# The latest in slimy saleshole tactics. Have you encountered any new sales trickery? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 21, 2019, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-in-slimy-saleshole-tactics-have-you-encountered-any-new-sales-trickery/843766 "2019-11-21T11:23:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2019, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-in-slimy-saleshole-tactics-have-you-encountered-any-new-sales-trickery/843766/81 "2019-11-30T13:44:35Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > I hope your use of the word “screamed” is hyperbole. I really do hope that. I haven’t noticed any reason to think ill of you before. You’d have to have been there. I condensed the interaction 500%. For some reason the cashier decided my agreeing to a Pennys charge was her hill to die on. For each of my “no” replies she came back even harder with “I guess you weren’t paying attention, so I’ll go over it again. Applying costs nothing, and you get an immediate 20% off. You’d be a fool to not understand this”. I probably should have just walked out without the clothing, but I rarely shop for clothes and I’d spent an hour or so trying on pants. So, yeah, I raised my voice a hair and told her to just ring up my fucking purchase. Sometimes an f bomb is needed. Of course, when I got home (a 35 minute drive) I discovered a pair of jeans with the anti-theft tag still attached. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2019, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-in-slimy-saleshole-tactics-have-you-encountered-any-new-sales-trickery/843766/82 "2019-11-30T14:02:59Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Of course, when I got home (a 35 minute drive) I discovered a pair of jeans with the anti-theft tag still attached. One time at K-Mart they didn’t remove the anti-theft tag from some pants and they set off the alarm so I waited there for someone to help me, but no one looked up, so I just walked out again setting off the alarm again in the process, not knowing how hard it would be to get the tag off. Thankfully my pants were unharmed. ---
**Author:** ![Kelby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a587f6/32.png) [@Kelby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kelby)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2019, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-in-slimy-saleshole-tactics-have-you-encountered-any-new-sales-trickery/843766/83 "2019-11-30T15:19:00Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > The last time I bought a new vehicle, doing the paperwork with the salesman. He mentioned the extended warranty, road hazard tire coverage, and gap insurance. Never asked if I wanted them, just mentioned them. > > When he printed out the paperwork with all the details, the bottom line was quite a bit higher than my mental math had estimated so I closely reviewed the line items. I would have reviewed them in any case, but I was extra critical in that instance. > > There they were, warranty, coverage, and insurance. He wasn’t thrilled when I had him remove them. > > Of course, this isn’t any new or improved tactic, just something to be expected from car salespeople. Guy on the radio says he wants my car, in any shape or condition at all. Makes it really sound like he needs used cars. I have an old junker I want to unload. I call them up get the receptionist, ask about details of them taking it off my hands for maybe a few bucks. “Oh, please hold until I can put you on with a salesman.” Um, I’m not looking to buy any thing…hung up right then. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2019, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-in-slimy-saleshole-tactics-have-you-encountered-any-new-sales-trickery/843766/84 "2019-11-30T16:43:38Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Buy not purchasing the product I was hitting back at management. The cashier still got paid for his work. And at some stores, if the cashier doesn’t make the upsell quota s/he gets their hours cut. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2019, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-in-slimy-saleshole-tactics-have-you-encountered-any-new-sales-trickery/843766/85 "2019-11-30T17:59:16Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Buy not purchasing the product I was hitting back at management. The cashier still got paid for his work. > > A similar thing happened at JC Pennys (sp?) the last time I bought clothes there. The cashier told me I’d get 20% off if I’d apply for a Pennys Charge. I declined. She kept arguing that it was a great deal and I kept declining. Eventually I screamed at her, " Just ring up my fucking order", and she did. > > I swore I’d never spend another cent at Pennys and I haven’t. The store shut down a few years later. Oh God, I used to hate that. I would respond with “I don’t know why anyone agrees to this, it screws up your credit rating.” And when they persisted, I would explain how unused credit lines can negatively impact you, and I’d turn slightly to make sure the people behind me in line heard me. They stopped pushing then, they usually couldn’t shut me up fast enough . > [@ivylass](#): > > A lot of these stores require the cashiers to offer the extended warranty and punish them if they don’t meet the quota. It’s a shame really…the people you should be mad at are management, not the poor retail clerks who have to push something they know is crap to keep their job. I remember buying a computer at, IIRC, CompUSA, and the salesman literally would not take no for an answer on the extended warranty. He told me he couldn’t let me buy the computer without the added warranty. He went and got his manager, who eventually “allowed” me to buy the computer. These days I would’ve walked out. But this happened over twenty years ago, and on-line shopping was just not common in those days — the computer was the first generation Toshiba Libretto, I had a thing for small computers and purchased it on impulse- so it looks like this would’ve happened mid-1996. And it was sort of an unusual computer ( mini-laptop, less than 2 pounds and I could hold it in one hand) and it was too specialized to be carried at Best Buy or Staples. So if I wanted it my choice was to buy it there, despite the pushy salesman, or find another CompUSA where I would probably encounter the same thing. So am bought it instead of walking out. ---
**Author:** ![txjim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f07891/32.png) [@txjim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/txjim)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2019, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-in-slimy-saleshole-tactics-have-you-encountered-any-new-sales-trickery/843766/86 "2019-11-30T20:59:12Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > One time at K-Mart they didn’t remove the anti-theft tag from some pants and they set off the alarm so I waited there for someone to help me, but no one looked up, so I just walked out again setting off the alarm again in the process, not knowing how hard it would be to get the tag off. Thankfully my pants were unharmed. [Helpful hint from the Lock Picking Lawyer on Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pji33MoJ5Z4&t=1s) ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2019, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-in-slimy-saleshole-tactics-have-you-encountered-any-new-sales-trickery/843766/87 "2019-11-30T21:24:36Z")
I bought a 2016 car in September, and the salesman tried to sell me the enhanced undercoating. I didn’t even bother to point out that that stuff is applied at the factory, and if I wanted it, I couldn’t buy the car he was trying to sell me. I bought a pair of winter boots online a few months ago. Never heard anything back from the company until today, when I got an email saying, in broken English, that the shipper admitted to losing the package in transit. Unfortunately, the boots I ordered are now out of stock, and they hope I’ll order something else from them soon. No mention of a refund or credit for the next purchase, so there won’t be a next purchase. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-in-slimy-saleshole-tactics-have-you-encountered-any-new-sales-trickery/843766/88 "2019-12-04T00:33:12Z")
Does click bait count as a “slimy saleshole tactic”? They aren’t selling anything other than ad views, and aren’t anything new, but they are deceptive. I usually know better than to click those “from around the web” you see on pretty much every website, but I fell for one yesterday. The headline was “_Star Trek_ Actress Dies Tragically at Age 52”. I’m a fan of all things Star Trek, so I immediately thought “Oh no, which Star Trek cast member died?” I didn’t really recognize the woman in the picture, but I thought maybe she played a non-human character and looked different without makeup. Upon reading the article I discover she was a relatively unknown actress who had a supporting role in _Star Trek: Insurrection_. NOT one of the main cast members. I mean sure, it’s tragic that she died an all, but appearing in one movie, presumably among many other roles she played in her career, doesn’t mean she can be described as a “Star Trek actress”. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-in-slimy-saleshole-tactics-have-you-encountered-any-new-sales-trickery/843766/89 "2019-12-04T01:38:52Z")
Click bait…and its brethren. How about some annoyances I see in USA Today whenever I open the app: They have stories that are thinly-veiled advertisements interleaved between the real stories. Sometimes they use a slightly different font or say “from xyz” next to the headline, but it’s a spammy article-length ad nonetheless. On Amazon Prime Day I counted about 20 different stories about Prime Day. Surely there wasn’t enough news about this event to merit 20 news stories, was there? Secondly, when I am reading stories, they insert links between the paragraphs that look very much like bold headers for each paragraph–these are links to related stories, but I feel they are conflicting with and taking advantage of our long-learned knowledge that bold headers in documents introduce each topic. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-in-slimy-saleshole-tactics-have-you-encountered-any-new-sales-trickery/843766/90 "2019-12-04T02:22:35Z")
CNN at least titles “Paid Content”. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-in-slimy-saleshole-tactics-have-you-encountered-any-new-sales-trickery/843766/91 "2019-12-04T04:31:39Z")
An increasingly popular slimoid sales tactic involves dubious and outright phony “review” websites. There are lots of sites presenting themselves as sources of honest reviews to aid consumers. Gee, why are there so many of them for a given class of product or service and how do they make enough money to stay in business? Subtle clues appear when the same product or service that gets panned on legitimate sites garners wildly enthusiastic evaluations on the faux website, or has a suspiciously high number of 5-star reviews from visitors to the site. Ads for the companies being “reviewed” provide another hint. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-in-slimy-saleshole-tactics-have-you-encountered-any-new-sales-trickery/843766/92 "2019-12-04T04:50:26Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > The Chinese-language robocalls are, from what I’ve read, claiming to be from the Chinese embassy or the Chinese government saying that you need to pay money to them or face arrest. As you can guess, they’re aimed mostly at Chinese people living in the US. And that tells you just how cheap these calls must be, given that only a tiny fraction of the people in the US are the target and yet they’re calling numbers seemingly at random. These started by calling only the 425 (Seattle area) area codes, and expanded to other tech centers, all of which tend to have a larger-than-average number of Chinese speakers. They’re also calling “in order” so far as I can tell, my wife’s phone, which differs only in the last digit, will ring just after mine. I’ve been learning Chinese for a while, now. One of my interim goals is to actually understand the spiel. Can’t quite do it, yet. ---
**Author:** ![amaguri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-in-slimy-saleshole-tactics-have-you-encountered-any-new-sales-trickery/843766/93 "2019-12-04T16:43:42Z")
Not exactly the same thing, but it just happened this week and it made me SO MAD I need to vent! Kohl’s has an app that advertises the ability to scan barcodes and get a price. I wanted to buy something the other day and I couldn’t find a price, so I used the handy-dandy app to scan the barcode, it says $14.99, what a deal! So I buy a bunch of stuff, look at the receipt later and realize I was charged $24.99 for the item in question. I brought it back the next day and they said “oh, the app is linked to the website, so that’s the web price.” I already think it’s kind of shady when a store’s web price doesn’t match their in-store price, but regardless… I said, why on earth would I ever have a need to scan a product in store, only to see the web price which isn’t valid in store? And nowhere does it say “offer valid only on web” or some such disclaimer? She got flustered and her response made no sense. I just returned it and made a note to avoid Kohl’s in the future 😛 ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-in-slimy-saleshole-tactics-have-you-encountered-any-new-sales-trickery/843766/94 "2019-12-04T16:54:46Z")
> [@amaguri](#): > > Not exactly the same thing, but it just happened this week and it made me SO MAD I need to vent! > … I brought it back the next day and they said “oh, the app is linked to the website, so that’s the web price.”… Oh yes. I ranted here some years back about Barnes & Noble doing the same thing. I showed the manager the B&N website showing the price of a book that was, say, $30 on their shelf and $18 on their website. She looked at me as if I were weird because I couldn’t understand why the prices would be different. It’s not like I was showing her Amazon’s prices, it was B&N’s site. She then told me “The web site and the physical stores are different parts of the business” …not my problem. You use the same name for both and want to act like one side doesn’t even know the other? You want to have your cake and eat it too? She preached on and on about “you know, it costs much more to have a physical presence” …again, not my problem. I sympathize, but you are telling me of your costs to do business. And… 50% higher? I have come to the logical conclusion that there are likely two possible explanations for her behavior: 1) She absolutely believes her cogent explanation of the economics of the situation, and this makes sense since she is seeing everything from the inside, but is wildly out of touch with the guy walking in off the street. 2) She is being forced to spout the party line by Corporate. I think option 2 is most likely, and I felt bad for her having to explain a 50% price hike to customers who look at their own website. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-in-slimy-saleshole-tactics-have-you-encountered-any-new-sales-trickery/843766/95 "2019-12-04T17:53:48Z")
I had a similar experience with the web price vs. store price. I needed something from PetSmart. I looked online from work and saw that the store I drive past on my commute had them in stock, so I figured I’d just stop and grab one on my way home rather than going through online ordering process. Except at the store I found the same thing – the price in the store was nearly double the online price. And the thing is, if I had ordered online and selected the option to pick it up at the store, I probably would have gotten literally the same physical item, but for the lower price. What I really should have done is pulled out my phone there in the store and ordered it through the web site, but I was in a hurry and didn’t want to wait for the store to receive the order. But in hindsight if I had pointed that out to the manager I likely could have gotten them to match the web price. ---
**Author:** ![Raza](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raza/32/213_2.png) [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-in-slimy-saleshole-tactics-have-you-encountered-any-new-sales-trickery/843766/96 "2019-12-04T19:49:43Z")
Not in the “slimy” category, but topical to online versus store prices: \*\*CostCo \*\*often has HIGHER prices on their Web site than in the store; I’m guessing so they can cover “free shipping” for Web orders. My opinion of **Best Buy** has been a roller coaster over the years, but until a few days ago was high: I get good, even professional, assistance when I visit the store and often find they have the cheapest price for whatever gadget I’m seeking. But a couple of days ago I ordered a Roku Ultimate ($40 off!) via their Web site for delivery, and they automatically added $9 in batteries to my cart. There was no message “hey, would you like batteries?”; they simply got added to the cart, without any sort of message, and appeared on the final “Place Order” screen. I only realized it because the total was about $10 too high. VERY SLIMY, and now Best Buy is back on my shit list for such shenanigans. Starting back around post 17 people complained about **Sirius XM**. I had bought from a dealer a used Corvette, and got the usual 3 month trial, and signed up for a year at a good price ($60/year, I think). At renewal time, I called to cancel, and the US-based salesman refused to cancel it! He insisted on “suspending” it for a few months, at which time it would automatically restart. I then politely but firmly demanded to talk to his supervisor, and he again refused! I had never experienced such insolence from any non-criminal enterprise in my life. ---
**Author:** ![amaguri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-in-slimy-saleshole-tactics-have-you-encountered-any-new-sales-trickery/843766/97 "2019-12-04T20:19:05Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > I had a similar experience with the web price vs. store price. I needed something from PetSmart. I looked online from work and saw that the store I drive past on my commute had them in stock, so I figured I’d just stop and grab one on my way home rather than going through online ordering process. Except at the store I found the same thing – the price in the store was nearly double the online price. And the thing is, if I had ordered online and selected the option to pick it up at the store, I probably would have gotten literally the same physical item, but for the lower price. This is actually a great point, because most apps (including the Kohls app) allow you to buy online and pick up in store, so there is literally no difference except their dogged insistence to stick to the higher price. So her argument to return the item at customer service, then buy it again online is pretty much just a waste of everyone’s time. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2019, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-in-slimy-saleshole-tactics-have-you-encountered-any-new-sales-trickery/843766/98 "2019-12-05T07:34:52Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > In my opinion, you should have brought it up. Even if you simply told them and didn’t wait around for counting of the drawer (the usual next step). > > This is necessary in order to establish a pattern–without people calling her on it, if she is a thief she is being enabled. Besides, they probably have video these days and the manager can look and see what is going on. > If the girl is a thief, she should lose her job. If not, she should have her chance to explain her error. Drawer counting wouldn’t help in this case. She doubtless went inside and got the correct change, so the register would be correct. That 5 bucks went directly into her pocket, not the register. > [@Jackmanii](#): > > …We had someone come to our door recently wearing one of those vests and resembling a utility worker. Turns out he was going around advertising his tree trimming/removal service (Mrs. J. was hanging over my shoulder sighing loudly during his spiel, impatient for me to cut him off). Um, why on EARTH did you let this person get more than a single sentence out? Really, the ONLY response to anyone selling ANYTHING door to door (aside from Girl Scouts bearing cookies) is to cut them off mid-sentence, say “no thank you” and shut the door. I feel absolutely no need to waste my time (or theirs). We regularly get people coming around who are “doing some roofing work for your neighbors” (or windows, or whatever). My default assumption is that they are lying. If I want roofing / windows / whatever, I will ASK the neighborhood for recommendations. Something else we frequently see round here: young kids - 12 or so perhaps - who are going around selling candy or magazines. They are quite literally driven into the neighborhoods by handlers. I have no idea if they even have a way to call to get picked up. In this scenario, the kids are also victims. ---
**Author:** ![bizerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-in-slimy-saleshole-tactics-have-you-encountered-any-new-sales-trickery/843766/99 "2019-12-06T02:31:31Z")
For a theatrical performance, there was an upgrade coupon in the newspaper and advertised on TV. For illustrative purposes, there were two sections, A and B. The view was identical from sections A and B. The regular prices were $25 for all of section A and the first 20 rows of section B. The $20 seats were rows 21-40 of section B. Anyone paid the $25 was seated in the first 20 rows of either A or B. Anyone who showed up with an upgrade coupon was seated in the last 20 rows of section A. They received the same view as someone who paid the $20 without the coupon and sat in the last 20 rows of section B. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-in-slimy-saleshole-tactics-have-you-encountered-any-new-sales-trickery/843766/100 "2019-12-06T03:33:46Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Drawer counting wouldn’t help in this case. She doubtless went inside and got the correct change, so the register would be correct. That 5 bucks went directly into her pocket, not the register. On second reading of the scenario, I agree. But it still needs to be reported so that the manager can become aware of a pattern over time and/or scrutinize this particular individual more closely. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-in-slimy-saleshole-tactics-have-you-encountered-any-new-sales-trickery/843766.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-latest-in-slimy-saleshole-tactics-have-you-encountered-any-new-sales-trickery/843766.md?page=6)