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Main Boards => Gear => Topic started by: gunwharfman on 12:24:22, 12/11/17

Title: Price oddities!
Post by: gunwharfman on 12:24:22, 12/11/17
I am on the verge of buying myself a Snugpak Stratosphere Bivi. I've just looked on Amazon and they are asking for £110. The are also displaying that it has been reduced from £221.00. The Snugpak site states £140. I wonder where Amazon got their £221 figure from?
Title: Re: Price oddities!
Post by: fernman on 13:28:25, 12/11/17
The most likely explanation is that Amazon made an error, they're not infallible, mistakes can and do occur in such an enormous organisation as theirs.

But their prices do fluctuate quite a bit, I have sometimes ordered things when it says "Only 2 left" and then seen fresh stock a couple of days later at a higher price. Other times it's the other way round, they go down.

A lot is to do with supply and demand. I've noticed with books that were published a few years ago that are no longer in print, when they get down to the last few the price rockets. This is particularly true with foreign maps.

What I have also seen on Amazon, and on eBay too, is that sometimes some sellers have an absolutely ludicrous high price on an item. My theory, and perhaps someone with greater knowledge on this will enlighten me, is that the seller is out of stock of the item and prices it this way just to keep their listing open, knowing that no-one will make a purchase; then when there is more stock the price is readjusted to normal. That's my assumption, anyway.
Title: Re: Price oddities!
Post by: bricam2096 on 13:46:27, 12/11/17
Just looked and the item isn't actually being sold by Amazon and is being sold by a different company so Amazon don't set the price.
Title: Re: Price oddities!
Post by: NeilC on 10:57:10, 13/11/17
Sounds like standard marketing BS.


Take a look at the Sports Direct tactics. Their stuff comes out of the factories with reduced labels already printed (in a fake handwritten-with-a-marker font) with say £100 crossed out and "reduced" and then the actual price of £49.99 or whatever. Clearly nobody ever paid £100 for item. They've admitted they don't even bother to game the rules with the usual methods (like sticking 5 of them on a rail at the higher price in a shop in the middle of nowhere). They just brazenly do it.


So anyone can say "reduced from x" really. It doesn't mean much. T
Title: Re: Price oddities!
Post by: 2131tom on 11:12:29, 16/11/17

The most likely explanation is that Amazon made an error, they're not infallible, mistakes can and do occur in such an enormous organisation as theirs.


They certainly do.  I'm a great fan of Amazon but they've taken their eye off the ball with the Customer Reviews of one of the products they're offering. 


If you look at the reviews of Barrettine Methylated Spirit 500ml by Greaves and Co. (can't post it as an external link) there are 261 of them, going back years.  I haven't laughed so much in a long time.  All clean, tongue-in-cheek fun but it's clear Amazon haven't the resources to check everything on their site.
   
Title: Re: Price oddities!
Post by: Penygadair on 12:12:17, 16/11/17


If you look at the reviews of Barrettine Methylated Spirit 500ml by Greaves and Co. (can't post it as an external link) there are 261 of them, going back years.  I haven't laughed so much in a long time.  All clean, tongue-in-cheek fun but it's clear Amazon haven't the resources to check everything on their site.


Looked it up. Absolutely hilarious.   :D :D :D
Title: Re: Price oddities!
Post by: Hillhiker1 on 13:17:39, 16/11/17
Great find 2131tom!  O0  Superb.  ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Price oddities!
Post by: Jac on 14:50:02, 16/11/17
They certainly do.  I'm a great fan of Amazon but they've taken their eye off the ball with the Customer Reviews of one of the products they're offering. 

If you look at the reviews of Barrettine Methylated Spirit 500ml by Greaves and Co. (can't post it as an external link) there are 261 of them, going back years.  I haven't laughed so much in a long time.  All clean, tongue-in-cheek fun but it's clear Amazon haven't the resources to check everything on their site.

 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Might even give up the Prosecco
Title: Re: Price oddities!
Post by: April on 15:43:02, 16/11/17
They certainly do.  I'm a great fan of Amazon but they've taken their eye off the ball with the Customer Reviews of one of the products they're offering. 
If you look at the reviews of Barrettine Methylated Spirit 500ml by Greaves and Co. (can't post it as an external link) there are 261 of them, going back years.  I haven't laughed so much in a long time.  All clean, tongue-in-cheek fun but it's clear Amazon haven't the resources to check everything on their site.

 ;D Hilarious, thanks 2131tom  O0

Here is the link
https://www.amazon.co.uk/GREAVES-CO-Barrettine-Methylated-Spirit/dp/B002ATI4VG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1510846681&sr=8-2&keywords=barrettine+methylated+spirit&dpID=21W9SgK1lKL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch#customerReviews
Title: Re: Price oddities!
Post by: [Rgmw]largie on 19:55:42, 18/11/17
What I have also seen on Amazon, and on eBay too, is that sometimes some sellers have an absolutely ludicrous high price on an item. My theory, and perhaps someone with greater knowledge on this will enlighten me, is that the seller is out of stock of the item and prices it this way just to keep their listing open, knowing that no-one will make a purchase; then when there is more stock the price is readjusted to normal. That's my assumption, anyway.


What I've noticed is sometimes a seller who is temporarily out of stock lists it with a lower price than normal. People who are using a price comparison site like pricespy see that they are the cheapest and so don't buy from a competitor. Once they have the item in stock the price then goes back to their normal price.


Dave

Title: Re: Price oddities!
Post by: Skip on 20:41:55, 18/11/17

https://www.amazon.co.uk/GREAVES-CO-Barrettine-Methylated-Spirit/dp/B002ATI4VG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1510846681&sr=8-2&keywords=barrettine+methylated+spirit&dpID=21W9SgK1lKL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch#customerReviews (https://www.amazon.co.uk/GREAVES-CO-Barrettine-Methylated-Spirit/dp/B002ATI4VG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1510846681&sr=8-2&keywords=barrettine+methylated+spirit&dpID=21W9SgK1lKL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch#customerReviews)

Yup, really hilarious!  ;D
 
Title: Re: Price oddities!
Post by: Strider on 20:57:39, 18/11/17
Oh well if we're doing Amazon reviews, might as well wheel out the Veet Hair Remover for Men again.....  ;)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Veet-Men-Hair-Removal-Cream/dp/B00KX3PF22/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1511038405&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=veet+for+men&psc=1