BOGOFs and "bargains"

IvaBigWun

Who is the worst culprit for "Buy One Get One Free", "20%/50% extra" and other fake bargains do you think?

For me its probably Boots. They've had that "buy 3 items, get the cheapest for free" running consistently for years now. Which means that when they worked out their costs on their own brands they figured out they could charge more for them and throw in another for "free" to play to shopper's psychology.

I think some of it is very clever, right down to outlay in Tescos etc, its all done to maximise profit.

Who stands out for you among brands, shops and retail outlets for BOGOFs and "bargains"?

thecatspjs

Buy 3 get the cheapest free you say???

brb

Banjo String

For what seemed like years, Domino's had "half price offers" and such on various receipts from shops such as Tesco, Dunnes etc.

Even when you physically didn't have the half price voucher in your hand (or just lied when ordering by phone) the delivery drivers never asked regardless.

A few years on, after actually getting decent, genuine pizzas with real toppings instead of processed shyte on them, from an actual pizza parlour, at half the price of Domino's "non promotional priced" pizzas.......

I realised that they possibly had one of the greatest scams going ever. Greater still if you payed the full whack fifty euro for a couple of crap pizzas with frozen wedges, garlic bread (pizza bases) and a couple of cokes.

The "half price offer" must've been the actual price, and the scam was on the people without the half price tickets.

SCAM I tell ya!!!!

Driveby Dogboy

buy one, get one free you say?

ScumLord

I've stopped buying deals for the most part, especially on food. With food I just end up throwing most of it out so it's completely pointless.

The Backwards Man

Two for a fiver or four for a tenner. People fall for it all the time.

kneemos

The German stores never do BOGOF's just cheap fruit and veg which seems to pull in the punters as Dunnes and Tesco's have copied their technique.

Banjo String

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Two for a fiver or four for a tenner. People fall for it all the time.

I used to fall for it in Domino's. :mad:

Would you like this pizza cut into 4 slices or 8 Mr Hall?

4 said I, I couldn't eat 8 for Christ's sake :eek:

Czarcasm

Tesco have an ongoing deal at the moment where if you buy one brand of kitchen roll, you get toilet roll of the same brand for free, but, here's the kicker and the easy way to get caught out if you don't check your receipt-

It can't be just any one of types of toilet or kitchen roll of that brand. You buy the luxury kitchen roll, but you only get get the shìtty quality toilet roll "free", you're charged for the same type quality toilet roll as the kitchen roll.

The girl behind the customer services counter took her sweet time about giving me my refund too! :pac:


Anyway, the actual REAL worst offenders are these "deals" websites that have all sorts of group deals and special conditions attached. We're in a recession so you're not getting any great deal if 100 people get a group booking in a hotel for €30 a head. That'd be the standard price even pre-recession, none of this "50% off" nonsense.

Plenty of businesses are at this crap with their "it's worth this much, but you're getting a bargain getting it for this much". You're really not, and the competition authority and advertising standards authority should really step in at this stage and stop these underhanded selling practices.

IvaBigWun

SamHall wrote: »

For what seemed like years, Domino's had "half price offers"

Im surprised so many pizzerias are still open. Spend 15 euros total in a Dominos or similar and two people will still be hungry. Spend the same in a Chinese takeaway and the same 2 people will be stuffed.

kneemos

Discount stores that really ain't.

Czarcasm

kneemos wrote: »

Discount stores that really ain't.

Dealz and TKMaxx are two that immediately spring to mind!

Driveby Dogboy

Driveby Dogboy wrote: »

buy one, get one free you say?

You'd bloody well hope so wouldn't you. One shoe isn't much use to most of us.

Bullchomper

GROUPON:

€12 for thread and eyebrow tint

€dignity walking around with bleeding, lopsided eyebrows.

Menas

A tyre place in harolds cross used to have an advert....

"Buy three for the price of four and get one free"

Got my business.

shopaholic01

Czarcasm wrote: »

Dealz and TKMaxx are two that immediately spring to mind!

I've heard people rave about Dealz - what do they actually sell?

hfallada

The only bargains are when an item is heavily reduced and you have €10 off your €35 shopping voucher. I got 40 cans of decent beer for €25 that way in tesco.

I wish shops were like Walmart here. Low prices all year round and no ****ty buy one get one few every couple of months. Not prices creeping up for a few weeks for the **** to then go on "half price".

lkionm

Most deals are to trick stupid customers into thinking they are getting a deal really.

The majority know its not really a 'deal' and a few stupid customers will be signing their praises.

At best you save a few euro if you buy that brand all the time. Most of the time they are brands you dont usually buy and have to spend more to get the 'deal'.

In food places its to just get you to spend an extra 2 euro for something that costs them 5 cent.

Amirani

hfallada wrote: »

The only bargains are when an item is heavily reduced and you have €10 off your €35 shopping voucher. I got 40 cans of decent beer for €25 that way in tesco.

I wish shops were like Walmart here. Low prices all year round and no ****ty buy one get one few every couple of months. Not prices creeping up for a few weeks for the **** to then go on "half price".

I'm very glad we don't have Walmart here, they completely kill every other business in the area leading to decreased consumer choice/spending power rather than more.

Tins of Christmas sweets are always half price. Surely if something is always half price then that's just "the price"?

Peter Mark 20% off all year round except the few weeks til Christmas, been the same for years so really they're just upping their prices at peak season and making you think you're getting a bargain at all other times.

Czarcasm

shopaholic01 wrote: »

I've heard people rave about Dealz - what do they actually sell?

They sell the same tat as the €2 shops, except that they undercut them by 51c, so almost everything is €1.49, that's why people are raving about the "savings" :pac:

The actual wholesale cost per item to Poundland UK trading as Dealz in Ireland would only be 10c, so they're still making insane profits for stuff they could easily retail at 50c

lkionm

Basically most customers are retards and shouldnt be allowed in charge of their money and most owners know this so tricking them.

Is the same as tricking your dog to go to bed or go outside by giving it a treat and telling him that he is the best dog you ever had, even though he just shat on the couch and is not as fun as the neighbours dogs.

Banjo String

lkionm wrote: »

Basically most customers are retards and shouldnt be allowed in charge of their money and most owners know this so tricking them.

Is the same as tricking your dog to go to bed or go outside by giving it a treat and telling him that he is the best dog you ever had, even though he just shat on the couch and is not as fun as the neighbours dogs.

Lol.

SeaFields

Lots of deals are in fact very good value. The big retailers are willing to make zero or worse on a deal knowing the customer will in many cases pick up other items with big mark ups.

No need for the tin foil hat OP!

Czarcasm

SeaFields wrote: »

Lots of deals are in fact very good value. The big retailers are willing to make zero or worse on a deal knowing the customer will in many cases pick up other items with big mark ups.

No need for the tin foil hat OP!

Did you get a free set of earmuffs with those blinkers?

fortwilliam

Forget the price of the item in the first instance.
Look at the item.
- Do I want it?
- Would I have wanted it if it wasn't on "Offer"?
- How much do I think it is worth to me?

Then look at the price.. if it fits the third point, happy days !

This idea (Usually women) - "It was €100 and now it's only €60, so I am saving €40"

How about this bucket of shyte was €80, but I'll let you have it for €50..

sabat

The customer (and people in general) are just more gullible than ever and the supermarkets are taking advantage/encouraging it by deliberately obscuring the true value of products. What is the "correct" price for a 2 litre of Coke, a pack of jaffa cakes, Finish dishwasher tablets, a tray of Actimel and all those other products that are permanently "on offer" ?

KeithTS

Czarcasm wrote: »

Anyway, the actual REAL worst offenders are these "deals" websites that have all sorts of group deals and special conditions attached. We're in a recession so you're not getting any great deal if 100 people get a group booking in a hotel for €30 a head. That'd be the standard price even pre-recession, none of this "50% off" nonsense.

Plenty of businesses are at this crap with their "it's worth this much, but you're getting a bargain getting it for this much". You're really not, and the competition authority and advertising standards authority should really step in at this stage and stop these underhanded selling practices.

Ah I disagree on the principle here.
On quite a few occassions I've gotten a 3 course meal for 4 in good restaurants for 60 quid or whatever from Groupon. the food was top class and we've gone back since as a result so it worked well for the company giving the offer.

you just have to be clever and use common sense like but some of those sites have good offers on them if you sift through a couple of useless ones.

For me the worst is Tesco, not the offers they have but how they advertise them. A "save €1" sign, the €1 is massive, the "save" is barely legible so I think I'm getting a box of beer for a quid. I fall for it everytime......I'm rather thick though so could just be me!

Daemos

A recent one I noticed was Argos

In their new catalogue, they advertised an item at €38, which is half the price they previously sold it for. Of course, what they failed to mention is that the previous price was twice the RRP, and it was only available in-store or online, i.e. not in the previous catalogue, allowing them to charge such an extortionate price relatively unnoticed

All they did was reduce the price to what it was actually worth

Czarcasm

KeithTS wrote: »

Ah I disagree on the principle here.
On quite a few occassions I've gotten a 3 course meal for 4 in good restaurants for 60 quid or whatever from Groupon. the food was top class and we've gone back since as a result so it worked well for the company giving the offer.

you just have to be clever and use common sense like but some of those sites have good offers on them if you sift through a couple of useless ones.

A three course dinner for €15 a head? It'd have to depend on the restaurant really but your most restaurants nowadays are offering three course dinners for €10 a head, some are offering two main course dinners for €10, €5 a head, so the idea of paying €15 a head, it'd want to be Marco Pierre Whites you're eating at for that to be considered a deal of any real value!

Call Me Jimmy

ye buy one, ye get one free, I SAYS YE BUY ONE YE GET WUN FREE

KeithTS

Czarcasm wrote: »

A three course dinner for €15 a head? It'd have to depend on the restaurant really but your most restaurants nowadays are offering three course dinners for €10 a head, some are offering two main course dinners for €10, €5 a head, so the idea of paying €15 a head, it'd want to be Marco Pierre Whites you're eating at for that to be considered a deal of any real value!

They were pretty decent places. Before buying anything like that I usually check out their Early birds, as I assume that's whats on offer with these, and if it makes sense to go with the deal I do. It all depends on what value we put on things as a consumer too. I'm more than happy to pay 60quid for a good evening out with friends sharing good food and some drinks.

€5 a head for 2 courses? Haven't seen that anywhere.

IvaBigWun

Re: Wallmart's as yet not appearing in the UK and Ireland. I thought they bought into Tescos?

Banjo String

IvaBigWun wrote: »

Re: Wallmart's as yet not appearing in the UK and Ireland. I thought they bought into Tescos?

Walmart is Asia iirc

Amirani

IvaBigWun wrote: »

Re: Wallmart's as yet not appearing in the UK and Ireland. I thought they bought into Tescos?

They own Asda as far as I'm aware.

SV

Czarcasm wrote: »

They sell the same tat as the €2 shops, except that they undercut them by 51c, so almost everything is €1.49, that's why people are raving about the "savings" :pac:

The actual wholesale cost per item to Poundland UK trading as Dealz in Ireland would only be 10c, so they're still making insane profits for stuff they could easily retail at 50c

To be fair, the stuff they sell is far better than any of the stuff in the €2 shops. In fact all of the foodstuffs they sell is brand stuff which is usually cheaper than supermarkets by a good 4-5 euro.

So whether or not they're making a massive profit or not, they're still getting the product to me cheaper than I can buy it anywhere else, so it's all good!

Eeden

fortwilliam wrote: »

This idea (Usually women) - "It was €100 and now it's only €60, so I am saving €40"

Yes, I agree. When you are spending money on something, you are never saving money. You are spending money.

(Not too sure about the "usually women" comment, though. I hear this one much more often from blokes.)

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo

Czarcasm wrote: »

A three course dinner for €15 a head? It'd have to depend on the restaurant really but your most restaurants nowadays are offering three course dinners for €10 a head, some are offering two main course dinners for €10, €5 a head, so the idea of paying €15 a head, it'd want to be Marco Pierre Whites you're eating at for that to be considered a deal of any real value!

I know there are some really good early bird set menus about but 10 or 5 euro a head seems like a bit crazy of a price. Restaurants won't stay open at 5 euro a head and even at 10 euro a head it can't exactly be that good quality wise, unless it's a really rigid set menu like veg soup, choice of 2 mains and dessert consisting of a coffee.

SV wrote: »

To be fair, the stuff they sell is far better than any of the stuff in the €2 shops. In fact all of the foodstuffs they sell is brand stuff which is usually cheaper than supermarkets by a good 4-5 euro.

So whether or not they're making a massive profit or not, they're still getting the product to me cheaper than I can buy it anywhere else, so it's all good!

Dealz is all good, they're basically a supermarket selling only dry/non perishable products for a big percentage less than everywhere else. I think they're absolutely fantastic for a lot of stuff.

IvaBigWun

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

I know there are some really good early bird set menus about but 10 or 5 euro a head seems like a bit crazy of a price. Restaurants won't stay open at 5 euro a head and even at 10 euro a head it can't exactly be that good quality wise

Unless its a Jimmy Chungs style stack 'em high and sell them cheap style restaurant. Chinese eateries are the only places Ive seen those kind of prices.