Do you fall for this gimmick? - Page 4

sandy53 · ‎03-12-2010

I have been living with this kind of pricing my entire life. Why would I think it's a gimmick or be upset about it?

LavernLuvsShoes · ‎07-13-2021

@Venezia wrote:
@Kachina624 -Yes, I've heard the hosts do that more than once - just give the dollar amount as the price and leave the cents off. Now, to my mind, that is wrong.

Yeah, now that ticks me off.

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

All retailers do that and they always have. I don't know why. It doesn't make sense but, it is what it is.

gertrudecloset · ‎02-13-2021

Well makeup products I purchase don't have that .99 at the end. I can think of a lot of things I purchase that have round numbers. I'm especially keen on this with clothing items because of the tax rate on clothes under a certain amount.

Medications prescribed by pharmacies don't necessarily do this either. It's typical for clothing/shoes and things like that. Not everything we buy and not every store. Food products don't have this issue either a lot of the times.

I think this appliess primarily to garments/shoes and accessories (and then not always).

A Negative Mind ~ Will give you a Negative Life

minimalistWF · ‎02-02-2018

All retailers do this and to me, it is still basically $15 or whatever the price rounds up to. The one big difference with QVC is they slap on a shipping charge, like $5.50, so when I get to the checkout for an item and see the total I am many times shocked by the price and definitely do not hit buy. So many other places that offer free shipping and returns ... no need to fall for any of the QVC tactics.

Susan in California · ‎06-02-2014

I never let the pricing with .98 or .99 fool me.

I remember reading somewhere that pricing

that way was considered one of the top strategies

EVER coming out of Madison Ave., decades ago.

The Q uses a little smoke and mirrors with an

easy pay payment inferred as the price. Also, the shipping/ handling isn't mentioned in the price.

Remember when Lisa Robertson used to say something was "practically free".

When I bought a huge two-pack of corn tortillas at Costco recently for $3.19, I told my husband. "it was practically free," and I meant it!

mspemberley · ‎05-07-2015

I'm retired retail and I don't really think of the .99 cent rule as a "gimmick" but rather a well studied "tactic". It has been studied for decades and is well proven to enhance sales. People like $9.99 as opposed to $10.00. Several years ago (but in recent history) J.C. Penney simplified their pricing system to rounded off pricing. At the same time they LOWERED prices! So tee shirts were ten dollars, pants 20 dollars, etc. they did away with coupons and promotions. Great, right? This simplified strategy bombed with the general public! People like perceived bargains whether the bargain is genuine or not. I agree that it doesn't make sense, but shaving off a penny or two is a proven tactic.
Pricing is just the tip of the iceberg. Product placement is analyzed to death. Every hook, every front facing display, has to be analyzed for profit margin. Products have to earn their placement. Stock can only be kept for so long before it has to "turn". I'm sure it's no different at QVC. If you're seeing a lot of a particular line or a particular host it's because they've earned prime time placement. Absolutely everything is studied and analyzed, including the customer base. Retail is extremely competitive. I didn't always agree with the direction of my company but I always wanted it to do well.
I'm married to a realtor and, yes, they do this too.

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

@SeaMaiden wrote:
@Anonymous032819 wrote:
QVC is not the only place that does this. Look around you. It's everywhere. From the grocery store to the gas station.

@Venezia @Anonymous032819 Yes, I know this....but QVC does it A LOT

@SeaMaiden

It has been proven by behaviorists that it makes a subtle but definite difference if the retailer's prices end with .99 than if rounded up to .00. .... It's not a "gimmick" ... it's a very common practice.

Where have you been? ALL retailers do it a LOT.

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

@SilleeMee wrote:
A gimmick implies trickery or deceit of sorts. There's nothing tricky about a price. $9.99 is what you see and is what you'll pay.

@SilleeMee

I agree ... both "gimmick" and "tactic" imply trickery. Sometimes these things are just a common practice. No one is being sneaky about anything.