Shopaholics Daily » Shopping Rant

Are You a Gift Card Junky??

SP Bragg — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:35:18 +0000

It’s that time of year or soon will be. People will soon be combing the stores… online and otherwise for the perfect gift and it is becoming more and more popular to simply buy gift cards and hand them out. I don’t know about you, but I love Gift Cards. There’s just one problem with them. Okay, I have a few problems.

1. They are lost. I have heard more than one horror story about them being tossed out on Christmas morning with the gift wrap. Now that has to hurt.

2. They are tucked into their handbag and forgotten. I had a small credit left on one and the store wouldn’t accept it because it was two years old. That really ticked me off!

3. They expire… although here in Ontario, the government is putting a stop to that. Thank Goodness! I hope that they do this all over the country.

4. They come from stores that are not in your town… that happened to me last year and I had to go downtown Toronto to use part of it. Actually, it just gave me an excuse to head down to the Eaton Center! Luckily, that particular store (Lush) has just opened in a mall not too far away from me, so I’m hoping that I get another one this year… hint, hint Jamie.

5. If there is a processing fee for the Gift Card involved… that’s just plain wrong! Avoid that retailer like the plague!

*And did you know that more than 1/4 of all Gift Cards purchased are never used. The stores must love that! So, any horror stories of your own out there. Have you ever bought or received a Gift Card??

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Shopping Rants… How to Say No Thank-You

SP Bragg — Tue, 29 May 2007 14:52:43 +0000

Have you noticed just how often stores try to sell you more than you intended to buy? It’s been happening for years. Actually when I worked for a department store years ago, the store even offered a class to teach us how to “trade up”. The customer would come in to buy a handbag and we were instructed to suggest one that was more expensive. I won’t say what department store it was, but I’m sure that they all do it.

And then there is the famous line… would you like fries with that? The staff obviously have been told to ask… just in case you forgot that you wanted them with your burger. And chances are, a lot of people say yes. Still haven’t figured that one out??

And then there are the tiny shops in malls. The staff seems to stand around just waiting for you to enter so that they can pounce. It really doesn’t bother me because I have no problem telling them that I’m just looking, or that if I need help, I will shout, but my daughter hates these stores with a passion. She will do all of her shopping in a department store just to avoid it. But just last week I went to look at something, leaving her to brouse alone. When I returned, a woman was trying to interest her in a store credit card. According to my daughter, she tried numerous times to interrupt, but the woman was determined to sign her up. I have a feeling that my daughter will avoid that store in the future too.

So, what do you do when something like this happens?? Simply smile and say no thanks. That usually works for me, but if the salesperson is persistant, you just might have to resort to other methods.

So, what experiences have you had when it comes to aggressive salespeople??

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What Ticks off Shoppers the Most??

SP Bragg — Mon, 07 May 2007 18:22:32 +0000

A study was conducted recently to find out just what annoys shoppers the most and I think that you probably guessed it!

“Our goal was to find out what annoys American consumers most when they shop and the answer came back loud and clear: SALESPEOPLE, especially those who don’t have the product knowledge they should have,” says Paula Courtney, President, the Verde Group. “A host of issues — including the disappearance of salespeople when they are needed, long check out lines, over-solicitous and insincere salespeople, and being ignored by sales staff — is alienating shoppers and losing big bucks for American retailers.”

Ahhh, the disappearing sales people!! How many times have they said that they would go and check something for you and they are never seen again?? Yes, that annoys me big time. And if they do that, I certainly won’t stay around long enough to buy something. I wonder if that is why online shopping has become so popular??

What is your biggest rant when it comes to shopping??

Source

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New Form of Impulse: Shopping via Text Message

SP Bragg — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 14:36:48 +0000

“IMPULSE shoppers, watch out. Your cellphone might soon get you into trouble.

A company called ShopText has introduced a system that lets people buy products instantly using text messages, a process that eliminates the need to go to a store or even visit a Web site. For instance, a woman seeing an ad for a pocketbook in a magazine can order it on the spot simply by sending the text code found beside the item through her cellphone.”

Some shopaholics out there are going to love this and some of you are going to say that it takes all the fun out of shopping. So, where are you sitting on this one?? Do you like the idea or do you hate it??

Source

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I Know that Britt Will Hate This…

SP Bragg — Sun, 21 May 2006 17:46:52 +0000

Our garden is just a mass of mud in varying stages of drying out. I have no clue when the grading, top soil and sod will be laid, but I kind of like this in a quirky kind of way. Okay, I have never had a “Chameleon Solar Chameleon Fiber Optic Gazing Ball” before.

Okay, I can’t wait to see her comments on this one. For those of you who don’t know, she designs gardens for a living, so I’m sure she’s going to have something to say about this little purchase!

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