Consumers complain that outlets tamper with the weights and sizes of merchandise displays

Consumers said that major sales outlets change the weights, sizes, and shapes of offer packages, to make consumers believe that they are buying attractive offers, and then they discover after purchasing that these offers are less useful and more expensive than the previous offers that the outlets used to offer previously, considering that this amounts to manipulation and misleading consumers, to motivate them to buy some offers.

On the other hand, two sales outlet officials told Emirates Today that sales outlets usually constantly change the forms and weights of offers to suit the different tastes and needs of consumers, explaining that the values ​​and forms of offers are inherently variable and characterized by flexibility, depending on the offer itself, the commodity, the outlet of sale, competition, and the total cost, and they asked consumers to read the product information carefully, especially the weight and price, before purchasing.

We explained that the prices of goods are fixed and are constantly monitored by the concerned authorities, but the pricing of offers has a completely different nature, as it is always flexible and subject to several factors, most notably competition in the market and cost.

Sales outlets

In detail, the consumer, Samir Wajih, said that “sales outlets change the weights and shapes of the offer packages, so that the consumer believes that he is buying an attractive offer, and then discovers after purchasing that the new offer is less useful and more expensive than the previous offers that were usually offered,” indicating that this is considered manipulation and misleading of consumers, to motivate them to buy these offers.

He explained that one of the major sales outlets with branches in various emirates of the country launched an offer a few days ago on a dishwashing liquid that includes three containers of bright colors with a wide shape, each weighing 500 ml, meaning their total weight is one and a half liters, at a price of 14.99 dirhams, while the outlets usually, including the outlet itself, put an offer on two containers of the same product, each weighing 950 ml, meaning their weight is 1.9 liters, at a price of 12.40. AED, meaning that the new offer is 20.8% more expensive than the regular offer, even though it has a lighter weight.

The consumer, Muhammad Kamal, said, “Sales outlets deliberately change the weights, sizes, and shapes of the offer packages, so that the consumer believes that he is purchasing an attractive offer, then discovers after purchasing and upon examining the offer that it is less useful and more expensive than previous offers,” noting that this is misleading consumers.

He added that an outlet put out an offer for two chickens from a famous brand, weighing 1,100 grams each, with a total weight of 2,200 grams, at a price of 40.55 dirhams. Then the following week, the same outlet put out an offer for two chickens from the same brand, weighing 900 grams each, with a total weight of 1,800 grams, at a price of 43 dirhams. They were placed in a large package surrounded by a bright, wide golden ribbon, and their weight appeared larger to discover the weight. The real thing after he went home.

He confirmed that an outlet put out an offer on one of the types of preserved legumes that included six packages instead of four, at a price of 18.90 dirhams, weighing 400 grams per package. Then the outlet put up an offer two weeks later on the same legumes at the same price, but he discovered after purchasing that they weighed 350 grams, not 400 grams, meaning that he bought them at a higher price even though they weighed less.

The consumer, Mona Wafik, agreed that sales outlets change the weights and shapes of the offer packages so that the consumer feels that he is facing a good offer that is worth buying, and then discovers after purchasing when examining the offer that it is more expensive than previous offers.

She said that one of the famous major outlets put out an offer on a type of oil that included three bottles, weighing three liters and 750 ml, at a price of 28.55 dirhams. After a while, the same outlet offered three bottles of a different shape from the same brand, which appeared to be large and wide, at a price of 33 dirhams. She pointed out that she had purchased the offer, then discovered after purchasing that the weight of the two bottles was one liter, and a third small bottle weighing 500 ml, with a total weight of 2.5 liters. The price is higher even though the weight is much less.

She added that another outlet put up an offer on a set of utensils at a price of 320 dirhams in a huge, brightly colored package, so she bought it as it was similar to a previous offer that included 12 pieces, but she later discovered that it was only eight pieces, and at the price of the same set that was offered previously, which consists of 12 pieces.

Consumer needs

For his part, the official in one of the sales outlets, Ali Daoud, said that “outlets are constantly changing the forms and values ​​of the offers, to suit the different tastes and needs of consumers.” He explained that the values ​​of the offers are inherently variable depending on the offer itself, the commodity, the outlet, and the total cost, including the shipping cost, the production cost, and others.

The official at another sales outlet, Yaqoub Khan, confirmed that “some consumers may confuse prices and offer signs due to the similarity between the packaging and shapes of some signs,” calling on consumers to read the product information, especially the weight and price, carefully before purchasing.

He pointed out that the prices of goods are fixed and are constantly monitored by the concerned authorities, but the pricing of offers has a completely different nature, as it is always flexible and subject to several factors, most notably competition in the market and cost, adding that offers act as an incentive for the consumer to buy, so attention is paid to their shape so that they are more attractive to the consumer, whether by exploiting colors or attractive shapes.

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Checking the prices, sizes and weights of the commodity

An expert in retail affairs, Devi Nagpal, said, “Some outlets manipulate the shapes and weights of offers to make them appear larger than their actual weights and sizes. However, the consumer has a responsibility to scrutinize the prices, sizes and weights of the commodity on which there are price offers, before rushing to buy just because its price is reduced.”

Nagpal warned consumers not to look at the price of the commodity only before purchasing, explaining that some consumers only look at the price before purchasing, and if they find it less than its original price, they think that this offer is tempting, which is not true at all, as there are changes in the offers of goods in terms of weight, size, and shapes of packages, which makes the unconscious consumer believe that the price is much lower or that the weight is more or similar, even though it is much smaller.

He stressed the need to read all the information about the product before purchasing and not to buy, just because there is a price offer on the product, pointing out that competition between outlets makes many of the offers real and of great value, and they are the ones that should be focused on purchasing rather than others.

Consumers:

. Sales outlets change the weights and shapes of the offer packages, so that the consumer believes that he is buying an attractive offer, then discovers after purchasing that the new offer is less useful and more expensive than the previous offers that were usually offered.