How would you interpret this sign?

[Kinspired]

We were at a bookstore yesterday that had this sign. A fan of this author, dd scooped up the books on display, expecting to pay about $50 (the Thank You one for ~10, and 8 at ~5 each) plus tax. At checkout, her total was $90, because the register would only take 50% off 1 book. When we told him what the sign said, he agreed that we were right so he sent us to customer service, where the manager would take care of us. Ultimately, manager says they can only take 50% off one book. Dd walked away disappointed.

 

What do you think? Are we comprehending the sign wrong?

[displace]

The sign says 50% off after buying the first one - each should be 1/2 off. There is no wording that says limit one and that implies they are all half off.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I can't read the fine print at the bottom, but I would assume all the pictured books were 50% off if purchased with the Thank You book.

[marbel]

Looks like all are half-off to me.   I'd complain on that, to the owner or if it's a chain, up the line. 

[QueenCat]

I'd interpret as I could get one for half off when buying the "The Thank You" book. I'd expect one half off book with each "Thank You" book purchase.

[SorrelZG]

I can't read the fine print at the bottom, but I would assume all the pictured books were 50% off if purchased with the Thank You book.

Fine print:

 

"Limited time only. While supplies last.

Offer applies to titles and editions

on this display only."

 

 

Definitely leaves me assuming the same thing.

Edited May 6, 2016 by SGPS

[Bluegoat]

I can see why you would read it the way you did.  But I would have assumed it was a "buy one get one half-off" deal, where your second could be selected from a particular group.

[Library Momma]

It says 50% off select books so I wouldn't assume it applied to all of the books shown.  The select items don't always match those shown in the ad.

[ikslo]

I'd interpret as I could get one for half off when buying the "The Thank You" book. I'd expect one half off book with each "Thank You" book purchase.

But the sign does not say "with each."

 

 

They are wrong to not have adjusted the price when the OP pointed it out. It doesn't matter what the intent of the sign was. It matters what they actually posted. Unless there was a clearly posted retraction. Even if the posted a correction after the OP pointed it out, she was still entitled to the price as posted before she brought it to their attention.

Edited May 6, 2016 by ikslo

[ikslo]

It says 50% off select books so I wouldn't assume it applied to all of the books shown. The select items don't always match those shown in the ad.

.

 

Well, I assume that since it says "in this display" and that is from where the OP pulled the items.

[OneStepAtATime]

The sign says 50% off after buying the first one - each should be 1/2 off. There is no wording that says limit one and that implies they are all half off.

 

I agree.

Fine print:

 

"Limited time only. While supplies last.

Offer applies to titles and editions

on this display only."

 

 

Definitely leaves me assuming the same thing.

 

See even in the fine print nothing is said about a limit of one book.

 

Both the main add and the tiny print at the bottom refer to multiple items, not just one.  The add was VERY poorly done if they intended it to mean only one book is half off after purchase of "The Thank You Book".  Nowhere, not once, is it ever stated that there is a limit of one book 50% off after purchase of The Thank You Book.  The limit is only to the BOOKS (plural) on the display, which is where I assume the OPs child selected the books from.

Edited May 6, 2016 by OneStepAtATime

[QueenCat]

But the sign does not say that. So they are wrong to not have adjusted the price when the OP pointed it out. It doesn't matter what the intent of the sign was. It matters what they actually posted. Unless there was a clearly posted retraction. Even if the posted a correction after the OP pointed it out, she was still entitled to the price as posted before she brought it to their attention.

 

I didn't indicate what I thought the store should do for the OP. I merely indicated how I would have interpreted the sign.

[JumpyTheFrog]

If you buy the Thank You book, all the others in the ad are half price. It's not the customers' fault that the store forgot the mice type.

[Soror]

I would have thought they were all half off after the first book. If it is a big bookstore it could also be the case of people on the store level not understanding it correctly.

 

[SKL]

Sounds like a misprint.  I can believe they never intended to give 50% off all the books.  I would have asked first before setting up expectations.

[ikslo]

I didn't indicate what I thought the store should do for the OP. I merely indicated how I would have interpreted the sign.

I edited my post. The second part wasn't directed at you.

[Callie]

I'd interpret as I could get one for half off when buying the "The Thank You" book. I'd expect one half off book with each "Thank You" book purchase.

This.  

[wendyroo]

If it is a big bookstore it could also be the case of people on the store level not understanding it correctly.

Since the ad says The Thank You Book is a B+N exclusive, I'm betting we are talking about a big bookstore.

 

I would have interpreted the ad to mean you could buy as many or as few of the displayed books as you wanted for 50% off when you bought The Thank You Book.

 

Wendy

[marbel]

Sounds like a misprint.  I can believe they never intended to give 50% off all the books.  I would have asked first before setting up expectations.

 

See, to me the sign is clear:  buy the  "Thank You" book, and get the rest of the books 50% off.  The sign sets the expectation so why would anyone have to ask first?

[SparklyUnicorn]

Seems like false advertising to me.  Not even in the fine print does it say there is a limit. 

[gardenmom5]

I wouldn't have expected to receive a discount on more than one book, unless I also purchased multiple "thank you" books.

[Annie G]

I think they meant buy the thank you book and choose another for half off. But that's not how they wrote it. I'd send corporate an email and ask for a refund on the advertised price vs what you paid. 

[BarbecueMom]

I would think it meant BOGO 1/2 off, but the sign doesn't read that way.

 

And... the last book of the series, *sniff*. Off to order that one and find our stuffed Gerald and Piggy.

[Plink]

My assumption would be one discounted book for each "Thank You" book purchased.  

 

I do think they could have worded it better though.

 

[whitestavern]

I would go so far as to complain to B&N corporate. Definitely false advertising. They should have honored, removed the sign, and reprinted with the correct offer.

 

ETA: I worked in the corporate advertising department at a large retailer. This is how we would have handled it.

Edited May 6, 2016 by whitestavern

[mamiof5]

I'd have assumed all of them were half off. And, depending on the day I'd have even missed the part about buying the thank you book.

[SparklyUnicorn]

And really their prices are so high that 1/2 off of every book wouldn't have surprised me.  The price still probably would have been more than other places.

 

I was sad our B & N went out of business, but honestly, they were so overpriced, their customer service was lousy, and their frequent buyer programs were a joke.

[Lolly]

I think you were correct. Time to move up the ladder and complain. I'd include a copy of your picture.

[Farrar]

It really should have said "limit one per customer" or "buy this Elephant and Piggie get one of these half off" or something. Assuming there's not other text on there, I think it's false advertising. I agree with others that you should complain up the chain somehow. Tweet them. That often gets their attention.

[Lady Florida.]

I would think you get one half off for each Thank You book you buy. I would not expect to buy one Thank You book and get all the others at 50% off.

[mtomom]

If you paid for all of them, I would definitely complain to whomever is above the manager. A limit isn't stated.

[Bluegoat]

I would have thought they were all half off after the first book. If it is a big bookstore it could also be the case of people on the store level not understanding it correctly.

 

It sounds like they tried to ring it in to get more than one book half off though, after she pointed out the sign, and it wouldn't.  I am guessing the system wouldn't let them because that isn't supposed to be the sale.

[PeachyDoodle]

If I think about it, it doesn't make sense that they would give 50% of multiple books for the purchase of just one.

 

But, reading the sign at face value, I understood it to say that if I purchased the new book, I could take 50% off my purchase of any or all of the others. It would not have occurred to me to analyze the sign. I would have made the same mistake you did -- and my kids would have gone home disappointed too. :(

[wendyroo]

If I think about it, it doesn't make sense that they would give 50% of multiple books for the purchase of just one.

 

But, reading the sign at face value, I understood it to say that if I purchased the new book, I could take 50% off my purchase of any or all of the others. It would not have occurred to me to analyze the sign. I would have made the same mistake you did -- and my kids would have gone home disappointed too. :(

 

Why not?  They often advertise sales like X% off these select Dr. Seuss books to celebrate his birthday.  Those do not require any additional purchase and you can take the discount off as many of the select books as you want.

 

I agree that it would not have occurred to me to analyse the sign.  Sure, if it was a hand-written sign in a Mom and Pop store I would probably ask if they meant to have a limit, but in a big chain store with a sign designed by a corporate marketing team I would assume I could take it at face value.

 

Wendy

[Katy]

Books, titles, and no fine print indicating a limit imply they are all half price to me.

 

That said, I have a friend who had something similar happen at Hobby Lobby, and he's an attorney and he couldn't get them to honor their own poster.

[PeachyDoodle]

Why not?  They often advertise sales like X% off these select Dr. Seuss books to celebrate his birthday.  Those do not require any additional purchase and you can take the discount off as many of the select books as you want.

 

I agree that it would not have occurred to me to analyse the sign.  Sure, if it was a hand-written sign in a Mom and Pop store I would probably ask if they meant to have a limit, but in a big chain store with a sign designed by a corporate marketing team I would assume I could take it at face value.

 

Wendy

 

I suppose I meant that bookstores are not, IME, overly generous like that. It's one thing to run a sale, but another to tie it to a required purchase. Kind of a "too good to be true" scenario, if you know what I mean.

 

But, as I said, I wouldn't have event gotten there without someone else saying it meant something different. I totally would have marched to the checkout with an armload of books.

 

And I think the store owes this poor child his/her books at 50% off. It's just the right thing to do.

 

[Bluegoat]

Yes, the too good to be true thing is why I would have thought it was by the book, pick one at 50% off.  It's not impossible, but I'd tend to think it was more likely a poorly worded promotion.

[Kinspired]

Thank you all for weighing in. It was a bit disappointing for the children's section staff and the cashier to agree with us, only to have the manager essentially say, "I know what the sign says but i can't honor it."

Edited May 7, 2016 by Mutabilis

[heartlikealion]

Based on the wording, I'd say they leave themselves open for customers thinking all are 50% off. Based on experience and "if it sounds too good to be true..." the idea of getting them all significantly reduced would have me asking for clarification before I got my hopes up. Oh and I used to make ads for a living. If I were the one making this ad I would tell the person supplying the info that it was a bit unclear and we should modify it lol.

 

A month or so ago I went into a store and the cashier greeted me and announced that "everything" was 50% off (or some percentage). I browsed and saw a sign saying the same thing. Unless the print was really small, I didn't notice a disclaimer. When I got to the register the item I bought did not ring up 50% off and she said it was because it was already marked a specific sale price. I told her nicely that I thought they shouldn't advertise "Everything" if it's not everything. She agreed but I don't know if it sunk in to her that she was part of the problem.

[mamiof5]

Thank you all for weighing in. It was a bit disappointing for the children's section staff and the cashier to agree with us, only to have the manager essentially say, "I know what the sign says but i can't honor it."

And that's why I am hoping you don't let it go. Tweet it, put it on Facebook, and email corporate. I feel he/she should have honored it.

[marbel]

And really their prices are so high that 1/2 off of every book wouldn't have surprised me.  The price still probably would have been more than other places.

 

I was sad our B & N went out of business, but honestly, they were so overpriced, their customer service was lousy, and their frequent buyer programs were a joke.

 

 I hadn't noticed before that it was B&N.  They do have a lot of promotions so it wouldn't surprise me to see all books offered at half off with the purchase of one.

 

We still have a few stores but they are probably not going to last long.  I do like shopping in a regular bookstore sometimes, but it is hard to pay list price on books anymore with so many discounted books available.  I was going to go to B&N to pick up a gift book for someone. I looked it up online to see if they had it instore, and noticed that the online price was $9.49 but the store price was $15.95.  I get that shipping it from the warehouse is cheaper for them than stocking it in the store, so of course it would be cheaper.  But that is a huge difference!  Amazon had it for $9.49 also, with free two-day delivery.  So I stayed home and had Amazon bring it to me. 

 

The stores are not that great for browsing anymore anyway.  I sometimes have to wait for one of my kids to get out of a class that's far enough from home that I just stay out.  Browsing at B&N isn't very interesting.  Mostly best-sellers, toys, and other stuff like stationery.  I do like their editions of classics and buy those when I need one.  And I patronize their cafe (though I wish it wasn't Starbucks coffee but a local one). 

 

 

[kewb]

Having worked in retail I can tell the intent was buy the thank you book and choose one of these for half off the sticker price. The sign, however, is worded poorly and the manager should have over ridden the system to give all of them at 50% off once the customer pointed out the sign.

[Lanny]

I think it is a always a good idea to verify the discount(s) that will apply, before going to pay.  We did that, in the Croc store in the Outlet Mall on Vineland in Orlando recently. Buy 2 pairs of shoes, the 2nd pair is 50% off.  There was also a 15% discount that I don't understand, that I think was in addition to that. We bought 5 pairs of shoes.  Frequently, the discount one thinks will apply is not honored, because of some technicality, or because the store is run by jerks.  In the Outlet Mall, it was better for us to take advantage of the discounts offered to all customers, and not the discount offered to International visitors to the USA.  The sign may have been misleading and is subject to interpretation and your DD thought it meant one thing and the store thought it meant another thing.  .