzBargain on 22/11/2016 - 13:28

    Thanks for all the suggestions. They've spoke to Scott, have gotten approval from editor, we sent them a list of these epic deals, and someone has volunteered to talk to the reporter. Hopefully something should be published this week.

    • mafmouf on 23/11/2016 - 19:14
      +8

      Someone has volunteered to talk to the reporter.

      You didn't give them JV did you?

  • blitz on 22/11/2016 - 14:23
    +4

    Gerry Harvey calling us professionals is a classic.

    • Kangal on 24/11/2016 - 02:33

      What! You aren't a professional?

  • retiredfeline on 22/11/2016 - 14:32

    Click failzy and the resulting captioned gifs. I liked the caption: Why you no have server that can handle more than 4 connections?

  • outlander on 22/11/2016 - 15:37
    +5

    Can't go past mentioning the cadburry bar deal (or was that hack? - may not want to use it then! Might set the wrong tone :))
    Still have this pic

    I think that was one of the first deals to really go viral

    • Scrooge McDuck on 22/11/2016 - 23:31

      Ah good times!

      I even kept some of my Mars wrappers as a memento.

      Has there been a free bar promo since 2013?

      …

      Oops. XD

      • outlander on 23/11/2016 - 00:24

        LOL
        Yes, they certainly were. It was probably that deal that made me a daily user. Although I haven't been able to justify buying a candy bar since then

        Did you get many?

        • Scrooge McDuck on 23/11/2016 - 00:27

          many?

          To:

          1. a normie,
          2. an OzBargainer or
          3. me?
        • outlander on 23/11/2016 - 00:33

          @Scrooge McDuck:

          Normie? What is normie? Did you mean to say Norman? :P

          You know what I mean. I think in total I got about 40, but their were some tense moments at time so I might have picked about 5 losers. I felt bad about that, but I cheered myself up by impressing some of the checkout chicks with my "psychic powers"

        • Scrooge McDuck on 23/11/2016 - 00:38

          @outlander:

          Probably about the same; my marginal utility for sugary confections decreases rapidly.

          The Bar Counter High Protein bars on the other hand…

    • noz on 23/11/2016 - 17:58

      That was a classic hack. Can't believe it was over 6 years ago.
      https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/32316

  • mskeggs on 22/11/2016 - 15:41
    +4

    $500 macbook air 11/$750 macbook air 13
    $550 iPhone 5s
    $390 iPad Air
    Were good Kogan plus ebay deals.

    Rocksmith 2014 for PC + Epiphone Les Paul Jr Guitar $108 @ EB Games was screamer.
    $45 Sierra Nevada at Dan's
    $30 off When You Spend $35! @ Vistaprint I ended up getting half a dozen custom T-shirts under $5 each.

    Just looking through my voting history brings back memories of some smashing deals.
    Not to mention some amazing flight deals.

    • carlJack on 24/11/2016 - 16:13
      +1

      45$ Sierra Nevada?? Damn I missed that

    • tomleonhart on 25/11/2016 - 15:33

      Far out. Went to this high end restaurant and they charged me $14 for one Sierra Nevada.

  • djkelly69 on 22/11/2016 - 16:21
    +6

    Some great memories there… The $40 Rebel giftcard still makes me smile (as my wife and son also took out "subscriptions").

    • spackbace on 22/11/2016 - 16:41
      +1

      And the usual OzBargain neggers like a week later, saying it was a scam, where's my GC etc… 1 week later, GC arrives :)

      • djkelly69 on 22/11/2016 - 17:23
        +2

        And people ringing up or emailing to whinge/complain/generally not helping the deal fly under the radar so it hopefully gets honoured!

  • outlander on 22/11/2016 - 17:53
    +20

    So.. If I was writing this article, there'd be several points I'd be trying to hit

    • Freebies These appeal to everyone. Everyone wants something for free. Prime candidates would be for businesses the general public recognise. I can think of myer, itunes, masters

    • Savings on everyday goods These regular weekly expenses like grocery shopping can be a large chuck of the average persons expenditure, so the prospect of small savings can be quite appealing. Prime candidates would be discounted giftcards for colesworths, ING 5% off card, online shopping codes

    • High street technology Giving the underclass a taste of luxury at an affordable price is a powerful angle. Laptops, phones, cameras. Someone mentioned a macbook above? I'm not hot on apple tech but they're a classic example for the generally public. My pick would be the d3300

    • The wacky Those deals where people get creative

    • Negative side of Ozbargain Something that touches upon the damage this website can wreak on unsuspecting sites hehe. Crashing servers, exhausting limited stock, the overwhelming demand on free samples. Something that gives an indication to the size and power of this site, but paints it as mischevious/cheeky, rather than malicious or greedy. Point out that neil is quick to remove posts if the company asks, and that many members will refuse to uptake the deal if they feel its unethical

    • Community Something to finish off the article to show that we're not just a bunch of stingy misers. Many people assosiate trying to save money with being poor or selfish. Talking points I know of would be the charity donations, competitionsgiving out free tshirts in sydney, meetups? (I know there was one in Melbourne but it was cancelled), the fact that Scotty still posts deals and can be talked to, maybe a line or two from a member saying they made a good friend on ozbargain. Talk about the friendly and inclusive nature of the comment section, and about how a new member gets treated like a king when they post a good deal. Perhaps mention members giving tips letting others know which stores have stock, anything that helps to get away from cheapskate, and toward sophisticated savvy consumer

    How the article goes depends on how grounded the author wants to be. She can easy talk about the massive deals eg 90% (recent gearbest promo) but barely any people ever end up getting those, and I would think the public would be wary of those numbers by now. I know I am. Every time I hear 70,80,90% off I tune out. The best deals I remember are the ones where they only lasted a few days, but there was enough stock that you had a reasonable chance to get it.

    • spackbace on 22/11/2016 - 17:57
      +1

      Community

      Definitely! Neil, the polished man post recently would be a very good example of what this community can do when it gets together

    • outlander on 22/11/2016 - 18:16

      Also might be a good opportunity to give a nod to the frequent deal posters that form the pillars of the deal community. A quote from one of them about why they share deals would be very powerful, and could be instrumental in bringing in readers who want to contribute.

      • spackbace on 22/11/2016 - 18:38
        +2

        I did actually say to neil I'd be up for it if it wasn't for the full name requirement… Too much metadata out there already for me!

        • outlander on 22/11/2016 - 19:12
          +1

          I take it you're from the old days of the internet? where you keep your IRL and net identity separate, never post identifying information and always operate behind a pseudonym.

        • spackbace on 22/11/2016 - 19:13

          @outlander:

          Nah there's personal info out there, especially competition related

        • outlander on 22/11/2016 - 19:18

          @Spackbace:

          So whats the problem then! I'd love to read more about what you do and why you do it. I'm sure I'm not the only one. You're one of ozb's big hitters, you should take the chance to step into the spotlight and seize a little of the fame and fortune! :D

          Neil: is this article going to have pictures?

        • lyl on 22/11/2016 - 20:39
          +2

          Nah there's personal info out there

          Hmmm… Challenge Accepted

        • spackbace on 22/11/2016 - 20:42
          +1

          @lyl:

          Wouldn't be hard lol

          Username search = other forums, other interests
          Competition wins = full name

        • lyl on 22/11/2016 - 20:43
          +1

          @Spackbace:

          Yeah realised that 2 seconds in haha

        • spackbace on 22/11/2016 - 20:46

          @lyl:

          Lol yeah I just did the search too

        • Associatedneil @ OzBargain on 22/11/2016 - 20:56
          +3

          @outlander:

          Yes, it will have pictures. My guess is that it will be of the OzBargainers he called or of Scotty as they interviewed him. Personally I'd like to see this picture. :)

        • TheOneWhoKnocks on 23/11/2016 - 08:23
          +2

          @Spackbace: Please don't tell me that's you doing 280km in a boosted Magna…

        • spackbace on 23/11/2016 - 11:12

          @TheOneWhoKnocks:

          Lol nah not me, but that was from when NT had no speed restrictions :) That was 1 hellova car!

    • Associatedneil @ OzBargain on 22/11/2016 - 20:53

      Wow, great right up. I'll forward this to the reporter + what Spackbace added.

  • mmd on 22/11/2016 - 22:39
    +5

    Quilton toilet paper at woolies using multiple discount codes.
    Or the recent good guys $25 gift card for signing up to the online newsletter.

  • ilikeradiohead on 22/11/2016 - 22:43
    +2

    My two highlights are the guy who got 1,000,000 qff from nab and only spent $70, and another guy who did the sums on how to get a free wine fridge by hitting up various bottle-os around Canberra.

    • Associatedneil @ OzBargain on 23/11/2016 - 01:04
      +3

      My two highlights are the guy who got 1,000,000 qff from nab and only spent $70

      That was decryption who now writes The Sizzle.

      another guy who did the sums on how to get a free wine fridge by hitting up various bottle-os around Canberra.

      Which deal was that?

  • downdowndown on 22/11/2016 - 23:15

    So much gold in this thread. I don't think one mainstream article will ruin the site. I lurked here for many years without contributing much/anything. <downvote>
    But I laughed heartily looking through this thread and remembered some good ones.
    Made the news again last week with those cheap airfares. Singapore / Virgin!

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