Retail pricing. Two for $ 5.00 = one for $2.50?

[oneighty]

Our local grocery store will mark items for example; 'two for five dollars'. They will charge two dollars and fifty cents for one.

The Rite Aid drug store clerk tells me their two for five dollar price means one must buy two to get the discount otherwise one must pay (for example) three dollars for one.I thought in N.Y. state this was against the law.

Help?

180

[Scout1071]

1. Not against the law here in Kansas. I see those specials all the time.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. It's done around here all the time...

local laws may have something to say about this, but they are definitely not lying-- if it's $2.50 for one, then it's $5.00 for two. Sleazy, but probably not illegal.

It does encourage you to buy more, of course, and that's the idea.

In most places it would be illegal if they didn't have a single higher unit price listed if they charge one.

[ComerPerro]

3. Depends how they phrase it

They can price it however they want, really.

If they want to make it so you get the price break if you buy 2, then that's their prerogative.

I worked at a place that phrased things in such a manner:

"$1.29 each or $1 each if you buy 3".


Of course, I also live near a grocery store that offers "10 for $10 dollars" specials. On those it means "$1 each", because it would just be absurd to demand that people buy 10 half-gallons of milk just to get the price break.

[richmwill]

4. Not illegal in NY

"$1.50 each/5 for $5" is perfectly legal.

[oneighty]

6. Also stupid

But thank you re-not illegal. It seems that I was told that it was.

My incident today at the Rite Aid (They are strange people) was a bag of candy regular price $3.99 each. The sale price marked in the shelf was $2.99. At the check out the register scanned it at $3.99. I told the clerk it was priced at $2.99. She said "No it is two for five dollars." I tell her no the other candies in that row are two for five dollars, this one is $2.99. So further investigation by the powers that be confirmed it was $2.99.

Great to-do about nothing I guess.

But; sometime ago I could not afford the full price for some expensive medicine. I told the Pharmacist at this same Rite Aid to give me half the pills this week the other half the following week. Later I picked up the pills and was charged for the full number of pills.

The bottle contained half the quantity of pills called for.

He said he had to charge for the full quantity. After some debate I got all the pills and left the store scratching my empty head as by now you might be too.

I do not trust those people.

180

[Salviati]

5. As far as I know it depends how they phrase it...

If they offer a sale of a regularly priced item of $3, 3 for $6, then I believe they have to sell you one for $2, but if they offer Buy two, get one free for $6, then I believe they can charge you the full $3 if you only buy one. I imagine that it varies from state to state though.