A popular store I like puts out a weekly flyer. They have quite a few good sales; but also occasionally indulge in the common practice of offering discounts based on inflated prices. By this, I mean prices no one would possibly pay, and which have almost certainly never been seriously offered. I don’t think it is unusual to inflate prices then say you are getting an unbeatable discount.
And no doubt this psychology is practiced because it often works. But it got me thinking about the legality of it.
The case in question was a set of saucepans, 10-12 pieces, where half of the pieces are lids and half are the saucepans. A company known for pretty good quality, but which would also available at any Target or hardware store or Sears. In this case, a MSRP of three thousand clams was being claimed. This would be dubious at a third of that value.
Is it true they could offer this ridiculous price online for an hour then claim such a discount? What says consumer protection clauses?