Steroids have hit the sales racks. Many so-called sales (even at well-known stores) are a total fake-out, according to the ShopSmart's December/January 2008 issue.
ShopSmart --a Consumer Reports publication --has put together a sharp analysis of holiday sales. And the results confirmed some of our suspicions: Some discounts are fake.
"The next time you find yourself salivating over a 60-percent-off sale, don't scramble over to the store so fast. Those deals may not be as good as they appear," ShopSmart reports.
The magazine discovered that stores will inflate a price tag and THEN take the discount. As such, the so-called "original price," may be pumped up higher than even the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP).
ShopSmart tracked advertisements for three stores -- Kohl's, Macy's and Sears -- and, YES! there were some true bargains, but there were also many examples in which the discount seemed larger because of an inflated original price. The best shopping protection: Check out the prices online through a shopping portal before you go shopping.
Here are a few examples of sales on steroids.
Kohl's
Item: 12-pc knife set
MSRP: $130
Store Price: $220
Sale Price: $99
Store Discount: 55 percent
Actual Discount on MSRP: 24 percent
Macy's
Item: iron
MSRP: $30
Store Price: $50
Sale Price: $25
Store Discount: 50 percent
MSRP: $30
Store Price: $50
Sale Price: $25
Store Discount: 50 percent
Actual Discount on MSRP: 40 percent
Sears
Item: Blender
MSRP: $20
Store Price: $23
Sale Price: $20
Store Discount: 13 percent
Actual Discount on MSRP: 0 percent
Actual Discount on MSRP: 0 percent
Previous Posts Today:
5 Reasons Why I Have a Crush on My Parents' Retirement Magazines
What to Do After Losing a Job or Before the Pink Slip Arrives
Holiday Family Activities & More at Carnival of Family Life
______________
Digg!
The Frugal Duchess Booktique
The Frugal Duchess of Beauty Store
Book Shop of Fear
The Poetry & Drama Queen
Frugal Jazz & Blues
Frugal Comic Book Connection
__
No comments:
Post a Comment