Adventures in mispricing and SOB managers

The Cheapest Ass Gamer

The Cheapest Ass Gamer

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I was at Kmart in York, Pennsylvania, yesterday, which typically has zero good deals on games. I looked in the glass case and they had an official PS1 LCD screen inside with a yellow sticker that looked like this:

$12.99

REDUCED

$78.00

I had been looking for a good deal on one of these, so I wanted it. I looked for someone to open the thing, and nobody was there. I eventually had to go to the main service desk to get someone. She comes over and unlocks the case and it rings up at $78. So I pointed out the $12.99 price. "It must be a mistake, the price is actually $78." After her refusing to sell it for 12 bucks, she calls a manager over with a stupid-ass nametag that says "Store Coach Jim." The conversation went like this:

Cashier: "He wants it for $12."
Jim: "What?"
Cashier: "It rings up at $78, but there's a mistake on the price tag."
Jim: "Ain't gonna happen." (At this point, the SOB starts to walk away)
Me: "The tag says $12.99"
Jim: "It must have been marked up from $12 to $78."
Me: "Well $12 is the lowest price on the tag, and you're obligated to sell it for the lowest listed price." (From working in retail and having to scrape price tags off of marked-up items for hours, I'm pretty sure this is PA state law)
Jim: "Absolutely not."

He then walked away and the cashier put it right back in the glass case. I'm really dumbfounded that they messed up either on the sticker or in the system and that they refuse to sell it for their price. Isn't it generally expected that stores sell for the listed price when they made a mistake?? I'm sending a complaint in to the Attorney General and we'll see where it goes from there.
 
I went in and found 4 penny guides.2 different guides.I took them to the register and the clerk rang them up.She saw the total of four cents and looked dumbfounded.She called the manager over and asked what was wrong.The manager(an overweight hillbilly with a mullet,seriously) looked at it and said: "The price is reduced because there is something objectional in the book you cannot see therefore I cannot sell it to you."I told her that is not the case that it was marked down because of a clearance due to the guide being old.Besides I told her.I'm 19.So anyways she preced in saying I could only choose 1 guide out of 4.After I chose she said she had to destroy the others and walked away with the guides.She also told me they have fired other employies for selling 1c guides.I have never been put through this for a penny guide.
 
[quote name='longdillon1']I went in and found 4 penny guides.2 different guides.I took them to the register and the clerk rang them up.She saw the total of four cents and looked dumbfounded.She called the manager over and asked what was wrong.The manager(an overweight hillbilly with a mullet,seriously) looked at it and said: "The price is reduced because there is something objectional in the book you cannot see therefore I cannot sell it to you."I told her that is not the case that it was marked down because of a clearance due to the guide being old.Besides I told her.I'm 19.So anyways she preced in saying I could only choose 1 guide out of 4.After I chose she said she had to destroy the others and walked away with the guides.She also told me they have fired other employies for selling 1c guides.I have never been put through this for a penny guide.[/QUOTE]
That's pretty odd, I just picked up 8 at BB a bit ago and the employee just laughed at the price.
 
[quote name='The Cheapest Ass Gamer']
He then walked away and the cashier put it right back in the glass case. I'm really dumbfounded that they messed up either on the sticker or in the system and that they refuse to sell it for their price. Isn't it generally expected that stores sell for the listed price when they made a mistake?? I'm sending a complaint in to the Attorney General and we'll see where it goes from there.[/QUOTE]

So you're saying they put it back in the case without even correcting the sticker price? They're just asking for trouble...

And yes, stores will usually honor the sticker price though in this case the difference was huge (which is probably why they didn't honor it).
 
There's a decent chance that it was not a mis-price in the first place. I don't know how many liberties you already took with the conversation, but I would have preferred it go something more like this (I don't think it would have helped any):

-----

Cashier: "He wants it for $12."

Customer: "Actually, I want it for the price it is marked."

Jim: "What?"

Cashier: "It rings up at $78, but there's a mistake on the price tag."

Customer: "Do you really want to start off with a lie? At most, you could say 'I think there is a mistake on the price tag.' You are merely speculating. The tag clearly states that the price has been reduced."

Jim: "Ain't gonna happen." (At this point, the SOB starts to walk away)

Customer: "Pardon me, 'coach'. I understand that you are aiming for a laid back atmosphere here, and I can deal with the 'cute' little nametags (although I find the whole thing somewhat pathetic, myself), but that doesn't give you an excuse to make a flippant remark to a customer and rudely walk away. We do not live in a sitcom.

Jim: "It must have been marked up from $12 to $78."

Customer: "I see, so, it has been 'reduced' from a lower price to a higher one? That doesn't really make much sense, now does it, 'coach'? These things came out several years ago, which is a lifetime in terms of personal electronics, specifically videogames. This is designed to work with the Playstation One... I don't know if you are familiar at all with videogame consoles, but to put things in perspective, the Playstation 2, which was designed to replace the Playstation One, is nearing the end of its lifecycle to make way for the Playstation 3. It was most likely reduced to make room on the shelf for something that actually stands a chance of selling. Is there someone here to whom I could speak who actually is familiar with home electronics? Perhaps the department manager who chose to reduce the price of this item in the first place?"

To which Jim would probably reply, "Nope".

Customer (what you posted that you said): "Well $12 is the lowest price on the tag, and you're obligated to sell it for the lowest listed price." (From working in retail and having to scrape price tags off of marked-up items for hours, I'm pretty sure this is PA state law)

Jim: "Absolutely not."

He then walked away and the cashier put it right back in the glass case.

Customer: "Ok, 'coach', I've asked you not to be flip with me, but I guess I'm not getting through. You do not walk away from a customer, it is just very bad form, and I shouldn't have to tell you that. I'd like to see the manager."

Jim: "I am the manager."

Customer: "Well, there's part of the problem, right there. It is a pretty bad idea for a 'team' to have the same person be both 'coach' and manager. I just assumed since you were the 'coach', that there was a manager above you who could make the actual business decisions. If you are, in fact, the manager, might I recommend putting that on your nametag. It might be less confusing. I know a lot of stores are doing it these days -- giving the staff name tags indicating what they actually do. I know I said earlier that I was ok with the nametag thing, but I was just being polite, which is something else you could try to boost business. Anyhow, as I'm sure you expected, I do intend to complain to the district manager about my experience here with you, and how you were flippant and rude, unhelpful, and allowed yourself to be prejudiced by the cashier, rather than listen to what a customer had to say.

Jim: "Prejudiced? What do you mean?" (assuming he didn't just walk away again)

Customer: "Be honest, if the first thing the cashier had said to you had been 'this item has been reduced to $12.99, but it hasn't been updated in the computer', instead of 'he wants it for $12, which, by the way, makes it sound like I arbitrarily came up with the price I wanted to pay and asked for it, but it rings up for $78', this conversation would have been over 5 minutes ago, I would have bought an item that I wanted, you would have been able to get back to your other job responsibilities, and your store would have the extra shelf space that it needs for new products that haven't been sitting on the shelf collecting dust for 3 years. Instead of you being happy, me being happy, and the store, if you will allow me to use poetic license for a moment and grant the store human emotions, being happy, you have instead wasted everyone's time. That is simply not good conflict resolution, and I think the district manager should be made aware of it. Please get me his or her number."

----------

Of course, you'd have kicked out or ignored long before the end. Anyhow, I'd start with the district manager and give him or her the opportunity to fix the problem before escalating it to a legal matter. I don't know PA's truth in advertising laws, but I know in many states, the store has to sell for the advertised (and advertising includes price tags) price, unless they can clearly demonstrate that the price was made in error. I don't know if this is the case in PA, and I don't know how stores generally go about proving a price was made in error. Enough stores have marked these things down to around the same price for a reasonable person to assume that the $12.99 was accurate. If they put it back in the case with the same sticker on it, though, then by the time anything gets done, it will probably already have been sold to someone for $12.99 while a different 'coach' is at bat (I am misusing their analogy. I did it on purpose, they misused it ,presumably, by accident. Which is worse?).

Sorry for the long winded post, but it really annoys me when a store employee, especially a manager or CSR, is disrespectful without provocation. I understand that there are situations in which they are pushed too far, and in those situations, I sympathize with them, but 'coach' Jim was, at least from The Cheapest Ass Gamer's account, impudent from the get-go.
 
Me: "Well $12 is the lowest price on the tag, and you're obligated to sell it for the lowest listed price." (From working in retail and having to scrape price tags off of marked-up items for hours, I'm pretty sure this is PA state law)
Jim: "Absolutely not."

is it for CA too? most of the games from my kmart are like that.
 
[quote name='ericx']Me: "Well $12 is the lowest price on the tag, and you're obligated to sell it for the lowest listed price." (From working in retail and having to scrape price tags off of marked-up items for hours, I'm pretty sure this is PA state law)
Jim: "Absolutely not."

is it for CA too? most of the games from my kmart are like that.[/QUOTE]

It is illegal in all states (bait and switch) so they may not be obligated to sell it at that price but they are breaking the law.
 
[quote name='asaraa']What happened to "the customer is always right?"[/QUOTE]

BWAHHAHAHAHAH, *whipes tears away*, good one.
 
[quote name='dhrez']It is illegal in all states (bait and switch) so they may not be obligated to sell it at that price but they are breaking the law.[/QUOTE]

He's right. They must honor the price ticketed. Do you have a camera phone or digital camera? If so, take a picture of the screen with the $12.99 sticker on it, in case they take it off, this way you have proof to show higher ups.
 
[quote name='dhrez']It is illegal in all states (bait and switch) so they may not be obligated to sell it at that price but they are breaking the law.[/QUOTE]

Why does no one actually know what bait and switch is?

Bait and switch is advertising an item for a low price, but when the customer gets there you tell them you're sold out and try to sell them a similar item.

Basically, got a bunch of Panasonic tvs you want to sell but Sonys are the big thing? Advertise the Sonys cheap, then switch out for the Panasonic. Most customers will be so set on buying the tv and since they drove all the way out there will buy the shittier model anyway.
 
awhile ago I remember I was in Sam Goody and I saw a Bleeding Gums Murphy with a clearance tag of like 2 bucks so I went to get it. It rang up for like 4cents I was excited, clerk called over a manager, manager said this means that it needs to be sent back for being defective or something. I tried to give him a nickel but he took it away and I was sad.
 
[quote name='EndlessChris']Basically, got a bunch of Panasonic tvs you want to sell but Sonys are the big thing? Advertise the Sonys cheap, then switch out for the Panasonic. Most customers will be so set on buying the tv and since they drove all the way out there will buy the shittier model anyway.[/QUOTE]

So... They'd buy the Sony's that weren't in stock? Zing!
 
[quote name='guessed']There's a decent chance that it was not a mis-price in the first place. I don't know how many liberties you already took with the conversation, but I would have preferred it go something more like this (I don't think it would have helped any):

-----

Cashier: "He wants it for $12."

Customer: "Actually, I want it for the price it is marked."

Jim: "What?"

Cashier: "It rings up at $78, but there's a mistake on the price tag."

Customer: "Do you really want to start off with a lie? At most, you could say 'I think there is a mistake on the price tag.' You are merely speculating. The tag clearly states that the price has been reduced."

Jim: "Ain't gonna happen." (At this point, the SOB starts to walk away)

Customer: "Pardon me, 'coach'. I understand that you are aiming for a laid back atmosphere here, and I can deal with the 'cute' little nametags (although I find the whole thing somewhat pathetic, myself), but that doesn't give you an excuse to make a flippant remark to a customer and rudely walk away. We do not live in a sitcom.

Jim: "It must have been marked up from $12 to $78."

Customer: "I see, so, it has been 'reduced' from a lower price to a higher one? That doesn't really make much sense, now does it, 'coach'? These things came out several years ago, which is a lifetime in terms of personal electronics, specifically videogames. This is designed to work with the Playstation One... I don't know if you are familiar at all with videogame consoles, but to put things in perspective, the Playstation 2, which was designed to replace the Playstation One, is nearing the end of its lifecycle to make way for the Playstation 3. It was most likely reduced to make room on the shelf for something that actually stands a chance of selling. Is there someone here to whom I could speak who actually is familiar with home electronics? Perhaps the department manager who chose to reduce the price of this item in the first place?"

To which Jim would probably reply, "Nope".

Customer (what you posted that you said): "Well $12 is the lowest price on the tag, and you're obligated to sell it for the lowest listed price." (From working in retail and having to scrape price tags off of marked-up items for hours, I'm pretty sure this is PA state law)

Jim: "Absolutely not."

He then walked away and the cashier put it right back in the glass case.

Customer: "Ok, 'coach', I've asked you not to be flip with me, but I guess I'm not getting through. You do not walk away from a customer, it is just very bad form, and I shouldn't have to tell you that. I'd like to see the manager."

Jim: "I am the manager."

Customer: "Well, there's part of the problem, right there. It is a pretty bad idea for a 'team' to have the same person be both 'coach' and manager. I just assumed since you were the 'coach', that there was a manager above you who could make the actual business decisions. If you are, in fact, the manager, might I recommend putting that on your nametag. It might be less confusing. I know a lot of stores are doing it these days -- giving the staff name tags indicating what they actually do. I know I said earlier that I was ok with the nametag thing, but I was just being polite, which is something else you could try to boost business. Anyhow, as I'm sure you expected, I do intend to complain to the district manager about my experience here with you, and how you were flippant and rude, unhelpful, and allowed yourself to be prejudiced by the cashier, rather than listen to what a customer had to say.

Jim: "Prejudiced? What do you mean?" (assuming he didn't just walk away again)

Customer: "Be honest, if the first thing the cashier had said to you had been 'this item has been reduced to $12.99, but it hasn't been updated in the computer', instead of 'he wants it for $12, which, by the way, makes it sound like I arbitrarily came up with the price I wanted to pay and asked for it, but it rings up for $78', this conversation would have been over 5 minutes ago, I would have bought an item that I wanted, you would have been able to get back to your other job responsibilities, and your store would have the extra shelf space that it needs for new products that haven't been sitting on the shelf collecting dust for 3 years. Instead of you being happy, me being happy, and the store, if you will allow me to use poetic license for a moment and grant the store human emotions, being happy, you have instead wasted everyone's time. That is simply not good conflict resolution, and I think the district manager should be made aware of it. Please get me his or her number."

----------

Of course, you'd have kicked out or ignored long before the end. Anyhow, I'd start with the district manager and give him or her the opportunity to fix the problem before escalating it to a legal matter. I don't know PA's truth in advertising laws, but I know in many states, the store has to sell for the advertised (and advertising includes price tags) price, unless they can clearly demonstrate that the price was made in error. I don't know if this is the case in PA, and I don't know how stores generally go about proving a price was made in error. Enough stores have marked these things down to around the same price for a reasonable person to assume that the $12.99 was accurate. If they put it back in the case with the same sticker on it, though, then by the time anything gets done, it will probably already have been sold to someone for $12.99 while a different 'coach' is at bat (I am misusing their analogy. I did it on purpose, they misused it ,presumably, by accident. Which is worse?).

Sorry for the long winded post, but it really annoys me when a store employee, especially a manager or CSR, is disrespectful without provocation. I understand that there are situations in which they are pushed too far, and in those situations, I sympathize with them, but 'coach' Jim was, at least from The Cheapest Ass Gamer's account, impudent from the get-go.[/QUOTE]


sure are wordy aint' ya?
 
Well, while the price was wrong, there are certain laws to protect the stores. If the price is obviously wrong (going for $78 to $12) they are NOT entitled to sell it to you. Its such a huge drop, as is obviously a misprice. Now if it was $60 reduced from $78, sure, you could argue, but were talking about over a $50 difference in the price. However, I would still call their DM and see if he can do anything.
 
[quote name='asaraa']What happened to "the customer is always right?"[/QUOTE]

The moron that coined that phrase had his entire buisness go under.

If you go into a store with that phrase in you're mind, or EVER use it, I guarantee you that you will get laughed at. I have personally laughed at many people who said that BS to me.
 
[quote name='gizmogc']The moron that coined that phrase had his entire buisness go under.

If you go into a store with that phrase in you're mind, or EVER use it, I guarantee you that you will get laughed at. I have personally laughed at many people who said that BS to me.[/QUOTE]

My work experience at TRU tells the exact opposite. If you were somebody who looked like they had money, management would almost always bend over to appease you.
 
[quote name='gizmogc']Well, while the price was wrong, there are certain laws to protect the stores. If the price is obviously wrong (going for $78 to $12) they are NOT entitled to sell it to you. Its such a huge drop, as is obviously a misprice. Now if it was $60 reduced from $78, sure, you could argue, but were talking about over a $50 difference in the price. However, I would still call their DM and see if he can do anything.[/QUOTE]

I'm a manager in retail and I'll tell you what. We are obligated to sell the item if it's mismaked for whatever the price is. That means that if an item is price for $9.99 and it actually costs $99.99 we have to give it for $9.99. That goes as well if we placed a promotional price on a display by mistake. It is better to lose the difference on the product than it is to loose the customer for life or get a big fine by the state. When there's a price marked, it has to be honored. Think about as well that the manager is not loosing anything personally. They're just using their "power" to demean the customer. Pretty stupid I must say. I don't know why people take it so personal and make their own personal policies as opposed to doing what's right.
 
[quote name='Strider Turbulence']My work experience at TRU tells the exact opposite. If you were somebody who looked like they had money, management would almost always bend over to appease you.[/QUOTE]

That's not 'the customer is always right', that's 'money is always right'. :D
 
[quote name='drsuper23']I'm a manager in retail and I'll tell you what. We are obligated to sell the item if it's mismaked for whatever the price is. That means that if an item is price for $9.99 and it actually costs $99.99 we have to give it for $9.99. That goes as well if we placed a promotional price on a display by mistake. It is better to lose the difference on the product than it is to loose the customer for life or get a big fine by the state. When there's a price marked, it has to be honored. Think about as well that the manager is not loosing anything personally. They're just using their "power" to demean the customer. Pretty stupid I must say. I don't know why people take it so personal and make their own personal policies as opposed to doing what's right.[/QUOTE]


Also keep in mind different states have different laws.
 
[quote name='gizmogc']The moron that coined that phrase had his entire buisness go under.

If you go into a store with that phrase in you're mind, or EVER use it, I guarantee you that you will get laughed at. I have personally laughed at many people who said that BS to me.[/QUOTE]

I have too, because it's usually the WORST customers you could think of that love to use that phrase. And they just love to throw it out there when they know the argument is a stalemate, cause they think it will make store employees fold like they are holding 27 offsuit in a poker game.

"The customer is always right...except when they are wrong" is more like it.
 
[quote name='asaraa']What happened to "the customer is always right?"[/QUOTE]

That is a load of crap....I wish people would quit preaching it like its law.

The customer is not always right, frequently, they are idiots. That being said, they are always the customer and if a retailer doesn't take good care of them, they will go somewhere else.

In this case, the store should have honored the price tag. It doesn't mean that the customer is right, because he might not have been. He was still the customer, now he will be someone elses customer as the store manager made a bad decision.

"The customer is not always right, but they are always the customer, and if we don't take care of them, someone else will." A little lesson that I learned from a manager when I worked at Pizza Hut (of all places).

TBW

PS End of rant.
 
Its all about attitude. If there wasa misprice and the customer didn't flip a but about it when I said it was incorrect, I would give it to them. However, that never really happened and the customer left. Oh well. I guess its a good thing I was the only videogame store within 20 miles.
 
Start throwing a fit and cry in the middle of the store... then hold a sit-in... Take example of Ghandi.
 
It's a friggin PS1 screen who is gonna pay $78 for that in this day and age? Are you sure the tag didn't just say 12 99 Reduced $78.00. It could've been clearanced 5 or 6 years ago and that was the date of it (I dunno when the screen actually came out though).

Ah well almost all the K-Marts have gone out of business around here and the one that's reasonably close to me is a ghost town. Yeah let's have a retail chain with both inferior quality and inferior pricing to Target and Wal-Mart that'll work...
 
[quote name='gizmogc']Its all about attitude. If there wasa misprice and the customer didn't flip a but about it when I said it was incorrect, I would give it to them. However, that never really happened and the customer left. Oh well. I guess its a good thing I was the only videogame store within 20 miles.[/QUOTE]

Was? :lol:
 
[quote name='Scahom1']He's right. They must honor the price ticketed. Do you have a camera phone or digital camera? If so, take a picture of the screen with the $12.99 sticker on it, in case they take it off, this way you have proof to show higher ups.[/QUOTE]

I can certainly help with this. I was in K-mart today and remember reading this, and thinking what bull it was, so when I saw it, I thought I should do what I can, sorry the quality sucks so bad, crappy camera phone.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v393/sonderiaom/Picture027.jpg

But it's right there, $12.99 reduced to $78.00
 
[quote name='sonderiaom']I can certainly help with this. I was in K-mart today and remember reading this, and thinking what bull it was, so when I saw it, I thought I should do what I can, sorry the quality sucks so bad, crappy camera phone.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v393/sonderiaom/Picture027.jpg

But it's right there, $12.99 reduced to $78.00[/QUOTE]

Is it just my eyes, or does the tag in that pic say $129.99 reduced to $78.00?
 
I think it says $129.9 with the last 9 missing. It definetly was $129.99 since the first 9 is bigger than the 2nd nine, meaning the 2nd nine would have been the first 9 in .99
 
It looks like $129.99 to me too, although the last "9" is partially cut off. Even without the last "9", it still looks like the original price was $129.9x
 
Looks like $129.94 to me, but regardless it's pretty clear that the price IT HAS BEEN REDUCED TO IS $78.00. Not anything to argue about, go to a district manager about, etc. If anything the OP misread the tag.
 
Considering the screen originally retailed for $129.99 brand new, yes, it makes perfect sense. You must have made a mistake and thought you saw 12.99 when it was infact 129.99 (which even with that blurry picture I can tell due to the size of the 129 in contract to the 9)
 
Dude, that's obviously $129 and change. I don't care how incompent a clerk is, re-repricing guns are incredibly easy to use. They're no way someone would have been lazy enough to to write 12.99 with only the last nine small-sized. Time to let this one go.
 
OP, you are the cheapest ass gamer.

I have to chuckle at that. And, by the way, as a store, you can always, for any reason refuse service to any customer. It's not something you want to make a habit of, but you can do it.
 
Picture027alt.jpg


After doing a little cleanup in Photoshop... yep it is $129.9x (can't make out the last number).
 
[quote name='dios']pwned?[/QUOTE]

Sadly, that's the first thing I thought when I first saw his photo. ;)
 
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