BS: fair & UNfair prices- nominations

Subject: RE: BS: fair & UNfair prices- nominations
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 02:52 AM

Bad value.........SPAM £1.35 a can, and it's crap at that.

eric

Subject: RE: BS: fair & UNfair prices- nominations
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 03:05 AM

SPAM is SPAM. If you wan't SPAM, it's not out of line with other similar "potted almost meat" products, but for most of us it's not a staple of life, so buying it at any price is a waste of money.

...Although I do have one friend who considers SPAM and Velveta with a scramble of powered eggs almost as good as a pork MRE.

John

Subject: RE: BS: fair & UNfair prices- nominations
From: Stephen L. Rich
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 03:17 AM

When is a diet pill worth $135.00 a botlle? When you've got a room full of amazingly gullible fat people!

Subject: RE: BS: fair & UNfair prices- nominations
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 04:37 AM

In the UK, Pharmacies are allowed to tell you when a commercially available product is available at a cheaper price than the prescription charge.... 'over the counter' remedies that have been prescribed by the doctor. That way, they get a sale and you get a better deal if you have to pay for prescriptions (£6.20 per item last time I needed anything).

Buying standard drugs in a supermarket rather than a drugstore makes a huge difference too..... a pack of 16 paracetamol capsules can be as little as 20p in a supermarket, but have up to £1 markup in pharmacies. The biggest difference I've seen is a markup of £1.25 on a pack of 32 aspirin.

What I object to most is the markup in the same chain of stores. I purchased a sandwich for £1.00 in one store, and an identical sandwich in another store for £1.20, the difference was basically a 5 minute walk across 2 busy streets. My office has a 'Sainsburys Local' store under it, and across 2 busy streets is a 'Sainsbury's Central' store....   For that extra few minutes walk, I can save 20% on my sandwich.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: fair & UNfair prices- nominations
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 12:11 PM

I recall a converstion I had with an instruument maker (though it coukd apply to any handcrafted product). I pointed out that a) I couldn't see how he could price it that low, considering the time that went into it, and b)I couldn't see any way that I could pay so much for it.

Subject: RE: BS: fair & UNfair prices- nominations
From: Bill D
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 12:43 PM

about John's note on hospital asprin including the "delivery cost"....I think that's what TV ads mean by "shipping and handling" shipping costs are standard, but they can charge anything they think they can get away with for handling.

(did you ever notice how 87.4237% of items in late night TV ads are $19.95 + S&H?) Who thinks that price is a mark DOWN?

indeed, Dick...there are a number of items I'd like to own that ARE fairly priced (handmade autoharp by Keith Young), but that I'll never be able to afford! (A Humvee maybe?)

Subject: RE: BS: fair & UNfair prices- nominations
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 01:39 PM

Liz, your difference in price within a chain just might be explained this way:

You say one store is "Central" and one is "Local". I'd guess that the "Central" is owned and run by the actual company whose name it bears, but that the "Local" is a franchise operation. The franchisee pays the company for the use of the name, training, advertising, etc., and may be required to buy all or most products from the central company.   

I can see how it would be possible that with the franchise fees the franchise holder would have to charge more. Alternatively, such overhead items as rent for the premises (or depreciation, if the property is owned) may be higher for one store than another.

If there are signficant cost differences (for whatever reason), there MUST be a price difference, or you go out of business.

It might be interesting for you to ask if the Local store is a franchisee of the Central.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: fair & UNfair prices- nominations
From: jpk
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 04:42 PM

don't forget the so called conveince factor[way do you think we now suffer the con store selling gas instead of a service station,it might be handy but the markup for most non fuel items is crazy,gas price another issue].[price not real but gives idea]10$ for 20 asprin in pocket sized metal or plastic box or 2$ for large unhandy bottle of 200[even through you could break it down youself for pocket pack]   most stupidly lazy but flush pocket people go for 20 at 10.

Subject: RE: BS: fair & UNfair prices- nominations
From: sixtieschick
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 06:58 PM

Tea in restaurants: Say whaaa? price for a tea bag and hot water?! And some places won't even give you a fresh bag for a second cup without charging for it.

M.

Subject: RE: BS: fair & UNfair prices- nominations
From: Bill D
Date: 11 Jul 05 - 09:07 PM

now THAT is a pet peeve of mine! Finding a restaurant that will keep customers coming back with cheap tea & coffee is a rare, but wonderful thing!....

and in stores, coffee itself varies greatly...I buy beans and grind them myself, and the price can vary from $5.99lb in a discount chain to $12 or more in fancy shops. (I like Guatemala Antigua for everyday). They claim "fresher" or "specially selected" etc...but I'd LOVE to give them a triple blind taste test and dare them to pick their own from a group! Sometimes I see premium prices for some organically grown, hard-to-find type that supports a commune, and I don't begrudge them a markup, but not for coffee whose price changes depending on the box label it's shipped in.