[orangecat]

On a side note, it also seems inexpensive because it's $499 and not $500! Psychological pricing is one of my larger pet peeves...

Ditto. That's why I round up when somebody asks me how much something costs. The mathematical error resulting from using $500 instead of $499 is much less than the psychological error induced by the smaller first digit.

[mcantor]

It really drives me crazy when I'm discussing products with a salesperson and they consistently "correct" me every time I mention the rounded-up price. It goes like this:

Sales: So it looks like the $299 point-and-shoot might match the features you're looking for, moreso than this $399 video camera.

Me: OK. I'm really leaning towards the $300 one.

Sales: $299.

Me: Yeah, sure. Because I don't know if I'm really going to get my money's worth, paying an extra hundred for the $400 one.

Sales: $399.

Me: (uppercuts salesperson into the stratosphere)

[ugh]

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.

[gaius]

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.

[mcantor]

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.