Price Match Hacks? Questionably unethical

mostlegendary on 17/04/2023 - 19:45

So, this post is intentionall vague, as it's not quite in the spirit of a price match.

When asking a certain sporting-goods retailer for a price match online, they give you a voucher for that amount to be used within a short timeframe on that item. However, it seems that they don't actually enforce that relationship between voucher and item.

So, I just scored a $47 voucher to discount said priced-matched item and it seems that I can spend that online on anything that they stock. Is it too evil to use it against the intended purpose? O_O

Poll Options

  • 37
    Yes this is Evil and unethical
  • 25
    I want to know the retailer so I can also abuse this.
  • 16
    No - it's fair game
General Discussion

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  • Frisky Grandma on 17/04/2023 - 20:06
    +3

    If it was a little shop I'd hesitate. Because it's probably one of the big ones (and probably the one under the really big company) then it's fair game

    • Dunno on 17/04/2023 - 22:09

      TWG has been great to people here when deals are posted that were unintended, they have every right to cancel the orders but never do.

      What OP is talking about is likely obtaining by deception if they do it as stated.

      • Frisky Grandma on 18/04/2023 - 08:12

        Sure.

        But then I also take a very callous approach to that particular lot.

      • Nil Einne on 20/04/2023 - 20:53

        Well I wouldn't say they never do since they once even asked for people to return items. But that was a bit of an extreme case.

  • boldbilly on 18/04/2023 - 09:30
    +3

    So everything under $47 is free? And you can do this repeatedly?

    That crosses a line for me.

    • mostlegendary on 18/04/2023 - 14:44

      Yeah. Though I guess you'd likely encounter a point quite rapidly where the online representative would notice that they are price-matching a particular item a lot, and not seeing a corresponding increase in the sales of said item. TBH, I didn't even think about doing it repeatedly.

      • xxLegendPlayzzxx on 18/04/2023 - 14:50

        Did you end up trying it? I would definitely think they would check the order and cancel it. If not then it’s just a bad mistake on their part.

        • mostlegendary on 18/04/2023 - 14:57
          +2

          Not yet, the voucher is valid until tonight, but I've been too busy starting silly polls on choicecheapies!

  • CheapAzChips on 17/04/2023 - 20:45
    +2

    The question is: why are they issuing vouchers? Why not just discount the product in checkout as virtually all other retailers do? So I guess that makes it fair game?

  • mostlegendary on 19/04/2023 - 08:18
    +2

    Looks like someone else tried it and they check the orders before fulfilment. So it seems that I posted about this "exploit" prematurely. Sorry peeps.

  • Wakrak on 17/04/2023 - 19:47
    +1

    I'm guessing this is Torpedo7.

  • Dunno on 17/04/2023 - 20:17
    +1

    Presumably they have some sort of system in place to check each voucher against what it was issued for, mad if not..

  • wowbigdeal on 17/04/2023 - 21:38
    +1

    With the exploits that cheapies have found with websites and apps has in a way helped to make companies more aware of loopholes and issues within their own companies.

    The best way for a company to fix their issues going forward is to use it, enjoy it, post it and get deal of the month.

    Because emotion doesn't come across on a keyboard this could be satire… Or not.

  • nilllskill on 17/04/2023 - 20:21

    Rebel? Lol

  • akrotohur on 17/04/2023 - 21:10

    If that's how it works, why not? I personally don't see a problem. They can only blame themselves for implementing such a (stupid) policy.

  • Garciahigh on 18/04/2023 - 12:05

    Haha I accidentally encountered this with Briscoes awhile ago in relation to a price match request (was a bit more than $47).

    I assume you're referring to Rebel Sport since both companies are under the same ownership.

    It was a bit weird as I emailed Briscoes for a price match & they didn't get back to me so I went instore to purchase the item.

    I randomly got a response via email a month later and ignored it. I then got a separate email later on with the gift card. I initially thought someone sent me a gift card (as a present) until I realised what they had done.

    They're essentially giving away free cash so I'd personally consider it unethical to target this particular flaw in their system/process.

    Though now it's in the open I can easily see this being exploited by Cheapies members & quickly rectified by Briscoes/Rebel Sport.

    I'm honestly surprised a publicly listed company (that will be regularly audited) has such as obvious flaw in their system/process.

  • bullseye on 18/04/2023 - 15:58

    So If I ask for a pricematch at one of the stores I will get a gift card for free?

  • KevlarCoated on 18/04/2023 - 17:00

    I managed to get a $1000+ code that seems to work on anything. Not sure if Im going to actually go through with a purchase to see what happens, it feels a bit unethical but with the way these companies run their "sales" it feels like fair game

  • Everettpsycho on 19/04/2023 - 20:46

    If it works I'd say go for it but maybe don't publish it out in the open. I'd suggest telling them but ridiculously they likely wouldn't listen to you unless you did post it here and their profits tanked.

    Some of these big companies have big holes in their payment systems. I know when torpedo7 discount stuff via codes and have to split the shipment the invoicing is insane. We ended up with 2 items costing the price of the entire order then the rest of the items being invoiced as free in another delivery. The 2 full price items turned out to be the wrong size and we returned them and they refunded the entire order as that's what the invoice said it cost, making the rest essentially free. We figured they'd realize and correct it and didn't have the time to chase owing them money but nothing ever came if it so we got some free skiing gear. If they just discounted oer items and not run 2 invoices with all of the discount on one of them the problem wouldn't have happened.

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