Shameful Practices of Toys R Us

[TheDirtyDigger]

Why does a 45gm bag of chips look the same and cost the same size as a 50gm bag of chips. Its things like these that seem under-handed IMO.

It's not just your opinion, it's the absolute truth. It is underhanded, deceptive and greed driven.

1. Hot Price
I think the general intention here is to showcase a product. The difference between whats being showcased vs. what's on sale is very clear.

It's clear to informed, intelligent, thinking creatures such as you and I Jd but to the general idiot populace and all the (mainly) mums out there buying these toys for their kids it is not. They see an oversized ticket, they mentally and immediately equate that with being an item on special. It is a sneaky marketing ploy.

I wish they'd just get be able to realize that if they sold for less, they would sell, more, and thus make more.

Hey fair go mate. This is Australia where people are still getting used to such concepts as colour television and being able to take a crap somewhere other than the backyard. We'll eventually cotton on to that whole 'sell cheaper, sell more' thing you Yanks do.

[roller]

being able to take a crap somewhere other than the backyard. o.

you mean like

the front yard right?

and whats a television?

[jaydisc]

Wow Tets, your pricing is clearly different. I wonder if it's a general WA thing or specific to your store. As bad as my TRU is, it ain't that bad.

What are the Animated Deluxes at other people's TRUs?

[Sleeve]

WOW Sight and Sound have had similar practices over the last few years. I work in a computer/electrical store so we're constantly looking at competitors catalogues, and one incident I remember was in the MP3 Player section of their catalogue all the 'sale' prices were the recommended retail prices, and they had simply added $20-30 on and said that was the rrp.

They did the same when XBOX 360's came out. The customer got a bonus pack with a game, wireless controller and face plate all worth $150, but they got it for free. WOW advertised if you paid $499 instead of $649 (the retail price on release), you got the bonus pack. Deceptive advertising.

When a former high-level staff member went for a job interview at the ACCC, he told them everything over the course of a few hours, never got the job, and the ACCC went to town on WOW.

[valkyrie_76]

One of the best price reduction tags was from Big W recently (well about 3 months ago anyway) and it was the Telstra Pre-Paid Broadband USB stick from $149 down to an amazing $148.99 with a grand saving of 1 cent.

[d*r*j*]

Was at Toys R Us yesterday... the one in Frankston. I really like this TRU because when the classics were scarce it was the only place that stocked them... or the only place that hadn't been depleted totally of stock. It's the TRU that time forgot.
Yesterday I saw premium starscream and some of those bad repaints from the first movie. Never really see children there... just the occassional adult with a mobile stuck to their ear... no doubt getting updates on the hot toys out there.

Getting back on topic. When the first movie came out TRU had a sale with leaders at $70 and deluxes at $20... can't remember the voyagers... didn't get any. I remember that TRU were leading the pack in terms of pricing, now they seem to have gotten greedy, but maybe the great prices on the first movie didn't do them any favours... Maybe having the hottest prices on the most popular toys just left them with empty shelves and poor excuses. I'm sure it didn't help their bottom line, especially during the xmas sales having such a poorly stocked line in the store... I mean, if you have to go to K mart/ Target or Myer to get your kid his Transformers... why not just get the rest of his (or maybe her) toys there as well? I think the new TRU prices are a much smarter way to go.

[kup]

Was at Toys R Us yesterday... the one in Frankston. I really like this TRU because when the classics were scarce it was the only place that stocked them... or the only place that hadn't been depleted totally of stock. It's the TRU that time forgot.
Yesterday I saw premium starscream and some of those bad repaints from the first movie. Never really see children there... just the occassional adult with a mobile stuck to their ear... no doubt getting updates on the hot toys out there.

Getting back on topic. When the first movie came out TRU had a sale with leaders at $70 and deluxes at $20... can't remember the voyagers... didn't get any. I remember that TRU were leading the pack in terms of pricing, now they seem to have gotten greedy, but maybe the great prices on the first movie didn't do them any favours... Maybe having the hottest prices on the most popular toys just left them with empty shelves and poor excuses. I'm sure it didn't help their bottom line, especially during the xmas sales having such a poorly stocked line in the store... I mean, if you have to go to K mart/ Target or Myer to get your kid his Transformers... why not just get the rest of his (or maybe her) toys there as well? I think the new TRU prices are a much smarter way to go.

You must be from a mirror universe in which Toys R Us are good

I have never seen TrU (at least the stores I visit) do anything but overcharge even during TF1. The only time they have something of acceptable value is when they make a pricing mistake.

[jaydisc]

Other than the recent AniVoyagers at $70, AniDeluxes at $40 (Only in WA?) and UniExclusiveUltras at $80, I haven't seen true overcharging per se. Toys R Us has pretty much charged exactly the Manufacturer's RECOMMENDED Retail pricing.

[dirge]

The "Hot Price" and "Great Value" and similar claims are not limited to TRU, but as DD alluded to, they're sneaky marketing ploys designed to fool the less savvy customer. They appeal to the desire to get a bargain while avoiding actually offering one.

I'm not going to point to TRU because this tactic is far too common - Coles, Woolworths, Dick Smith Electronics all do it (and likely many others I haven't noticed), but I find it an abhorent practice.

[d*r*j*]

You must be from a mirror universe in which Toys R Us are good

I have never seen TrU (at least the stores I visit) do anything but overcharge even during TF1. The only time they have something of acceptable value is when they make a pricing mistake.

When I found all of those (sold out?) Classics in Frankston, so many moons ago, the retail price was $24.95... this is a very good price in Australia. When I went to TRU in Northland to enquire about the TRU Soundwave the staff were very helpful. I ended up getting Soundwave from ebay (local seller/ pick up) but that was my fault for been late to that party. I found Masterpiece Starscream when it first came out for $100 in TRU with no problems.
In my world TRU are great... I don't rely on them and don't even go there on a regular basis, but without them I wouldn't have many of my favorite transforming toys.

I laughed when they had g1 movie jazz for $50, because movie jazz is one of my least favorite toys... only got it because my girl really liked jazz in the movie. They have some good sale items sometimes.

I don't understand this board sometimes... there are a lot of members that condone and endorse the manipulation of store policies to gain personal advantage... yet everyone is up in arms when the stores don't treat you like loved and trusted friends.