Bait marketing

[d7e7r7]

I have seen a few threads on here about stores having specials then when you arrive you are told they are out of stock. I even posted a thread of my own with regards to Kalahari.net being out of stock on a monitor. Seems the ASA might take action if it happens often enough...

In the Argus on Friday:

BAIT marketing – or advertising products that are unavailable – has earned Game in Brooklyn, Gauteng, a warning to keep enough stock to meet demand during “promotions”.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint from a consumer who said he tried to buy a laptop Game advertised for R3 999 in July, but which he could get only in August when stock became available.

The ASA said advertisers should not offer products or services if they did not reasonably expect to satisfy the likely demand. It said it was unacceptable to try to assess likely demand by advertising a nonexistent product.

It cautioned Game to ensure that sufficient levels of stock were available before making promotional offers.

MAUREEN MARUD [email protected]
Consumer Editor

 

[theratman]

I used to be in retail and it sucks big time when customers complain about you not having advertised stocks,there is little you can do about this as a manager.We were usually assigned 'promotion' stock and it was hard to get hold of extra stock if we ran out due to the promo.The *while stocks last should usually cover bait marketing,problem is they don't say we only have 1 or 2 in stock.

 

[LazyLion]

I used to be in retail and it sucks big time when customers complain about you not having advertised stocks,there is little you can do about this as a manager.We were usually assigned 'promotion' stock and it was hard to get hold of extra stock if we ran out due to the promo.The *while stocks last should usually cover bait marketing,problem is they don't say we only have 1 or 2 in stock.

I imagine then that you would not use print media to advertise one or two items of stock. Rather just post an in-store display... or give them away in a competition or something. Common sense really.

 

[theratman]

I imagine then that you would not use print media to advertise one or two items of stock. Rather just post an in-store display... or give them away in a competition or something. Common sense really.

The problem is that head office sets the promotions,not the stores(in big retailers)It would say that the shop has 20 in stock on the system but in reality it would only be 3.Thats just one of the reasons.The ad would run for the entire province and 95% of the shops would have enough stock but the other 5% were screwed.The other shops don't want to give you stock and if you order from suppliers you are going to be selling at a loss,so its a tricky situation.As I said before this is in big retailers,pick n pay ,shoprite,game etc.I don't think kalahari.net could use this as an excuse though.

 

[LazyLion]

The problem is that head office sets the promotions,not the stores(in big retailers)It would say that the shop has 20 in stock on the system but in reality it would only be 3.Thats just one of the reasons.The ad would run for the entire province and 95% of the shops would have enough stock but the other 5% were screwed.The other shops don't want to give you stock and if you order from suppliers you are going to be selling at a loss,so its a tricky situation.As I said before this is in big retailers,pick n pay ,shoprite,game etc.I don't think kalahari.net could use this as an excuse though.

Then they deserve to be punished by the ASA. Sorry for you the manager, but if that is how they ethically run their stores, then they deserve the punishment.

 

[theratman]

Then they deserve to be punished by the ASA. Sorry for you the manager, but if that is how they ethically run their stores, then they deserve the punishment.

I agree with you but I was offering an explanation as to why this happens in large retail stores.

 

[silentbee]

Then they deserve to be punished by the ASA. Sorry for you the manager, but if that is how they ethically run their stores, then they deserve the punishment.

Agreed. A couple of weeks ago I tried to buy some outdoor furniture that was advertised on promotion. I went into one store. No stock. Phoned three others. Turns out there where only about three items in the Western Cape, and all had been sold. Obviously.

 

[InTheCube]

I've heard from several people that hi-fi corp do this all the time, with almost every leaflet/promo they advertise. It's quite blatant if you look out for it, and pick up the phone to enquire about stock availability in their various branches.