Next time you need to make a purchase (such as a car, appliance or new home), watch out if the salesperson does this: He begins by flooding you with facts, technical jargon and even nonsense words. Then [more…]
Posts tagged as:
tricks at your expense
Think you know a bargain when you see one? Maybe not! A study in the Journal of Consumer Research reveals that by simply making the right-hand digit of a sale price smaller, your brain perceives the discount as larger than it really is. For instance, an item on sale for $211 from the original price of $222 is perceived to be a better deal than an item on sale for $188 from an original price of $199—even though both discounts are $11. So keep a calculator handy the next time you go bargain hunting!
[photo: Cosmic Kitty]
It’s the one you drool over. A study published in the Journal of Consumer Research reveals that not only are shoppers more likely to purchase more products when we’re attracted to the salesperson, we’re also willing to pay more for the items! The reason? We subconsciously rate products as being higher in quality when the person selling them to us is good-looking.
[photo: atp_tyreseus]
New research shows that grocery stores are using some pretty sly tactics to get you to bulk up your bill. To avoid falling for them…
1. Skip the suggested add-on. According to a new study, we tend to buy complementary products that are placed next to each other on the shelves—such as blueberries and whipped cream, chips and salsa, soda and pretzels and ice cream and chocolate syrup. Yet, when we pass by the same products in different aisles, we don’t put them in our cart, reports the Journal of Marketing. [more…]
Before you hand over your hard-earned cash for a used car, find out if the car is legally allowed to be sold first. The National Insurance Crime Bureau offers a free theft and crime report, which reveals whether the car has been reported stolen and unrecovered or has previously been declared a total loss. To get your report instantly, simply enter the car’s VIN here.
[photo: Hugo90]
Love it when stores offer free samples, complimentary coffee or other giveaways? So do the store owners. That’s because freebies put you in a great mood, which [more…]
Ever notice that your hunger spikes after watching certain television commercials for chips, cookies, cheeseburgers, fries and other tempting treats? It’s no coincidence. A new study in the [more…]
Do you pay more for certain brands of coffee, food, clothing or other products because you think they’re better than the less expensive or generic equivalents? Your preference may actually come from seeing the brand used by others—for instance, by friends and coworkers, on TV and in movies, even by strangers you pass on the street, say researchers from Duke University and the University of Maryland. [more…]
Think there are a lot of sale items at your local supermarket? Take a closer look—supermarkets are using new techniques to make items appear as though they’re on sale when they’re really not, says Charlie Peters of paylessforfood.com. Luckily, spotting the fakes is easy. To do it: [more…]
Ever buy a product based on good reviews you read online only to be disappointed in your purchase? You may have been reading raves written by fake reviewers—people paid to pose post glowing comments to boost sales. For truly trustworthy opinions, [more…]
Classical! In fact, one study out of Texas Tech University shows you’ll spend, on average, three times more on each item when it’s playing in the background. The researchers believe that classical music unconsciously makes you feel more sophisticated, and this, in turn, makes you buy significantly more expensive items.
[photo credit: edenpictures]
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