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Google AI Mode shows same products 21.6% more expensive than traditional search

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Re: Google AI Mode shows same products 21.6% more expensive than traditional search

#61

Post by Aurornis »

base wrote: post #32
Aurornis wrote: post #23

They’re using “traditional search” to mean the shopping specific search widget or page, which is a separate feature from traditional search. It aggregates retailer listings and sorts them by price. The AI mode is based on normal top search results, which are oriented toward information about the product like the manufacturer’s page, which is usually going to be full MSRP. So technically correct that the AI mode is no…

It's not a trick. What you receive as shipping or taxes on google shopping are not the final ones, google doesn't have your full address, neither doesn't have info from the merchant for all taxes (depends on the country) and shipping applied to the product to all possible locations.

The trick is the fees.

Google shopping result might show an accurate shipping fee, but at checkout you will notice a $50 fee that exactly makes up the difference between the retail price and their Google Shopping indexed price.

Re: Google AI Mode shows same products 21.6% more expensive than traditional search

#63

Post by heavenlyblue »

autoexec wrote: post #50
lennart-rth wrote: post #45

I wonder when dynamic pricing based on the users chat history will be a thing. The users context based of LLM conversation should be way more detailed compared to traditional cookie tracking. Also buyers manipulation could be done at some point. Pretty scary to think about

dynamic/discriminatory pricing will be based on your chat history, your search history, your location, your purchase history, and every and any other data point that can be leveraged against you. Buying something near the birthday of a loved one? Expect prices to go up. Haven't driven in two days when you usually would have and now you're looking for a car part? Expect your prices to go up. Got a new job where you ma…

Let's get it to the next level: shopping for a present for your friend whose birthday is in 5 months? Still higher prices because they can use yiur early reminder to know you'll need that.

Re: Google AI Mode shows same products 21.6% more expensive than traditional search

#64

Post by keeda »

Aurornis wrote: post #23

They’re using “traditional search” to mean the shopping specific search widget or page, which is a separate feature from traditional search. It aggregates retailer listings and sorts them by price. The AI mode is based on normal top search results, which are oriented toward information about the product like the manufacturer’s page, which is usually going to be full MSRP. So technically correct that the AI mode is no…

Maybe not the same thing you’re seeing, but hiding the margin in shipping fees is a common and time-honored technique on e-commerce sites like Amazon and eBay. Find any regular product, sort by price lowest-to-highest, and witness the number of very cheap items that look like an amazing deal… until you see the shipping charges. At which point it is as or often more expensive than the higher priced items + shipping.

It must be working on some unsuspecting shoppers because those listings are all over the place. There seems to be no policy against them either, and of course those items are never eligible for Prime shipping. To its credit, at least Amazon these days shows you the shipping costs on the product page itself, as opposed to finding out at checkout.

Re: Google AI Mode shows same products 21.6% more expensive than traditional search

#65

Post by autoexec »

heavenlyblue wrote: post #63
autoexec wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

dynamic/discriminatory pricing will be based on your chat history, your search history, your location, your purchase history, and every and any other data point that can be leveraged against you. Buying something near the birthday of a loved one? Expect prices to go up. Haven't driven in two days when you usually would have and now you're looking for a car part? Expect your prices to go up. Got a new job where you ma…

Let's get it to the next level: shopping for a present for your friend whose birthday is in 5 months? Still higher prices because they can use yiur early reminder to know you'll need that.

Between android devices, gmail, and the data collected from everyone's browsing history Google has enough data to squeeze people hard. Other companies are trying to get in on the action too, the digital price tags and facial recognition systems are being rolled out in stores, but the data my grocery store can buy about me from data brokers is nothing compared to what google already has.

Re: Google AI Mode shows same products 21.6% more expensive than traditional search

#66

Post by crazygringo »

keeda wrote: post #64
Aurornis wrote: post #23

They’re using “traditional search” to mean the shopping specific search widget or page, which is a separate feature from traditional search. It aggregates retailer listings and sorts them by price. The AI mode is based on normal top search results, which are oriented toward information about the product like the manufacturer’s page, which is usually going to be full MSRP. So technically correct that the AI mode is no…

Maybe not the same thing you’re seeing, but hiding the margin in shipping fees is a common and time-honored technique on e-commerce sites like Amazon and eBay. Find any regular product, sort by price lowest-to-highest, and witness the number of very cheap items that look like an amazing deal… until you see the shipping charges. At which point it is as or often more expensive than the higher priced items + shipping. I…

On eBay for certain scammy sellers, but not as a general rule.

And on Amazon, certainly not for items sold by Amazon or part of Prime. Again, only scammy third-party sellers.

Re: Google AI Mode shows same products 21.6% more expensive than traditional search

#67

Post by warkdarrior »

bronlund wrote: post #36
base wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not a trick. What you receive as shipping or taxes on google shopping are not the final ones, google doesn't have your full address, neither doesn't have info from the merchant for all taxes (depends on the country) and shipping applied to the product to all possible locations.

What do you mean Google doesn’t have my full address? :)

Not only Google does know your full address, but it also knows which corner of which room you are cowering in.

Re: Google AI Mode shows same products 21.6% more expensive than traditional search

#68

Post by keeda »

crazygringo wrote: post #66
keeda wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe not the same thing you’re seeing, but hiding the margin in shipping fees is a common and time-honored technique on e-commerce sites like Amazon and eBay. Find any regular product, sort by price lowest-to-highest, and witness the number of very cheap items that look like an amazing deal… until you see the shipping charges. At which point it is as or often more expensive than the higher priced items + shipping. I…

On eBay for certain scammy sellers, but not as a general rule. And on Amazon, certainly not for items sold by Amazon or part of Prime. Again, only scammy third-party sellers.

I guess by definition if they’re doing such things they’re scammy… and aren’t 3rd party sellers the biggest contingent of sellers on Amazon? I mean, I found such listings for almost all of the things I recently shopped for, including water bottles, cooking appliances, sports shorts, coffee cups, camping chairs, usb drives, video cables, beach sandals, winter wear, multivitamin supplements…

Not quite a scientific study, but I always sort by cheapest just to check and see this pattern every time.

The distinction you make is technically correct, but a does not lessen the scale at which it is happening.

Re: Google AI Mode shows same products 21.6% more expensive than traditional search

#69

Post by apefulsin »

kridsdale1 wrote: post #54
bronlund wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you mean Google doesn’t have my full address? :)

There are very strict protections in place surrounding software’s use of a users address info. It’s not just a library call to access it (which the Shopping UI might do). Requires explicit user opt in on a per feature basis.

Is that GDPR? Is it still true in America?

Re: Google AI Mode shows same products 21.6% more expensive than traditional search

#70

Post by Legend2440 »

cyanydeez wrote: post #13
Oras wrote: post #11

I tried “mens cycling helmet specialized” via normal search and AI search. On the surface, AI showed results of £45 while normal results showed £39.99 and this particular result didn’t show at all in the AI search, even when clicking more. However, small fine print was the £39.99 had a £4.99 delivery. Can it be that AI is optimised for full price including shipping?

Also, not defending AI, but id gladly install a ublockoriginAI to filter out scam products and low quality knock offs. Would never trust google to do this. In your example, any helmet by a manufacturer who has zero safety tests, regulatory stamps, warranty, etc, should be filtered out. Any product with anomalous price needs heavy scrutiny.

>Also, not defending AI, but id gladly install a ublockoriginAI to filter out scam products and low quality knock offs.

I'm still waiting for an AI-powered adblock that removes ads by their semantic content instead of a fixed rule list.

I think I'll be waiting a while though because of the performance cost of running an LLM.

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