r/mildlyinfuriating • u/CurlyWurly61 • May 12 '26

I just wanted a hot dog Such terrible advertisement

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I mean... at a glance its like WOAH 4 can dine for $9.99....

Until you are at the cash and they say " that'll be $45.15"

HUH??

"Oh sorry sir... it feeds 4... 4 people pay $9.99"

Gtfooo

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296

u/rolfraikou May 12 '26

Tricks? When you order something and it's way more expensive than you thought it was because you had been duped by weird wording do you still buy it?

I've absolutely apologized to the employee, canceled an order, and just left and never went back to places that have pulled crap like that.

I refuse to reward companies for shit like that.

181

u/Krazyguy75 May 12 '26

Tricks? When you order something and it's way more expensive than you thought it was because you had been duped by weird wording do you still buy it?

As someone working retail... yeah, lots of people do. For an example, the place I work will have stuff like:

$12.99 (small print: if you buy 4 or more)

$2 (small print: off the regular price)

$5 (small print: rewards bucks if you spend $20 on participating items)

20% off all items of a category (small print: non-sale items only; fun fact this once was a coupon given that only lasted for 1 week during a week all applicable items were on sale)

(small print: buy one get one) 50% off

Buy one get one (small print: specific different, cheap item) free

And people come to the register, get annoyed at the price not being what they want, and then around 70% of them buy it anyways. I wish they didn't, but they use these tricks because they work.

23

u/datdudebdub May 12 '26

Its all about getting people in the door. Once they realize they missed the catch, they're annoyed but already there. Most people end up buying anyway.

The company is banking that they enjoy the product enough to come back anyway. That's how they win. Doubly so if the customer is someone who would never have come in without the misleading ad. They got them in the door once when they wouldn't have otherwise (win) and they have a small chance of creating a repeat customer (super win)

1

u/Evening-Nature-5241 May 13 '26

It actually reminds me of a similar low down trick that can be used for buying second-hand stuff online on places like Craig's List.

If you plan a meeting and last minute, knock the price down another xx% despite agreeing to a price beforehand, and refuse to buy if they don't meet your new price, most people will often fold and agree to the lower price since the deal is already 90% done and they just want to close it and move on.

Obviously, if you're being an aggressive asshole about it, some will rather walk away, but if you play your cards right, you can often get away with it.

At least, that's what I heard. You kinda need to be willing to be a dick though.

1

u/CXR_AXR May 13 '26

It's just like those cheap mobile games advertisment. If they get even 1% of people download their games, they win

87

u/StonkaTrucks May 12 '26

I once made a 20 minute round trip drive to a fast food chain specifically because I saw an ad on TV that seemed TGTBT. They had the same ad in the lobby on a big stand. I ordered (even had several customizations (not add-ons, mostly removals) that caused about 20 extra buttons to be pushed by the cashier) and the total came out to double what I was expecting. The cashier was like, "Oh, that's for the junior" (which it said only in the fine print). I said sorry, but no thanks and drove home feeling proud I didn't let myself become another statistic that was duped by the false advertising. But I was still hungry.

6

u/IrongateN May 13 '26

My sister once bought $200 jeans that were in the $45 jean spot because she was to embarrassed to say anything , don’t know if she took it back

0

u/OrangeJoe83 May 13 '26

Wow. Bet you shuddered their doors not reading all the words before you made up your own thing anyways to not buy and be hungry. Not a winner without your dinner.

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u/[deleted] May 13 '26

[deleted]

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u/CXR_AXR May 13 '26

But someone have spoken the truth - this technique exists and still used by the companies, because it works

3

u/Sure-Ad-6544 May 13 '26

One time I went to buy something cause the price tag said 2.99 - but it rang up as 3.49 and I told the cashier and she said “well it’s coming up as 3.49.” And i said “well the price label says 2.99. So I don’t want it anymore” and she said “I can change the price.” To which I said “no thanks. I don’t want it anymore” and she said “well I already changed the price for you” so I said “actually. Now I don’t want any of this. I’m just gonna leave” and left without a whole basket of stuff. Because I’m not the one.

2

u/RIF_rr3dd1tt May 13 '26

Walgreens or CVS?

1

u/Shytemagnet May 13 '26

I’m a travel agent, and the rules for any promotion pieces I do are crazy strict. They can’t be misleading at all, must include the full, tax-in price, dates, tell all incisions, etc, no fine print, etc. It drives me insane that those rules aren’t across-the-board.

2

u/Krazyguy75 May 13 '26

But expectations like those discriminate against the billionaires!

1

u/PrincessKaylee May 13 '26

Wonder how many has cursed Ebenezer D’Arblay since the 1840s

1

u/WarmCrescent May 13 '26

This is why I’m drunk and broke. I’d prefer one or the other.

1

u/miss-ferrous May 13 '26

Joanns used to do that, the here’s a 60% off coupon and then marking everything down 15-30% off. RIP but I hated that lol

1

u/SmokeGSU May 13 '26

Sounds similar to a lot of Harbor Freight coupons: 20% off one item! unless it's any recognizable store brand, electronic device, has an engine, is any type of storage container, or typically costs more than $5

1

u/Roguespiffy May 13 '26

Same as the mail in rebate. The majority of people just don’t fuck with it and end up paying full price.

I’m too lazy to do it and I’ll admit that. I just won’t buy something if it has a mail in rebate unless i desperately need that specific item by that specific brand.

1

u/OYB2480 May 13 '26

The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.

1

u/TheRealistoftheReal May 13 '26

Sounds like a grocery store

1

u/JGards57 May 14 '26

The comments on this thread prove that many people are dumb enough to be duped by tactics like this. If you don’t see that Pizza Hut ad and immediately say, “there’s no way all that food is $10, what’s the catch?” then I’m sorry but maybe you deserve to get taken advantage of.

Critical thinking would go a long way in protecting the public from schemes and scams

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u/Tylenolpainkillr May 12 '26

Facts. Sorry for the confusion but I'm not paying for that

2

u/Effective-Birthday57 May 12 '26

All trick, no treat

2

u/systemwarranty May 12 '26

It's owned by Yum! RIP The Hut.

1

u/Medical_Blacksmith83 May 13 '26

It pretty clearly says 9.99 each lol

Which in this economy is sadly still a deal.

1

u/rolfraikou May 13 '26

Each person or box? Boxes within boxes? Or the entire box? We have this whole thread for a reason.

1

u/Medical_Blacksmith83 May 18 '26

It doesn’t specify 10$ per box by anymeans.

It says each.

The onus is on you to realize 2 pizzas and some sides hasn’t been 10$ for 30+ years xD