It is obvious.
The overall method to determine if you are fully f2p or not is based on how much you can reach within a trial's limit.
Getting the gears without paying for even once or linking accounts with one and another is the only way to become a real f2p.
(some gears even needed higher level to be purchased or received, and those p2p get on their main to get them for their 20 trinks.)
Some people think that having heirooms without ridiculous enchantments is considered to be f2p.
Then let me demonstrate the huge difference between their f2p and the real f2p.
Some parts of the heirooms give additional more stats than the regular gears you can farm from dungeons.
I hope you have noticed that, so I can continue.
Now here is the stats differences problem.
If you do the math, you would know how much additional spell and attack powers, stamina, haste and critical strikes you will own comparing with the dungeon gears.
Most of the classes (lets not talk about the Alliance Eyepatch here for now) can't have anything on head besides flying goggle and fishing hat.
Those two dont give you anything beside stam and criitcal strikes, where heirooms give you 7 to 8 useful stats that specific classes needed.
(Now go ahead and think about the eyepatch from Stockade in Alliance, which only gives you agrility, stam, and critical strikes, where other classes might be strength, and intel. focused.)
The same goes to the neck and cloak, which only give you +3 in useful stats, where the heirooms give you twice more useful stats.
Also, heirooms rings(which Blizzard has given more useful heiroom rings since the lastest update), necks, and leggings give you more options and alternations to create different stats sets of gears. (Critical strikes, haste). Mostly ridiculous one is the neckless that immediately heals anyone 7xx hp, which is pretty dumb for me, with only 2 mins cool down.
Those heirooms, unlike other basic chest, shoulder, weapon, and half of trinkets, cannot be earned by Darkmoon Festival or the previous honor/Justice trade off.
and that is one of the key point about why people who have them on their toons can't possibly be real f2p.
Overall, there are differences between real f2p and paid once/linked f2p, and those differences create a certain influential gap between each other.
Some might not feel safe to gear up like actual f2p because they can't get used to the low attack/spell poower thing.
Therefore, they decided to apply the above two options to make their toons tougher, and claimed themselves as f2p in order to "look" skillful than the actual p2p with enchantments.
But come on, they can't be more serious.
They are not f2p at all. They can only be considered as "nerfed p2p."
If there are people still wanna compare those with enchanted p2p to support their statement for being f2p, that is totally fine with me.
Maybe you just have never done the math properly.
Anyways, these are my opinions toward actual f2p, nerfed p2p, and actual p2p.
By the way, all the toons listed down at my Signature are all real f2p.
Take a closer look and figure out the above demonstration if you can.
