Not Smart Enough
I just came from 7-11, a stone throw away from KSS. My niece was getting bored and so we treated her for some slurpee to which she refers to as “juice”, and some of her favorite peanuts. We found a spot to settle in when my attention was drawn to a noodles and pancit canton rack which says: ” save P2, pay only P9.” I did a quick math. As a frequenter of grocery stores, I know the suggested retail price of different products. If consumers really would save P2 as they pay P9, then a pack of regular pancit canton is P11; as implied by the tag.
I can’t help but call on my sister who was so busy tailing her baby around the store. I mockingly read the label to her and sarcastically asked, “Does a pack of pancit canton cost 11 pesos? It’s P7 something, right?” She nodded with a pout.
Buying one of those will definitely not save anyone two pesos but cost them additional two.
I know convenience stores like 7-11 have higher prices since what they sell is more expensive — convenience. But this is another issue. It’s a clear false advertisement which I always condemn. Misleading information, ambiguous statements. I always dislike those tactics which obviously show lameness. It’s very obvious. That makes it doubly ridiculous to even post and advertise.
Looking at wikipedia for “false advertisement,” I was surprised to discover a long list of various kinds of this deceptive advertising:
Sale/Inflated Price Comparison
This is a very sly style, wherein advertisers compare the sale price with the “regular” price for the same product. Retailers may inflate the price misleading purchasers that they have saved money, when actually they have not.
Buy one take one
Many are deceived by this kind of propaganda, where products were doubled or even tripled in price. Even if consumers get another product besides the one they intend to purchase, the truth is, they spent the same.
50 % off
I don’t really buy into this kind of advertisement. Just think about it, why would they sell a product still in a good condition half the price?
If I came across one of these huge posters that says “50% off” I always take a peek at the tag. Most often than not, I observe the tags appear to be very new. I suspect that before putting the product on a discount as huge as half the price, they increased or even doubled the price; making buyers pay for the same price without the discount.
Two days ago, I accompanied my sister in buying a pair of pants and shoes. She saw a pair of black step-in marked “50 %” off. An old white tag was shrouded by a green one that says “P400.” My sister thought since it was for half the price, she’d pay P200. Later, after deciding that she’d purchase it, she was told that the regular price was “P800″ instead. I wasn’t convinced it was for that much as I suspiciously inspect the quality of the shoe wear. It was obvious, surely not durable. Not seated on a nice, shiny glass shelf (which may imply that a product worth a huge deal). It was just thrown into a huge rectangular box. It wasn’t even of a good and famed brand.
But since she needed it urgently and she can’t afford to spend another two long hours of searching for a pair of her size, she eventually bought it.
They’re playing it smart with buyers, but that’s definitely not smart enough.
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That’s a good observation. We hope to help consumers make the right decision when buying something.
I hope every consumer would be more observant when it comes to this SALE propaganda.. nice share