3 for 2 - scam or not?

sophiesmum_2

Adidas mens gift sets in boots £5 - 3 for 2 = £10.00 for 3
Identical item in Asda £3.50 - £10.50 for 3 without any offer.

I have bought some items at boots on 3 for 2 as I had pigsback vouchers to use but you need to watch to get good value.
Boots have a coinsorter machine for £25 which is on sale in argos also £25 - so I got 3 to maximise value, one each for Dd and two nieces. Happy with those but most of gift sets are well overpriced especially,Lynx,impulse etc which home bargains and bodycare are doing for pounds cheaper.
Suppose it depends on whether you can get stuff cheaper elsewhere.:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

sophiesmum

Superboy123

Yes it's a scam - Superdrug went to 3 for 2 on all Xmas gifts on friday, to match boots - and whacked the prices up at the same time to compensate. it's all a scam, but you fall for it so it goes on...

swampduck

my daughter went shopping in Boots yesterday and bought loads..........and the cashier put through things in order of price...that is the most expensive first...all the way through the shopping basket. That way she got free items at £25 and £20 and so on.
Apparently their system is set so that for the first three items the third is free, the next three and so on - so it maybe worth checking how you put your shopping through the checkout.
She was happy and she is on a budget too.

Swampy

Miss_Money

swampduck wrote:

my daughter went shopping in Boots yesterday and bought loads..........and the cashier put through things in order of price...that is the most expensive first...all the way through the shopping basket. That way she got free items at £25 and £20 and so on.
Apparently their system is set so that for the first three items the third is free, the next three and so on - so it maybe worth checking how you put your shopping through the checkout.
She was happy and she is on a budget too.

Swampy

thats a good idea to watch how you put things through the till. Put all your expensive things together! its only a bargain if its ACTUALLY a baragin though not if it just looks like one im gonna shop around at savers etc before i go to boots. May get some of the more expensive things from thier on the 2 4 3 offers though.

pinkfluffybabe

I think Boots is an utter rip off for Christmas gifts anyway - the exact same products every year in a slightly different box. Usually stuff that is on BOGOF individually throughout the year. I mean really, how do shampoo gift sets and Lynx deoderant sets for £10 each cut it as a Christmas present? Any MSEr worth their salt would buy things during the year when they are on special to put in a homemade hamper or gift bag!

But yes, 3 for 2 is a rip off generally, as you usually end up picking up a third thing you don't really need just for the hell of it when, if the other two gifts were just a third cheaper, you would be better off and would have less clutter around your house!!

I think it is a psychologic thing to feel like you are getting a bargain, and if you only want one £10 gift from Boots, then spending an extra £10 to get another two isn't as clever as it feels. One thing I have to thank MSE for is my change in attitude when shopping - I always ask myself 'do I need more than one?' because spending an extra £10 on things you didn't go in to buy isn't a bargain.