Reader and commenter PAConsumerist alerts us to the deal of the century: A 2002 Dodge Neon for only $54,995 from Del Toyota of Thorndale, PA. We heard a rumor that it was previously owned by Jon Voight.
pricing
Drought To Affect Christmas Tree Prices
By 11.16.07
Christmas trees might be more expensive this year, thanks to a drought in the southeast, says NPR. Don’t worry, the trees didn’t die or anything, they’re just much more expensive to grow thanks to the water shortage.
Walmart "Saves The Average Family $2,500 A Year," But You Don't Actually Have To Shop There
By 11.13.07
Walmart’s new ad campaign says that the store saves the average American family $2,500 a year. What is doesn’t say is that you don’t actually have to shop at Walmart to take advantage of the savings.
Bad Weather In Europe Leads To Horrifying Shortage Of Good Beer
By 11.13.07
Oh no! NPR is reporting that bad weather in Europe has lead to decreased production of hops, a crucial ingredient of beer. The shortage is causing the price of fancy microbrewery beers to rise.
Walmart Fined $89,705 For Overcharging Wisconsin Customers
By 11.10.07
Walmart received an $89,705 fine after the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection found 280 weights and measures violations at nine Walmart stores. The gargantuan retailer failed to subtract the weight of packaging materials, or “tare weight,” when pricing bulk items like coffee, broccoli, and sweet potatoes.
Judy Cardin, section chief for weights and measures with the state, said that in the case of bulk coffee, the weight of the packaging materials was included when the price of the product was determined. The state had tested one-pound bags of Cameron brand coffee beans, which were found to be 3/100ths of a pound over the actual bagged content.
Lemon Pricing At Meijer Is Very Straightforward
By 11.8.07
I saw this in a Meijer store in Grand Rapids, MI this summmer. Finally got it off of my cell phone and thought I’d send it your way. I’m still confused by it. I believe they were actually $2 per lemon when I rang one up.
So, apparently the sign really means: “Lemons $2.00 each.” That’s a pricey lemon, we hope you did not buy it.
U.S. Government Guilty Of Passport Price Gouging?
By 11.6.07
NY Senator Chuck Schumer says that the state department is price gouging by charging $97 to process a passport. Apparently, it doesn’t cost nearly that much, according to a new congressional investigation.
Toys R Us Invites You To Save $-10
By 11.5.07
Ran into this sign over the weekend at the ToysRUs in Henderson, NV.
GameStop's Golden Price Tags Mean Higher Value, Not "Used"
By 11.5.07
The great thing about a used game is someone else has already worked out all the bugs and made it better—at least, that’s what we assume this GameStop wants us to believe, since they’ve got the used version priced $5 more than the brand new one. That’s why the sticker is golden, see, to show that it’s more valuable.
Best Buy: We Charge More For An Open Item
By 10.23.07
At first when reader Brian sent this photo of an open item that cost more than a new one, we thought, “HA! Stupid!”
Huggies Diapers, Scott Toilet Paper, Will Soon Be More Expensive
By 10.9.07
Consumer goods manufacturer Kimberly-Clark announced today that it was raising prices on a variety of products from Huggies diapers to Scott and Cottonelle bathroom tissue.
Walmart Will Not Price Match Other Walmarts
By 10.3.07
Walmart will price match any store…except other Walmarts or Walmart.com. From KJRH:
Apple Sued For iPhone "Price Discrimination"
By 9.30.07
A New Yorker who waited for hours to be one of the first to buy an iPhone is now suing Apple, says Apple Insider.
Best Buy Emails To Let You Know They Won't Be Honoring A Mistake In Their Ad
By 9.21.07
Several of our readers received this email from Best Buy, explaining that they won’t be honoring a mistake in the upcoming September 23, 2007 Best Buy ad.
How Big Is That Discount? The Last Digit Determines Consumers' Perception Of The Deal
By 9.10.07
According to a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research the last digit of a product’s price determines your perception of how much the item has been discounted.
Target: Putting Merchandise In Correct Bins Not Our Responsibility
By 9.10.07
Reader Marie went to the Target store in Biddeford, Maine and was told by the on-duty manager that “it is not the responsibility of the department manager or stocker” to ensure that the store’s bins actually contain the items that they are supposed to.
Thanks All The Same, Steve Jobs, But We'd Rather Have The Cash
By 9.7.07
In response to the announcement issued yesterday by Mr. Jobs, I would like to know how is it even reasonable to expect that pissed off customers WANT $100 towards more Apple gear? What good does $100 towards new stuff do, if I never plan to shop at Apple again as a result of this greedy stunt? I’m in the tech industry–one could reasonably expect that a new version and a lower price would happen around December, given the holidays and the fact that it’s 6 months after the launch. But this week, and a 33% cut? That’s outrageous, especially when the standard return policies for most smart retailers are 30, 60 or 90 days…not 14. Apple has just destroyed their brand in my eyes.
