Why is PE so misleading about sales prices.

[czag]

I have only had positive experiences with PE for the past 8 years, and they have always done and given me everything that they said they would for the price I have paid. So it makes me wonder why they have a habit of misleading people about how much of a discount they are actually getting on some sale items. Here is an example:

This is on sale for $13.00. Here it says that it "was" $18.47 when it has had an everyday price of $15.82 for more than 3 years. When you click on the item, it gives you the list price of $23.99, when the catalog list $21.99 as the list price and they have never sold it at any of those 3 prices. They give 3 different retail prices and none are correct. I think it is a bit slimy to tell me you are giving me a 45% discount when it is really only a 17.8% discount.

I hate to knock a company that has given me good customer service, but advertising misleading discounts is not an uncommon occurrence for them.

PE, you have reasonable prices and decent sale prices(especially some DODs). IMO you do not have to resort to these misleading practices.

Chris

[dwigle]

I have only had positive experiences with PE for the past 8 years, and they have always done and given me everything that they said they would for the price I have paid. So it makes me wonder why they have a habit of misleading people about how much of a discount they are actually getting on some sale items. Here is an example:

This is on sale for $13.00. Here it says that it "was" $18.47 when it has had an everyday price of $15.82 for more than 3 years. When you click on the item it gives you the list price of $20.99, which they have never sold it at. They give 2 different retail prices and neither one is correct. I think it is a bit slimy to tell me you are giving me a 45% discount when it is really only a 17.8% discount.

I hate to knock a company that has given me good customer service, but advertising misleading discounts is not an uncommon occurrence for them.

PE, you have reasonable prices and decent sale prices(especially some DODs). IMO you do not have to resort to these misleading practices.

Chris

One listing says it's 45% the list price, the other listing shows it as 30% off the "was" price. Both appear to be accurate.

[czag]

One listing says it's 45% the list price, the other listing shows it as 30% off the "was" price. Both appear to be accurate.

What? Nothing is correct about either one. The item is 17.8% off of there normal everyday price. It is a lie to say it was $18.47, it never was $18.47. What is a "list price", show me where someone has it listed at $21.99 or $23.99 and why on earth do you have 2 completely different list prices? Giving 2 different list prices seems as though they are intentionally trying to confuse the customer. Even car dealerships have clearer pricing.

Chris

[wg_ski]

Never pay any attention to a "list" or a "was" price - just buy it on the basis of what it is right now. If it represents good value buy it, if not, don't. Confusing the consumer is part of the game everywhere - it's your job not to be confused.

I predict a little "lock" icon showing up on this thread in the near future....

[patrickm]

What? Nothing is correct about either one. The item is 17.8% off of there normal everyday price. It is a lie to say it was $18.47, it never was $18.47. What is a "list price", show me where someone has it listed at $21.99 or $23.99 and why on earth do you have 2 completely different list prices? Giving 2 different list prices seems as though they are intentionally trying to confuse the customer.

i agree that the "list" prices are often meaningless, particulary for buyouts that immediately went into being specials and were never previously stocked (like the blue bravox woofers, for example, which i bought a bunch of and never remember paying $18.00 for), but i think the "was" prices were correct and based on the previous normal everyday price... like the RS125, which is listed on sale for $23, 22% off the 'was' price of $29.65.

however, i think the catalog is not intended to confuse, but it's just another example of different editing/updating processes between the catalog and website. how many threads have we seen about how the t/s specs on the datasheet, website, and catalog are all different? really doubt any of it's intentional.

but i also agree that this really doesn't influence my purchases either negatively or positively -- the customer service far outweighs these inconveniences, and i don't think i'm overly confused into buying things i wouldn't normally.

[dwigle]

What? Nothing is correct about either one. The item is 17.8% off of there normal everyday price. It is a lie to say it was $18.47, it never was $18.47. What is a "list price", show me where someone has it listed at $21.99 or $23.99 and why on earth do you have 2 completely different list prices? Giving 2 different list prices seems as though they are intentionally trying to confuse the customer. Even car dealerships have clearer pricing.

Chris

I'm not seeing PE claim any discounted price off of your "normal everyday price".

I do see 45% off List Price of 23.99 = $13

I also see 30% off "was" price of 18.47 = $13

You may not like the fact they aren't claiming a 17% discount off a price specified by you but their claims are completely accurate. Read carefully and do the math.

[czag]

Never pay any attention to a "list" or a "was" price - just buy it on the basis of what it is right now. If it represents good value buy it, if not, don't. Confusing the consumer is part of the game everywhere - it's your job not to be confused.

I predict a little "lock" icon showing up on this thread in the near future....

This practice is not defensible. PE is intentionally misleading customers. I have done business with more than a few retail chains(as a supplier), and none of them ever gave false original retail prices when listing sale prices. It is definetly not the norm. You say savvy, I say slimy.

If I went to this site for the first time any time during this 2 month "sale", I would have no way of knowing what the real everyday price was. So my "job" would be impossible. And this, of course, is the reason they do it.

If PE does lock it, I would only ask that if they have a legitimate reason to list fake retail prices, that they please explain.

Chris

[lunchmoney]

It's better to take this up with PE directly than to post about it on the forum.

[johnnyrichards]

Well, thread content aside, this is my first experience with the new product page experience on PE. I really like it.

Now, if we could only get an "empty" button on the shopping cart page

[czag]

I'm not seeing PE claim any discounted price off of your "normal everyday price".

I do see 45% off List Price of 23.99 = $13

I also see 30% off "was" price of 18.47 = $13

You may not like the fact they aren't claiming a 17% discount off a price specified by you but their claims are completely accurate. Read carefully and do the math.

It is not accurate at all because it never "was" $18.47, and the list price is not their actual list price. So that makes the ad completely inaccurate. I am not specifying a price, they are the ones that have specified it as the everyday price. If I say something "was" true and I know it never "was" true, then I have lied. I never said their math was bad, I said they are not giving accurate list or was prices.

Chris

[czag]

It's better to take this up with PE directly than to post about it on the forum.

They have made the ad public, so it is fare game.

BTW, I do like the new product page.

Chris

[rogoll]

Isn't the "List" price the MSRP?

[dwigle]

It is not accurate at all because it never "was" $18.47, and the list price is not their actual list price. So that makes the ad completely inaccurate. I am not specifying a price, they are the ones that have specified it as the everyday price. If I say something "was" true and I know it never "was" true, then I have lied. I never said their math was bad, I said they are not giving accurate list or was prices.

Chris

How do you know what the list price is? Are you sure they've never sold this item for $18.47? Or are you speculating?

[jheizer]

Yeah sure it will disappear as well. Just like the thread where we were talking about stock counts. I am still waiting for those speakers that I ordered that were listed as in stock from end of December... Hopefully they actually come in stock this time next week.

Speaking of the new design where are the spec PDFs now? Or am I just dumb and not seeing them on the few pages I have checked...

[Deward Hastings]

how much of a discount they are actually getting

Nobody is getting *any* "discount" . . . merchandise for sale has a price . . . the price it is currently offered for. All else is "marketing", and should be ignored. Some vendors (Harbor Freight is far worse than PE in this regard) constantly shift prices (that's sometimes called "has sales") to "play" their market . . . a clever marketer will watch for things often bought in combination and put one part of such combinations "on sale" knowing that they can make it up on the other items usually bought with it, or bought to get "free shipping" (there is no "free shipping", it is always included in the price).

You check prices with other vendors or on e-bay before you buy, don't you? You know that you can find "price histories" on most items, don't you? Prudent shoppers can play the system too, buying *only* the sale item(s) and not spending their "saving" on some other (overpriced) trinkets. Don't expect the seller to do your "due dilligence" for you. That's just how it works. "Free Market". "Capitalism". All that good stuff.

[djg]

I have only had positive experiences with PE for the past 8 years, and they have always done and given me everything that they said they would for the price I have paid. So it makes me wonder why they have a habit of misleading people about how much of a discount they are actually getting on some sale items. Here is an example:

This is on sale for $13.00. Here it says that it "was" $18.47 when it has had an everyday price of $15.82 for more than 3 years. When you click on the item, it gives you the list price of $23.99, when the catalog list $21.99 as the list price and they have never sold it at any of those 3 prices. They give 3 different retail prices and none are correct. I think it is a bit slimy to tell me you are giving me a 45% discount when it is really only a 17.8% discount.

I hate to knock a company that has given me good customer service, but advertising misleading discounts is not an uncommon occurrence for them.

PE, you have reasonable prices and decent sale prices(especially some DODs). IMO you do not have to resort to these misleading practices.

Chris

For a rant, I give it a 3 out of 10. Buy your stuff somewhere else.

[nbuk]

For a rant, I give it a 3 out of 10. Buy your stuff somewhere else.

+1, regardless of marketing strategies, I think PE price well, and back it up with stellar customer service, and it does not upset me to see a little marketing "Jiggery Pokery" on their part when they sell so reasonably that folks can, and do re-sell this stuff for far more on Fleabay. C'mon mate, ya cant diss PE for trying to make a buck.

[nbuk]

"I hate to knock a company that has given me good customer service."


???, Then dont !

[czag]

For a rant, I give it a 3 out of 10. Buy your stuff somewhere else.

For a reply, I give it a zero. Go read another thread.

I agree that their prices are more than reasonable, that is why I already said it in the original post. I am just calling them out on what I feel to be a misleading practice. To all of you that say I should buy somewhere else, do you stop being a fan of your favorite sports team when they hire a bad coach or sign a bad player? Do you divorce your wife when she constantly ask you to put the lid down? No, you just complain about it a little and move on. Get my point. I am just giving voice to a reasonable criticism, I do not have any plans to stop buying from them. This is the only complaint that I have with PE. I do not think this is any worse than some of the other threads that I have seen that bash PE's packaging.

I thought this might happen. It almost never fails that a lot of people here will not stand for any type of valid complaint against PE. I have not misled or lied about any of the info I posted, and I have not slandered PE in any way. My assertion would have to be false for it to slander. Everything I posted is true, and I stand by it. PE can not say the same for its advertising. Just because others do it does not make it acceptable. It just makes it common. IMO PE is exceptional in almost everything they do, but not in this case.

Moving on.......................................now.

Chris

[fastbike1]

A lot of the sale / buyout stuff has never has spec pdfs, but rather info in the description. Then again the spec pdfs are found in the Specifications tab where they've always been.

So I guess I pick your second choice.

Speaking of the new design where are the spec PDFs now? Or am I just dumb and not seeing them on the few pages I have checked...