Sales people try to sell you a more elaborate and expensive item than you want

[debodun]

It seldom fails that when I shop for a particular item online, then go to the store, the clerk tries to persuade me to buy a higher-priced model. If they just want to sell the more expensive models, why don't they just stock those?

 

[TonyK]

Loss leaders are designed to entice you into the store where the big bad sales miscreants are lurking behind poles and shelves. Armed with sales pitches sharpened by years of practice, these characters hone in on your needs as they determine which model in the line to push. My former company had it's low-end machine designed to sell for only $99, and every add showed this in bold ink. But once a customer tinkered with it, nine times out of ten they would choose a better product. Another strategy is to have few of these loss leaders in stock in order to move customers up the line once they are all sold out by lunchtime.

Plus, I got paid a spiff ($3 to $10) for every higher-end machine I sold to my business customers. So I knew how to sell the benefits of each product, and could explain who to sell them to. It all comes down to which bells and whistles you really want.

 

[Toomuchstuff]

It's also illegal. It's called "bait & switch" .

 

[debodun]

If I buy a high-end item, it would probably outlive me at this point. Also, living alone, I do not need a 30 cu ft fridge when a 12 cu ft will do nicely.

 

[treeguy64]

When I shop, I know what I want and what I'm willing to pay, for the same. If a salesperson puts the hard hustle on me, a very rare occurrence, I simply ask for the manager, no big deal (pun?).

 

[Knight]

It seldom fails that when I shop for a particular item online, then go to the store, the clerk tries to persuade me to buy a higher-priced model. If they just want to sell the more expensive models, why don't they just stock those?

The clerk is doing the job he was hired to do. With online shopping a person has to evaluate what works best for themselves. Not to worry though maybe in the not to distant future brick & mortar stores with those annoying clerks will disappear due to the ease of online shopping.


Slight problem with ease of shopping online. Jobs that pay taxes go away, brick & mortar stores that pay taxes go away. Jobs supplying local merchants go away, the taxes generated from all the sources go away. With all that is lost it's not to difficult to figure out where cities and states will get the tax money to pay for civil services.

 

[HipGnosis]

Salesmen have absolutely no sway on me. I research my buying options online and know what I want before I go (if I don't just buy it online).

It's only bait & switch if they advertise a cheap item and don't actually have it for sale (at the cheap price).

 

[Robusta]

It's also illegal. It's called "bait & switch" .

Nope, It is only bait and switch if you do not have a model available and ready to sell at the advertised price.

 

[Don M.]

Salesmen have absolutely no sway on me. I research my buying options online and know what I want before I go (if I don't just buy it online).

Same here. When I go to the store, I have specific purchases in mind. If it is something I'm buying for the first time, I will have researched it, and checked the reviews, on the Internet. About all I might need a salesman for is to help locate the item in the store, or fill out any necessary paperwork....warranty, etc.

 

[Sunny]

Another sales technique I've learned to mistrust is the word "from." As in:

"Prices from $49."

But if they even are selling this item for $49, it's only if bought in quantity, or a model than no one in his/her right mind would want.

 

[HipGnosis]

Another sales technique I've learned to mistrust is the word "from." As in:

"Prices from $49."

But if they even are selling this item for $49, it's only if bought in quantity, or a model than no one in his/her right mind would want.

I HATE(!!) that when you sort a product search on Amazon by price; the results include "from" prices!! That's because 99% of the time, they do NOT actually have an item at the "from" price!!

 

[Elsie]

When I ask for a specific item from a store clerk and he or she brings up the wonders of buying an upgrade I take it as an insult--as though I came into the store not really knowing the item I want. Very irritated, I insist on the item I asked for, and if the clerk goes on trying to sell me the upgrade, I leave the store.

 

[debodun]

"Mattresses as low as $49." one local bedding business once advertised. Silly me, I went to look and right off the salesman showed me the $499 mattresses. When I asked where the $49 ones were, the salesman frowned, then led me into a dingy storage area and showed me a upended stack of twin mattresses that looked like they came form the No-tell Motel.

 

[NancyNGA]

Another sales technique I've learned to mistrust is the word "from." As in:

"Prices from $49."

There was a hotel here in town, with live entertainment nightly. They had a big sign out front, "Rooms as low as $X." I forget the number, but turns out they had one room for that price, right above the band. How I know is a friend rented it anyway. He was very frugal.

Then there was the time I tried to rent a car to drive from Denver, CO, to Laramie, WY. The rental car service in Denver advertised, "Rentals as low as $X." When you asked about it, it was one of those little subcompact cars. The salesman said the winds were so bad between Denver and Laramie, they would blow the car off the road and he didn't recommend it. Took it anyway, and had no problems. I was very frugal too. lol

 

[Pete]

why don't they just stock those?

...because then they couldn't up-sell you!

I have found that it is the salesmen's job to sell me more than I want

and my job to know exactly what I want before I go out to buy it.