You enter a store with a specific A/V product in mind. Perhaps, you were drawn to that seller because of an advertisement offering a great sale price on a particular item.The advertisement has baited your interest, and you visit the Electronics store because you intend to buy that item. In a bait and switch, what happens next is the salesperson switches you to a different Audio or Video product, one that will make the seller more profit and in all likelihood, won't be as good as the A/V product you originally sought to purchase.If it's a great sale price that has drawn your attention, you'll be told you're too late, they're "sold out" of that model, but have something "just as good." It may even be cheaper than the Audio/Video item that caught your eye in the first place, but it won't be as good and the seller's mark up will be larger.
Bait and Switch is an illegal, unethical but widely practiced technique.
- Unethical sellers advertise Audio/Video products at prices that are too good to be true andwhen people want to buy the item, it is unavailable at that price without buying other overpriced items so that the store makes a profit overall.
- Unethical sales associates take the order at prices that are too good to be true and ship a usedor broken A/V product instead of the brand new Factory goods promised.
- Unethical salesman take the order of the Audio/Video product at prices that are too good to betrue and try one of the two techniques above, and if unsuccessful, tell you that the one you orderedis gray good, meaning that it was intended for sale outside the U.S. and therefore does not comewith a U.S. warranty. You will then be given an option to buy an extended warranty at an expensive price to make up for the item you saw advertised below their cost to get you to order.
- Remember, an educated consumer is the Electronics Dealers worst customer!
A/V Reporter,
CL West
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