It is sometimes appreciated when I pass on consumer alerts to my readers.  So, here's this week's offering:

You would think that chain-store outlets would have the same price level at each of its locations.  Guess again.  I always assumed that each outlet of a company would offer the same prices at all of their stores.  Perhaps this is true of many firms but not all of them.

I discovered last week that some national and regional chain-store operations have different “pricing tiers” assigned to their individual stores.  For instance, the same items in Pawleys Island are priced higher than in Georgetown. I was told that a Hilton Head store of the same chain boasted even higher prices than in Pawleys Island.  I suppose the pricing is done with the affluence of the neighborhood in mind. Higher income neighborhoods can expect to pay more. Sounds a little “Marxist” to me.

Whenever advertised “sales” and “reduced price” items are featured, the prices will be the same everywhere.  But for everyday items, the prices can vary from store to store.  The price of the same item in Georgetown will be less than a few miles north or south.

I should have been tipped off by the price of gasoline which can vary from town to town even though the fuel is being offered under the same brand name.  I never suspected, however, that chain stores followed the same practice.

The way I uncovered this little tidbit of consumer information occurred when I tried to use a “$3 off regular sales price” coupon for the specified item at the Georgetown branch of the chain.  This store was out of the item, so I headed for Pawleys Island.  They had the item in stock but when I checked out the reduced price was more than ten percent higher.  When I questioned the difference, the manager told me the two stores were in different “tiers” and, therefore, the “$3 off” the sales price would be higher than in Georgetown because the “everyday price” was more in Pawleys Island. He might have been a little embarrassed at being found out because he graciously let me have the items at the Georgetown price.

So, I suppose the truth in this story is that Georgetown prices overall are lower than in Pawleys Island -- at least, at a few stores.  

Regarding another matter, I don't understand why consumers tolerate “small print.”  I often clip coupons only to be told that the item I am purchasing is excluded.  Sure enough, the very small print lists a whole multitude of exempted item.  I have to take the salesclerk's word for it because these tired old eyes cannot read printing the miniscule.

And have you noticed in magazines and other publications that a company, usually a pharmaceutical firm, purchases an entire page to tell you why you should use their miraculous product.  But the following three pages (mandated by law) disclose multiple reasons (in much, much smaller print) why you might not want to purchase the item - usually in the format of “side effects”, etc.  And, of course, they all say “consult your physician” before using.  Since prescription drugs are usually the item being advertised, I suppose consulting a physician is a no-brainer since you are not going to get the product without a prescription. The advertisers are aiming toward getting you to bring up the subject during your next visit.

If I were a doctor, I would grow weary of patients walking in the door and saying, “Doc, I saw this wonderful medicine advertised that sounds as if it would do me a lot of good.  Will you prescribe it for me?” If I were that doctor, I would be saying under my breath, “Sure, you idiot, never mind telling me your symptoms and let's just forgo an examination, tests and diagnostic procedures I usually perform and get you on that new drug whether you really need it or not!” My consumer advice is to let physicians decide what's best for your health rather than depending on the hoopla of advertising firms. You don't have to read the fine print for that!

On the way out of the grocery checkout line the other day, I spotted a friend sitting on a bench waiting for his wife to finish shopping.  I sat down to visit a spell.

He lamented that some Social Security “advisory” firm was about to worry him to death with mailings trying to entice him to send them a little money - for what purpose, he had no idea and, no doubt, neither did numerous other folks who actually sent them some money. Statistics show that direct mailing pieces offering just about anything will produce some results regardless of how ridiculous the offering is. Which all goes to prove how gullible a segment of our population remains? He was trying to figure out how to get the folks to stop mailing him.  I shared with him how I have taken care of similar situations through the years:

Whenever my patience ran out with receiving unwanted solicitations via mail, I have, upon occasion, wrapped a brick or concrete block in brown paper and pasted the “return postage paid” envelope on the outside of the very heavy package.

I never once failed to get my name taken off of the offending firm's mailing list because someone eventually grew weary of paying return postage on bricks or concrete blocks.

I hope these few tips will help you become a more discriminating consumer.

John Brock is a retired college professor and, newspaper editor/publisher, who lives in Georgetown County., brock@johnbrock.com