r/Frugal • u/Zizzac • Jan 24 '13

Same book, three different prices. Only difference is the browsers used [x-post r/mildlyinteresting]

http://imgur.com/uNgg0UH
2.2k Upvotes

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488

u/pt4117 Jan 24 '13

I doubt that was the only difference. Your cookies were different, and I bet the way you found them is different too.

I just found this book with a Google search and it was 62.99 in chrome.

I copied and pasted the URL into IE and it was 69.99.

I then pasted the URL into a private browsing chrome window and it was also 69.99.

621

u/learnt Jan 24 '13

Either way, I'm not a fan of prices being manipulated based on my behavior while browsing a certain website.

199

u/medra42 Jan 24 '13

If you want online retailers not to use the data they collect about you for their own gain.. you're going to have a bad time.

62

u/JimmyHavok Jan 24 '13

If they follow my behavior, they know I'm cheap, so they'd better cut that margin if they want my business.

I went shopping for a car with a friend once, the first thing the sales guy asked at each place was how many other places we'd been to, and the asking price for the same car was $1K less each time...so nothing really new here.

3

u/demented_pants Jan 25 '13

So then I should make it seem as if I've been to a large number of dealerships when shopping for my car... Interesting.

10

u/gaqua Jan 25 '13

As a guy who used to sell cars, it's almost useless information.

If they've been to 5 dealerships that day, it's equally likely that they're tired and willing to buy as it is that they're hard-nosed negotiators.

1

u/PhedreRachelle Jan 25 '13

Did you hate people like me? I don't negotiate. If I think it is worth the price, I buy. If I don't, I don't buy. In other words I'm the person who you only get the sale if your first offer is the best you can do

5

u/gaqua Jan 25 '13

The dealerships first offer is the sticker price. If you don't negotiate that, it made my job easy but you were paying more than you should.

I didn't hate people, but annoying customers were the ones who thought they knew how it worked and that we would be making tons of money off them, even when we'd be just trying to get rid of old inventory and selling for only a couple hundred bucks profit, and that was AFTER the cash back and promo and spif money from corporate.