$XX.99 cents.
You probably are very familiar with his little scam that is designed to trick you and agree to the purchase because the number preceeding 99 cents appears one dollar lower. I bet that was a well guarded secret at some point, but nowadays noone seems to be ashamed of that (while they should be, since stopes are supposed to be in a service of customers business rather than a tricking their customers one).
I do not know exactly when this innocent lie was invented, but obviously log enough ago to be overshooted by many other tricks, which all piss me off, ecpecially when come in large bundles. Here is another example and I invite you to post more of those that bother you.
When you are purchasing appliances, such as a dryer or a range, in addition to 299.99 price tag you get another hit – power cord is not included!!! How about that? You need to purchase it separately!
And not only the price of that cord is 19.99 at the point of appliance sale – it is 6.99 if you browse shelves of a regular hardware store or even check with another department of the same store if it is large enough (such as Lowes or Menards). But the appliance itself does not work without a cord! Why not to include it??? Especially given the upper 3-digit figures (and sometimes 4 digits) some those dryers and ranges cost. But NO, this will ruin their happiness! Instead, they will better ruin yours when you bring that stuff home before the Thanksgiving dinner and figure out the fortune-costing piece is unusable!
This is just one example, and there are more to come, I am sure. I will post another one right way as a follow-up. Sometimes I am getting this feeling that I am at the on-going war. Me on one side of the barricades and stores on another.
If we continue to go this way then soon new cars will be sold without keys! And you will have to purchase those (or a spare wheel) separately from the dealer for $99.99!
Well, here is a business idea for you, salesmen: use a slogan like «no gimmicks» or «true prices» or «you pay what you expect» or any similar and open a store where all price tags are not rounded up to the nearest .99 !!! People will love it.
Here is another one for you
Here is another one for you -- taxes! (and other fees!!!)
Why not to include all those into the price?? You can not avoid paying those! And even if you are eligible for tax-free purchase -- then make a discount and people will be happy to get it. And I suspect there are just a few individuals like that. All the rest millions of us pay the tax.
Stores can deal with this stuff internally, relieving consumers of this stupid mess. Why not to do this? I will tell you why! Because consumers is not what they care about! They care only about looking good and providing seemingly lower prices. And you always end up paying a different price from what you see on those stickers! Besides, this would ruin their evil 99 cents trick!
Here is another story for you -- phone service. I've got a landline for 6.99 per month...(khm...) from AT&T (oh, don't even get me started on that evil empire! If there is god and stuff -- they will be boiling in hell's deep fryer on even a hotter setting than me!). While talking to a friend of mine I learned that he is paying over 18 dollars! Well, I had a slightly different plan, but the price difference seemed just astonishing huge! Guess what his little research revealed! "Taxes and other government and non-government fees" -- that is what it was!!! Yes, there was a slight difference, in plans, which actually accounted for just $4, therest -- is the "bonus" you get with your first bill !!!
I hsve not received my first one, but I suspect that I will end up be paying twice as much of the advertised amount for the service!!! Bastards!
I can make endless additions to that list -- foe example my plan itself is not even advertised anywhere (except of maybe in some fine print somewhere on the back of some brochure)! Everywhere AT&T (and I am sure other providers too) pushes you to get those more expensive XX.99 plans, with a bunch of useless and ridiculously justified features! Such as answering machine. You know what they suggested as a reason to get one? Hold on to you chair -- "you will be able to check your messages remotely!!!!". It will be extremely hard to find an answering machine without this feature nowadays! And for $10 (sorry, $9.99) saved per month on this stupid feature in a year you will be able to buy a dozen of those answering machines, plus expand your cellular phone plan (or just get the simple prepaid one), so there will be no need to miss any call in the first place!!!
People! We need to clear our heads of this scum that pushes us further and further towards the development of a "compulsive shopping disorder" in every one of us. Let's purchase a http://www.consumerfront.org or http://www.consumerfront.net domain and start uniting in our efforts to regain sanity!
To stay on the "telecom"
To stay on the "telecom" note. You know how nowadays you can rent your cable or DSL modem from AT&T or Comcast?
Did you know that some elderly people are still renting their old ROTARY! phones from AT&T for as high as $29.10 a month?
In disbelief? See this article: http://blogs.computerworld.com/node/3538 or this http://www.bangordailynews.com/news/t/city.aspx?articleid=152540&zoneid=176
"batteries not included"
"batteries not included" reminds you of anything?
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