We’re Not Gonna Take It Anymore! (Part 3)

August 27, 2014

Several weeks ago, I introduced the idea of challenging corporate financial policies that put the company ahead of the customer. I talked about how cancellation policies are not set in stone and how consumers have nothing to lose by requesting a refund of unused services despite what the cancellation policy says. Last week, I continued the discussion by challenging the notion that new-customer deals should only be available to new customers while existing customers should be satisfied with the status quo. For this week’s blog post, I’m taking on the notion that some deals are only good “for a limited time.”

I’m not gonna take limited-time only anymore!

Like a good consumer, I like to compare prices so when a lightning strike took out my office phone a few weeks ago, I hopped online and started looking around for a replacement. I checked the websites of several electronic retailers and noticed one that was offering a 20% discount on a particular model I was interested in. Now this was on Saturday and I knew I would be near the store on Sunday so I planned to visit the store the next day to see if the item was in stock.

When I visited the store the next day, I found the item I was looking for but instead of the discounted price it was listed at the full price. This confused me since just one day earlier I saw it online for less. I pulled out my smartphone and went to the aforementioned website only to find that the website was no longer showing the item at a discount either.

When I asked the sales representative about it, she informed me that “sales” only run from Sunday to Saturday. I asked her if she could sell it to me for the discounted price, seeing how I only missed it by a day (and I would have come in the day before had I known). She told me to talk to someone in customer service about it, which I did.

The result: obviously, I got the phone at the discounted price. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be blogging about it but this is not the first time I have experienced this. The same thing happened when my wife and I bought an Xbox for the kids at Christmas (don’t tell them; they think it came from Santa). The Xbox was on sale for “Black Friday only” but we were able to purchase it for the same price the next day. We know there is a markup on prices when we shop at a retail store and we know that there is nothing magical about the day of the week that makes an item worth more on some days and less on others (with some exceptions, of course) so why do we accept this arbitrary notion that we can only buy retail items at discount when there’s a sale going on?

I saw another item in this same electronics store that I purchased online for $30. The shelf price was $55. I asked about it and the clerk informed me that the price I paid was from a sale several weeks earlier. He then went on to say they would match the price of other retailers, which at the time was $40. Did you catch that? I could buy the item for $55 or $40.

The moral of the story is this: don’t assume the price on the shelf is the price you have to pay. Retail pricing is suggestive—that’s why it’s called the Manufacturer’s “Suggested”Retail Price (MSRP). It’s also why Dave Ramsey—love him or hate him—is a big proponent of never paying retail.

The secret is to ask questions. Has this item been on sale recently? When will this item be on sale next? Do you price match competitors? Would it cost less if I pay cash? Who else can I speak to about the pricing of this item? This is your money we’re talking about so speak up.

Over the last three weeks, I’ve shared with you opportunities to save money by NOT accepting the status quo. When it comes to YOUR money, what is it that YOU are “not gonna take” anymore? Please share stories of times when you’ve gone against the grain, along with the financial outcomes of your decision. I’d love to post these as badges of honor to fans of big hair and loud music.