I've seen first hand that offering something for free for people experiencing hard times is rarely abused so long as you require someone to ask for it. "Email

I've seen first hand that offering something for free for people experiencing hard times is rarely abused so long as you require someone to ask for it. "Email me if you are unable to afford this book and would like a free copy" for example, will rarely be abused. (And if it is, it isn't a lost sale, because they wouldn't have purchased it anyway.) I suspect it might actually increase overall conversion rate, because it may trigger many people to consider that they actually can afford the product, and it shows that the merchant has a heart.