The Soapbox III: the Art of Price-Matching

[Pulse]

... Its deception...

What did you expect out of the Melbourn-aliens anyway?

Aren't they all secretly "Decepticreeps"?

[MV75]

About price matching and beating it by a % le the kmart mention, I don't really believe in that. It lets a store consistantly sell something for more, and becomes "lazy" to what a competitor is paying. They'll only lower the price to what you should be paying when you come on in and "price match".

I say forget the whole ordeal and order overseas and save even a larger crapload of dollars.

Now THAT is my "global economy" given right, and is what is the thing to send the message that we pay too much locally.
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FIVE HUNDRED

[STL]

About price matching and beating it by a % le the kmart mention, I don't really believe in that. It lets a store consistantly sell something for more, and becomes "lazy" to what a competitor is paying. They'll only lower the price to what you should be paying when you come on in and "price match".

I say forget the whole ordeal and order overseas and save even a larger crapload of dollars.

Now THAT is my "global economy" given right, and is what is the thing to send the message that we pay too much locally.

Ultimately, I think what matters most is you derive the necessary utility from the purchase. I think things like paying too much locallly are never going to send a message (which is a topic I'll explore in another column) b/c Hasbro just don't care enough.

I think we shld order o/s if we can get it cheaper and it's possible if u hang out on eBay or get massive amts of stuff shipped.

Price matching isn't an ordeal though. It's kinda fun.

Whilst I don't have anything against price matching, I do have a problem with people trying to deceive a store - case in point, the movie voyager vs animated voyagers. This just shows that you're actively trying to con a store into giving you what you want rather than giving you what you are entitled to. Its deception, and if you are going to preach this to everyone, then you might as well tell everyone to do a Homer and move to the front of the queue by pretending you've got a disability. Price matching should be done with honesty, not through deception. The only exception to this however would be say if you bought a movie voyager and animated voyager and they charged you a lesser price - thats the store mistake. But to actively go to a store and claim that a animated voyager is the same as a movie voyager - that just shows a lack of moral integrity.

I wouldn't go as far to say that there's a lacking of moral integrity. The letter of the law is "Assorted Styles" which could be construed in broad or narrow sense. A broad sense would extend it to other lines. A narrow sense confine it to the movie line. I think its best viewed as a tactic that's up your sleeve and given the predatory overpricing that we face downunder, I think the issue of morals becomes rather blurry. It's an argument of means and ends so it depends on which side you talk. If you think means are of equal relevance to ends, then there's a problem. If, like myself and others, you believe the result is that you are achieve a just result then it's okay. I'm of the school of thought that we are ridiculously overcharged and preyed upon and have no qualms are employing this as a tactic in my armoury to achieve a fair result. Thus, it depends on perspective so I think we'll just have to agree to disagree.