Sneaky, sneaky b-tards
August 16, 2009Here’s a word of warning if you’re shopping at New World.
Something that’s happened to use a few times in the past week (at both downtown New Worlds) is that items have big signs on them stating 2-for-$XX!! This is usually a good deal, so we buy them, only to get to the cashier and discover that it is some other brand entirely that is on sale.
When I wandered back to check it the label did indeed say “Molenburg”, but the bread under the sign was Freyas. So technically the supermarket isn’t actually doing anything wrong. The sign and the bread are different, therefore I am not paying enough attention, and it is my fault that I end up with more bread than I need, at a higher cost.
But another way to look at it is: these sneaky, sneaky b-tards are fooling me into buying more, in the expectation that I will not kick up a fuss, and socially embarass myself, at the cashier.
However, no amount of grumpy people in line, or sending cashiers off to sort this out, will deter this curmudgeon from getting his $3.50 saving…
Che Tibby
Stephen
Frugal Me 
the warehouse do this all the time
it’s annoying as hell
disappointing to see someone else is up to tricks like this.
And at somewhere like the warehouse it’s a long hike for a staff member to g check things and another long hike to replace the items i did not end up buying
I’ve had the same thing with New World in Newtown, but with cheese. The big sign said the blocks of cheese were only $6.99, but it flashed up on the till at $12.99. The shop assistant told me I had picked up the wrong block, but I was quite insistant that I’d picked up the block by the sign. I walked him down the fridge to show him, and the sign was nowhere near the block it actually related to (and the special related a 750gm block, not a 1kg block).
yup. technically they have to provide it at the marked price. they’re trying to get round it with “clear labelling.”
but i’m pretty sure either the fair trading or consumer guarantees act can be quoted at them.
basically, new world are *deliberately* misleading customers on this.
am thinking seriously about heading up there and taking photos. of the offending signs.
Che’s right. This is illegal, and they’re liable for large fines for practices like this. Photos, and notification of the authorities, are good ideas.
Hmmm I noticed a similar thing a while back at our NW down here in Dunedin, but just put it down to the chaos that is currently reigning due to their remodelling. Will keep and eye out and take sneaky photos if I spot it happening here…
You know I shop at NW Thorndon and never noticed this but still managed to buy the stuff on special rather than other stuff. Now you point it out I notice it all the time. I think my brain was already sub-conciously registering this by looking at the signs first then trying to locate the product after. odd.
i checked our new world this past weekend, and nothing doing.
will take the camera along to the shop each time i go in though, just in case.
the cheese and the bread are the worst culprits. though in the case of the cheese I reckon they would argue that the fridge means they can’t put the label in the right place…