"TIS THE SEASON...for retail trickery!!!!!
By pergammano
@pergammano (7682)
Canada
December 14, 2009 8:45am CST
Yesterday, I attended a seminar by the local Chamber of Commerce...entitled "Are you able to distinguish...A DISCOUNT FROM A DUD? And as it is the time of the year when we get a little more lavish with our spending, I thot I would pass on some of the tips;
1. Big name brands now offer a lot of coupons..do not use them now, as we will be tempted to use them, when we normally buy "no-name" cheaper brands.
2. Decades ago, Frank Woolworth of "Woolworth" chain initiated "false sale prices," and we are still falling for it today! Original tickets removed, new ticket with higher ORIGINAL price attached...THEN discounted..to the ORIGINAL price.We are falling for a sale....that isn't one at all!
3. Often Sunday's newspapers full of 50% OFF coupons are re-packaged/priced items and the sales price is really the original price.
4. On line shopping offers free shipping with a $25.00 purchase! The item that you want is $10.00...you shop around for another item to meet the $25.00 limit, bought something you originally did not anticipate buying, when realistically that $10.00 item might have been $12-14 at a retail outlet.
5. DON'T....and really DON'T buy the extended warranties that the Sales/Check-out will try to sell you. (Really, I concur) Stick with Name Brands...if it fails, a swift response will be guaranteed if you go on a message board and complain!! These warranties can cost more than half the price of the item..and hardly as good as the paper they are written on!
6. DO NOT FALL FOR.........O%down (zero percent down) on BIG ticket items...(the ones that say; Don't pay 'til 2012! When it comes TIME to pay...you WILL PAY up to 30 percent interest....one-third of the price of the item!
I am wondering if many of you have "wise" shopping tips, too? Cheers!
2 people like this
8 responses
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
14 Dec 09
Hi Shirley, oh wise indeed to tricks and how to better them at their own game. Now number 6 is a good one if you can find the nothing to pay until and then 0% interest, as you can save the cash on high deposit whilst having it free for a while if they won't give a huge discount for the cash you would have spent. So my wise shopping tip is only use credit to buy anything to pay for later if you have the money on deposit earning you interest. That way you'll make a profit on your purchase.
Now I must say I've finally it appears found an online book shop which will deliver to Greece free, the fact that they'll be delivered here at all is a plus. The books are slightly more expensive than discount books but the postage with the latter adds a lot and makes the whole item more expensive than free postage, so it looks as if I can finally get a few sent out without spending more on the postage than the books. Looks like my son will be getting some of those horrible histories he's so fond of for his birthday after all. Hugs my dear.
2 people like this
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
14 Dec 09
I understand about using Credit...BUT, right now in Canada, our bank of Canada rate is so low...SAVINGS are paying, diddly squat..just around 1.25% as prime lending rate is anywhere from 4.15 to 5.75! So, my Credit Card is prime + 1.9% which means that I am paying 6.84% more, which in the scheme of things..when Isee Credit Cards at 28.9%, I understand how persons go into debt. It makes more sense for me to pay cash, with the money I have earned...1.25%...LOL!!!
I am so, so pleased that you have finally found a site for sourcing books for YOU & your lovely lad (by the way, can you PM his name, please?) Some of those shipping FEES are totally outlandish! I was on e-bay last nite getting some guidelines on prices for "Henckel Steak Knives" (on my son's Xmas list)...prices great...shipping WOW! It was explained to me that; the shipping is sooooo high, so that the sellers, if you return the item, have only to pay the price of the item..NOT refund the shipping, so that is how they make some good money!
I was fed up with our weather...until the news the last few days, Winnipeg in Central Canada, yesterday, with wind chill -58C...yes, minus 58....makes minus 10 feel quite cosy! HUGZ....and Cheers!
2 people like this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
14 Dec 09
Shipping awww. I tried to chase up my duvet today, finally purchased through an Ebay shop in the UK. Ebay say track it through pay pay, sent a message to the retailer and not a dicky bird back. It's 29 days since they took the cash and there's no excuse for a delay like that.
The wind is howling today Shirley, my least favourite weather.The avatar has promised to do my olives on the next nice day but no point in this wind.
I hope you're not faring too badly on your island.
2 people like this
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
14 Dec 09
OMG...I truly, was NOT aware that you had not received your "duvet" yet...is Murphy at work, here? Have you also checked your local Post Office & Customs? I know here, larger bundles are held at the Post Office, as we just have Rural delivery, like I am sure you have. Blimey...I hate when, the Companies that you think you can rely on like; PayPal don't respond! Did you get a tracking #? And does NOT the retailer respond? I don't know how...my son does a lot of e-baying, and he sure can wrankle some chains if he's ever fluffed around! YOU NEED the dratted thing ... NOW! Youll need all the HUGZ you can get just to stay warm! HUGZ!
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
15 Dec 09
way this is absolutely excellent my friend do you mind if I write an article on it?
2 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
15 Dec 09
sweetie I am going to email you with my email address, I would love to give you full credit for the article, these are all your points you went to the meeting not I. I would like the location of the meeting if possible.
so please email me with as much info as you have or would like published on the net.
Right now it is okay here in montreal. It wasn't cold like out west. But we did have one terribly cold day but that passed now.
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
15 Dec 09
Hey, my girl...you are surviving the weather! WOW..you are getting hit, aren't you!
Please, be my guest...I am sure you will do a much clearer, more concise job than I did, and if you don't mind relate back to a couple of answers, as there were two pertinent points I have failed to mention, and only related them in answers when I remembered! Oh boy...this old mind can be vacant sometimes!
My son pointed out something else, today, most people are armed with Cell Phones that are camera's, take picture's of big ticket items, when shopping (and their price tags~~~preferably with data-back)....and then have these ready to show to retailer...sometimes to embarassment as their sale prices aren't really at all!
Season's greetings, take care,.....and Cheers!
1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
15 Dec 09
Thanks for all the info, sure it will come in handy for alot of people. It's a sahme that people will do terrible things like this. I just saw on the news where some guy had got took by someone using the ebay site. I don't guess u are safe anywhere or anyway u go anymore.I'm not much of a shopper so hopefully i want have anything bad. I did oder my grandaughter something from a catalog, hope that works out.
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
15 Dec 09
Good morning, dear lady! My gosh, I didn't realize catalogues were still around anymore! We used to get one from Simpson Sears (now Sears) and Eatons! That was always the highlight of Fall..and/or Spring, because they both produced a Fall or Spring....and the best one; Christmas catalog! It was often found in the "outhouse!" The catalogs were like Christmas themselves, and all the dreaming that went along with them!
Snow is still belting down...so sure am getting my exercise. HUGZ & LUV!!
2 people like this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
15 Dec 09
GOOD MORNING MY FRIEND, I'M SURE U ARE GETTING 'too much' exercise. These are not big catalogs i get just small ones that have unique lttle things. I don't think anybody like sears etc. put out catalogs anymore. I have ordered the grandkids things from them before. Hope u have a great day. STAY IN THE HOUSE & OUT OF THE SNOW!
1 person likes this
@anke101987 (135)
• Philippines
15 Dec 09
The same thing was discussed in our class when I was in college. It's really interesting to know this kind of stuff. When I shop, I wait till there's a weekend sale or holiday sale, just have to wait a bit and I could buy it on a lower price. And also I could buy more stuff. Though if I really want something, I wouldn't wait for the sale.
2 people like this
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
15 Dec 09
Hi my friend! I guess the shopping tips that I can offer is comparison shop before invesdting in large purchases and wait and wait a little longer. It can be a pain in the rear to wait until just before Christmas and even worse to wait until after but...things really go down during this time. Hugs.
2 people like this
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
15 Dec 09
Thanks! I have a final that counts as 30% of my grade left in this class but as of now, I am a 4.0 grade point average. The homework involved in this accelerated course is unreal but I am hanging in there..lol. I'm so glad your still enjoying your rainbow..I may have to dig it out of my pics again too...it's been pretty cold here but nowhere near what you are dealing with.
Those numbers you were talking about in reference to the TV..well..you can kind of think of them like pixels that a digital camera has. I'm glad your son is going shopping with you. Take care my friend and try to stay warm!
1 person likes this
@agmonsta (9)
• Singapore
15 Dec 09
I do agree that retailers in the recent market do stoop to such tactics to make the most out of their customers. IF you do recongise such activities, patronise them lesser, and I think the awareness of this activites will be raise.
Since the power of word of mouth is powerful. To think that the chamber of commcere will hold such seminar.
Anyway shop wisely, A rich person dun get rich by lavishing but scrimp and save ever amount, spending them wisely
2 people like this
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
15 Dec 09
Good morning, agmonsta...surprisingly enough...it is NOT just today's market, as I related in "cyruses" response, I can remember doing this exact thing back many years ago (young and innocent)...that is reprinting tickets, with a higher original price, then marked down..to 1/2 price (which was original price)!
Our Chamber of Commerce is VERY proactive...and VERY involved in the wellness of the general community. Take care...and Cheers!
1 person likes this
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
14 Dec 09
what great advice! i know a lot of people that leave christmas shopping til the last minutes before christmas, but not me, i shop all year round and only buy stuff on sale. as for name brands, i am one for coupons but often times the store brand is STILL cheaper than the name even WITH the coupon!
2 people like this
@cyrus123 (6363)
• United States
14 Dec 09
Thank you so much for posting this! I learned a lot of things here that I didn't know. I hope a lot of other mylotters learned some things,too. I don't shop for Christmas any more because my family has just gotten so big and I can't afford it any more. Since I get SSI every month, I'm living on a limited income, too. I wish I could, though, because I always enjoyed it in the past. I sure didn't know that Mr. Woolworth initiated false sale prices
! We used to have a Woolworth's store in downtown Jasper a long time ago and I used to like to shop from there a lot. I used to like to shop from the one in Birmingham, too. Did he get in trouble for this? Or do you know? One of these days, these other people are going to get caught, too. Sooner or later they will. Kathy.
! We used to have a Woolworth's store in downtown Jasper a long time ago and I used to like to shop from there a lot. I used to like to shop from the one in Birmingham, too. Did he get in trouble for this? Or do you know? One of these days, these other people are going to get caught, too. Sooner or later they will. Kathy.