… is not a sale price!
You may remember that I went to London to run some training for a client.
Well, while I was there, I had some free time and decided to check out the stalls in a busy underground station.
The stalls sold many different products and the one I sat nearest to was selling mops.
The trader showed the mop in action on the station floor, and as he mopped he described the qualities of the product finishing with the price.
The first time: “We have a special offer today – 50% off”
Then about 10 minutes later I heard: “Special offer this week – 50 % off”
And then 10 minutes later: “Special offer forever – 50 % off!”
This made me pay more attention to his pitch.
He really knew how to pull in potential customers on their way through the station, all stopping to watch him.
However, he was likely breaking some rules when it comes to pricing, something he probably knew nothing about.
Having been a lawyer for Which? in a previous life, this issue jumped out at me.
Pricing has its own set of rules of which many sellers are unaware.
They can be difficult to get your head around and can cause problems for a brand if they get it wrong.
You see, in this case, if a product is on sale for a long time, the sale price becomes the standard price, and it’s no longer a bargain.
This could cause a headache for the seller if someone complains to the ASA, as they could rule against the ad and even refer it to trading standards for legal action.
I don’t think this trader has too much to worry about since the concourse was so busy, but it’s always good to remember that the marketing and advertising rules are far reaching.