topic Re: Q pricing games in Q Talk

Q pricing games

KathyPet — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 00:24:46 GMT

i just had occasion to look at the Q web site for some pricing explanation. I was surprised to see the number of pricing formulas QVC uses. Here is a full list: As Is Price, Advance Order Price, Buy More, Save More Price, clearance Price, Event Price, Featured Price, If Sold Separately Price, Last Chance Price, Last Clicks Price, Late Night Special, Lunchtime Special, Member Price, One Day Only Price, Overstock Price, QVC Price, Sale Price, Super Saturday Price, Today Special Value, Try Me Special, While supplies Last Price. There are 20 different pricing formulas all intended to confuse the customers into thinking they are getting a great deal. I cannot think of one other single merchandise vendor that tries to confuse their customers in this manner. No wonder one of the consumer watch dog organizations named QVC as one of the top offenders for playing pricing games.

Re: Q pricing games

Dusty1 — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 00:30:17 GMT

I would say that Kohls is as bad. Trying to figure out price/sale price/price with coupon/price with mystery % off/price after Kohls Case/price if you return something after you have redeemed Kohls Cash/price if I order online through ebates...Oy!

Re: Q pricing games

KYToby — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 00:32:14 GMT

Almost all retailers do this to an extend. HSN does, Evine does, many B&M stores have constant sales (e.g. Kohls and Macys) on items which never actually sell for their original price, and Amazon's pricing can change frequently throughout the day.

This "game" only exists because many people, rather than simply paying a reasonable price for an item, want to believe they are somehow getting a deal. In the end, all consumer's suffer because many shoppers must have this feeling that they are somehow getting a deal from the retailer.

Re: Q pricing games

Q4u — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 00:35:48 GMT

One of my biggest disappointments is the comparison of the price they are offering to a random MSRP price... and it shows quite a difference (if you believe it). Then you find out the old QVC price and the offered price are only a few dollars from the QVC price. I think the one that did it for me was about $6.... lol!

So, now I realize that the pricing structure (no matter what they call it) is usually just about what it is offered retail.

But QVC is great for bundling and super sizing customer favorites and offering the price way below what they normally sell. So, if it's a product you love and you're going to buy it anyway.... then offers like today's special value (Philosophy) is a lot of product for the money.

So I don't expect a big sale on the Q.... I will mainly buy something on the Q because of the convenience.....

Re: Q pricing games

Camry22 — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 00:35:50 GMT

thanks for posting this. I've heard of all of these but never stopped to consider how confusing it all is. Kohls likes to play pricing games too with all their sales, kohls cash etc. it can make me crazy at times but at least their return policy is superb IMO.

Re: Q pricing games

Q4u — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 00:41:02 GMT

Penny's tried to stop all that nonsense with a pricing approach much like Saturn's (the car where you never had to haggle because it was one low price and that was it!!) Well.... Saturn is no longer made.... and Penny's nearly drove themselves out of business because the public apparently LOVES coupons, low price advertising with an assortment of pricing titles, on and on.... one of the reasons Kohl's is so successful.

However, I WILL NOT buy ANYTHING full price at Kohls! So the ultimate result has been that they must have sales ALL THE TIME or people don't shop.

*Sigh* It's all a game but apparently the public loves it....

Re: Q pricing games

GCR18 — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 00:42:59 GMT

I don't pay attention to what the sale price is called. I may pay attention if it has an expiration though. If the price seems reasonable, I buy.

I find other online stores change their prices daily, sometimes 7 times a week. I haven't seen that on the q.

Re: Q pricing games

QVCkitty1 — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 00:45:46 GMT

As a careful consumer, I would be foolish to pay more than I have to. If I have to do a little shopping around so be it. People have always wanted a deal, mostly because the retail price is usually higher than the item is worth.

Re: Q pricing games

Q4u — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 00:58:02 GMT

One of the worst are grocery stores.... most of us shop weekly and we know pricing and remember what we paid the week before. I just stand there gaping when I know I've purchased something with a big red "low price" sticker on it the week before and the next week the same item has a bigger red "low price" sticker on it saying it's an EXTRA LOW price and it's actually a dollar or so MORE than it was the week prior. HA!

Re: Q pricing games

Moonchilde — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 01:07:13 GMT

The whole "pricing games" thing, whether it's QVC or Kohl's or Macy's, always makes me roll my eyes as far as complaints that a business is trying to confuse the customer, make them think they're getting a better bargain than they are or otherwise rip them off in some way.

Shopping for anything, even groceries, is buyer beware. It always has been; nothing new. The fact that QVC might have come up with a few more gimmick terms to use doesn't change the bottom line -

Do.your.research.

Go into the store and look at price tags. See what Macys is charging vs. Nordstrom vs. Kohl's vs. Whoever your local equivalent is. Can't or won't drive around to do this? You can do the same thing online, and if you can find your way to the QVC forums to post, you can price shop online.

You can check just about anything except clothes on Amazon. You can check cosmetics on half a dozen sites, but OMG you have to go through the "work" of looking them up.

If you insist on buying QVC brands and other merchandise it's impossible/almost impossible to find it except at QVC, that's your (figurative your) issue. QVC has it you where it wants you, and only you can break free.

Checking whether there is a $2, $4 or $10 price difference between Sunday, Monday and next week only means one thing to me - whatever the price is *when I'm looking to buy* is either acceptable to me or it isn't. I think it's worth the price to me, or I don't. End of story.

Re: Q pricing games

greyexplorer — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 02:00:23 GMT

And lately they have been saying S&H is FREE on food items. They used to say S&H was included. They are not giving us anything for free - we are paying for the S&H -- it is built into the price of the item. So, please don't fall for the FREE word. Believe me, it is not.

Also, tired of their Expiring Offer sales tactic. They want us to rush to the phones and order because something is going away. In most instances it is easy pay which is readily available with the Q card and many special easy pay days if you are into easy pay.

Re: Q pricing games

Camry22 — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 03:04:37 GMT

add "summer surprise" to the list!

Re: Q pricing games

BalletBabe — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 19:50:44 GMT

My favorite one is Walmart. They roll the price up, and then put it back where it was, and call it a rollback????

Re: Q pricing games

Tissyanne — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 18:39:09 GMT

I don't recall ever seeing QVC offer a Member Price, as OP states in the opening post. Has anyone else seen that?

Re: Q pricing games

stevieb — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 03:13:54 GMT

Pricing games, here and elsewhere are ridiculous, annoying and, in some cases, off the charts... QVC's supposed 'sale' prices are often downright insulting and their regular prices with shipping increasingly don't seem all that competitive to me. That said, wherever I shop, the bottom line for me is whether or not the price I find is one I want to pay.

Re: Q pricing games

Nataliesgramma — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 09:21:48 GMT

It seems like eveyone is doing the pricing games anymore....and then there are the 'reward cards"...

Re: Q pricing games

Tissyanne — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 18:43:15 GMT

@greyexplorer wrote:
And lately they have been saying S&H is FREE on food items. They used to say S&H was included. They are not giving us anything for free - we are paying for the S&H -- it is built into the price of the item. So, please don't fall for the FREE word. Believe me, it is not.

Also, tired of their Expiring Offer sales tactic. They want us to rush to the phones and order because something is going away. In most instances it is easy pay which is readily available with the Q card and many special easy pay days if you are into easy pay.

The free shipping was a special offering. Most food products still are advertised as shipping and handling included.

Re: Q pricing games

Brooklynny — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 20:01:57 GMT

All retailers do this to one extent or another. In fact, much has been written recently about retailers eliminating the misleading "List Price" designation. It's a phony classification designed to make consumers think they getting a really great deal. Online retailers, including Amazon, Williams-Sonoma, Sur la Table, Bed Bath & Beyond, and many others, are guilty of this, and many are agreeing to do away with "list price" designations. I don't have the link to this reporting, but if you google it, reports have been made in the past 3-4 weeks.

Re: Q pricing games

sueeich — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 20:37:51 GMT

This is why I almost never purchase a TSV. I will wait for a former TSV to return so I can read reviews and make sure the item is worthwhile buying. It seems like so many TSVs end up being duds, especially clothing. Before I buy something, I want to see some reviews. Besides the difference between the "featured" price and the TSV is laughable - usually only a couple of bucks. I would much rather know if a product is worth buying via reviews than to buy a TSV only to return it.