topic Re: QVC PRICING GAMES in Community Chat

QVC PRICING GAMES

Puppy Lips — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 14:57:39 GMT

I order a lot from QVC, which is not really a good thing. Anyway, I ordered a Denim and Co. top yesterday that was presented ON AIR (yesterday) with a clearance price of $35.12. This morning, the price is $34.13. Why? Who makes these decisions? Is someone doing this manually, or is there some master computer program that continually changes all these prices? I called customer service for them to make a note of the current price, so I can call back once it is shipped to get a .99 credit. I have posted this before, but I am always checking the prices of things I have ordered in the last 30 days to see if the price has gone down. Last week I called on two things I had ordered to get a price adjustment. One of them was a set of cuffs that were on a clearance price when I bought them, then were on "sale" for $9.00 less. I called customer service. They could not give me the $9.00 credit yet because it had not shipped (even though I could not cancel the order). I called when it had shipped, and they still could not give me the $9.00 credit because my card had not been charged (which makes no sense as it has supposedly "shipped"). So I had to call a third time for someone to give me the $9.00 credit. This is all a bit frustrating.

On top of this, QVC does not credit back the sales tax on the difference. I liken this to returning an item to a store, and the store keeps the sales tax on your purchase. My business pays sales tax due to our state monthly. I highly doubt that QVC does it more frequently than that. They certainly had not already paid the sales tax on my top that had not yet shipped. I have to assume that QVC is keeping that extra sales tax money because why would they pay more sales tax than they have to? Other companies that have given me a price adjustment also credit back the sales tax. Why doesn't QVC?

I appreciate that QVC gives me the price adjustment within 30 days. I have never run across a company that will not do that, so it is really nothing special. Thanks for letting me vent. I am sure other shoppers have the same frustrations with QVC.

Re: QVC PRICING GAMES

Stevie Nix — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 15:07:35 GMT

I feel your pain. I just had to call CS this morning for a price adjustment on a LOGO top that was on sale yesterday for $34.69 and today is a LTS for $27.11. I accepted a $7.58 account credit so I wouldn't have to call them again once the order shipped.

A question I have is where are they getting their odd "cents" on their pricing. Why 69 cents or 11 cents. Why not just round up (or down - hah!). Can't they just make everything 00 cents? Are we supposed to feel like there is some intelligence behind the odd cents? Or is this to make up feel like we're getting a bargain?

Re: QVC PRICING GAMES

Travone — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 15:07:40 GMT

I saw a top I liked last week....didn't order it. When I got the notice about the free shipping on Saturday, I thought I would buy it. It was $12 more on Saturday. Needless to say, I did not buy it or anything on "free" shipping day.

Re: QVC PRICING GAMES

sashamatthews — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 15:09:07 GMT

It has been my experience that HSN refunds the sales tax, no matter when the refund occurs. I don't know why QVC doesn't, except once I was told if the refund happens after 30 days, the company is not obligated to refund the tax since it has been ostensibly remitted to the state by then. It would be very easy for such a large company to automatically check and refund so that the customer doesn't have to continually check for these reductions. A bit of computer code and voila! Refunds!

Re: QVC PRICING GAMES

Anonymous032819 — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 15:14:12 GMT

@Stevie Nix wrote:
I feel your pain. I just had to call CS this morning for a price adjustment on a LOGO top that was on sale yesterday for $34.69 and today is a LTS for $27.11. I accepted a $7.58 account credit so I wouldn't have to call them again once the order shipped.

A question I have is where are they getting their odd "cents" on their pricing. Why 69 cents or 11 cents. Why not just round up (or down - hah!). Can't they just make everything 00 cents? Are we supposed to feel like there is some intelligence behind the odd cents? Or is this to make up feel like we're getting a bargain?

Have you ever gone in to any brick and mortar store and looked at their pricing?

Have you been inside of a drug store, grocery store, or department store?

They too do the $X.99, so it is NOT unique to just QVC.

It is to make the customer "feel" as though they are getting a "bargain".

I'm sure that studies have been done that compare how they feel bargain wise, between $X.99 an $X.00.

Re: QVC PRICING GAMES

Stevie Nix — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 15:20:29 GMT

@Anonymous032819 - I understand the psychological benefit of 99 cents. That's not what I'm talking about. My post refers to the odd numbers they use. My example was 69 cents or 11 cents - or 38 cents or 53 cents, etc., etc.

So, instead of 00, use 99. But stop with the wierd meaningless cents.

Re: QVC PRICING GAMES

Puppy Lips — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 15:35:43 GMT

@Stevie Nix wrote:
@Anonymous032819 - I understand the psychological benefit of 99 cents. That's not what I'm talking about. My post refers to the odd numbers they use. My example was 69 cents or 11 cents - or 38 cents or 53 cents, etc., etc.

So, instead of 00, use 99. But stop with the wierd meaningless cents.

I agree. The odd cents just seems, well, odd. I remember once when LR was selling something the price ended in .01. She joked that QVC just had to get that extra penny.

Re: QVC PRICING GAMES

ILTH — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 15:45:31 GMT

I've been following 2 items (not clothes) for a month. EVERY DAY the prices are different. BY AS MUCH AS $49.

One item is anywhere between $124 and $169 depending on the hour or day. UNICEF market has an almost identical item (It looks to be the same artisan. The differences in 2 details are negligible) for $89.

I did buy if from UNICEF. I rarely buy from QVC.

QVCs and HSNs exercise equipment and some skin care tools often have good prices compared to other sites, though. That's it.

Re: QVC PRICING GAMES

Spurt — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 16:26:17 GMT

@Puppy Lips wrote:
I order a lot from QVC, which is not really a good thing. Anyway, I ordered a Denim and Co. top yesterday that was presented ON AIR (yesterday) with a clearance price of $35.12. This morning, the price is $34.13. Why? Who makes these decisions? Is someone doing this manually, or is there some master computer program that continually changes all these prices? I called customer service for them to make a note of the current price, so I can call back once it is shipped to get a .99 credit. I have posted this before, but I am always checking the prices of things I have ordered in the last 30 days to see if the price has gone down. Last week I called on two things I had ordered to get a price adjustment. One of them was a set of cuffs that were on a clearance price when I bought them, then were on "sale" for $9.00 less. I called customer service. They could not give me the $9.00 credit yet because it had not shipped (even though I could not cancel the order). I called when it had shipped, and they still could not give me the $9.00 credit because my card had not been charged (which makes no sense as it has supposedly "shipped"). So I had to call a third time for someone to give me the $9.00 credit. This is all a bit frustrating.

On top of this, QVC does not credit back the sales tax on the difference. I liken this to returning an item to a store, and the store keeps the sales tax on your purchase. My business pays sales tax due to our state monthly. I highly doubt that QVC does it more frequently than that. They certainly had not already paid the sales tax on my top that had not yet shipped. I have to assume that QVC is keeping that extra sales tax money because why would they pay more sales tax than they have to? Other companies that have given me a price adjustment also credit back the sales tax. Why doesn't QVC?

I appreciate that QVC gives me the price adjustment within 30 days. I have never run across a company that will not do that, so it is really nothing special. Thanks for letting me vent. I am sure other shoppers have the same frustrations with QVC.

@Puppy Lips

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that QVC doesn't get a count for a sale until an item is shipped and then it probably takes another 24-48 hours to process and post on their books and shows up in their system..........

But if you think QVC is bad Amazon is king of the pricing games.....they constantly adjust their prices to beat a competitor and then make up for it by increasing prices on other items....A handbag price changed from $148 to $438....and this had nothing to do with a sale price. So buyer beware and always comparison shop at all retailers. At least you were deligent, and noticed what happened and QVC was willing to make the adjustment....

Re: QVC PRICING GAMES

Puppy Lips — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 17:34:56 GMT

Well QVC is going to get tired of me calling. I just found another price reduction in the last 30 days. Called to get $7.30 credit back on a Denim and Co. dress I purchased.

Re: QVC PRICING GAMES

GenXmuse — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 18:22:49 GMT

What a hassle. I’m not sure it would be worth it.

Re: QVC PRICING GAMES

iwrite — Wed, 10 Jul 2019 04:01:46 GMT

no online merchant has amazon beat when it comes to changing prices.

their prices change constantly. the price on some products can and often do change several times a day. 50 cents here, 2.50 there, adds up over a week.

this is not a game. it's how they make money.

while from a buyers perspective it doesn't seem "right" or "fair", it isn't against the law. we just have to know that this happens and roll the dice and hope that you get the best price when the order is placed.

don't know about qvc, but one "tool" amazon uses to adjust pricing is cookies. sadly, it works because most people don't delete the cookies on their computer on a daily basis. by leaving the cookies on the hard hard, the next time you visit the site, they know the day of the week and what time of day, most people look at product a, so going forward, at that time of day, the price for product a could be higher.

my best guess is that the wish list feature is used, as one tool to adjust pricing.

Re: QVC PRICING GAMES

Puppy Lips — Thu, 11 Jul 2019 01:14:57 GMT

@iwrite That is interesting. I only occasionally order from Amazon and just one thing at a time on the day I think about it. So I never compare prices from one day to the next. My “fear” has always been that after Amazon puts the majority of retailers out of business, then we are at the mercy of Amazon. I just got an Amazon order that I placed yesterday - a set of 12 padded hangers. Looked in Target and Walmart and they did not have them. So I paid, I think it was, $15.97 for 12 hangers that showed up on my doorstep the next day with no shipping.

Re: QVC PRICING GAMES

faeriemoon — Thu, 11 Jul 2019 12:56:53 GMT

QVC has always played pricing games. I don't get how clearance prices can go up and down on a whim. Clearance means clearance; clearing it out, dumping it, making room for new inventory, etc. I also don't get how they don't see that that practice turns people off.

Re: QVC PRICING GAMES

Bri369 — Thu, 11 Jul 2019 13:45:37 GMT

It's very annoying.

QVC isn't the only one that does it either. Once something gets marked down, it shouldn't get marked back up. Prices change from day to day on items.