Author Topic: Black Friday Deal May Not Be A Bargain  (Read 394 times)

StephenM123

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Black Friday Deal May Not Be A Bargain
« on: Nov 26, 2019, 08:11:12 AM »
So why am I not surprised by this:


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50551415

 
A shop nearby has had a closing down sale for most of the autumn. Now it seems restocked and large signs saying 60% off. If you read the very small print it is only applies to a few brands. On a recent visit to London I saw a men's outfitters with a closing down sale - it was closing down over five years ago. Surely councils should clamp down on these people!  

biglouis

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Re: Black Friday Deal May Not Be A Bargain
« Reply #1 on: Nov 26, 2019, 01:09:44 PM »
As someone who "peddles vintage trash" to the masses via the internet consumers can be very naive when it comes to sales.

One of the platforms I sell on has a rule that you are not allowed to UP the price of your merch when a 30% or 50% sale comes along. They point out that buyers are watching the prices of items they fancy and will feel quite cheated and angry if the price goes up just prior to a sale. Shops who try these kinds of tricks can be banned from participating in the big sales.

However experienced sellers know when these big sales are likely to fall. So they can pursue other tactics.

Remove stock items to the "back room" area a couple of months before a sale then relist at a higher price. Likely consumers will have forgotten the original price by then. Or you can always say you got another in stock or had two of them to begin with.

Save up "new" stock and list at a higher price so that the sale "reduced" price will be the sum they really want.  But it still appears to be a bargain in the eyes of consumers. After all, there is no such thing as a fixed price for an antique/vintage item so no one can ever say what price you intended to ask for it in the first place.

Dealer gets the price they want and buyer "thinks" they got a great bargain.
Everyone is happy.


These are tactics that the big stores get up to all the time.
Rules are for the guidance of wise men and the blind obedience of fools.

Michael Rolls

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Re: Black Friday Deal May Not Be A Bargain
« Reply #2 on: Nov 26, 2019, 02:38:52 PM »
Again this is a concept which puzzles me - something is only worth what a purchaser is willing to pay,, regardless of advertising gimmicks, sharp practice, whatever. If I want something and am happy at the price asked - end of story. If I'm not happy - I don't buy. There must be some very naive people out there to be be fooled by such tactics. I don't care if something is marked 90% off, or whatever - I look at the price and decide - it's not rocket science.

Mike
Thank you for the days, the days you gave me.
The older I get, the better I was!

Raven

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Re: Black Friday Deal May Not Be A Bargain
« Reply #3 on: Nov 26, 2019, 04:23:33 PM »
Again this is a concept which puzzles me - something is only worth what a purchaser is willing to pay,, regardless of advertising gimmicks, sharp practice, whatever. If I want something and am happy at the price asked - end of story. If I'm not happy - I don't buy. There must be some very naive people out there to be be fooled by such tactics. I don't care if something is marked 90% off, or whatever - I look at the price and decide - it's not rocket science.

Mike



Yep, My way of doing things as well. Sometimes I look at the price and laugh, say to the assistant your having a larf aren't you, then walk out..

Michael Rolls

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Re: Black Friday Deal May Not Be A Bargain
« Reply #4 on: Nov 26, 2019, 07:46:22 PM »
Yup!
Mike
Thank you for the days, the days you gave me.
The older I get, the better I was!

StephenM123

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Re: Black Friday Deal May Not Be A Bargain
« Reply #5 on: Dec 20, 2019, 08:08:09 AM »
A local shop now has lower prices than Black Friday! Either a Christmas Present or a Black Friday Con!

richmond62

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Re: Black Friday Deal May Not Be A Bargain
« Reply #6 on: Dec 20, 2019, 10:31:07 AM »
"something is only worth what a purchaser is willing to pay"

Indeed.

But the whole thing hinges on 'willing.'

There are all sorts of manipulative tricks one can get up to so that someone becomes willing.

About 15 years ago I went into a computer megastore up the Kingsway in Dundee to buy
a computer hard drive. I had about 50 quid in my pocket.

When I got to the shop they had all sorts of slinky packets on the shelves, complete with
anti-static wriststraps, tyre levers (well, sort of) and so on at vast expense.

I eventually found one of their drones and asked for a 'simple' hard drive; he didnae ken ma drift,
so I asked to see the manager.

After I had explained to the manager that I had a house full of anti-static wriststraps, tyre levers
and corsets, he said, "Oh, you need one of these." and took me round the back of some shelves
that appeared to be against the back wall of the showroom. There were some plain cardboard boxes with
hard drives in them. So I got my hard drive for about 40 quid instead of something just the same out
in the front for 100 quid.

The same sort of thing happens with computers.

Went to a shop here in Bulgaria to buy a "bog normal" PC to run Berkley Systems UNIX on.

ALL the PCs in the shop had Windows installed. When I explained to the drone that I was
not interested in Windows because I'd be installing another operating system on the
machine and we'd got past the bit where he couldn't understand that a computer could
actually work without Windows he told me I could just wipe Windows off the machine
and install my thing instead.

I pointed out to him that the machine with Windows cost 1200 leva because 300 leva of the price
was for the OEM Windows install, and I didn't want to pay 300 leva for something I was going
to flush down the loo he told me that all the PCs they sold had Windows installed.

I then pointed out that by doing that they were in breach of both Bulgarian and EU law he
scuttled off to get the manager. After a fairly bruising round with the manager I ended up with
the computer I wanted for 900 leva with no operating system installed.

But most people are fooled by the apparently knowledgeable patter of the sales people
in shops and are lulled into forking out far more than they need to.

klondike

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Re: Black Friday Deal May Not Be A Bargain
« Reply #7 on: Dec 20, 2019, 10:53:08 AM »
There is a jewelery chain (forget name) that has constant sales. I was amused to see that their window sales signs were actually becoming sun bleached and were eventually replaced. If you happen to buy anything there the sales staff and your bill will proclaim the massive saving you have made which is probably double what you actually paid. I doubt many are actually fooled though.
So long and thanks for all the fish

biglouis

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Re: Black Friday Deal May Not Be A Bargain
« Reply #8 on: Dec 20, 2019, 12:19:37 PM »
Bargaining is customary in the antiques and vintage trades so we dealers build a margin into the price so that when the buyer haggles we still get what we want, and the buyer also feels they got a good deal.

What really pizzes me off are the bottom feeders who have been watching all those silly TV programs aimed at people who shop on the high street. They ask for a really cheeky discount with a kind of "Ill take it off your hands" mentality.


That does not work when you are buying one of a kind items. If there are only a few dealers who sell what you collect it is wise to be "nice" to them. Otherwise you may find that you have cut off your source of supply.


My response: "Imagine how insulted and disrespected you would feel if your boss only offered you 50% of your wage or salary on the grounds that was all you were worth".
Rules are for the guidance of wise men and the blind obedience of fools.