![\"\"](\"http:\/\/kurmudgeon.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/sale-300x229.jpg\")
I don’t think I’m an unreasonable person.\u00a0 I just want things to be simple and uncomplicated.\u00a0 I want to save any thinking and planning for things that are, you know, actually important.\u00a0 And this filters down into daily activities that should be as drama-free and boring as shopping.<\/p>\n
Why does shopping have to be so… annoying?\u00a0 I mean, it’s bad enough that I have to go out and brave the wilds of rude people, now I have to run the gauntlet of pricing, too?<\/p>\n
Maybe it’s just me… it usually is, just ask The Wife Missy… but is it too much to ask that pricing be simple and straight forward?\u00a0 No games.\u00a0 No illusions.\u00a0 No fine print.\u00a0 Just sell me what I want, at the same price you sell it to everyone else, and let me be on my way.\u00a0 Is that really too much to ask?<\/p>\n
I guess so, as evidenced by some of these offenders…<\/p>\n
Local Regional Nursery (plants, not people)<\/strong><\/p>\n At every sale they give special discount “bucks”. the more you spend the more you get.<\/p>\n The catch:\u00a0 They expire next month and you can only use it at their store.<\/p>\n Local Regional Grocery Store<\/strong><\/p>\n Absurdly high prices… averaging 30% more, yes, I’ve done two of my own surveys\/studies… coupons and special sales galore.\u00a0 Plan accordingly, or…<\/p>\n The catch:\u00a0 …be gouged.<\/p>\n Local Regional Home Improvement Big Box Store<\/strong><\/p>\n Rebates.\u00a0 Awesome rebates!\u00a0 11% rebates.<\/p>\n The catch:\u00a0 In the form of a gift certificate redeemable only at their store.\u00a0 So, it’s not really a rebate, it’s an in-store coupon.<\/p>\n All of these tactics are designed to get you to come back, of course… often.\u00a0 I’m sorry, but no.\u00a0 I’ve probably collected over $100 worth of nursery “bucks” over years, and never used a one.\u00a0 I go back when I need to go back.\u00a0 I only shop the regional grocery store when the stars align and they have a good sale AND I need what’s on sale.\u00a0 Otherwise, say what you will about the primary big box retail behemoth, at least they respect me enough to give consistently reasonable pricing day in and day out.\u00a0 And I virtually stopped shopping at that home improvement warehouse store solely because I didn’t like being played like that.<\/p>\n What other underhanded tactics can we see?<\/p>\n Coupons and Rebates in General<\/strong><\/p>\n Manufacturers and retailers aren’t offering discounts and rebates because they’re swell guys.\u00a0 It’s a gimmick that most people, including me at times, fall for.\u00a0 They know full well that most people will never claim a rebate, especially if it requires effort, like putting a stamp on an envelope.\u00a0 They know full well that people who use a coupon will likely spend more on the higher priced items at the same time.\u00a0 They get to tout themselves as the good guy while not really risking anything.\u00a0 It’s a win-win… for them.<\/p>\n The World’s Pre-Eminent Online Retailer<\/strong><\/p>\n Prices change daily, often hourly.\u00a0 See an item for $63 today?\u00a0 It might be $57 tomorrow, $68 the day after, and back to $63 the day after that.\u00a0 In other words, pay attention, keep coming back, and oh… buy some other stuff in the meantime.<\/p>\n Internet & Cell Phone<\/strong><\/p>\n New customer?\u00a0 $50\/mo for a year.\u00a0 Existing customer?\u00a0 Sorry, you pay your standard $90\/mo out-of-contract price.<\/p>\n Airlines<\/strong><\/p>\n Next time you fly, do a survey of ten people sitting around you.\u00a0 Chances are you all paid different prices.<\/p>\n Bottom Line…<\/strong><\/p>\n I shouldn’t have to worry about something as simple as pricing.\u00a0 At least pretend that you actually value me and my business.\u00a0 You want to impress me?\u00a0 You want to really impress me?\u00a0 Just sell me what I want and let me go on my way happily.\u00a0 I’ll come back.\u00a0 Honest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I don’t think I’m an unreasonable person.\u00a0 I just want things to be simple and uncomplicated.\u00a0 I want to save any thinking and planning for things that are, you know, actually important.\u00a0 And this filters down into daily activities that should be as drama-free and boring as shopping. Why does shopping have to be so… […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,17,3,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-annoyances","category-observations","category-pet-peeve","category-soap-box"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kurmudgeon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/661","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kurmudgeon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kurmudgeon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kurmudgeon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kurmudgeon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=661"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/kurmudgeon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/661\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":672,"href":"https:\/\/kurmudgeon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/661\/revisions\/672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kurmudgeon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kurmudgeon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=661"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kurmudgeon.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}