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Electronic item sales in hotels.

  • 11-08-2012 3:12pm
    #1
    Michael Weston
    Registered Users Posts: 979 ✭✭✭


    I got another piece of advertising through the letter box today from Irish deals direct.

    Basically its all 42in TVs for two hundred euro and Sony laptops for one hundred and fifty ipods, ipads and the like, all being sold in a hotel function room.

    Clearly it cant be this straight forward, so I was wondering, how do they scam me when I go in ? I have heard stories about people buying iphones and opening them to discover its just a case with a light in it!! Is that how this works ??

    Has anybody ever been to one these sales that could shed some light on this ?


Comments

  • #2
    RoundyMooney
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭RoundyMooney


    Easy. Take the tellies. Sell off one or two branded ones (possibly even to one of your colleagues), and then the rest are substandard muck in convincing looking packaging. Think Panaphonic or Phony, a la The Simpsons.

    Haven't seen these schysters around in a bit, they must be making a comeback.


  • #3
    TheBody
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,629 ✭✭✭TheBody


    I was at one in Maynooth about 5 ish years ago. Esentailly it's an auction. They let a FEW items go for almost nothing to get the crowd going. A lot of people got caught up in the whole buzz and prob ended up paying more than most of the items were worth. I didn't see anybody buy any "cheap" items. Just a lot of people getting excited in the whole auction experience. Also, I had to pay a few euro to get into the function room which was packed.


  • #4
    Michael Weston
    Registered Users Posts: 979 ✭✭✭Michael Weston


    RoundyMooney wrote: »
    Easy. Take the tellies. Sell off one or two branded ones (possibly even to one of your colleagues), and then the rest are substandard muck in convincing looking packaging. Think Panaphonic or Phony, a la The Simpsons.

    Haven't seen these schysters around in a bit, they must be making a comeback.

    Ha panaphonic , I saw a sciphone for sale the other day its a chinese knock off or something.

    The names are so imaginative


  • #5
    Michael Weston
    Registered Users Posts: 979 ✭✭✭Michael Weston


    TheBody wrote: »
    I was at one in Maynooth about 5 ish years ago. Esentailly it's an auction. They let a FEW items go for almost nothing to get the crowd going. A lot of people got caught up in the whole buzz and prob ended up paying more than most of the items were worth. I didn't see anybody buy any "cheap" items. Just a lot of people getting excited in the whole auction experience. Also, I had to pay a few euro to get into the function room which was packed.


    Ah there ya go, thats probably the thing so.


  • #6
    bonzodog2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,251 ✭✭✭bonzodog2


    They can be fun to go to if you can control your spending urges, just to watch the psychology. If its cheap to get in.


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  • #7
    Lapin
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,184 ✭✭✭✭Lapin


    Dutch auction.

    Scam, and best avoided.


  • #8
    dirtyden
    Registered Users Posts: 1,735 ✭✭✭dirtyden


    I was at one of these. Not many bargains to be had. Its an auction, generally there will be a low reserve on the odd item but not on much.

    Also they added on a lot of charges over and above the auction price (could have been 10-15% of sale price). Not sure what your comeback would be if the goods you bought had problems. I would not go to one again anyhow.


  • #9
    Lapin
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,184 ✭✭✭✭Lapin


    My response to a similar thread in the Galway City Forum a couple of years back.......


    Sounds like a scam dutch auction.

    These are widespread in The UK.
    I was at a few in London some years back. They hire out hotels, town halls, pub function rooms etc.

    At one such sale in Oxford Street the vendors didn't appreciate it when they copped that I wasn't there to buy anything and became quite aggresive.

    Here's how it works
    An auctioneer with a microphone works the crowd up by telling them.
    "I don't want €500 for this plasma screen tv. I don't want €400 or €300 or even €200 ! Who will offer me €100 ?"

    Of course every hand in the room is raised and the tv is sold to the gentleman in the corner who's hand went up first. Next up is the Bosch washing machine sold to the lady with the red scarf down the back of the room.

    This lark continues for a while and the crowd are amazed at the bargains and become more eager to get in on the action. Then the hard sell begins. Having talked the crowed up for the guts of an hour now, and with continuous references to the fabulous goods already sold, and telling them there is only a limited amount of stock left, the crowd become more impatient to part with their cash.

    He then tells them there might not be enough tv's for everyone but asks if some people might settle for an X-Box, a Laptop or something else instead.
    Most people will, and an assistant will then go around the room and collect €100 from them and hand them a ticket to claim their purchase on their way out.

    As they leave, they are handed a black sealed bin liner and told not to open it until they get home as other buyers may not have got something as valuable and may become jealous.
    Of course the contents of the black bag contain nothing remotely worth the €100 the buyer just paid for them, but legally he has no come back because he willingly agreed to pay for something else, and thats exactly what he got.

    Meanwhile the auctioneer, his assistants, and his friends the man in the corner and the lady with the red scarf (remember them?) are out the back loading up the van to move on to the next town and do it all again.

    It might be worth heading out to the Menlo for a look tomorrow.
    But leave your wallet at home.


  • #10
    Michael Weston
    Registered Users Posts: 979 ✭✭✭Michael Weston


    Lapin wrote: »
    My response to a similar thread in the Galway City Forum a couple of years back.......


    Sounds like a scam dutch auction.

    These are widespread in The UK.
    I was at a few in London some years back. They hire out hotels, town halls, pub function rooms etc.

    At one such sale in Oxford Street the vendors didn't appreciate it when they copped that I wasn't there to buy anything and became quite aggresive.

    Here's how it works
    An auctioneer with a microphone works the crowd up by telling them.
    "I don't want €500 for this plasma screen tv. I don't want €400 or €300 or even €200 ! Who will offer me €100 ?"

    Of course every hand in the room is raised and the tv is sold to the gentleman in the corner who's hand went up first. Next up is the Bosch washing machine sold to the lady with the red scarf down the back of the room.

    This lark continues for a while and the crowd are amazed at the bargains and become more eager to get in on the action. Then the hard sell begins. Having talked the crowed up for the guts of an hour now, and with continuous references to the fabulous goods already sold, and telling them there is only a limited amount of stock left, the crowd become more impatient to part with their cash.

    He then tells them there might not be enough tv's for everyone but asks if some people might settle for an X-Box, a Laptop or something else instead.
    Most people will, and an assistant will then go around the room and collect €100 from them and hand them a ticket to claim their purchase on their way out.

    As they leave, they are handed a black sealed bin liner and told not to open it until they get home as other buyers may not have got something as valuable and may become jealous.
    Of course the contents of the black bag contain nothing remotely worth the €100 the buyer just paid for them, but legally he has no come back because he willingly agreed to pay for something else, and thats exactly what he got.

    Meanwhile the auctioneer, his assistants, and his friends the man in the corner and the lady with the red scarf (remember them?) are out the back loading up the van to move on to the next town and do it all again.

    It might be worth heading out to the Menlo for a look tomorrow.
    But leave your wallet at home.

    This one is in Carlow, but that's very informative thanks I might head down for a look .


  • #11
    starbelgrade
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,739 ✭✭✭✭starbelgrade


    I went to a Dutch auction once hoping to get a bargain on a Dutch oven.

    I left very dissapointed.


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  • #12
    AnonoBoy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,559 ✭✭✭✭AnonoBoy


    Being that this scam was originated by the Dutch and are commonly referred to as Dutch auctions they are of course the origin of the phrase.... One born every minute.


  • #13
    frozenfrozen
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,882 ✭✭✭frozenfrozen


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO3cZJrJO8s


  • #14
    Michael Weston
    Registered Users Posts: 979 ✭✭✭Michael Weston


    Actually looking forward to this now :)


  • #15
    ScumLord
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,789 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    Hotels that allow con men to operate out of their premises should be ashamed.


  • #16
    mfceiling
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,861 ✭✭✭✭mfceiling


    What hotel is it in?


  • #17
    juan.kerr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,766 ✭✭✭juan.kerr


    starbelgrade wrote: »
    I went to a Dutch auction once hoping to get a bargain on a Dutch oven.

    I left very dissapointed.

    I can help you out with that.


  • #18
    Michael Weston
    Registered Users Posts: 979 ✭✭✭Michael Weston


    mfceiling wrote: »
    What hotel is it in?
    The Talbot, kick off at 3pm it doesn't say anything about a cover charge so it must be free as I can't imagine these guys being anything other than honest and open :):)


  • #19
    juan.kerr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,766 ✭✭✭juan.kerr


    Michael Weston wrote: »
    The Talbot, kick off at 3pm it doesn't say anything about a cover charge so it must be free as I can't imagine these guys being anything other than honest and open :):)

    The cover charge is to keep tyre kickers / time wasters away.


  • #20
    dj jarvis
    Registered Users Posts: 3,485 ✭✭✭dj jarvis


    this scam and it is a scam is as old as the hills

    i went to one must be 25 years ago on moore st , they rented a shop for a couple of weeks and held auctions from it

    they would pack the place then pull the steel shutters down preventing people from leaving early

    as other have said , the plants get the " bargains " and the crap is then auctioned off - and trust me it was crap

    and yes they do get aggressive if you dare leave or question the quality of your purchase

    for a bit of fun if you have 10 + mates who can handle themselves all go but pretend to not to know each other and stand apart in the auction , then when they start selling the sH1te , start shouting and giving out , all ten of you - watch the scum pack up and run

    and as it was said before , the hotels that allow these wank3ers to do this on their premises should also be publicly shamed .......... hello joe ?


  • #21
    Michael Weston
    Registered Users Posts: 979 ✭✭✭Michael Weston


    juan.kerr wrote: »
    Michael Weston wrote: »
    The Talbot, kick off at 3pm it doesn't say anything about a cover charge so it must be free as I can't imagine these guys being anything other than honest and open :):)

    The cover charge is to keep tyre kickers / time wasters away.


    Surely it will be minimal enough though. I'm only going for the entertainment and curiosity I'm a total tyre kicker .


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  • #22
    delad
    Registered Users Posts: 511 ✭✭✭delad


    dj jarvis wrote: »

    and as it was said before , the hotels that allow these wank3ers to do this on their premises should also be publicly shamed .......... hello joe ?

    Its not a scam so what do you want the hotels to do about it? If people are willing to pay more for goods than they're worth then that's their choice. Its no different to the Allsop auctions where people get carried away with the bidding process and end up paying about 20% more for properties than they are advertised for on daft.


  • #23
    kerry4sam
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,127 ✭✭✭✭kerry4sam


    bonzodog2 wrote: »
    They can be fun to go to if you can control your spending urges, just to watch the psychology. If its cheap to get in.

    Yeah that's what I enjoy about these events too. Just observing the psychology at play by all involved, both working the event and attending to purchase.

    Shame this one is so far from me though as you can learn so much, if you're into the psychology and all its forms, from keeping quite and observing everything!


  • #24
    Mint Sauce
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29,293 ✭✭✭✭Mint Sauce


    Thought they were liquidation sales, first come first served, no returns, a few of each item, and an admission fee.


  • #25
    Jo King
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,139 ✭✭✭Jo King


    I have been to them a few times. Mostly rubbish. They advertise things they will not be selling at all. They keep saying they will be selling it at the end or in another sale later in the day. There is no comeback on any of the goods. My local hotel has refused to allow anything like it in again. They were pestered by people ringing up for weeks after the sale by people complaining their goods had broken etc.
    In one hotel they deliberately had the air conditioning cut off. It is good to watch from the point of view of crowd psychology. Best thing to do is pay in and make sure to have no money on hand.


  • #26
    Michael Weston
    Registered Users Posts: 979 ✭✭✭Michael Weston


    Jo King wrote: »
    I have been to them a few times. Mostly rubbish. They advertise things they will not be selling at all. They keep saying they will be selling it at the end or in another sale later in the day. There is no comeback on any of the goods. My local hotel has refused to allow anything like it in again. They were pestered by people ringing up for weeks after the sale by people complaining their goods had broken etc.
    In one hotel they deliberately had the air conditioning cut off. It is good to watch from the point of view of crowd psychology. Best thing to do is pay in and make sure to have no money on hand.

    What did cutting off the air con do ?


  • #27
    dj jarvis
    Registered Users Posts: 3,485 ✭✭✭dj jarvis


    delad wrote: »
    Its not a scam so what do you want the hotels to do about it? If people are willing to pay more for goods than they're worth then that's their choice. Its no different to the Allsop auctions where people get carried away with the bidding process and end up paying about 20% more for properties than they are advertised for on daft.

    LOL - its no different than allsop !!!!
    have you been to one? by your post obviously not , trust me when i tell you as OTHER POSTERS have also , its a scam

    and lots of hotels DONT allow these kind of "auctions" because , yes you have guessed it - they are a a scam

    people are not willing to pay more , the are led to believe one thing and get another , it far from willing - christ on a bike, why do trading standards watch dogs always warn of these kind of operations?

    seriously - like a action at Allsop !!!! dumb statement of the week
    you should get out more


  • #28
    corktina
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,733 ✭✭✭✭corktina


    this is not a Dutch Auction.

    A Dutch Auction is fully legit method of holding an auction.Nothing to do with these scams.

    It works the other way round to a normal auction .. the price starts high and drops and the buyer is the first to bid, when the price gets to a level he can accept.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_auction


  • #29
    Michael Weston
    Registered Users Posts: 979 ✭✭✭Michael Weston


    Friend of mine working in the hotel, she said the lads are setting up now and are shifty as fuçk, its like an Arthur Daley convention . This would be a good time to see Who will be the shills in the audience.

    I'm unperturbed though and still going to go for a look, it'll be interesting to see how they make people believe in them and put their trust in them enough to part with hard earned cash..


  • #30
    Giblet
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,985 ✭✭✭✭Giblet


    Lapin wrote: »
    My response to a similar thread in the Galway City Forum a couple of years back.......


    Sounds like a scam dutch auction.

    These are widespread in The UK.
    I was at a few in London some years back. They hire out hotels, town halls, pub function rooms etc.

    At one such sale in Oxford Street the vendors didn't appreciate it when they copped that I wasn't there to buy anything and became quite aggresive.

    Here's how it works
    An auctioneer with a microphone works the crowd up by telling them.
    "I don't want €500 for this plasma screen tv. I don't want €400 or €300 or even €200 ! Who will offer me €100 ?"

    Of course every hand in the room is raised and the tv is sold to the gentleman in the corner who's hand went up first. Next up is the Bosch washing machine sold to the lady with the red scarf down the back of the room.

    This lark continues for a while and the crowd are amazed at the bargains and become more eager to get in on the action. Then the hard sell begins. Having talked the crowed up for the guts of an hour now, and with continuous references to the fabulous goods already sold, and telling them there is only a limited amount of stock left, the crowd become more impatient to part with their cash.

    He then tells them there might not be enough tv's for everyone but asks if some people might settle for an X-Box, a Laptop or something else instead.
    Most people will, and an assistant will then go around the room and collect €100 from them and hand them a ticket to claim their purchase on their way out.

    As they leave, they are handed a black sealed bin liner and told not to open it until they get home as other buyers may not have got something as valuable and may become jealous.
    Of course the contents of the black bag contain nothing remotely worth the €100 the buyer just paid for them, but legally he has no come back because he willingly agreed to pay for something else, and thats exactly what he got.

    Meanwhile the auctioneer, his assistants, and his friends the man in the corner and the lady with the red scarf (remember them?) are out the back loading up the van to move on to the next town and do it all again.

    It might be worth heading out to the Menlo for a look tomorrow.
    But leave your wallet at home.

    100% my experience of this. I remember even seeing the "winners" helping out at the end. Under the guise of a liquidation sale.


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  • #31
    mike65
    Closed Accounts Posts: 88,972 ✭✭✭✭mike65


    The bad old days must be with us if these "liquidation stock" auctions are back.


  • #32
    Michael Weston
    Registered Users Posts: 979 ✭✭✭Michael Weston


    mike65 wrote: »
    The bad old days must be with us if these "liquidation stock" auctions are back.

    I get promotional stuff through the door for these things at least once every two months


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