This is not just a sale - It's an M&S Pretend Sale

aldredd

Excuse my poor attempt at a humourous title!

Just browsing some sites, and started getting adverts from M&S stating 'Sale' and then listing some products I've previously looked at (and am interested in).

Only problem? They're not actually in the sale at all.



For what it counts, the 'Sale' box rotates between saying 'Sale', 'Your M&S' & 'upto 50% off selected items'

Still sure they shouldn't be implying there is a sale against items not actually in the sale!

robpw2

50% of selected items , so they are not saying these items are in sale but selected items are

aldredd

maybe - but the advert does imply that those items are included - just as if an advert on TV stated 'many items half price' and showed a picture of a toaster - you would expect that toaster to be half price - or at least included in any promotion they're running.

Might not be 'wrong' - but it's sure as heck not 'right'

Jeff_Bridges_hair

If they are on other websites apart from M&S then it will be powered by google adwords or some such. I.E you have been onto M&S or typed it and it will bring up random picture similar to what you have been looking for . The problem is, is that if someone hasnt programmed it properly then it will bering up stuff that isnt on sale.

aldredd

Jeff_Bridges_hair wrote: »

If they are on other websites apart from M&S then it will be powered by google adwords or some such. I.E you have been onto M&S or typed it and it will bring up random picture similar to what you have been looking for . The problem is, is that if someone hasnt programmed it properly then it will bering up stuff that isnt on sale.

Yep - that's exactly what's happened - as I was looking at these items jus before Christmas - funnily enough, I was holding off to see if they came up in the sale.

I know no-one has physically picked these items to show - but they've wrongly programmed it to link the 'Sale' banner with items unrelated to the sale! naughty in my mind

Jeff_Bridges_hair

The Sale banner will just be the template whilst the sale is on. If it was programmed correctly then it shouldnt come up with non-sale items

Oliver14

aldredd wrote: »

maybe - but the advert does imply that those items are included -

No it doesn't it says 'Selected' . You were able to easily understand this so why do you think others wont?

aldredd

Oliver14 wrote: »

No it doesn't it says 'Selected' .

Like i say - in my opinion - showing the picture implies that it is one of the 'selected' items.

Oliver14 wrote: »

You were able to easily understand this so why do you think others wont?

Only because I knew what the price was already - and I still clicked it to check.

I know saying 'selected' is their 'get out of jail free card' - not trying to make a big thing of it - I just think it's naughty of them.

FunnySaving

It's contextual advertising - the items that you have looked at are picked up and stored in a cookie on your computer and then displayed in whatever template they are using at the time. Whilst you may feel mislead, M and S do have a sale on so really the ad's just doing two jobs - reminding you of the items that you like and telling you that there is a sale. FWIW I wouldn't assume these items were in the sale from that ad as it is only displaying one price and no discount or % off banner, but if you feel mislead then you can clear your cookies and it will 'forget' what you've been looking at.

aldredd

No problems with contextual advertising (except when you've been engagement ring shopping - oops!)

FWIW I wouldn't assume these items were in the sale from that ad as it is only displaying one price and no discount or % off banner

yes, good point - and probably one I overlooked given that as soon as a saw the product I already 'knew' it wasn't on sale, as checked a couple of days ago to be sure