Target 20% off toys - 26 Sept to 02 Oct

[AJ_Prime]

Sounds like someone is getting impatient. They have to make it fair for everybody because if everyone did that, there would be none left come sale day.

Haha yes, def getting impatient . I hear what you're saying, but they're not advertised in the catalogue anyway. Also if everyone bought it for the sale price pre-sale, the store is still winning.

So close, yet so far. Can I wait two days?

[Gofigure]

Never heard of any store allowing customers to buy an item for a sale price when the sale was not actually happening

I think it's a fair arrangement for everybody. What's to stop me strolling into Kmart now and saying hey I want this this this but I'm not paying retail pricd but July toy sale price?

I can see how stores have to get pretty strict with this stuff.

[griffin]

For the store, they have the potential of making an extra $30 if they sell it before the sale, to someone who doesn't know that there is a sale coming.
The risk to you is should you grab it now, or wait and hope that there is still one left when the sale starts.

[Lint]

I went into my local Target today, put a Metroplex in the trolley and approached the service desk. I requested that they sell it to me for the sale price of $119 that is happening in 2 days time. They tell me they can't sell it to me for that price earlier than the sale date.

Can someone please explain to me the commercial logic in refusing a sale to someone at a price they will be offering in two days time? I mean, they can either sell it to me now for $119 or they can sell it to me in two days for the same price. Is there really a need to wait until the sale date? Whatever happened to offer and acceptance? I offered them a fair price, no less than what I would pay in a couple of days, so they're not losing out at all...

So I told them, no problems, I'll come back in two days and buy it for that price. WTF?!

Well the commercial logic is that some idiot person may come along and buy it for $150 before the sale. Non-commercially theres also the whole fairness factor to other customers by selling items at sales prices before the actual sale date.

Not having a dig at you btw you are well within your rights as a customer to make an offer but they are also well within their rights (for the reasons above) to refuse it. If they allowed this they may as well just sell toys at 20% off to anyone who asks because they're bound to have a 20% off sale at some point in the near future. (I actually wish they would do this )

[llamatron]

If your charisma score is high enough you can buy one now and then return it + repurchase it at the lower price on Thursday.

[AJ_Prime]

Never heard of any store allowing customers to buy an item for a sale price when the sale was not actually happening

I think it's a fair arrangement for everybody. What's to stop me strolling into Kmart now and saying hey I want this this this but I'm not paying retail pricd but July toy sale price?

I can see how stores have to get pretty strict with this stuff.

But you can do that. The price on the shelf is simply their offer. They are offering to sell you something for that price. You still have the right to negotiate the price. They don't have to accept the counter proposal, but there are plenty of places that will. The only reason they don't put a cheaper price on the shelf is simply to maximise their profits. Most people won't haggle and they know that. But there's no law stopping you from trying.

At the same time, if they aren't willing to sell for the lower price you are offering to buy their item for, you are equally within your rights to refuse the purchase. The entire transaction is merely an agreement between two parties to exchange goods and money. The value is always negotiable, depending on how far either party is willing to move.

A sale is merely the stores offer to sell you their goods at a lower price than normal between certain dates. The only boundaries on that is what they choose to set. As a policy, they will tell all their ground floor staff not to sell goods at the sale price before the sale. That way they can still make their normal margin on the goods up until that date. If you were to negotiate with a more senior staff member there is a chance you may receive the item at a price that both parties agree is fair, regardless of timing, simply because they have more power to make that decision. But that depends on the person you speak to.

Edit: Well how about that? While I was typing this up, more replies appeared. Thanks guys for you input. Lint, I completely agree with what you're saying. Llamatron, my charisma score probably isn't high enough to do that LOL. But you're right, if you had the assertiveness to pursue a negotiation all the way you could probably get some joy on a day to day basis with your purchases. But it's usually easier to just pay the shelf price, unless you're particularly passionate about something (like Metroplex for example ).

[Freya]

Do what some of us did in the past, buy at full price, when the sale start, return it and get full refund then buy it again, just to piss them off...lol

[AJ_Prime]

Offer accepted . $119 two days before the sale. I must have more charisma than I thought.

Manager of the toy section seemed like a reasonable chap.

[pw_sd]

Probably you may purchase him now, and come back in two days to do a refund, also repurchase him again.

[Gofigure]

Stand corrected

Never ever have I ever been able to get a store to change its price, on anything. In particular, never changing to a sale price from a current retail price

Respect.hehe