Silly public?

[Kendhni]

Six high street carpet and furniture chains are under investigation for using artificially high prices so they can later exaggerate sales and price cut
story here

Surely after years of seeing this manipulation nobody is stupid enough to believe furniture stores 'always present' sale. I suppose it is probably the media catching up with a story from 10 years ago.

The most fascinating fact I learned was that we have a 'furniture ombudsman' ... and we wonder what public money gets frittered away on?

[Stephen]

My argument has always been with so called sales, unless you know for sure what the original price was then you are probably going to be fleeced. And half the time sale stock is brought in, very little of the good stuff is in the sale.

At the end of the day a product is only worth what you are prepared to pay for it.

Believe nothing what you hear and only half what you see.

[Meg 50]

and it's only worth buying if you really need it - not just cos the price/offer appeared good

[The Monocled Mutineer]

A couple of things:

Isn't the Furnture Ombudsman funded by the trade? Happy to be disabused of this if I am wrong.

I take no notice of previous price unless I saw its at the previous price but could not afford it, wanted it and said "wait till it drops in price, etc."

What a load of silliness about the £1.99 strawberries! If £1.99 strawberries rock your boat enjoy, but don't expect the best!

Use mental arithmetic or take a calculator.

Unit pricing or a common measure for different sizes of product can be quite revealing and what looks like a bargain can still be dearer than another size not on offer.

[royalprincess]

I bought a three piece suite last year and apart from most of them not being suitable - low seats and low backs there were only two that come within an inch of my specification and budget. Easy to get out of and a high enough back that I could rest my head against i.e. fall asleep in. Both of them were horrible colours but loose covers can always change that. One was available immediately and one you had to wait three months for. Didn't want to wait three months so bought the one that was. Got free delivery on that one as it was a showroom clearance. In fact it was cheaper than my first suite more than 40 years ago.

So the lesson is if it fits the criteria and is within the budget then buy it - never mind what the previous sale price was it probably didnt exist anyway.

It is about time that someone protected the consumer too many rip offs these days.

Another investigation should be launched as well into the delivery charges. Unless you have a man with a van and can take the furniture away with you if they have it in stock there is a whopping delivery charge as well. Some are plain rip offs.

[Stephen]

A couple of things:

Isn't the Furnture Ombudsman funded by the trade? Happy to be disabused of this if I am wrong.

I take no notice of previous price unless I saw its at the previous price but could not afford it, wanted it and said "wait till it drops in price, etc."

What a load of silliness about the £1.99 strawberries! If £1.99 strawberries rock your boat enjoy, but don't expect the best!

Use mental arithmetic or take a calculator.

Unit pricing or a common measure for different sizes of product can be quite revealing and what looks like a bargain can still be dearer than another size not on offer.

Good avata Derek

[Silver_Shiney]

Even at their cut-throat sale price, they're most likely making a huge profit.

[Not so ancient mariner]

My daughter informs me that one of the big chains of furniture 'warehouses' offer their stock at full price for a 2 week period every year. Staff are encouraged to take annual leave during this time, because they know that the turnover (and the staff's sales commission) will be negligible.

[ChesterfieldJohn]

There are and always will be people who are gullible or desperate enough to believe the offers.

There are people who have low mental skills and these people should be protected from this sort of advertising.

John

[Kendhni]

My daughter informs me that one of the big chains of furniture 'warehouses' offer their stock at full price for a 2 week period every year. Staff are encouraged to take annual leave during this time, because they know that the turnover (and the staff's sales commission) will be negligible.

That would not surprise me ... years ago I remember hearing of a rumour where a large chain (possibly MFI?) ha done shop that sold everything at full price so that they could advertise discounts elsewhere ... it is hard to believe people still fall for these marketing ploys ... it is actually nice to see some shops have now stopped pricing every thing with a price ending in 99.

[The Monocled Mutineer]

I understand the law requires a store to have been offering for sale at one of their stores (name store if there is more than one branch) a given product at a higher price for 28 or more consecutive days, when showing sale eg £9.99 down to £4.99 or 50% off (= £4.99) on that item.

[Kendhni]

Just as a follow on to that ... I was once told that Currys use 99, 98, 97 at the end of their prices to denote 'age' - e.g. if it ends in 97 it is 2 year old stock, if it ends in 98 it is 1 year old stock ... or something like that.

[david63]

Another ploy is £x off "Recommended price" which nobody sells at anyway

[Kendhni]

... or the one I hate most ... 'Prices from ...' and then priced depending on the day of the week or which direction the wind is blowing from.

[royalprincess]

... or the one I hate most ... 'Prices from ...' and then priced depending on the day of the week or which direction the wind is blowing from.

Sounds like P & O pricing to me.

As a shopkeepers daughter my father explained to me why the prices were in odd pence. It was because the till would have to be opened to give change and that the staff would put the money tendered in the till. Simple really.

[ChesterfieldJohn]

... or the one I hate most ... 'Prices from ...' and then priced depending on the day of the week or which direction the wind is blowing from.

Sounds like P & O pricing to me.

As a shopkeepers daughter my father explained to me why the prices were in odd pence. It was because the till would have to be opened to give change and that the staff would put the money tendered in the till. Simple really.

Wow how to trust your staff in one easy lesson

John

[royalprincess]

And that's why only family worked in the shop. It didn't pay to employ someone to work for him - once bitten twice shy.

We had no reason to steal from the business which put food on our plate anything we wanted we could have if we just asked for it. No need to steal but other employees did and were soon dealt with by the local magistrates who frequently shopped with us.

It taught us how to address customers by Good morning/afternoon. How may I help you today etc etc. Thank you for shopping with us instead of Hi ya and after you have purchased There you go. If you're lucky these days that is that they actually acknowledge your presence too busy talking about how drunk they got last night etc etc. My father would turn in his grave if he saw the poor service customers receive these days.

[gfwgfw]

Good Day

This thread reminds me of the Mr "Howmuch" who stalks every cruise ship asking "how much did you pay for your cruise"

Then he/she bore the tits of me telling how little he/she paid for their cruise



Quite frankly

"I could not give a dam"