Logo Consumer Advocate ~ Tim Duffy
Your Consumer Voice®
Serving the Internet community since 1998

Home
Archives
Auto
Consumer Help
Consumer Resources
Government
Health Resources
Letters to Tim

Opinion
Radio
Search
Supermarkets
Television

Help Tim Fight for Consumers! Please Make a Donation!

Subscribe to our Newsletter

COMPETITIVE
MARKDOWNS
By
Tim Duffy
Update the stores mentioned in this story have changed their price matching rules check with your local store for complete details.
For those of you that are not familiar with the term competitive markdown, its when you take an ad that you have seen into a competing store for a price match. Some times they even give you additional cash just for bringing in the ad.

Most of the major consumer electronics stores have the policy of matching a competitors price.
Some of the stores go a step further.
Office Depot, Office Max and Staples will not only match the competitors price but will give you 10 percent of the difference in cash with some restrictions.
This can be a real moneymaker to the consumer.

Example #1

Office Max advertises Mcafee Deluxe anti- virus software for $16.97 with a $40.00 rebate.
After making the purchase at Office Max I took the software and receipt to Office Depot. Their price for the software was 49.95. So with their competitive markdown policy they gave me the anti-virus software totally FREE.
Result two anti-virus software packages for
FREE and $23.03 in my pocket.

Example #2
Office Max advertises 64 Megs of SD RAM for $119.50 less a $50.00 rebate making the net cost $59.50. I went to Office Max with a competitors ad offering the same memory for $59.95. Using the competitive markdown policy, they sold me the memory for $59.95 and I was still eligible for the rebate.
You do the math.
The bottom line I got the memory for only $9.95 after receiving the $50.00 rebate
check.
Conclusion
When you see a good deal advertised, check their competitor. If they have a markdown plus policy you can profit from shopping at the store that did not advertise.

Related Story

Back to Top

[Privacy]

Copyright © 1998-2011Tim Duffy. All rights reserved.
Use of this site is subject to Certain Terms of Use 
which constitute a legal agreement between you and Tim Duffy.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Duplication of the collection of links herein, or any portion thereof, is strictly prohibited.