Take a stroll through the first section of any department store and you’re likely to be bombarded with scents from the perfume counter. Just next to this, you might get asked if you’d like a free makeover. In these areas of any store, you can purchase items that come with extra goodies – a set of cologne may come with a duffel bag or your makeup kit will come with a western handbag. This is nothing new, but what one bank is giving away to female customers takes this premise to a new level.
According to MSNBC, a French bank is offering a few free items to every woman who signs up for a “Pour Elle” card, which is supposed to help simplify purchases. The items being offered are not standard, in fact, they are quite original:
“The pink-and-gold-colored “Pour Elle” bank card…promises to ‘simplify’ women’s lives with up to 200 euros ($250) of handbag theft insurance and a dedicated hotline for up to two electrician, locksmith or other handyman call-outs per year.”
Interestingly enough, the article says that 5% of the cardholders are male, however, critics are crying afoul of this campaign, calling it sexist:
“ ‘It’s a little cheeky to promote both at the same time as ‘female crises’ that could arise,’ said Lys-Aelia Hart, a 24-year-old assistant art buyer living in Paris. ‘In my eyes, many men don’t know how to deal with a serious electrical issue – on the contrary, they’d probably get killed.’”
Regardless of where you stand on the campaign, the topic of handbag insurance is certainly interesting. It’s highly doubtful that an insurance agent has ever mentioned it to you, even though we keep a number of valuable items in our purses and handbags.
Do you know about handbag insurance? Would you ever get this type of insurance?
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