New Year Resolution to Lose Weight? You May Pay More!
Happy New Year!
Hopefully you had a good celebration to kick off the New Year. Perhaps you even set yourself a new year’s resolution or goal you want to accomplish. Even if you didn’t, many people head off to the gym in the middle of winter to get some exercise after all the holiday eating and lack of exercise, but there is something you should know about gym memberships, if you are planning to do this.
If you are heading to get a gym membership and are overweight, there is a good chance you won’t get as good of a membership rate as your skinny friends. Seems counter-intuitive, doesn’t it? You would think gyms would want people who need to lose weight to join their club, but no, it appears they want pretty women and much prefer them to those who are holding extra pounds because pretty woman are eye-candy. It’s sad, but true. Watch the video above to see for yourself.
I recently wrote on my Facebook page that I believe we are living in one of the most deceptive times in our lifetime. Where we used to expect and demand decency in business, we now tolerate absolutely deceptive practices without banning together to stop it.
And gyms are not the only ones who are outrageously offending us with shoddy practices. Hotels, airlines, online stores–they are all getting in the game.
If you don’t shop around and read the fine print, or understand what the words “2 tickets left at this price” really means, you’ll get taken to the cleaners without so much as a clue! When you dig, you will be surprised at how misleading companies have become in attempt to get you to pay top dollar for something! For those who do their homework, they are likely paying 20-50% less than someone who doesn’t.
It’s mind-blowing to be frank that they are getting away with this, and the only way I see this stopping if people wise up and stop supporting these tactics.
Last year I bought a router online at Walmart. It was inexpensive so I skipped doing my homework and did I get a big surprise! When I went to the store and happened to walk by it–guess what? The store price was a good ten dollars cheaper for the same item (33% off!!).I was shocked and immediately returned the item and purchased it again through my local store. I’m not paying for these gimmicks and I hope you don’t either.
Whenever you think you have the system figured out, too, I can promise you one thing: The stores will be one step ahead of you again–setting things up to make sure they get your top dollar UNLESS YOU DO YOUR HOMEWORK every time you shell out your dough.
Be smart in 2013 and let companies know you are NOT falling for their gimmicks. They don’t work. Do your homework and save! You can easily afford a free vacation on your savings–there is no doubt about that!
Happy New Year!
Thanks so much Eyes, I have learned so much since being a big follower of your blog and Facebook page. I used to do some homework before making purchases or getting services, but never as thorough as you do, and so I have beefed up that side from taking heed of your example, and it feels good. Doing research is very time consuming and takes up a lot of energy to sort the wheat from the chaff, which is probably why most people don’t do it. Buyers remorse is the most awful feeling and more so if you know you were trapped. I agree with you that the marketplace is a jungle of deception – products not so much I find, but services are where the real traps lie because there’s relationship with another person involved. Like you said before, personal recommendations are not always good leads either and forget reviews on sites as they are not reliable.
I really like your consumer related subjects as well as the rest of your topics and I hope you will continue with the blog and that your 2013 is a great year for you too.
I love the General manager “I’d be very surprised to hear that!” Whilst shaking his head, then quickly realises that’s not the correct head movement for what he is saying and switches to a head nod!
Now I’m reminded to re-read a book which I bought years ago called “Why women pay more.” I remember being annoyed with the practice of stores doing alterations in men’s pants for free whereas women had to do their own or pay someone to do theirs. I think this might have changed now but I’m not sure.
Why Women Pay More : How to Avoid Marketplace Perils [Paperback]Frances Cerra Whittelsey (Author), Ralph Nader (Author)
People are often given false information about nutrition, even by their doctors. For example, in this editorial, the former editor-in-chief of JAMA argues that many doctors are giving diabetic patients dietary advice that makes their diabetes worse, not better: http://wheredogorillasgettheirprotein.blogspot.com/2012/02/low-fat-high-carb-diets-reverse-insulin.html
This is why I love my Gazelle. It’s me, music, and the Gazelle. Sure, sure, it’s only a hamster wheel for humans, but I very much need the cardio every single day. No matter what the weather is…. I have my hampster wheel! YES!
Having beautiful/fit people ANYWHERE will bring in more customers. This is a universal, human nature thing you are battling. I think you are getting into a real dicey area, suggesting that businesses should be forced to change their pricing policies that help them make money.
If you are WILLING to spend a certain amount on a product, then obviously that price was WORTH IT to you. If you don’t like not knowing if you’re getting the best price, then yes, you will need to put some effort into “doing your homework” as you say. But don’t get angry at the business for trying to make money. Unless they are outright lying to you about the quality of their product, remember that business owners are trying to pay rent and bills just like you are.
You are supportive of these tactics. Wow.
Is it so big a stretch to imagine that you would have opposing viewpoints on this matter? You are definitely one of the smartest people I’ve ever encountered… you can probably imagine, at least somewhat, where I’m coming from?
Or do you simply not believe in “tactics” or “techniques” to improve sales of a valuable product?
I definitely don’t condone lying, but I don’t think it’s unethical to
offer a price according to a customer’s needs and the needs of your
establishment. If it benefits the business to have an attractive/fit
person in there, then it completely stands to reason to offer them a
lower price since they will be making the gym some money simply by being
there (unlike the larger person would).
Three ways to look at the
gym for plus-sized people:
1. Claim wholeheartedly that they did it to help make
larger people feel comfortable in a gym.
2. In the end, isn’t it just another tactic
that drives up sales/membership? It’s a market that hasn’t been tapped, that’s for sure.
3. I am not 50lb overweight but want to go to
this plus-size gym. Why am I being turned away? Unfair!
That is a
business owner’s decision to make; that doesn’t make it unethical
(Martin). You don’t like it? Don’t shop there. Find a touchy-feely
hippie place. That is actually how I am, and I love people like that;
would much rather shop at places like that, too. But don’t bully legitimate businesses. If I had been that gym-owner in the video, I would have handled that interview a lot differently. “Yes, sometimes we offer lower prices to more fit members because it drives up membership.” Simple as that. Making money is not about making you feel less insecure.
I hope you can open your eyes a bit to the destructive nature of tying the hands of smart business people who CREATE VALUABLE PRODUCTS. If you don’t like the price, don’t buy the product. You are not being forced to spend your money. Dispute the matter if the product was misrepresented (which I have NO problem doing– I hate being lied to more than just about anything!). That’s what the BBB is for.
I understand where you’re coming from on this one, I really do. I can explain it through and through from a human nature/behavioral/psychological perspective till I’m blue in the face, but at the same time, I can’t defend it with a clear conscience.
Businesses do this because it works. Pimps abuse their prostitutes for the same reason– because it works. Abusive spouses abuse their partners for the same reason– because it works. Con artists con people out of their money for the same reason– because it works.
In each of these cases, “it works” for precisely the same inherent-to-human-beings reasons. And in each of these cases, it is unethical and immoral for those exact same reasons. It is as manipulative as manipulative gets– except that in the business world, we’ve come to accept this as normal and acceptable behavior, whereas in the other cases, we have not (but perhaps only because those other examples happen to be illegal). I don’t think it’s worthwhile to defend the practice by getting mired in the illegality of the other 3 examples and thinking that the underlying process is somehow different in the 4th– it’s actually not different. The fact that it does work is what makes using it unethical.
I could MAYBE give the one gym that had a “model discount” a pass because they seemed to be more up front about that discount.
Is it deceptive? It sure is if you’re only telling some customers about it but not others (my own industry– pizza delivery– is almost always equally deceptive in the offers customers receive).
And the very definition of discriminatory is, “making or showing an unfair or prejudicial distinction between different
categories of people or things, esp. on the grounds of race, age, or
sex”.
Well, said, Keith.
I am going to stress what you wrote: It wouldn’t be deceptive if they were upfront about it. If they advertised: “We want a gym of gorgeous people. If you aren’t gorgeous, don’t come, or expect to pay more” they wouldn’t have any business whatsoever. Their business model would completely flop on its head. It only works because of the deception!!
There is somethig that deter honest people from making money by any means, it’s called ethics…look it up!
I have a similar Wal-Mart story. My mom made it very clear that she wanted a Ninja blender for xmas. With were both at her local Wal-Mart 3 weeks earlier, and we thought we saw a mid isle display/pile of them for $40. I looked on walmart.com and the cheaper Ninja blender was $68, which was lower than average, and within $5-$10 dollars of the lowest internet price (or advertised price) I could find. I began to doubt my memory, thinking it must have been the Ninja branded food processor, since that was $40 pretty much everywhere online. 2 days before Xmas I go back to that Wal-Mart, and not only was it the blender that was $40, but it was now priced at $30. Less than half anywhere on the internet including walmart.com (at the time I thought of it as a xmas miracle).
Now here’s where I differ from your opinion. I don’t think walmart.com was ripping anyone off because a Wal-Mart in South Dakota had an item for far less, mainly because walmart.com’s pricing was within range of market value. I have a feeling if you did do your homework you would have found that router for about $30 everywhere, and you just happen upon a lower than market value price at your local Wal-Mart. Companies use different pricing strategies for a variety of reason: match competior’s prices, clear out slow moving inventory, clear out old inventory for the new model, and to drive people to their store so they buy higher profit margin items (think of why everyone sells holiday ham for less than a dollar per pound). I don’t think any of these strategies or gimmick or are bad (within reason), and it works out for me because I’m more savy than most shoppers and get better quality stuff for lower pricing. Wouldn’t be possible if everyone paid the same price.
Now I said within reason, mainly because of companies like Best Buy who up-sell a hundred dollar Monster branded HDMI cable that is the basically the same as a $5 cable you could get somewhere else is over the top. Or companies like Bose, who demand optimized setups to display their speakers, which deceives consumers into thinking that it’s because of the speakers and not the optimized set ups that the sound is better.
You are assuming that your local Walmart had the blender for less because of local market pricing. Then why didn’t you shop around at Christmas to see? Instead you went right to the Internet. If your town was so much cheaper, than I would suspect you wouldn’t shop online ever. I’m not buying it. I’m sorry.
How do we know Jodi Arias didn't hold a gun on Travis to take the pictures the day she killed him. I think that makes more sense because why would he have sex with someone he considered a stalker. This girl makes Casey Anthony look like Santa clause.
Is it just me or did anyone else notice the GM making a micro “fear” expression at 5:35 when he realized he was about to be found out?