go-Digital Blog on Digital Marketing

Amazon List Prices are Crazy Out of Whack

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5888981/amazon-marks-up-a-products-price-like-crazy-to-give-you-fake-savings

It’s scary how much I trust Amazon. I don’t even question anything—just click, buy and get 2-day shipped for everything. Underwear? Yep. Electronics? Sure. Tweezers? Why the hell not. But what if all those savings you’re supposed to be getting on Amazon were fake? What if Amazon ridiculously marks up a product’s list price by 1000%? Because that’s what Amazon is doing.

Geez Amazon, have some self respect! Do you think we’re all fools? Who would believe a box of spaghetti was once listed at $55.10 when you’re actually selling it for $1.85 in real life? OH MY GOD SO MUCH SAVINGS. Seriously, there’s no need to inflate the list price by THIS much. We know retailers mark up stuff all the time to make you think you’re saving more than you actually are but the lengths that Amazon and its third party sellers goes is truly unbelievable. For example:

• Rice a Roni Beef costs $1.48. Amazon’s list price? $141.75
• Splenda with Fiber costs $4.39. Amazon’s list price? $553
• Six pack of Quaker Oats Old Fashioned Oats costs $20. Amazon’s list price? $211.74
• If you don’t believe it, just poke around Amazon’s Grocery and Gourmet Food section yourself. The ridiculous list prices are everywhere and in some cases even worse, with nearly $750 worth of “savings” on Mac and Cheese. Basically, if you’re ever doing your shopping there, ignore the list price and potential savings. The list prices are an obvious screwup on Amazon’s system (misplaced decimal? bad formula?) and the potential savings are fake. Invisible. Make believe.

  Of course, this won’t stop me from shopping at Amazon. It might not even be Amazon’s fault, as most of these product list prices are sold by other companies that aren’t Amazon through Amazon. But it’s clear that Amazon needs to filter it better or just do something better. Until then, even Amazon can’t be completely trusted. [Mouse Print via MSNBC]

Tags: Amazon, food section, Fools, gourmet food, Hell, mac and cheese, oh my god, quaker oats, screwup, self respect, shopping, spaghetti, third party, Tweezers, underwear, Whack