Tag Archives: online consumer panels

Penny Auction? Bring a BUNCH of Pennies!

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Who wants an iPad for $19 and change? The answer is likely “Me me me me!!!” Well, that’s what “Penny Auction” websites like Beezid, Quibid and Bidfun advertise on TV during the late night Three’s Company reruns. But a new article at Yahoo News is offering that classic advice: if it seems too good to be true… But first, they explain how penny auction bidding works.

To sign up, you have to buy bid packs. The more you buy at a time, the lower per-bid price you pay. For example, you can buy a pack of 30 bids for $27 (that’s 90 cents per bid) all the way up to 1000 bids for $550 (55 cents per bid). Then you find an item you want to bid on, and start bidding. Each time you bid, it raises the price of the item by one cent and often resets a timer for another 10 seconds or so of open bidding. Bidding can be done manually, or you can set up auto-bidding, which will program the site to bid for you, usually at the last second.  Yahoo News

What’s the catch? The author lists several. First, to make a bid that raises the price by a penny, you are actually paying between 55 and 90 cents. Second, you get into a bidding war, make a bunch of bids, and end up not winning the item but still losing a bunch of money. Third, are you really saving? She provides an example where someone actually won an iPad for 83 cents, but used $300 in bids. That’s $301 total when, on that same day, you could buy the iPad on Amazon for $320.  Finally, just like those infomercials where they show you a dollar’s worth of crap, tell you it’s a $30 value and offer it to you for 10 bucks, it seems that some of these Penny Auctions are inflating the value to stir bidding excitement.

A final quote:

These sites bill themselves as “entertainment shopping.”  That’s like calling the craps table “entertainment banking.”   Yahoo News

But, as we say, that’s just one opinion. Have you used one of these bidding sites? What do you think? There’s more at the original article, so check it out. And have a great weekend!

(photo: quibidsreport.com)

Return of the Robocall!

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“Greetings, citizen. This is Marcy from Consumer Credit Counselors…”

This is something I haven’t thought of in forever, since I got rid of my landline. But apparently robocalling is back, big time.  Despite the big fuss, and the establishment of the “Do Not Call” registry…

Government figures show monthly robocall complaints have climbed from about 65,000 in October 2010 to more than 212,000 this April. More general complaints from people asking a telemarketer to stop calling them also rose during that period, from about 71,000 to 182,000.  Associated Press

Also, telemarketers are supposed to check the registry for Do Not Call requests each month, but…

…fewer telemarketers are checking the FTC list to see which numbers are off limits. In 2007, more than 65,000 telemarketers checked the list. Last year, only about 34,000 did so.  Associated Press

Part of the problem is that certain types of calls are exempt from the ban, like political calls (awfully good of the politicians to exclude those!), calls for charities, and informational calls (like the airline calling to tell you that your flight is delayed.) What the scammers do is start the call as a charity, then switch to a pitch for “learn how to clean up your credit rating!”

Also, technology is making the law obsolete. Spoof calls hide their true telephone numbers so that when you try to report them, or call them back, you get nothing.

So, what to do? I still get these calls from time to time on my cellphone. My policy is, if I don’t recognize the number, I don’t answer it. They can leave a message or not. Second, there is a website I use, www.whocalled.us, where you can type in the phone number and see if there are any complaints. Also, be careful whenever you sign up for, well, anything on the web. There are often little stipulations like “May we contact you at inconvenient times to tell you about useless products and services?” Finally, you can always complain to the FTC, which I am sure is super-effective. They are at www.ftc.gov or (888) 382-1222.

So, how about you? Are you in the Registry? Do you still get these calls? How do you handle it?

(photo: dailyautocrat.com)

The Mall of the Future!

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How will shopping change over the next 30 years?

The way Blake Nordstrom sees it, fashion has always been about change — “creating a reason for the customer to buy something new” — and the next three decades will bring more of it. The next 30 years of retailing will be all about the customer’s interests. And it will be up to merchants to keep up with or anticipate their every desire.”  USAToday.com

Yes, he’s that Nordstrom. We don’t have any of those around me, but I have always heard stories of their legendary customer service. Nice to see that they are thinking ahead.

Anyway, what does the future of shopping look like?  It’s all about technology:

  • Digital fitting rooms with parametric technology that simulates your body type and gives you a sense of look and fit.
  • 3-D printers that will allow you to make products in their own homes.
  • Smartphone technology that lets retailers dig into your personal data to figure out their tastes and potential interests.
  • Cash registers disappear as all transaction occur using cell phones.

The thing is, every one of these things exist right now, so it makes sense that somebody is going to find a way to use it for (your) fun and (their) profit.

But don’t expect stores filled with touch-screens and robots rather than hangers and sales associates. Though one day the ideal shopping experience might not involve human contact, Nordstrom says, “we’re not there yet.”   USAToday.com

What do you think? Do these sound like improvements to you? What changes would you like to see in retail? Let us know, and have a great weekend!

(photo: befitbefabulous.ca)

Stupidity Fees?

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Here is the typical drill. A consumer is completely surprised and shocked by some retailer’s stated policy, so she complains on Facebook. A big firestorm develops, and maybe they do a story on the local news that goes viral on YouTube. The embarrassed company relents, apologizes to the consumer and changes the policy.

Yeah, well, that didn’t happen this time.

An Irish family of 5 was on vacation in Spain. On the return trip, they arrive at the airport and go to the kiosk to print their boarding passes. They discover that the airline charges a 60 Euro ($76) printing fee PER BOARDING PASS. Four hundred dollars and one heart attack later, the mom is complaining on Facebook, has a million-billion Likes, and is demanding justice.

How does the airline CEO respond?

“We think she should pay 60 euros for being so stupid. She wasn’t able to print her boarding card at an Internet café? At the hotel? She couldn’t get to a fax machine so some friend at home could print them and fax them to her?”  NBCNews.com

His point? The terrible bad printing fee is a stated policy. If you didn’t read the fine print, then you should pay the Stupidity Fee.  This particular airline, Ryanair, is one of those low-cost outfits. And part of the low cost magic is crazy weird fees like this one, such as bag fees, exit row seat fees, and even potty fees.

So, is this right? If it’s in the fine print, can a company do whatever it wants? How closely do you read the fine print? Should you have to? Check out the original article to read about the pros and cons, and let us know your opinion.

Organic Food – Yea or Nay?

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The term organic shopper helps develop a picture of a consumer who appears to be more in the know about what’s best for their bodies and what isn’t.  But are those who purchase organic foods better off than those who don’t? Maybe not.  Consumer Affairs

Some people (or maybe it’s just me) envision the Organic Shopper as a hippie in hemp sandals and a tie-dye T-shirt. But the truth is that a LOT of people – from every stripe of life – are concerned about bacteria, pesticides and antibiotics in their meat and produce. So they have gone organic in their shopping habits and, for the most part, don’t mind paying a little extra for the peace of mind.

But are they really seeing the benefits? This study is unconvinced.

Twelve Stanford University researchers examined 240 studies on organic foods that were previously conducted between 1996 and 2011. The goal of the researchers was to determine the true differences between conventional foods and organic, in terms of nutrient levels and the amount of contaminants. Consumer Affairs

The good news is that there ARE fewer pesticides present in organic foods. 7% of organic foods had some trace of pesticide, compared to 28% of non-organic foods. BUT…all foods tested were within government safety standards.  Also, they found no big difference in the levels of vitamins A, C and E between the two.

What’s the takeaway? Well, some people just want their organic food, don’t mind paying for it, and that’s cool. But if you are somebody – like many of us – who has to keep tightening their belt month after month but you are still concerned about the safety of your food, non-organic seems to be a safe way to go.

There’s more at the original article, so check it out. And have a great weekend!

(photo: american.com)

Restaurant Rant

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Here’s a somewhat (very) lightweight after-holiday post. Top 10 consumer peeves about restaurants! Here are some of the ones that struck me. How many do you share?

Feed the kids! Everybody knows that hungry, cranky kids are a time bomb waiting to explode all over your good time. Something, anything, just get some food in them as soon as you sit down.

Plate timing: What’s the old rule? Knife and fork across the plate means I am done. Don’t yank it away too soon, and don’t leave it sit for the rest of the evening.

Attentive, not obnoxious: Ever try to have a conversation, and the server keeps interrupting? The tea is empty, so fill it. No need to ask EVERY time. Of course, the flip side to this is “Where is our waitress? Do you even remember what she looks like?”

Policy, schmolicy: Dumb stuff like they won’t seat you until the whole party has arrived. Or, there are only 3 tables being used, and they have to seat you right on top of each other. If it’s busy, or you are understaffed, I get it. Otherwise, you are just following rules for rules’ sake.

Can the commentary: “Wow! Looks like SOMEBODY was HUNGRY!” Seriously, just shut up.

There is a bunch more at the original article, as well as a friendly reminder that we, as the customer, also have some responsibilities. So check it out. Did they miss any?

The Return of the Return of Layaway!

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Last year we blogged about how a bad economy and the credit crunch were leading to “The Return of Layaway” in your favorite stores. This year, there’s a new twist.

Same lame economy, but now it’s an election year. I heard on the radio that Wal-Mart is worried that with politicians buying up every moment of commercial time, they won’t be able to do the kind of advertising they need to make a profit at the Holidays. So, one thing they are doing is improving their layaway program to get your attention.

So, in addition to starting the program much earlier this year…

Walmart will refund the $15 fee to open a layaway account after customers make their final payment, and it will no longer charge a cancellation fee to customers who fail to finish paying for the item.  USNews.com

Other stores like Kmart, Sears and Toys R Us are joining in the fun, too. You can read all about it here.

What do you think? Were you planning to use layaway this year? Would this tempt you to? Let us know. And have a fun, SAFE Labor Day weekend!

(photo: fh.ext.wvu.edu)

Apple Slams Samsung

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Oh, Google Image Search. You never disappoint!

Apple vs. Samsung: it was the “patent trial of the century” and, last Friday, Apple won. Samsung has to fork over $1 billion, pending appeal.

The result is extremely complex and is, as of this writing, still being wrangled over in court. But the initial finding appears to be a whole lot of hurt for Samsung and a victory for Apple. The bigger question is, what does this mean for innovation and competition in the tech industry? TechHive.com

But the biggest question is, how does this affect ME? And, I guess, you too?

Some say it will force an industry with too many “me-too” copycats to dig deep and innovate in new and exciting ways, which would be good. Others say that many designers – often just one or two guys working in a garage – will be so afraid of lawsuits that they will choke up. And still others wonder how much change the consumer will accept. Specific example… what if you have to give up your Droid because it’s pinch-and-zoom function is too much like an iPhone?

Many people are seeing this situation as “Intellectual Property vs. Consumer Choice.”

What do you think?

Who is Really the Low Price Leader?

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For me, the perception of paying less is what takes me to Wal-Mart. I feel like the noise, the crowd and the hassle are worth it if I am saving dough.

According to this article, though, those savings may be an illusion.

Target this month had lower prices than Wal-Mart for the first time since October, according to research conducted by Bloomberg Industries. The Minneapolis-based chain also led by its widest margin since the monthly study began two years ago. The study examined the gap in average price across a basket of 150 like items at stores within five miles of each other.  Bloomberg.com

Apparently, the still-crappy economy has the two giants scrambling for customers, and the competition has heated up. Of course, there are other players, including Kmart and Amazon. Customer loyalty is up for grabs, and we will go wherever the prices lead us.

At any rate, Target is crowing, and Wal-Mart is saying “Yeah, but…” And it seems this whole competition  is for bragging rights, since we are talking about a savings of 46 cents per every hundred dollars!

What do you think? Target or Wal-Mart? Do you see a difference? Let us know…and have a great weekend!

Drought Brings Crops Down, Prices Up

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How colorfully depressing!

On TV, radio and the web, it’s the background noise we have been hearing all summer: the big Midwest drought. Living in South Carolina, where it rains every day at 4pm sharp, it seems like somebody else’s problem. But my grocery bill tends to disagree. The biggest factor? CORN.

Corn — a crop that has been decimated by drought — is used as feed for beef and poultry; is manufactured into ethanol, a gasoline additive; and is cooked into corn syrup, a sweetener in everything from cereals to ketchup. And, of course, that doesn’t count corn’s simple uses, whether to be eaten alone or made into anything from chips to tortillas.  CBS Money Watch

Before the planting season, they were talking about a record crop. Now they say it will be down 12% from last year. So how does this affect your wallet? And what can you do about it?

  • Buy meat now: Before long, it will be cheaper for farmers to slaughter their livestock that to feed them. When that happens, meat process will shoot up.
  • $kip proce$$ed food$: they have a lot of high-fructo$e corn $yrup.
  • Buy fruit: The weather that is killing vegetables is good for fruit, so prices are lower.
  • Substitute. Oatmeal instead of processed cereal, fish instead of beef, foods with simple sugar instead of fructose, etc.
  • Eat locally: If you happen to live in an unaffected area, the local stuff should be cheaper.

So, have you seen the difference in your grocery bill? Do you have any other saving tips? Let us know!