Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Steroid Sale Prices: Bogus Sales at Big Name Stores


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
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


source: ShopSmart's December/January 2008 issue.



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



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