Price Anchoring, Or Why a $499 iPad Seems Inexpensive

Post by nitrogen » Thu, Apr 08, 2010, 5:52 AM UTC

hugh3 wrote: post #64

ExtremePopcorn wrote: post #6

Dan Ariely gives a related TED talk: "Are we in control of our own decisions?" http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_ariely_asks_are_we_in_control_o... Look around 11:30 for a few examples of how comparing options affects us more than looking at each individually. On a side note, it also seems inexpensive because it's $499 and not $500! Psychological pricing is one of my larger pet peeves...

This doesn't bother me as much as the movie-popcorn pricing system, which seems to be rapidly spreading to everything (Cold Stone and Jamba Juice are two particularly egregious offenders). You can have the miniscule size for $5, the "medium" size for $5.75, or the insanely large size for $6.95. Of course they never even expected to sell the other two sizes, they're only there to make the medium size (which is still w…

While I'm on the subject, here's a fun fact: a chocolate-peanut-butter flavoured milkshake from Cold Stone, in their largest size, contains over two thousand calories.

Sounds like a great way for a highly active person to put on weight.

Post by mcantor » Thu, Apr 08, 2010, 9:10 PM UTC

gaius wrote: post #78

ugh wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is that really something you experienced? That didn’t ever happen to me. If a salesperson treated me like that I would pretty much immediately lose all respect for them.

That's what they've been told to do, it's not their fault. It's like if you go into a Pepsi venue and ask for a coke, they will always say "Pepsi". Now I just want some sort of cola-flavoured beverage, I'm not that fussed, and they know that, but I don't think "this person is such a pedant" or think I'm being disrespected.

Believe it or not, I actually appreciate this, since if I ask for a Coke and I get a Pepsi, I can tell and my tastebuds are disappointed. So if they say, "Oh, we only do Pepsi," I can say, "Then, I'll have a water," or something.

Re: Price Anchoring, Or Why a $499 iPad Seems Inexpensive

Re: Price Anchoring, Or Why a $499 iPad Seems Inexpensive