Ecco Shoes Australia

Crazy Fine Print as a Result of “Sales” Every Other Day

01.01.70

Is anyone else out there tired of sales and clearances? I never thought that statement would come out of my mouth, much less from my keyboard, but sales and clearances are being advertised by stores on a daily basis. I am under the impression that merchandise and services cannot be “on sale” or “on clearance” all the time, so it leads me to the conclusion that prices are being artificially inflated to begin with so that a respectable percentage can be taken off during the sales campaign and the consumer feels as though they are getting a good deal. This practice has obviously been around before, but it seems to be everywhere since the beginning of the recession.

                “Sale” and “Clearance” are used so much that unless you are having one of these, you can’t even compete among consumers—these words are a cost of entry to the marketplace. Since products and services cannot possibly be on sale or on clearance all the time, stores are finding ways to use these buzz words to attract consumers, but restrict their profit losses by adding in robust fine print language. I have found some really restrictive language in the fine print—some even ridiculous—and would like to share a few with you to show you what I am talking about.

Source: Houston Chronicle (blog)