The phrase, “But wait, there’s more!” is never good when it’s regarding another level of explanations that takes a deal down from something seemingly awesome, to something that is fine, but not as awesome as what you initially thought you were getting. Confused? So was Jed when he read a recent Peapod.com email.
For those not in the know, Peapod is a delivery service that brings groceries and other home items directly to your doorstep. It’s pretty great, which is why Jed is disappointed that their email offer was so darned intricate.
He write of his experience peeling back the layers:
I got an e-mail from Peapod.com with the subject line “Free Delivery When You Spend $30″, and the top of the graphic in the e-mail says “Get Free Delivery When You Buy $30*.” Beneath it, it specifies that the $30 has to be Reckitt-Benckiser products, but that too has an asterisk. In tiny print under the picture of products, it says that the offer is actually free delivery on orders of $100, if $30 of it is Reckitt-Benckiser products.
So, to review, first told free delivery if one buys $30, but no, it’s free delivery for $30 of a particular company’s products, but again, no, it’s actually free delivery on orders of $100 or more if at least $30 is said company’s products. Not acceptable!
Anything more than one asterisk is a bit excessive, no?
More From Consumerist
-
Which Is Worse To Find In Your Burger: Horsemeat Or Feces?
-
Home Depot Pushes Free Assembly That Isn’t All That Free
-
Abercrombie Kids Can’t Count To Three, Exists Outside Of Reality
-
Ex-Stupid Shipping Gangster Explains Why Your Purchases Are So Poorly Packaged
-
Do Dollar Stores Always Offer The Best Deal?
But wait! There’s more!*
* I make** more*** at home cheaper****!
Order now, because we can’t do this all day.
They’ll be here all week, thankya very much!
That’s what she said!
You are gonna love my nuts!
I don’t get that place. A student where I work gets them delivered once a month but they say they don’t service my area which is only 4 miles away.
I can top that, the Donatos in my area won’t deliver to my house because it is on the wrong side of the street, thus out of their service area.
Elaine knows what you’re going through.
The offer was only good for 4 days, too. BUY NOW! So we can send you another obfuscated coupon.
Worse is when they have an asterix but it doesn’t go anywhere. UK Heinz tomato ketchup bottles have “It’s our* sunripened tomatoes…” but there’s no subtext anywhere else.
Perhaps it was going to say that they’re not actually /their/ tomatoes but leased from someone and as the ketchup buyer I may be liable for Heinz’s failure to pay for them. Or something. Who knows?
I call that the “orphaned asterisk”. I also hate the offers that say “go to the store for more details”, but no one at the store has the details.
Oddly enough, Hienz not only grows and breeds its own tomatos but also sells tomatos to a large portion of ketchup manufacturers around the world. They breed their tomatos specifically for making ketchup (meat vs juice). They don’t give away or sell their recipe but they make a bundle on their tomato sales.
When I first read this it sounded like there was an asterisk, leading to an explanation, which had an additional asterisks. But looking at this, it seems that both asterisks on the right are there indicating that you should read the fine print at the bottom? Annoying that the deal is printed this way, but doesn’t seem too complicated….
I don’t know what that one sentence turned into a question. Apparently I am channeling map girl.
But, like, some people don’t have maps?
Maybe not complicated, but why not tell you the requirements at one time. It’s not like a Macy’s asterisk which leads to a list of everything that isn’t eligible. There’s plenty of room in the paragraph where they mention Reckitt-Benckiser.
Yeah it seems to be very misleading advertisement. Yes, there are the asterisks that you should read, but you shouldn’t have such a misleading title as “Get free delivery when you spend $30″ and then have it turn out you have to spend $100, and $30 of that has to be certain products.
Truly frugal people wouldn’t order groceries from Peapod anyway. They’re only fleecing people that already get fleeced.
Huh? PeaPod sells stuff for the same price – including sales – as the physical store, for a $6 delivery fee. Just how is that a rip-off?
Do you mean the $5? Even not counting the bus fare (I do not have a car) using PeaPod twice a month saves me at least three hours traipsing (twice, remember) through the store.
As I read your responses to this blatantly lying snake in the grass company,
I just know I love all you *guys.
*includes gals
Forget it. I’m going to the grocery store.
Terry Pratchett wrote this ad, obviously.