Does getting something for free influence likeability?

Here's a question for you to ponder:  Does getting something for free affect the chances of you liking it?  Whatever it may be.

There are basically 3 ways to get something:

1. Buying it
2. Getting it for free
3. Receiving it as a gift

I would include winning something in either of the second options depending on the circumstances.

I'd like to approach this as a question of Psychology but I have no research or references to draw upon so this is purely observation.

If you are given clothes for free e.g. from a Family Member or at some type of promotional event, how likely are you to actually like the item?  Is your judgement affected by the fact that you got it for free?  If your judgement is affected, in what way?  One could argue that you would be biased to like the item because it was free and everyone loves something they get free, right?  Well, I don't know about that, I would actually argue the opposite would be true.

I believe if you get something for free you will judge the item with less bias than someone who paid for it.  I believe this because I believe the fact that you paid for the item forces you on some level to like the item or find something good about it to stave off buyers' remorse.

Similarly I think receiving something as a gift is as bad as buying it yourself, you will in most cases strive to find something positive about the gift - in most cases but not all cases.

There is of course the obvious argument that if you actually buy something it is because you like it, but I would argue that this is not necessarily true for all items.  It can't be true for food you have never tried and one of the more controversial areas - it can't be true for Movies, Games and Music which you haven't watched, played or listened to before.  Even more interesting to me here is something I must point out: ALL of these products are exempt from most money-back guarantee schemes.  In fact in the UK once you purchase a Movie, Game or CD you can't return it unless it is damaged - in other words if you use it once and realise it's shit you can't return it [unless you get a pair of scissors and score a massive scratch in the disk and return it saying "it was like that when I bought it"].

Is this really fair on the consumer however?  If you buy food and it turns out to be expired, taste completely horrible or be of any inferior quality you can demand your money back.  You can't get your money back after watching a Movie that turned out to be crap.  If you buy clothes that fall apart or tear at the seems you are perfectly entitled to a refund you can even get a refund if it doesn't fit.

So in all of these cases and in those where the odds are stacked in favour of the vendor not the consumer you can be pressured to find something to cling on to, something positive no matter how small in order to justify the purchase.  In essence this entire system amounts to 'reverse bribery' namely, you pay the vendor to influence your opinion.