Egalitarian Laudable Inveterate, The Elite

Savvybuyer

Talking about Sains., and their horrendous overcharges on Basics lines, just for being Sains., I found another thing around my family member earlier. A "you have saved" coupon for £3.40 from Sains:eek::(:(:(. To be fair, I don't think it was actually from their shop - there was no accompanying receipt so I could not look at that - I think it was from the relative's house at which they were. Otherwise, I would have been almost furious!!

As you know, if ever you get a "Saved" coupon from S, except in one limited circumstance, you have always gone wrong.

The only circumstance in which I can imagine that a "Saved" coupon should ever be got from S is if you are exclusively buying heavily reduced store specific or "Whoops" items at extremely good Sains price or extremely good priced non-grocery items that you can't get cheaper elsewhere (or grocery items that have no equivalent whatsoever at A and on which S is the best price per unit of every place in existence that is realistically available to you - I imagine there will be few occasions on which that occurs indeed:rotfl:) and that you happen to be getting 10 or more different such items - but then why would you ever need to buy so much?:eek: (If anyone can think of any other circumstance - let me know - I may have omitted to state it - or maybe if Sains. is literally the only place whatsoever available to you to do your shopping for absolute miles around. Other than that, why would you ever "save" (and therefore pay more)?)

Other than that circumstance, whoopsies/reduced etc., if you get a "Saved" coupon, which is now only a comparison against A, it must, to my mind, mean that you have therefore paid over the odds - as, because Sains was cheaper at A, you therefore should have bought that exact branded basket at A and compared it against S for 10% lower than what you paid. I doubt very much indeed that they did a whoopsie only shop and bought ten:eek: different items that way. The "Saved" coupon therefore means they obtained the goods they bought for too much. If it is not a whoopsie or reduced item stop (store-specific items), getting a "Saved" coupon is therefore always a mistake. You should never get one. (Unless, as I say, you are buying whoopsies - and, then, the saving should absolutely huge, not some stupid few pence!) I have never yet had a "Saved" coupon from S:j:j. All my shopping there has been either cheaper elsewhere (A - or A or T when they used to include that) and therefore resulted in the maximum BM back that I could get, resulting in me really making a saving and getting things for far cheaper or was the spend (usually of a small BM) on something absolute best value at S and non-comparable for cheaper from A. Or a coupon off that worked out better.

On rare occasions - I don't shop at S very often at all since it usually works out so expensive:rotfl: - I have been behind a shopper who has got a "Saved" coupon:( (has been buying normal priced grocery items and not whoopsies etc.) and have felt like saying, or almost said, "should have bought those brands at Asda and compared them for 10% less!" They should - it's what it means!:rotfl::rotfl:

It's sometimes the case that buying at A, in the 'right' way, would - or could - have been even better than that, since a competitor of A other than S may be even cheaper than S and therefore Avs the non-S competitor would be even way cheaper than 10% off what they paid to S! No use comparing against much more expensive A prices, unless you are buying S whoopsies!

Maybe excluded promotions at S:think: (that aren't compared to from A, such as 3 for 2 - different prices in offer). But then you certainly wouldn't put them into a shopping basket of 10 or more items that came out S much cheaper as there would be no need to compare against A's more expensive pricing. If you are doing that, why would you ever buy more than the promotion (e.g. 3 items) instead of buying a useless 10 - and buying more items than needed - unless they are all whoopsies on the same shop:rotfl:? - just buy the minimum promotion items and nothing extra from S is needed so you should never have a comparison through the BM system and thus no coupon at all from that shop (so you would never be getting a "Saved" coupon in that case). The shop should not qualify for BM at all - otherwise, if it does, and you are not buying the exclusively whoopsie etc. items as the additionals that happen to go over 10 - do not make it that way - then it is wasted buying 10 or more different items and not getting any BM valuable coupon back.

Savvybuyer

I have no idea how much they lost (by getting their brands from S and not buying them from A and checking the APG), since I do not know what their comparable S bill on the branded items was, and therefore do not know what the value of the 10% off is. Of course they could have bought own label items in the same shop - and likely paid S more expensive prices on those too:eek:. Obviously, as own label items are included in the APG, you would not want to compare in A against their higher S prices like that, so some tinkering to the A basket may need to be done. However, I am sure it could be done very easily:rotfl:.

The thing is that the nearest Sains is several miles away from their home, whereas they have an A superstore just down the road!:wall::(

Savvybuyer

I have some wombles from earlier that I was waiting whilst they dried out. I haven't checked them yet - I could be sitting on money!

It's like not checking the lottery tickets:eek:, and doubtless they stand a much better chance of 'winning' than do lottery tickets although they is an extremely unlikely chance indeed that lottery tickets could return a jackpot of hugely way more!

Savvybuyer

First one, nothing. But never mind - nothing paid for it, so nothing lost! Loose new potatoes still not comparing against M:rotfl: - I think they are probably somewhat more expensive there!

Dairy Box comparing, but v.high offer price:eek::rotfl: - and not sure why given that M was offering 400g version at £3:eek::eek::rotfl::rotfl: (works out the same doesn't it? £2.70 for 360g or £3 for 400g).

12 items (8 different) on your receipt qualify for comparison Asda morrisons
0.68x ASDA Loose New Potatoes (PER KG) £1.34 N/A
2x Diet Coke Cans (8X330) £5.00 £5.00
1x Magnum Classic Ice Creams (4X110M) £2.00 £2.97
2x Fairy Original Lemon Washing Up Liquid (500ML) £2.00 N/A
2x Del Monte Peach Slices in Juice (415G) £1.50 £1.48
0.37x ASDA Loose Carrot (order by number of carrots or select kg) (PER KG) £0.22 £0.27
1x ASDA Fresh Milk Semi Skimmed (4PT) £0.89 £1.00
2x Carnation Evaporated Milk (170G) £1.30 £1.30
2x Cadbury Dairy Milk Marvellous Smashables Rocky Mallow Road (180G) £3.00 £3.94
1x Dairy Box Milk Chocolate Carton (360G) £3.00 £3.00
Comparison total (compared products only) £16.91 £18.96
cheaper +£2.05

Savvybuyer

I think it's off (and they bought only one anyway).

1x Cathedral City Mature Cheddar (350G) £2.00 £2.67

New M price:(. Well, I suppose it's only use is it doesn't lose us as much against M as the previous price, if they bought only one or another odd number up to 9 of the same one, would have done.

Hopeless:
1x Kenco Coffee House Roast (190G) £3.00 £5.70:eek:
1x Cif Actifizz Multi-Purpose Lemon Spray (700ML) £1.50 £2.72:(

What is it with these?
2x Fairy Original Lemon Washing Up Liquid (500ML) £2.00 N/A

Why is it that people buy Spam at £1 when T's Eday Value elsewhere would normally be cheaper?
Vs M
1x Spam Chopped Pork And Ham (340G) £1.00:( £1.50:(:(

Not sure - maybe I ought to reverse the frown numbers there and be frowning more about the r'back than about the higher M price! If it weren't on r'back, it would be more likely that they would have not bought it at all and thus it wouldn't have lost me anything!

Anyway, the receipt was hopeless as already lost even without that. So, it did nothing.

Those Mullers again:
2x Muller Light Cherry Fat Free Yogurt (175G) £1.20 £1.36
2x Muller Light Strawberry Fat Free Yogurt (175G) £1.20 £1.36

Save a few pence on each:( to pay a lot more than we did before!

In fact, it's probably not even 'save a few pence'. On offers - even of 8 for £4 - it would have previously been cheaper (although they would have to buy more!).

Savvybuyer

I was thinking, maybe they will all be nil return:(, but they were extra to the one before, picked up on the same journey!

However I have one - but just not 10% and some bad comparisons within parts of it as well.

Expensive Coco Pops!
Vs M
1x Kellogg's Coco Pops (550G) £2.00 £2.00:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I knew our shoppers would get these at £2 - they always do! Should get 800g version vs T at £1.87! At their price - actually they pay £2.00 for 550g and don't get even £1.80! - it works out at over £2.90 per 800g! It is just plain and obvious that the actual 800g box works out way cheaper. When bought in the 'right' way - obviously not as they are likely to buy things, that just work out plain more expensive (I think I said this before, deja-vu:doh:). Clearly you would need to know that 800g Coco Pops were on offer elsewhere. However, that information is public information, that is quite readily available and there is no trouble finding it.

Of course, if they did check their receipt on their actual shop, they would be able to see Coco Pops 550g £2.00 vs £2.69 T and thus think they had saved against T on it. However, clearly they have paid way too much - getting a smaller box for more expensive outright than a bigger one, after APG, works out, for me, to be! So, £1.68* thereabouts for 800g or £2.00** for 550g?:think: Keep paying like that for your Coco Pops (the 550g box in the way they do) and they will not only be buying Coco Pops far sooner but paying far more for it each time! And, after all, A was cheaper (for them :j) but just not by 10%. Really must work out too expensive:rotfl::rotfl:.

*(After APG vs T.)
**(Failed to check APG so did not even recover the 10%.)

Savvybuyer

Now, that is better! Voucher for £3 something, but just not 10% cheaper.

Now they did buy the right ones:

Vs T (6/2/16)
1x Kellogg's Coco Pops Family Pack (800G) £3.79 £1.87

Of course they pay £3.79 for 800g, which is even worse than £2 for 550g adjusted to £2.90!:rotfl:

But... :(they mixed up their shop so the £3+ actually comes out against Morrisons, so the comp. on the Coco Pops is 10% off M's full price:wall:.

They keep getting these (T comp is £10.20 on mbuy):
Vs M
3x ASDA Butcher's Selection British Chicken Breast Fillet Portions (500G) £10.00 £10.30

How much better they would be if they missed the A mbuy.

These :(do not help the T comp.!

Vs T
2x Pepsi Regular Bottle (2LT) £2.00 £3.96

Stop buying expensive Pepsi:mad:. They won't listen to me - they can't hear me:rotfl:! £1 is too expensive!

Vs T
2x ASDA Butcher's Selection 8 Pork Chops (1KG) £10.00 £9.00

Still too expensive IMO, even after APG, but just thought you might like to know. M comp., which I get, is £10 vs £10 - so just £1 contribution and not £1.90 - would have be so much better if T comp had been best overall on the shop.

Vs T
1x Twix Fun Size Bars 13 Pack (275G) £2.00 £2.79

Missed the T mbuy (2 for £2) and paid they full £2 for a single pack to A anyway!:rotfl::rotfl:I think they may be showing OOS on t.com now.

Vs M
No glitch - it's full A price on these against M:
3x Heinz Alphabetti (400G) £2.07 £1.50

Confirmation - it has ended on this (on both sides of the comp, A and M):
2x Cathedral City Mature Cheddar (350G) £4.00 £5.34:(

That would have been far better, assuming M was same price on everything else as it compares to now, early in the week.

Told you that, even if they buy 800g Coco Pops, which seemed a rare chance to me but has now happened for me, they would still end up with making them a plain expensive price rather than getting them for 10% off £1.87!

They, too, must be clearly unaware that 800g Coco Pops are £1.87 in T, otherwise why would they buy them at £3.79 in A, on the wrong comparison and then fail to check the receipt? So, they overpay - either (as is probably likely given that I don't think there has been heavy promotion of the APG e.g. on TV advertising recently so it's not in the general public mind) not even thinking about, or possibly even being unaware of, the APG or probably thinking there is no point checking the receipt anyway as A always comes out cheapest for me so I'll never get anything!

Savvybuyer

Now, I have a huge shopping receipt here so if a lot compared and it was about the same price on everything, it would be quite a lot!

However, :(they seem to have gone for a lot of SP meals at the time when Morrisons no longer has a comparable item:rotfl::rotfl:. Also potential Cokes risking losing me out.

We shall see. Could be my best yet, more likely will either be okay or will be way way cheaper in A.

Savvybuyer

No:(, way more than 10% cheaper.

They are getting these though, which I had on a successful receipt earlier, and frowned as I thought it would be £2 Clover 1Kg which is never a good idea when rival stores are at £3.70 and £3.80 prices (or else you are helping confine your comp. to being good against only the place that has it on £2 or does not stock it:p).

1x Clover Spread (500G) £2.00:rotfl::rotfl: £2.00
£2 for Morries; £1.50 for T.

They do like to overpay:eek:! £2 price:eek: for a half-the-size tub, my price would have to be under £1 elsewhere - and even then.

I currently go for T Eday Value or M Savers Spread (1Kg) at £1.35 in T/M. Or A's 2Kg Soft Spread vs T or M at £3 (works out the same price per kg). In the absence of any £1.37 or lower options on ICBINB. I noticed ICBINB was £1.50 (for 1Kg) in A the other day, but still works out a bit more expensive than the options I now default to (in the absence of better offers elsewhere for comparison). CB on others, at certain times, may work out better.

So, on my prices now, at £2 for 500g:eek:, they are probably paying four times too much!:rotfl:

...and still coming out 10% or more cheaper:mad::rotfl::A, so would have paid that straight high price (just a 500g tub, not even the 1Kg one on that price) and got nothing back off their next shop even if they had checked their own receipt!

I've no idea why people would buy 500g at £2 - maybe they just have no clue as to the price of anything (as does seem to be the case!) and just go shopping and hope for the best! No wonder their bill is nearly £140!:eek: I don't think I could spend that in several months let alone a single shop! (I'm obviously not counting paying for things at expensive A full price and then claiming the APG back as I'm not really paying out that way, I'm getting the reductions off the next shops.) Perhaps this is one of the stores' 'tricks' of having half-size products on same prices as the offer prices on the bigger size sometimes go to - in order to confuse people or think they are buying the bigger size on offer but they pick up the smaller size by mistake as they remember that price (I bet they don't remember anything though!) and think it was the offer price for the small size they are now actually getting! Robinsons 1L juice for example goes to 'good' 74p elsewhere. However, I have seen Robinsons much smaller size, at other times, coincidentally at 74p in those other stores.

That's two separate shops on which I've had them buy 500g Clover at £2 now. I think they are obviously just buying a brand when they have ran out, don't think about the price and just get it, habitually, when they need it, at whatever price it then happens to be on, without looking around in the store or considering other alternative options. Which is probably the way most people shop, and don't plan ahead or target offers, and end up paying way more than sense on nearly everything. Other than the 'impulse buys' that they would never have bought had they not been on £1 r'back and thus are paying more, by buying more, than what they would otherwise have done.

Looking around in the store they are shopping in, to find what look like cheaper alternatives, would not be the best idea anyway - even though it would be better than £2 for 500g - they might then buy ICB 1Kg at £1.50 (cheaper outright than what they paid:rotfl:) but - the key is they only look like cheaper alternatives* - ICB 1kg compares against some competitors much more expensively - N/A for others - what they should be doing is looking around (online maybe) in competitor stores and then buying that. As 10% off competitors' offers is generally somewhat better than the straight price of A's own offers.

*If you did that, you would buy expensive 550g Coco Pops at £2 (and even more expensive in some other competitors) rather than 800g against T for cheaper - and a lot cheaper by weight!

Savvybuyer

Last one is... quite good!:j (I don't mean anywhere near £6+ or even £10 or anything, but never mind.)

I've got Morries cheaper (always a good thing to have at least one competitor cheaper than A:D).

Nothing that we'd buy though:rotfl: (I don't think).
Shame that Morries put the prices of some of its frozen veg. up and they haven't all come back down.

1x Kellogg's Special K Biscuit Moments Chocolate (5X25G) £1.00 £1.00:wall:

But it gives me 10p:cool:.

Mind you, if everyone bought how we did, I don't think they'd even stock them ever and, as a business, wouldn't even exist.

I have this - which they bought at £2.40:rotfl:, was £1 in M months ago - not quite the 'right' Muller yogurt to be getting vsM at the moment but never mind it helps the comp. anyway - I had a £3.88 "Muller" product on an earlier comp. that I was hoping would compare £3.88 vs £2 or £1.92 somewhere else (maybe on a Muller Corner or something like that) but it turned out to be a multipack Cadburys pot and compared vs nowhere.

1x Muller Light Goodies Strawberry with White Chocolate Balls (4X107G) £2.40 £1.92

All the chocolates bought at full price:rotfl::

1x Cadbury Dairy Milk Giant Buttons Chocolate Bag (119G) £1.99 £1.00
1x Kit Kat 2 Finger Milk Chocolate Biscuit Bars (8PK) £1.60 £1.00
1x Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel Nibbles Chocolate Bag (120G) £1.99 £1.00

So, they made M cheaper. Small pouches these days indeed though. I think I would need well below half that M price to consider it at all these days! I prefer seasonal chocolates after the season has gone. My Hallowe'en M&Ms 300g £1. So, compared to that, 90p (or they paid not even the M price of £1 but £1.99!(:rotfl:)) for well less than half the weight is quite a bit 'too much'! I'm sure some of the Elite do a lot better than me - getting free bags with CB etc. Giant Buttons - pouch at £1.99 - really? I would have thought Christmas tube of that from Poundland at 25p would have been a lot better! I think seasonal bags bought only afterwards are now, apart from the CB things, the only way:rotfl:!:money::rotfl::rotfl:

That's it - that was alright that one - had one earlier actually, or a couple - the one of the two that gave the bigger voucher (less than £2) was actually, on the whole, a worse shop than the one whose voucher was a little less still. I felt that was because the comparisons were quite good on the 'smaller voucher' shop although not much compared. On the one that had the larger of the two vouchers, they bought so much that was more expensive at the competitor whose comp. came out best that, not only did they make A cheaper, though still not 10%, they lost probably £5 by putting those more expensive at the other place items in there. So they were some good comps. in that shop but they lost a lot of the difference that those contributed:(. It still resulted better than the other shop, but, really, it should have been way way better still and the amount of how much they 'lost' makes me feel worse towards it "only" being a £1.70 voucher whereas the £1.20 from the other shop feels better due to there not being much at the competitor on which A was more than 10% cheaper. Probably a bit like feeling good at T by getting a 'discount' off their too-expensive shelf prices but really just ended up paying the same prices as elsewhere and, if you had shopped elsewhere, you wouldn't have needed as many as 10 items in order to get that same price on them:rotfl:.

(That's, of course, our way too - it's not the mixed shop situation, of the vast majority of qualifying shops I suspect, whereby, if they get a 'discount' at all, they pay whatever the T price is (which could be cheaper than but could be much higher than another competitor) on all items which do not compare against the competitor that came out best on the overall shop.

So - TBG - experience the possibility of paying more for your brands where they are non-comparable against, because they are not sold by, the competitor that came out cheapest on the overall branded shop. Doesn't quite have the same ring I suspect:rotfl:!

It's the same with the APG - if an item is non-comparable against the overall best competitor, then you pay whatever A's own price on that is and do not get even the same price of a cheaper competitor on that (if there is one). So, you pay A's more expensive price on that (or cheaper if it happens to be more expensive everywhere against which it compares but if it is N/A against the 'best' competitor which is how, if we aim to buy it, we should make it be).)

Goodbye for now:rotfl:!:D:cool::money::wave::wave: