Jill Okeke
KEMI rushed home from school. “Mum! Mum!” She shouted, while rushing into the kitchen. “There is an ongoing on-line sale,” she gushed. “Everything sells for 99% off the original price. See the wrist watch my friend Kenechukwu wore to school which her daddy bought for her from the shop. My two friends, Shola and Obi, also wore new trainers which their mom also bought from the on-line shop for almost free,” she said, looking at her mum appealingly.
Without waiting for her mum’s response, she grabbed the mother’s phone, opened to the on-line shop site and pointed out the products on sale which she wanted her mum to buy for her. “If you don’t want to spend money, I can spend my own money which you been saving in the bank on my behalf,” Kemi appealed to her mother.
Her mum’s eyes immediately caught one of the supposed fantastic sales offer. “Darling hair extension, original price N3,500 but with 70% discount now sells for N1,500.”
Ordinarily, the said Darling hair extension for braiding sells everywhere for between N1,000-N1,500. So where is the special price or supposed discount?
It is hard to resist a good sale. See something that is 70% or 99% off and you want to grab it before the price goes back to normal. But is that sale price really a special reduced price?
Starting with Black Friday then to Cyber Monday, retailers use sale come-ons to ignite our holiday spirit and to get us to lose our grip on our wallets.
With deceptive discounts, retailers are manipulating us to spend more. Mailed ads, newspaper inserts, online banners, emails, in-store displays and price tags scream for your attention: “SALE! 60% OFF!” or “This weekend only: Save an extra 40%!” or “[Insert your favourite holiday] special savings!” or “Regular price: N70,000. Our price: N40,000.”
Many of these claims are not really discounts at all, but attempts to mislead.
The need to scrutinise sales deals and be a careful shopper is more important today than it ever was, given the ease of our ‘buy with one click’ shopping culture.
At these stores, many sale prices — even those that advertise big savings — are in place more than half the time. And at some stores, the “sales” never end. In other words, the “regular price” listed on all those price tags is seldom, if ever, the price customers pay. And if there is no “regular price,” there’s no sale, either.
Discounts are intended to get you to buy items right away while they are “on sale” or soon face higher prices. They dissuade you from shopping around for a better price. After all, if something is offered at a 60 percent discount, what is the point of comparing prices elsewhere? Ultimately, discounts are designed to make you feel so good about the prices you pay that you will snap up more stuff while you are at it.
Do not assume that a sale price is a good price.
The store probably offers that price — or an even lower one — much of the time.
Shop around.
Is it a good deal? The only way to know is to compare prices offered by other retailers. It is not uncommon for stores to charge twice as much as their nearby competitors for the same product. A quick Internet search will usually help you determine whether a store’s price is low or high.
Do not fall for stores’ manipulative tricks.
All the bogus sales and discounts are designed to make you feel good about what you are paying for, and persuade you to buy now and buy more. Even if you get a genuinely great deal, do not let those savings push you to spend more on other stuff. And do not buy something just because it is “on sale.”
Take your time. Even if an item you are thinking about buying really is on sale, many stores will agree to hold their lower price for you beyond the end of the sale. Just ask.
Call or email stores to get competitive bids. Manufacturers for many big-ticket products (appliances, electronics, etc.) use “minimum advertised pricing,” or MAP. Designed to boost profits and squelch competition, these policies require retailers to advertise product prices at or above preset minimums. Because of MAP, you won’t obtain the best prices on most major brands of appliances from online searches or sales circulars. But MAP policies don’t apply to prices quoted to customers in person, over the phone or via email.
Check for ratings.
A customer once alleged that he would not have made several purchases at a retailer if he had known the prices did not represent actual markdowns.
So do not trust the listed original prices. Research products prior to purchasing to understand their true original price. If a product appears to be discounted by 30%, do not necessarily take it at face value. Make sure you understand what you are buying and what it has actually sold for.
jillokeke@yahoo.com, 07069429757, 08158610847
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