SmallBizResource Blog -- Retail

Reading Between the Retail Lies

Posted by Gayle Kesten Monday, Feb 18, 2008, 08:34 AM ET

Once upon a time there were two presidents who bravely led our country through a pair of wars under the common banner of freedom. Hundreds of years later, we honor their birthdays by heeding the sales calls of our fearful retail leaders.

I wonder where George and Abe would stand on purchasing extended warranty plans. Heaven knows how many of those will be pushed today. Me? The choice becomes more about feeling ripped off for buying one versus jinxed for taking a pass than whether I really need one. It's just hard not to feel like I'm being taken advantage of in an electronics store.

Chris Walters at The Consumerist knows where I'm coming from. His list of common lies that electronics salespeople love to feed us comes straight from someone who used to work on the inside. Of course, common wisdom holds that if you've done your homework, then your nose for BS will be able to sniff out their annoying one-liners, including:

The sales plan covers everything. Not likely. And what is might only be covered a limited number of times.

I'm going to give you a discount. You'll see right through this if you've completed said homework.

This model is an exclusive. According to Walters' buddy, exclusive means "a repackaged retail product, usually with a slight cosmetic change, but bumped up several hundred dollars."

Personally speaking, here's what I really hate when I shop retail: I ask a salesperson a question, and he can't tell me anything beyond what I can read for myself on a product's box. But I digress.

What lines have you been fed? Let me know.

Retail