$39.99

[salinen]

Yep, that's what it costs. That's what what costs? Everything. Everything for sale ends with $.99. Why? Well, it looks kinda like it's $39, but really it's $40. That little trick is why I hate capitalism - because it's fake. All advertising is fake. They hire actors, set up some situation, and try to persuade you to buy.

And when it come down to finally purchasing the product, the sales person says you should also buy the extended warranty. Extended warranties are you allowing the factory to fail at a rate that suits the factory.

It was hot the other day. So I pulled out the newer plastic fan. I had to stand 12" away from it to feel any coolness. But there was another fan out in the barn. This fan was made in the 40's. It was greasy and dirty, but that fan works, well, like a fan.

Capitalism despises people. That's what I've come to know. It likes when you are confused, or have low self-esteem, or afraid. That's why American style health care is unaffordable. It's the ultimate product for the sleazy salesperson.

BTW, not all salespeople are sleazy.

[lame54]

1. I want 3 of them

[salinen]

4. There is a nice discount

if you buy ten.

[rurallib]

2. Our gas never made it to $4 - $3.999

made me feel better.

[Andy823]

14. I can relate

Gas here last year never got up to $4.50, it was $4.49, and diesel never did hit $5.00, it was "only" $4.99!

[TheCoxwain]

3. maybe they should make a 99 cent coin .. will save me from carry a bunch of pennies in my pocket

[Broken_Hero]

15. Ha, :)

That reminds me of a Married with Children episode...where Steve was trying to promote his new currency idea, the .99 coin...every time he pushed for it, he would get bombarded with "But what about sales tax?"

:D

[arbusto_baboso]

5. "You need the extended warranty" really means "Our product is crap".

At least, that's what I use to beat down annoying salespeople when they start pushing warranty stuff on me. If the product were so damn good, wouldn't a lifetime warranty be standard? Must mean the company doesn't believe in its own stuff....:shrug:

[Towlie]

6. Have you ever seen that Priceline ad with William Shatner?

I mean the one where that guy says "they want $200", but he wants to offer $190. Shatner calls him a "wuss" and a "namby-pamby", then finally tells him to come down to $99 on his offer.

That's illogical!

The problem is that $99 is meant to sound much lower than $100 even though it really isn't, but this is a case where you wouldn't want a price to sound lower than it really is. If anything, you would want your offer to sound higher.

Spock would never have said that. He would probably have told the guy to offer $100, which would have been much more likely to be accepted, assuming that irritating psychological trick actually works.

[salinen]

9. That's why Spock

is way cooler than Kirk. But Kirk always had the babe.

[Atman]

7. A couple things here...about the .99 and "old" products.

I worked in retail for about five years, in the home office Sales & Marketing Dept of what was at the time the nation's second largest clothing retailer, with over 1,800 stores. The .99 cent ending actually serves more of a purpose than simply duping people. It's used to help the store personnel (and savvy customers) discern a "regular price" from a sale price or markdown. For instance, price points ending .99 were regular prices. Price points ending in .97 were sale prices. Prices ending in .79 were permanent markdowns. Again, it may seem silly to the average customer, but if you've got a store with an inventory of thousands of products, it helped everyone from the cashiers to the stock boys know what was new, on sale or being cleared out.

However, I wish someone would explain the 9/10 of cent gas price thing, though.

As for "old" stuff...I agree. When my 32" Toshiba tube-style television crapped out a few years ago, I went up to the attic and pulled out my old JC Penney 19" TV (made in the USA by RCA) -- which my wife and I purchased in 1980, which had been mothballed for at least six or seven years. Plugged it in, hooked up and RC converter and fired 'er up. Works like a charm. Still does. They really don't make stuff like they used to!

.

[salinen]

8. O.K.

the secret of retail sales is now not a secret.

[surrealAmerican]

10. I guess that 9/10 of a cent in gas prices ...

... made some sort of difference when gas cost less than 20cents a gallon or so. I think it was retained mainly because nobody wanted to be the first to do away with it. It just looks silly now.

[Lint Head]

11. Maybe they should bail out the financial markets with

999 billion 999 million 999 thousand dollars and 99 cents. That would make us feel better.
:dem:

[question everything]

12. And then... Subway raised the price of the Veggie Delight sandwich

by... 1 cent.

Yes, I noticed. About once a week I am at a neighborhood around lunch and get a 6" veggie delight. Used to be $2.99, now it is $3.00. Why? A penny here and a penny there and this is how they are paying for that new line of commercials with a music number?

:shrug:

[Catherine Vincent]

13. I just purchased an extended warranty for my Toyota.

Just in case.

[defendandprotect]

16. Unregulated capitalism is merely organized crime -- and, yes, all products today are JUNK-!!

from irons to toaster ovens --- and including clothing - shoes...

The disappearing product with increasing prices ---

E-mail scams and telephone scams -- and where is Congress?'

People imitating Social Security and IRS in mailings -- !!!

Hellooooo, Congress??

[rucky]

17. Or 4 easy payments of $9.99