The Ripping-off of the American consumer

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

Okay, I just opened a container of Breyer's ice cream that I bought last night at the local super walmart.

I thought I had bought a half-gallon -- and more to the point, I thought I had paid a fair price for a half gallon. It was like $3 and change.

Just now when I opened it, I realized that this package does not contain a half gallon, but 1.75 quarts!!

And I call "FUCKING RIPOFF!"

This is bullshit, and it's happening with more and more products. Mine is the perfect example of this kind of subterfuge surreptitiously taking advantage of the consumer. The package, sitting on the shelf, is designed to look like every other full half gallon container I'd seen in the past. I paid a price that seemed fair for a half gallon, but MORE than what I would have been willing to pay for the diminished amount.

I've seen this with orange juice lately too. To me, $2 - $2.50 is an okay price for a half gallon of orange juice. (I usually catch it on sale for $2 and avoid paying $2.50 if I can.) So naturally I feel that a gallon of orange juice should cost $4-5.

Well, now I see them selling a container of orange juice that LOOKS like a gallon, but really is 96 ounces instead of 128 ounces -- for the price I'd expect a full gallon to cost!

We are being conditioned to pay the same price and get less. It's making me angry to be taken advantage of by marketing scumbags this way.

And remember how the bigger, "economy sized" packages used to cost less per ounce, usually regardless of what it was? They are reversing that, almost across the board, it seems. Watch carefully. Sometimes it costs less to get two 10 oz. packages than it does to get one 20 oz. package of something!

It's fucked up, and there is absolutely zero chance that it is not being done deliberately.

-Jeffrey

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[quade 4]

Too bad you don't watch 60 Minutes.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/03/07/60minutes/rooney/main543240.shtml

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

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Too bad you don't watch 60 Minutes.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/03/07/60minutes/rooney/main543240.shtml

Heh, only liberals would think it's bad to not watch CBS "news"!

-Jeffrey

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[AggieDave 6]

This is sort of like Jack Daniels lowering their proof again and keeping the same price. The lower proof whiskey just doesn't quite have the same taste.


What I really love are the containers of stuff with "5% more" written very large on the container that is now severely oversized for the extra amount. Usually that extra 5% is an addition so small that you wouldn't even notice if the box wasn't oversized and had large script on it.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[quade 4]

Now you're just being silly.

Had you been watching, you'd have known this was going on for years and wouldn't have been surprised.

Instead choose to watch some other news source that is [tongue in cheek] clearly a tool of Republican corporate America which is trying to cover up this information [/tongue].

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

Quote

I've got my dead horse beat'n stick...who wants to argue?

I've got my "Whacking Stick." I'll beat ya every time.

"So Marge, should I whack fast, or slow?"

-Jeffrey

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[kelpdiver 2]

Quote

Okay, I just opened a container of Breyer's ice cream that I bought last night at the local super walmart.

I thought I had bought a half-gallon -- and more to the point, I thought I had paid a fair price for a half gallon. It was like $3 and change.

Just now when I opened it, I realized that this package does not contain a half gallon, but 1.75 quarts!!

And I call "FUCKING RIPOFF!"

Whose fault is it that you didn't read the label?

Sheesh. You get so angry about things that are entirely within your control.

BTW, $3.xx is a good price for it. When not on sale, it's usually 5.99 here.

[Botellines 0]

Yep, it sucks, it is called Capitalism.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

Besides, life would surely be easier if they adopted litres.

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He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[kelpdiver 2]

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Besides, life would surely be easier if they adopted litres.

We have the 2 litre bottle!

(along with a 20oz bottle and a 12oz can)

Maybe the Breyers folks like their booze - the 1.75 is a standard size big bottle.

[ypelchat 0]

A Canadian gallon contains 4.54L A U.S gallon contains 3.78L



Yves.

[Botellines 0]

Indeed. The only imperial measure i would ever use is the pint. It sound so much better to order a pint of beer than half a liter of beer.

[Botellines 0]

LMAO, either PeacefulJefrey becames a socialist, or he has to move to Canada if he wants to enjoy his King size ice cream.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

Imperial (suspect the same as 'Canadian') pints and fluid ounces are different as well.
Hence my suggestion to standardise on a recognised standard.

--------------------

He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[ypelchat 0]

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Indeed. The only imperial measure i would ever use is the pint. It sound so much better to order a pint of beer than half a liter of beer.

Not sure, but I think a pint is more like a litre. Isn't it? Maybe the Brits here could answer that question.



Yves.

[nacmacfeegle 0]

For easy counting, a pint is about half a litre as follows:-
1 litre=
2.113376 US pints or....
1.759754 Imperial pints

Imperial pints, gallons etc are bigger than US (freedom) pints gallons etc.

--------------------

He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[nacmacfeegle 0]

"PeacefulJefrey becames a socialist, or he has to move to Canada"

There must be a third way, I can't see PJ taking kindly to either of those options.

--------------------

He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[Botellines 0]

Taking a look at the other thread about the overweighted american stereotype... I don´t see him giving up his Super King size Ice Cream either.

Disclaimer: Everybody look at the smiley, it is a joke, repeat IT IS A JOKE.

[christelsabine 1]

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Disclaimer: Everybody look at the smiley, it is a joke, repeat IT IS A JOKE.

Hey Torero,

what happend to you? Feeling scared, hmmm ?
Or did you have a personal meeting with someone?
ROFL

Relax. You are not alone in the world.

dudeist skydiver # 3105

[peregrinerose 0]

I was thinking exactly the same thing, comparing this thread to the fat America one

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[rehmwa 2]

Quote

Instead choose to watch some other news source that is [tongue in cheek] clearly a tool of Republican corporate America which is trying to cover up this information [/tongue].

Which is it - Everybody Loves Raymond or Dr Phil?

I can't stand not knowing

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[Botellines 0]

LMAO
Good one, it is just that i am leaving tomorrow to a small village in poland with no internet for 15 days, and i din´t want hard feelings

My ears would be ringing all the time with the colorful adjetives bestowed upon me by an ice cream craving DZ comer.

I am landing with the plane, how weird is that???

[christelsabine 1]

Wow!
Landing with a plane: Scary, that's weird!

Be sure:
Your ears will ring all the time!

Why don't you wait a little longer with your Poland trip? Since they now belong to our EU familiy, within shortest time there will be much more money available to spread internet. Despite you living in the woods. (I did that for 10 days for deer hunting, I have an exceptional wonderful trophy)

Take care if you go there by car. This is a joke!
Have an eye on your car, Torero! Hola!

dudeist skydiver # 3105

[PhillyKev 0]

How are you being ripped off because you choose to make assumptions and not read the label?

You know who you should vote for? Nader. Maybe you and he can file a law suit that forces companies to squeeze a huge disclaimer onto the packages:

"WARNING - VOLUME OF THIS PACKAGE MAY BE LESS THAN YOU ASSUME FROM EYE BALLING IT"

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

Quote

Whose fault is it that you didn't read the label?

Sheesh. You get so angry about things that are entirely within your control.

BTW, $3.xx is a good price for it. When not on sale, it's usually 5.99 here.

Don't give me that shit. You know what they were pulling, and I know what they were pulling, and more to the point, they know what they were pulling.

Granted, it'll only happen once for me -- I'll be watching in the future -- but the whole fuckin' scam is that they know that we are used to thinking we get X quantity for Y dollars, and now they're giving X-.25 for the same Y dollars! Why? Because they know people will be so zoned-out that they won't notice the switch! I'm a perfect example. I was looking at the price, saw the carton looked like it always had, and then said, "Oh, okay, that's a decent price, I'll take it." They are quietly trying to pretend that there's nothing different. We know that obviously they don't do stuff like this except to milk more money/profits out of the sales. And they sure as hell wouldn't want to publicize, "Hey, we're charging the same money and giving you less!"

Of course it comes down to my not having seen/looked at the quantity. Of course it's not hidden -- the package still shows the quantity. But the cynical, scumbag manipulation factor comes in when you realize that people get used to a package looking a certain way and then (fairly) take for granted that they will get the same amount the next time.

I'm going to be writing to Breyer's soon, and tell them where they can put their ice cream. Who knows, they may find my suggestion soothing.

-Jeffrey

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"