Target made an error in their pricing

rala

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 10, 2006
Messages
159
Location
southern california
Just came from the Garden Grove Target in search of more of the clearanced River Rock headlights and Dorcy 3Ds when I came across the Dorcy Super 1 Watt 1xcr123. The rack didn't have the price so I brought 2 of them to the registers. I was gonna buy them regardless of the price to give to my sons. When the girl scanned them they came up $4.99 each.:drool: The girl said that couldn't be right because she knew it was a new item. She checked and they were supposed to be $19.99. She said someone must have accidentally clearanced them off 75% with the River Rock stuff. She said she would give them to me at the clearance price since that is what they scanned. But when I asked her if I could get more, she said she couldn't do that. So I did the next best thing, I called my wife who was still browsing the little girls clothes to clear off the rack and buy them all. But when she got to the checkouts, they scanned the correct price.:awman: I would've checked other Targets but the missus gave me that look.
 

igabo

Enlightened
Joined
Nov 1, 2005
Messages
352
Location
Sunnyvale, CA
Wise of you to call your wife; just a bit unfortunate that you didn't get them :p.

Now I'm just wishing I could have a similar experience next time I go there. :lolsign:
 
Last edited:

rala

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 10, 2006
Messages
159
Location
southern california
My intent was to keep the two for my sons and one for myself then to pass the others on to others on this forum for the price I payed plus shipping. I'm sorry if I might have offended anyone.
 

Sturluson

Enlightened
Joined
Jan 7, 2006
Messages
277
Location
Kansas City Missourah
Rala, I'm sorry I came across as a hardass. I'm sure your intentions were good. I think we tend to treat large retailers as enemies, and figure that whatever we get away with is alright. All I meant was that this is a dangerous attitude, a slippery slope. And it hasn't been a good day - I'm sure that colored my remarks.
 

rala

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 10, 2006
Messages
159
Location
southern california
No harm no foul. I just figured I'd do something for those who have passed on a lot of good information to those like me. I've been lurking here for a couple of years now and that was my first post. What a way to start.:ohgeez:
 

Empath

Flashaholic
Joined
Nov 11, 2001
Messages
8,508
Location
Oregon
I gave this quite some thought before closing it. Even then, I had second thoughts. Perhaps it would be better to permit discussion of such practices.

I'm reopening the thread to permit the discussion. If it becomes too personalized it could be closed again.
 

justsomeguy

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jun 17, 2005
Messages
149
Location
in a handbasket
Hi Empath and others :) ,

In my area of the country it is common practice for Retailers to honor any price that they marked on an item. They figure that it is better to take some loss on a mismarked item than it is to cause a dissatisfied customer.

Some customers may become angry because they feel that they have been fooled by a deceptive "bait and switch".

Whenever I have benefited from this policy I have always had warm feelings toward the retailer and have been pleased to continue to shop with them in the future. I just figure that I got the benefit of an "unadvertised special" and go on.

I would not expect this if a new BMW was accidentally advertised at $2.99.

Further, I would not try to clean out the stock. I would consider that whatever I had in the cart when I came to the checkout with my normal purchase was involved, no more.

Steve
 
Last edited:

mckevin

Enlightened
Joined
Feb 8, 2005
Messages
302
Location
Kansas, USA
Agreed, it was perfectly appropriate of Target to make this gesture, and Rala to accept it. It gets stickier attempting to then take advantage of what you know is an error, however altruistic the intent.

Now, if I could only state with certainty that I wouldn't have done the same thing...

justsomeguy said:
Hi Empath and others :) ,

In my area of the country it is common practice for Retailers to honor any price that they marked on an item. They figure that it is better to take some loss on a mismarked item than it is to cause a dissatisfied customer.

Some customers may become angry because they feel that they have been fooled by a deceptive "bait and switch".

Whenever I have benefited from this policy I have always had warm feelings toward the retailer and have been pleased to continue to shop with them in the future. I just figure that I got the benefit of an "unadvertised special" and go on.

I would not expect this if a new BMW was accidentally advertised at $2.99.

Steve
 

bruddamoke

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Messages
197
Location
Aiea, Hawaii
mckevin said:
Agreed, it was perfectly appropriate of Target to make this gesture, and Rala to accept it. It gets stickier attempting to then take advantage of what you know is an error, however altruistic the intent.

Now, if I could only state with certainty that I wouldn't have done the same thing...
I'll second this, exactly how I feel.

I'm really glad no one is flaming this.
 

nemul

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Messages
1,592
Location
Georgia
rala, first off welcome to the forums... and i would have done the same thing! lol
 

Brighteyez

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 5, 2005
Messages
3,963
Location
San Jose, CA
I've run into this situation a couple of times in the last couple of weeks (for the first time!). But since Rala is in California, the retailer is required to honor the lower of the posted or scanned price. Of course, with the scanned price, people don't usually bring it to the retailer's attention so it is possible that it might go on for a while before someone notices. In the case of a lower posted price the retailer would be required to make the adjustment (at some grocery stores, they give you the first item of the product for free if the scanned price differs from the posted price.) Quite honestly, I"m a bit surprised that the Target cashier would have spotted the anomaly, there's a lot of SKUs in their stores and it would be difficult to be familiar with them all, even if it is just the flashlights (unless the Target employee is a member here :; ).

In the two cases that I encountered, employees from both stores addressed it like they were doing me some sort of great favor by "giving" me the item at the lower posted price. The more arrogant one, I just shut up by responding with "That's mighty nice of you since the state law requires it."




Empath said:
I gave this quite some thought before closing it. Even then, I had second thoughts. Perhaps it would be better to permit discussion of such practices.

I'm reopening the thread to permit the discussion. If it becomes too personalized it could be closed again.
 
Last edited:

cobb

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 26, 2004
Messages
2,957
Ive cautioned against this type of behavior cause it sends the wrong info to the person who handles the stock in regards to led products being made avaliable to everyone.

If you were successful in buying or stealing those lights at the discounted price, they would see there is no money to make and not carry it and glad they are gone.

Much like those who return the radiant series of lights cause the beam is a donut and not a spot target carried. I seriously doubt anyone outside of this forum would care of understand why those were being returned than the generic it aint bright enough, we arent making any money from these.

Unlike a purchase, a return takes man power with no return, they loose more when you return an item than what the receipt states.

Of course I am one to speak. I use to have a relative who would open up electronic goods and cut a few wires to make something not work for a reason to return it. Also would buy, wearing cloths for an occasion, then returning them.
 

ront

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Dec 15, 2005
Messages
170
Location
Spokane, WA
justsomeguy said:
Hi Empath and others :) ,

In my area of the country it is common practice for Retailers to honor any price that they marked on an item. They figure that it is better to take some loss on a mismarked item than it is to cause a dissatisfied customer.

Some customers may become angry because they feel that they have been fooled by a deceptive "bait and switch".

Whenever I have benefited from this policy I have always had warm feelings toward the retailer and have been pleased to continue to shop with them in the future. I just figure that I got the benefit of an "unadvertised special" and go on.

I would not expect this if a new BMW was accidentally advertised at $2.99.

Further, I would not try to clean out the stock. I would consider that whatever I had in the cart when I came to the checkout with my normal purchase was involved, no more.

Steve

I have to agree with Steve on this one. I see absolutely no problem with taking the first one. But I feeling it is going to far to try and buy the rest of them.

Ron
 

rala

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Apr 10, 2006
Messages
159
Location
southern california
The two I originally purchased were given to me without coercing the cashier at all. She said she would give them to me before I could open my mouth to say anything. As for calling my wife, I admit that temptation got the best of me. I hope I haven't worn out my welcome.
 

JonSidneyB

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 22, 2001
Messages
3,423
Location
Greenfield In
This does not help us in the long run....some might not understand this, but it hurts us in aggragate. I wouldn't do that.
 
Top