The classic bait and switch
August 17th, 2010Wikipedia defines it quite nicely:
“In retail sales, a bait and switch is a form of fraud in which the party putting forth the fraud lures in customers by advertising a product or service at an unprofitably low price, then reveals to potential customers that the advertised good is not available but that a substitute is. This use of this term has extended to similar situations outside of the marketing sense.”
The world is far too transparent now, people will expose these techniques faster than lightening. However if you’re reading this you probably don’t have this attitude, however I do urge, to check how you manage expectations – you may be doing this… unintentionally.
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Tags: bait and switch, transparency
This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 17th, 2010 at 1:02 am. 
August 17th, 2010 at 3:00 am
Interesting read. I know of another retail trick…have you ever had this happen?
Retail rep: “Oh, I think we just sold the last one in that size, let me go out back and check for you”
You: “Thanks”
Retails rep: “Yip, we have one left. Would you like it?”
Not cool! Just be honest.