Like every other consumer drawn in by colorful advertising, I was sold on this deal.
I head to the local Super-Pharm as soon as the holy Sabbath goes out, and scour the shelves for one 700 ML Herbal Essences Shampoo and/or Conditioner, with no luck. There are tens or hundreds of the smaller 300 or 400 ML Herbal Essences, but not a one 700 ML.
This is how the ensuing discourse went:
Me: Hi, you advertised this sale today in the newspaper, and you don't seem to have any on the shelves, can you please get me one from your stockroom?
Super-Pharm: We don't have any.
Me: But today is the first day of a two-week sale, surely you must have one.
SP: It says at the bottom "While Supplies Last".
Me: Yes, that is true. But it also says that this is a two week sale, and you don't even have stock for the very first day.
SP: Sorry.
Me: I'd be happy to take two of the smaller size instead.
SP: We can't do that.
Me: But it's virtually the same amount.
SP: Sorry, no can do. (This is paraphrased).
Me: You don't have to be snooty.
SP: Snooty?
Me: Snotty.
SP: Snotty?* (This too may be paraphrased or borrowed from a popular John Hughes film).
What gives?! I've had it with these places advertising an item on sale and then not having even one item on the first day of the sale. That has to be illegal. There has to be some kind of reasonable timeframe within which these companies can't invoke the disclaimer. If they're advertising a two week sale, it should be considered within reason that they should be required to have supplies for the first say three days or so according to an expected increase in purchases, no?
This happened to me at the supermarket chain Machsaney Kima'at Chinam - where they advertised a two-day sale on the meat section, I came on the first day and they didn't have anything from what they advertised.
This is also a common ploy at that furniture chain, India, but I think it's commonly known that they're big fat booger shnots. (This being the professional term, of course).
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I've experienced this myself and its annoying.....
ReplyDeleteI think that their doing that to attrack customers and when they get there (to the store) theywould just then resort to buying the other types..
I've also experienced the salesperson would say, we're soory cox you're late the stock run out becoz there were lots of customers who bought it yesterday and then they will say, why not try this smaller one their just the same, so that you can try the product etc...
most commercials are fraud.
another thing to- like cosmetic products, the models on the commercials would say that product made their skin this and that when in real their not actually using that product, and people will rush to buy the product hoping to look like this models...
its really stupid, they're fooling the consumers...
It is illegal. They have to have a certain number of the sale item in stock, and the ad has to list the amount. For example, machsanei chashmal ads always include a "minimum items in stock" in small font at the bottom of each ad.
ReplyDeleteWord. That's good to know! I thought that disclaimer (you know they have the tala"ch thing also - taut le'olam chozeret) covers their ass, and the customer doesn't have a leg to stand on.
ReplyDeleteErrrgg!! That's so flippin' annoying!! Israel is always doing that crap!! all about sales, and "get it while it's hot" and etc...
ReplyDeleteI also hate the whole 6.99shek thing when there is no such thing as an Agura! Wtf is the point? I always make a scene whenever I see that. You are rubbing off on me :))