Revealed: The truth about supermarket 'bargains'

[dave6x]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

What a nice get out.Frankly the retailers should also have a mind to their consumers rights as well.
Oh for the days when those who were caught cheating their customers were placed in the stocks..

I would agree with you where a retailer is deliberately misleading a customer.

Maybe a good example of this would be VM boldly offering a headline "unlimited" broadband product then caveating this with lots of small print that would confuse the same people who have difficulty making price comparisons in supermarkets!

[Zee]

I've seen this, even when items are not on offer such as tubs of clover, tins of tuna and washing powders, you just have to be clever with your shopping.

Originally Posted by dave6x

I would agree with you where a retailer is deliberately misleading a customer.

Maybe a good example of this would be VM boldly offering a headline "unlimited" broadband product then caveating this with lots of small print that would confuse the same people who have difficulty making price comparisons in supermarkets!

So you would say hiding behind the tiny print on the packaging is not a deliberate attempt at obfuscation? If retailers and producers of the food we buy didn't try and confuse with the tiny print I would agree with you.

Trying to work out the caloric or WW points of particular foods is then confusing because they then throw in the per 100 grms rule but the product maybe 120 or 57 grms in weight or 317 and that's before we consider drained weight.
Then working out percentages of salt or fat also requires some more maths..

I get some queer looks when I'm standing there with my magnifying glass and calculator in hand..plus the time it takes to do this research..

No I want them to be far more open than they are and they can stick their buyer beware.I just wish Which got more involved in food retailing..

Originally Posted by Maggy J

So you would say hiding behind the tiny print on the packaging is not a deliberate attempt at obfuscation? If retailers and producers of the food we buy didn't try and confuse with the tiny print I would agree with you.

Trying to work out the caloric or WW points of particular foods is then confusing because they then throw in the per 100 grms rule but the product maybe 120 or 57 grms in weight or 317 and that's before we consider drained weight.
Then working out percentages of salt or fat also requires some more maths..

I get some queer looks when I'm standing there with my magnifying glass and calculator in hand..plus the time it takes to do this research..

No I want them to be far more open than they are and they can stick their buyer beware.I just wish Which got more involved in food retailing..

Seriously ? good grief Maggie just buy what you like and enjoy it ,worrying about crap like that will lead you to early grave

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by martyh

At the moment cat food (felix agail to be precise) is currently on special price at most supermarkets for around £12-13 for 48 pouches ,this same offer is in most large supermarkets ,my local Jolly's pet shop and my wifes freezer shop .That points to the manufacturer having a glut of this particular size package (which morrison, Jolly's or farmfoods don't normally stock) and so it is priced as a special ...buying 2x 24 pouch packs is £2 cheaper though and i'll bet a weeks wage that it will be the turn of whiskers to enter the merry go round of special prices in the next couple of weeks .People need to look better that is all

People do need to look better. Although that's not always an easy thing to do if you are a parent doing the weekly shop with a couple of angry/bored kids in tow.

My bone of contention is that we have laws in place to stop that kind of con. If you or I tried that sort of thing, we'd likely be arrested if we were caught. Supermarkets are getting away with misrepresenting prices, and earning millions of pounds a day doing it, yet are seemingly free to do so.

That is wrong.

The trouble is, we don't have a government with the balls to stand up to them. We haven't for decades, and it shows in the state of the rest of the food and groceries market.

Originally Posted by martyh

Seriously ? good grief Maggie just buy what you like and enjoy it ,worrying about crap like that will lead you to early grave

I'm obese and I'm trying to lose weight.However retailers keep trying to lie to me about what is in the products they produce especially those supposedly low in fat.

[Cobbydaler]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

So you would say hiding behind the tiny print on the packaging is not a deliberate attempt at obfuscation? If retailers and producers of the food we buy didn't try and confuse with the tiny print I would agree with you.

Trying to work out the caloric or WW points of particular foods is then confusing because they then throw in the per 100 grms rule but the product maybe 120 or 57 grms in weight or 317 and that's before we consider drained weight.
Then working out percentages of salt or fat also requires some more maths..

I get some queer looks when I'm standing there with my magnifying glass and calculator in hand..plus the time it takes to do this research..

No I want them to be far more open than they are and they can stick their buyer beware.I just wish Which got more involved in food retailing..

Originally Posted by Maggy J

I'm obese and I'm trying to lose weight.However retailers keep trying to lie to me about what is in the products they produce especially those supposedly low in fat.

But this has nothing to do with the original topic of price rip offs...

Originally Posted by Maggy J

I'm obese and I'm trying to lose weight.However retailers keep trying to lie to me about what is in the products they produce especially those supposedly low in fat.

not the first time that has been said , and i think a much more worthy cause for Panarama to investigate than suposed "conning " by supermarkets because people don't read price labels properly

Originally Posted by Cobbydaler

But this has nothing to do with the original topic of price rip offs...

It's all in the same ball park..hiding the real price or ingredient make up of their products are both reprehensible.They only gives us what info they do because they have been bullied into it. Let's bully them some more.

[Digital Fanatic]

It just feels like deception... 4 cans of beans for £2 in pack labelled as "value pack", sounds good until you see the cans of beans individually are 45p each.

It all adds up and the customer is being taken for a fool. The supermarkets are making excessive profits on the back of this.

[Gary L]

Just think of all them Grannies they have conned. they can't use that "it was a genuine mistake" they deliberately set out to fool our grannies and cheat them out of their pensions.

[nomadking]

Originally Posted by Digital Fanatic

It just feels like deception... 4 cans of beans for £2 in pack labelled as "value pack", sounds good until you see the cans of beans individually are 45p each.

It all adds up and the customer is being taken for a fool. The supermarkets are making excessive profits on the back of this.

Are the single items on special offer? Are they supermarket own brands? If not, isn't it down to the suppliers who had the labelling done?

[Tinky]

I thought I had a bargain 2 boxes of cuppa soup for £1.08, but when I got outside and checked my bill I had been charged separately £1.08 minus 43p and £1.08 minus 43p total £2.16 minus 86p = £1.30! I've kept the bill for a refund next time I am in there again.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Buy only what you need when you need it.

A common sense answer if ever l saw one.

[dave6x]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

So you would say hiding behind the tiny print on the packaging is not a deliberate attempt at obfuscation? If retailers and producers of the food we buy didn't try and confuse with the tiny print I would agree with you.

Trying to work out the caloric or WW points of particular foods is then confusing because they then throw in the per 100 grms rule but the product maybe 120 or 57 grms in weight or 317 and that's before we consider drained weight.
Then working out percentages of salt or fat also requires some more maths..

I get some queer looks when I'm standing there with my magnifying glass and calculator in hand..plus the time it takes to do this research..

No I want them to be far more open than they are and they can stick their buyer beware.I just wish Which got more involved in food retailing..

I did basically agree with you that customers should not be misled by detail being buried in the small print, what ever the product may be!

Unfortunately I do not have much experience of trying to compare processed foods as apart from the odd pack of beefburgers or frozen pizza it's not stuff we buy, we generally keep away from junk food. We mostly buy fresh foodstuff and prepare our meals from that, we know where to buy for best quality/value compromise.

We are lucky that we have LIDL, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose, ASDA, Iceland all less than a mile away and within walking distance. There is also a twice weekly market in town and a very good fruit and veg retailer. We also use MySupermarket for price comparisons on branded goods we require, not always that useful though as not all offers are in store, some are only online.

However good luck with your quest.