How sellers deceive buyers. How do I deceive buyers? supermarket salesperson's revelations. ✔ Deception in the form of non-existent product characteristics
Electronics are designed to help us. But it turns out that sellers have a lot to do with their hands, and now they are “helping” electronics. To deceive us, the customers...
Electronics are designed to help us. But it turns out that sellers have a lot to do with their hands, and now they are “helping” electronics. Deceive us, the customers. How exactly? A saleswoman from one of the Donetsk supermarkets agreed to tell us about this incognito.
Method one: extra purchase
One of the most common ways of cheating is when they overcharge you at the checkout. For example, instead of four bottles of beer, they knock out five. Or - a chocolate bar, a disposable bag of coffee, chewing gum, which you did not take at all.
Do you buy a lot of products for several days, the receipt is, accordingly, “meter long” and it is almost impossible to check without leaving the cash register whether everything is correct? Rest assured, the cashier will not miss an opportunity to cheat you.
It's such a small thing to get three jars of yogurt instead of two. It’s much cooler to not delete information about previous purchases from your computer and add their cost to yours. They will especially not miss the opportunity if the buyer in front of you takes one beer, and you have a lot of all sorts of things in your cart. You probably won't notice this right away. And if you come back with complaints after you put your purchases in your bag, the cashier will also be indignant: “Maybe you already drank the beer, how do I know!”
Once in a supermarket, a customer was indignant before the New Year: several Santa Clauses struck her for as much as eight hryvnia each! She discovered this chocolate “bonus” only at home. There was so much noise! But the money was returned to her anyway.
Advice. Check your receipt, as well as your change, without leaving the cash register. And least of all pay attention to comments that you are disturbing someone. It’s even better to walk around the sales floor with a calculator, adding up the prices of your purchases. Then, if the resulting amount does not coincide with the one entered in the check, it will be possible to sort it out immediately. Even if you have moved a respectful distance from the cash register, still try to be indignant, louder, and also scare that you will be sent by the consumer protection department. Most likely, your claims will be satisfied.
Method two: code substitution
The game with barcodes for goods is a “fool”, risky, but worth the candle. For example, “Nemiroff” vodka with glasses in a box costs 48 hryvnia, and without them it costs as much as 13 hryvnia. You buy the one that is cheaper, but the price may well go up for " gift option". Taking a quick glance at the receipt, you will most likely see the name of the product, but you may not notice the incorrect price.
Approximately the same tricks with codes are performed in the vegetable and sausage departments when weighing goods. They put, for example, a head of cabbage on an electronic scale, and enter the code for more expensive oranges and weigh the cabbage at the price of oranges. In this case, everything is “caught”: the codes prudently differ by only one, last, digit, and if you notice an error, you will even receive an apology along with this explanation. Just be sure: you will never be able to weigh a pineapple for the price of a potato.
Advice. When viewing a receipt, pay attention not only to the name of the product, but also to the price next to it. Be especially careful if the seller does not read the price from the label with a scanner, but enters it manually. When purchasing several products of the same name, different prices the likelihood of cheating increases sharply.
Method three: body kit
If you think that they don’t weigh you in supermarkets, you are deeply mistaken. Of course, we are reluctant to pay when certain “cons” come to light during re-accounting. So we take it out on the buyers, namely, by packing the goods in bags, nets and other packaging, we set the price (correct) and weight (wrong) in advance. And most likely, when buying 1 kg of tangerines, you actually get no more than 920 grams, if you’re “lucky” - 940.
Advice. Don't trust labels and simply re-weight the packaged product.
If the product is pre-packaged, then the products are weighed along with the foam base and packaging film, which weigh 8-10 grams. And when you buy, for example, a piece of expensive fish, you also get a package for the price of a delicacy.
Advice. Do not hesitate to ask that the item be re-weighed without packaging.
Method four: changing the price
They cheat, just so you know, not only in supermarkets. So I’ll ask you: “Do you look at electronic scales when they weigh, say, sausage?” Why, most likely, you ask, because electronics don’t lie. So, the principle of “trust but verify” should not be compromised.
This is how, for example, I can “make money” on cookies. “Weigh half a kilo of Mozart,” they ask me. These cookies cost 8.40. I see that the woman is dressed well and doesn’t seem to be looking at the scales, and I quickly knock out 10.60 UAH. Of course, she may notice. Well, I apologize that's all.
Another example. A woman asks to weigh 100 grams of Jelly sweets for 11.20 UAH. and 200 - “Rachkov” for 6.70 UAH. First, I weigh the “Crawfish” and set the price correctly. Then I put in the “Jellies”, knocking out their price accordingly, and, fussing, I say: “Somehow, I think I’m confused, but how much did those weigh…” - and I return the caramel to the scales, where a more expensive price has already been set. And now both “Rachki” and chocolate ones are sold at 11.20.
Advice. When weighing food, look carefully at the scales, or at least pretend to. When the cashier calls the amount of purchases, ask again: how much? - the second answer often does not coincide with the first. If you have any doubts that you have overpaid, do not hesitate to ask for a recalculation: this is now par for the course.
Natalya MALAFEEVA.
13 examples of how we are deceived in stores
It seems that the era of ubiquitous markets is gradually becoming a thing of the past, and we are also slowly parting with the legacy of Soviet unobtrusive service, but they have not stopped deceiving us. We have collected 13 examples of how supermarkets cheat their customers.
Second freshness
If you see sausage or cheese in a store, beautifully cut on a tray and wrapped in stretch film, then it is better to take on the next shelf the cut that was vacuum packed at the factory. The date on such a “homemade” cut only tells you when it was packaged. If the goods are stale, then specially trained people open the packages, re-wrap them and put a new date on them. Naturally it will be today.Merchandising
When you buy a perishable product, for example, milk, kefir or bread, it is better to take the packaging that is located at the back of the shelf. The freshest products are usually kept there, and those that have been lying around for a couple of days are put ahead. This way they are sorted out faster.Product not on sale
When you take without looking a product on sale from a shelf where everything seems to be on sale, you are making a big mistake. Among the discounted items, there may well be a couple of items lying around at regular prices. It seems that this is not a crime, but if you are not careful, you will pay too much.Overpricing before discounts
A sale or promotion is not always so profitable. You may not know, but some stores raise prices for goods, hold them for a couple of weeks, and then make a super-profitable offer, lowering the price tag to normal values. It seems to be a promotion, but only the store benefits from it.
Soviet sellers used lightweight weights for scales to count customers. They drilled out the filling and closed the hole with a cork that matched the color of the weight.
Last breath discounts
It happens that perishable goods were not stored properly during transportation or in a warehouse. An experienced seller understands that there is no time, and milk or kefir will turn sour. Then he makes a really big discount, not 10-20%, but all 50. The milk flies away in a matter of hours, especially since everything is in order with the expiration date on the package. And then the buyer will be disappointed.A mess with price tags
It happens that there is one price for a product on the shelf, but at the checkout there is a different one. The cashier makes the excuse that the price has already been changed in the database, and to change it in trading floor We haven't had time yet. This may be true, but most often the delay in replacing the price tag is deliberate. two to three hours can bring good profit to the store. It also happens that in front of the product there is a price tag for the same, but smaller capacity. For example, in front of a bottle of 0.5 volume there is a price tag for a bottle of 0.33. An inattentive person will not notice the trick.Extra item on the receipt
Stores often write off shortages during inventory counting by selling extra items to customers at the checkout counter. Well, you’re not going to double-check a half-meter check when there are 10 more people in line behind you? And if you look more closely, there may be a few extra cheeses and a pack of washing powder. You need to be especially careful when you are shopping like an adult, with a huge cart.
Underweight
When buying fruits or vegetables, it is better to pick them yourself in a bag than to buy ready-made sets. They often weigh less than what is stated on the packaging. Of course, they won’t cheat you by a kilogram, but 10-12 rubles per person will make a good profit for the store in a day.Ice fee
Frozen foods, e.g. fish or legs, sold in a thick glaze of ice. Naturally, this is also weighed with ice, and we buy frozen water at the price of pink salmon. There may be more expensive fish nearby, but without ice. Most likely it will be more profitable to buy it. You'll overpay for fish, but you won't buy expensive ice.They cheat more often during rush hours. In the evenings and on weekends, when there are long queues, people are irritated and do not pay attention to the little things.
Marriage at a discount
Electronics stores are returning return the defective product to the supplier. After repair, it is returned back with a 30-50% discount. The store, accordingly, also offers it at a discount, albeit not such a big one. A decent seller will tell the buyer the reason for the discount, but often this is not done. You can identify a device that has been repaired by the REF sticker on the box (Refactoring).
Not a brand
Sellers in branded stores can sell their own goods under the guise of a brand. For example, buy decent-looking underwear or fake sneakers at the market and display them in a decent store. Without expecting a catch, the buyer takes them, especially since the price in this case is lower.Resuscitation workshop
It is available in almost every supermarket. There they “revive” stale sausages, sausages and cheeses. Sausage is washed from sticky coating, the cheese is trimmed at the edges and repackaged. Spoiled meat is soaked in vinegar and used as mince for cutlets. Supermarkets do not produce salads themselves, but they can sell them for a very long time. If the salad has become weathered, then stir it, add more mayonnaise, and it looks like new.Hazardous impurities
Pebbles may slip through loose nuts for weight. They can increase not only the cost of the purchase, but also create a reason for an unplanned visit to the dentist. This is especially common in glazed nuts. It’s clear that the store doesn’t glaze them itself, but that means it chooses suppliers poorly.Want to receive one interesting unread article per day?
Caution and vigilance, methods of protection.
In the same article, we will “open the cards” for a number of ways to body kit buyers.
I'm sure many have encountered a similar phenomenon. Some people create a scandal, some remain modestly silent, and most simply do not notice the blatant deception.
But scammers are extremely inventive people. They cannot be denied wild imagination. They know very well how to deceive a buyer . And sometimes it’s very difficult to predict what next new product awaits us. What will they “delight” us with today?
Sometimes it can be quite difficult to immediately distinguish a hoax from reality. Nowadays, everything can be sold on the Internet. Even the air. Yes, yes, money out of thin air. On the Internet you will find a bunch of courses on how to do this.
And a modern Internet user simply must be able to “separate the seeds from the chaff.” For example, do you want to buy a star? You heard right - exactly a star in space.
Complete nonsense, you say. And in vain.
Today you can absolutely officially register the name of a star.
On star-cosmos.ru, with receipt of a certificate and for a nominal fee.
And what to do with it? Whatever.
Give to relatives, friends, girlfriend, boss for their anniversary.
No one other than the owner has the right to name this star.
And it warms you up, you know. Lena Brezhneva, Ivan Urgant, Elizaveta Boyarskaya - these stars, in the literal sense, shine for us from the sky.
It is clear that before ordering it makes sense to look at the reviews.
However, let's return to earthly affairs. Fraudsters have in their arsenal of methods and means of deception those that consistently bring them luck. Read below and be fully prepared when meeting with trading scammers. .
Deceiving the buyer or how much is two and two...
According to the State Trade Inspectorate, the most popular violation of the rules 
trade is basic body kit.
And, by the way, if we take an average, then in Russia every fourth buyer leaves deceived.
And it is clear that no State Trade Inspectorate is able to inspect countless stalls, kiosks, and retail outlets.
And in the markets they stretch out into long shopping rows.
And in vain we think that the risk of being deceived in such places is no greater than in a regular store. Quite the opposite.
This is where they “throw” easily, naturally, professionally.
No matter how sad and cynical it may sound.
Let's look at a few classic examples body kit
These are not all the methods in the arsenal how to deceive a buyer . And also sawed weights, placed magnets, sleight of hand of the seller.
And also underweight, expired products, etc., etc....
Surely, any reader can add something from his own practice. Share in the comments.
But always, when entering into commodity-money relations, remember that any person, including the seller, may turn out to be dishonest. And below are some tips on these same commodity-money relations.
How to avoid becoming a victim of shopping scams
If you met with old scales - be sure to look at the arrow. Initially, it should be strictly at zero. If during weighing the needle does not move smoothly, jumps in fits and starts, or gets stuck, the scales are definitely not working properly.
Remember that the weight should already be marked on packaged goods. If the seal is broken or the weight indicated by the manufacturer is difficult to read, ask for reweighing. 
Do not forget and about such a method of deceiving the buyer as re-grade. Basically, it is often used in department stores and supermarkets. This is what is called “giving assortment.”
This is what we're talking about. To the main one, front part good quality product is installed.
And inside, under the top slice of the appetizing layer, when you come home, you will find scraps of meat that are completely unsuitable for food.
Immediately go to the place of purchase and request a replacement or refund of the product. Believe me, they will make a replacement, because for the seller it is easier and cheaper than dealing with the law “On the Protection of Consumer Rights”.
Fraud when shopping online is a separate issue. In upcoming articles we will take a closer look at this practically new service for Russians. We will see the schemes and traps set by dishonest Internet entrepreneurs.
Be careful when shopping.
Take care of your money. And also
We invite you to consider 19 supermarket tricks that you are still falling for. You probably didn't know about many of them. Don't let store owners deceive you! Learn a few marketing tricks, and after a while you will notice that your cart contains only essential products.
Experts in Food Industry, industry analysts, marketing educators and store employees share their inside information. Find out how to save money on groceries while staying full and healthy. Win the battle against marketers!
1. We are well aware of the role that feelings play in marketing.
“When you walk into a store, you smell bread or grilled chicken. Everyone understands that these are the smells that make your salivary glands work more actively. When you are hungry, you become a less disciplined shopper,” says Paco Underhill, industry expert consumer market and author of the book "Why We Buy, or How to Make People Buy."
2. It's no coincidence that carts are getting bigger.
Martin Lindstrom, the great branding guru, says: "At a hypermarket we decided to test something and so we doubled the size of the trolleys. As a result, our customers bought 19 percent more than usual."
Many supermarkets use this trick.
3. The more people buy, the more they consume.
“If you used to buy and drink six juices a week, now it’s quite possible that you’re buying a 12-pack of the drink. This is due to the fact that trade marks change over time standard size packaging. And you, having tried and fallen in love with the product, will probably start buying 12 cans a week. Be careful when purchasing products in large packs. Make sure the packaging does not affect your eating habits. That is, you are not consuming more of the product just because of marketing tricks,” notes Jeff Weidauer, former Executive Director supermarket and vice president of marketing for the company retail Westcom.
4. The average consumer only remembers the price of the first four products.
Martin Lindstrom states: "Milk, bread, bananas and eggs. Ninety-five percent of shoppers don't know how much all the other items in their basket cost. Which means they don't know whether they're getting a good deal or not."
5. The brightest things are at the front of the store.
"The brightest things are at the front of the store because rainbow colors make good mood and inspire you to buy more. That's why I recommend you start your shopping in the middle of the store, where you'll be more focused on the most important products," says Phil Lempert, grocery expert.
6. Please have your money or credit card ready in advance
Amy Britney, a former grocery cashier, noted, "Some stores have a time limit for each transaction. If you spend too long looking for money or a card, we have problems."
7. Supermarkets do everything to keep you busy... and it's profitable for the store
Jason Swett, a former grocery store cashier, notes: “Customers often tell me when I start to push through their large number of purchases: “But I just came in to buy eggs.” And in the end they end up with a check for 3,000 rubles.”
8. To save money, plug in headphones and play upbeat music while you shop at the store.
Martin Lindstrom commented: "Many stores play music at a beat that is much slower than our heartbeat, causing you to spend more time in the store and buy 29 percent more than you planned in advance."
9. Supermarkets don't aim to rip you off.
Phil Lempert admitted: "The average supermarket's net profit margin is about 1.5% per year. To give you some idea of how small this figure is, clothing store profit margins are several times larger."
10. Food safety
"Food safety is a store's highest priority, especially when it comes to production. Employees must sterilize cutting boards every four hours; they must fill out a special log every time they clean the boards. Some employees sometimes try to get rid of this dirty work, so during the day I had to go to the kitchen and check the magazine,” admitted Linda King, former manager hypermarket.
11. Milk at the back of the store
"People think that milk is specially placed at the very back of the store so that they pass by all the products. What if they like something? But the real reason is simple logistics. Milk needs to be refrigerated; trucks unload at the back of the store building, so that's where the refrigerators are located. So we can unload the milk and cool it faster and easier,” said Jeff Weidauer.
12. If you need a cake, don't buy it today.
“When you go to pick up a cake from the display, think about it: it’s probably been there for a very long time. If you order a certain cake from us in advance, we will make it especially for you that day or the night before, and it will be much fresher,” says Lindsay Smith, former decorator confectionery and a bakery worker at a grocery store.
13. Stale apples
“Believe it or not, years of our own research have shown that the average apple you can find in the supermarket is about 14 months old or more,” said Martin Lindstrom.
14. Processed foods
"We recycle vegetables and fruits that don't sell on time into our prepared products," said Bradley McHugh, a grocery store meat and deli supplier.
15. Secrets of placing price tags
“The store where I worked placed price tags somewhat specifically and, in my opinion, very incorrectly. For example, they actually offered a 50 percent discount on ham sold in a package weighing 200 grams. It costs, for example, 200 rubles And the price tag was located near the same product, but weighing a kilogram, the cost of which was 600 rubles. People thought that they would buy a lot of ham for 100 rubles, but in the end the promotion was valid for packaged goods and they paid 600 rubles instead of a hundred." Jason Sweatt said.
16. Customers believe that by buying in bulk they get a bigger discount.
"But that's not always the case. In the produce department, bulk peppers are almost always cheaper than multi-pack peppers. The same goes for other produce, especially fruits and vegetables," says Teri Gault.
17. Promotion "take 3 at a low price"
"When a store runs promotions like this, sales skyrocket. Even if the price of the product goes up. We'll take a can of tuna that used to sell for 80 rubles and mark it as 'five pieces for only 500 rubles,' and instead of buying three cans for 80 rubles, people will buy five for 500,” said Jeff Weidauer.
18. It’s better not to buy dairy products in supermarkets.
Teri Gault advised: " Grocery stores usually cannot boast of either the prices or the quality of dairy products. It is better to buy them at stalls or small points where locally produced milk is sold. These products cost much less than in supermarkets. And there are more benefits."
19. You pay more for cold cuts.
Bradley McHugh admitted: "I tried every meat product in our store, and I did not see any differences between what we packaged and sold in packaging and what we cut. Often it is the same product. But you pay a lot more for it, so we can cut it for you."
Ways to deceive sellers and buyers on AliExpress - how not to fall for the bait
3 (60%) 2 votesA huge number of sellers and buyers are concentrated on the AliExpress site, and the selection of goods there is extremely wide and varied. However, this online store also has its disadvantages, the main one of which is fraud. The Aliexpress administration is trying to take all possible measures to suppress fraudulent activities, but some sellers and buyers still find loopholes and continue to deceive gullible people. In this article we will look at the most common fraudulent schemes on Aliexpress. Forewarned is forearmed.
These days, almost everyone makes online purchases. The Chinese AliExpress store is still the leader in the field of online trading, and everyone strongly associates it with low prices, a huge selection, interesting products, discounts and numerous promotions. However, the scam that is rampant on Aliexpress is putting off some buyers who do not feel protected once they fall for a scammer.
According to statistics, every second buyer has at least once encountered fraud on Aliexpress. Defects, delivery problems and non-compliance with the description are just the tip of the iceberg. Quite often, inexperienced buyers are left without money and without goods. What types of scams are there on AliExpress?
Rating boost
A high rating on Aliexpress greatly helps the seller achieve success and earn a lot of money. The seller's rating, as well as diamonds and medals next to the store name, are often decisive factor for the buyer when choosing a product. Therefore, sellers often increase their rating dishonestly through cheating.
The standard store development scheme always looks the same. First, all small items are sold at very low prices, and even with discounts, sales are held. All this attracts many buyers who leave a lot good reviews and raise the seller's rating. Then the seller changes the assortment to a more expensive one, but the rating remains the same. The buyer can look at the review history in the store's profile to see which products the seller has raised the rating on.
Sellers often inflate ratings using fake reviews. To do this, they create fake accounts, order goods from themselves and leave positive reviews. To detect the fact of such cheating, the buyer will have to be extremely careful. If you see a large number of reviews from buyers from one country, strange looking names, as well as coincidences of time and date for consecutive comments, then this seller could use cheating.
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