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wreck90

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#68101 14-Sep-2010 22:35
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Our local HN had a sale on this evening. 

I bought a picture frame, which was listed at $50, with a 25% discount. 

I did a quick calc in my mind, and worked out that 25% of $50 is $12.50, so the sale price should be $37.50.  

 
But, I was charged $40.00.   I questioned this, and , she showed me her screen which showed their calculation - they are doing this calculation.....

$50 / 1.25 = $40.

I did not really want to argue, as it was only $2.50 and a long line was forming behind me so I just accepted the cashiers argument. 

I however, think my calculation is correct, but Harvey normans have been applying this calculation to all of their discounts tonight. 

Lucky it was not a big screen TV :)

 

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richms
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  #379905 14-Sep-2010 22:36
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What is the exact wording of what they promise you?




Richard rich.ms



robbyp
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  #379921 14-Sep-2010 22:55

wreck90: Our local HN had a sale on this evening. 

I bought a picture frame, which was listed at $50, with a 25% discount. 

I did a quick calc in my mind, and worked out that 25% of $50 is $12.50, so the sale price should be $37.50.  

 
But, I was charged $40.00.   I questioned this, and , she showed me her screen which showed their calculation - they are doing this calculation.....

$50 / 1.25 = $40.

I did not really want to argue, as it was only $2.50 and a long line was forming behind me so I just accepted the cashiers argument. 

I however, think my calculation is correct, but Harvey normans have been applying this calculation to all of their discounts tonight. 

Lucky it was not a big screen TV :)


 


 

If it was $50 and they were to take 25% off the price, then they have made an error. Instead they have only discounted it by 20%

richms
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  #379923 14-Sep-2010 22:56
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Unless the promise was to come in today otherwise you could pay 25% more next week, which is correct for what they have done.




Richard rich.ms



robbyp
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  #379953 14-Sep-2010 23:42

richms: Unless the promise was to come in today otherwise you could pay 25% more next week, which is correct for what they have done.


 

Yes that is correct, although I have not seen any discount marketed in that way.

 

Jarno
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  #379958 14-Sep-2010 23:55
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Did they type in this calculation manually, or was it done automatically by their checkout system?

You missed a chance to blow their minds by asking what a 50% discount and then a 100% discount would come out to.

wiredr
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  #379978 15-Sep-2010 06:00
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wreck90: Our local HN had a sale on this evening. 

I bought a picture frame, which was listed at $50, with a 25% discount. 

I did a quick calc in my mind, and worked out that 25% of $50 is $12.50, so the sale price should be $37.50.  

 
But, I was charged $40.00.   I questioned this, and , she showed me her screen which showed their calculation - they are doing this calculation.....

$50 / 1.25 = $40.

I did not really want to argue, as it was only $2.50 and a long line was forming behind me so I just accepted the cashiers argument. 

I however, think my calculation is correct, but Harvey normans have been applying this calculation to all of their discounts tonight. 

Lucky it was not a big screen TV :)

 


$50 / 1.25 = $40.   = 20% discount

$40 * 1.25 = $50   = 25% markup

clearly they are wrong .

sbiddle
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  #379979 15-Sep-2010 06:19
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It's clearly wrong in this case but with it's not uncommon to find retailers who get discounts wrong. One common one is "we'll pay your GST" where retailers simply deduct 12.5% off the retail price which is infact incorrect.

 
 
 

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wreck90

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  #379983 15-Sep-2010 07:00
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richms: Unless the promise was to come in today otherwise you could pay 25% more next week, which is correct for what they have done.


There was no complexity here, it just had a big red card, with 25% off written on it.

Yes, I should have asked here what a 50% discount would be.  But, I was thinking, she would have been giving the wrong discount to everyone.



 

eracode
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  #379984 15-Sep-2010 07:02
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This is something that should be reported or officially complained about by someone who has been affected - it's simply unacceptable, morally wrong, misleading etc etc.

They should not get away with it and I'm almost tempted to go and buy something (small) so that I am affected and could complain.




Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.


wreck90

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  #379985 15-Sep-2010 07:07
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Jarno: Did they type in this calculation manually, or was it done automatically by their checkout system?

You missed a chance to blow their minds by asking what a 50% discount and then a 100% discount would come out to.


I'm not actually sure - I didn't pay attention until the price was not what I expected.

She was adamant the price was right because her computer says it was so, and I did not want to hold up a line arguing over $2.50.  

It reminds me a bit of the TV comedy Little Britain, and the hospital administrator who believes the computer is 100% correct :)




tardtasticx
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  #380012 15-Sep-2010 09:06
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Why dont they do it easier like:

[price]-([price]x0.[percentage]) = Final sale price

in this case

50-(50x0.25) = $37.50

Always use methods like this in exams because it just seems easier on the eye when going over working.

tardtasticx
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  #380013 15-Sep-2010 09:08
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eracode: This is something that should be reported or officially complained about by someone who has been affected - it's simply unacceptable, morally wrong, misleading etc etc.

They should not get away with it and I'm almost tempted to go and buy something (small) so that I am affected and could complain.


Exactly. Imagine if they did this to every customer. They'd make a fortune with the amount of people going through those doors each day 

wellygary
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  #380037 15-Sep-2010 10:29
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sbiddle: It's clearly wrong in this case but with it's not uncommon to find retailers who get discounts wrong. One common one is "we'll pay your GST" where retailers simply deduct 12.5% off the retail price which is infact incorrect.


Yes, but in that case you are actually getting a better deal than they advertise :),  Tey are paying "your GST", and they are giving you an additional 1.388..% discount

6FIEND
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  #380070 15-Sep-2010 11:31
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wellygary:
sbiddle: It's clearly wrong in this case but with it's not uncommon to find retailers who get discounts wrong. One common one is "we'll pay your GST" where retailers simply deduct 12.5% off the retail price which is infact incorrect.


Yes, but in that case you are actually getting a better deal than they advertise :),  Tey are paying "your GST", and they are giving you an additional 1.388..% discount


...And the same principle works in reverse with the GST increase.  Retailers are saying 12.5% is going up to 15% so there will be a 2.5% price rise.

...but x + 15% is only 2.2% more expensive than x + 12.5%

bazzer
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  #380145 15-Sep-2010 14:12
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I once heard at a conference that a study in Australia (ok, I know!) showed that 50% of the general population didn't understand what 50% meant. It's not that uncommon for this kind of thing to happen. I doubt it's intentional, just someone doesn't know what they're doing.

I would've queried it until I got them to understand and got the refund, but I doubt it would've made any difference to the rest of the customers. They would've reverted back to their calculation once you'd left. They're hardly going to do $50/1.33333 are they? Where the hell did the 1.33333 come from?!!? Trying to teach them $50 x (100% - discount) probably wouldn't fly either.

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