Quote:
Originally Posted by Deskisamess
It's not unusual for a brand to control prices this way, Jockey and Levi's do the same thing.
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So does Hanes. I bought some T-shirts years ago when my daughter wanted to try Tie-Dying. I thought, "Hanes, they're a good brand". Maybe so, but not "Hanes from WalMart". Those were the thinnest, cheapest, poorest quality, rip-off T-shirts I have ever purchased. WalMart is not the only big retailer that does this, but they are the worst. You always have to view sale items with suspicion when the ads say "Exclusive to XYZ store", "Special purchase", "Only at ABC store". These are clear tip-offs that you are getting a non-standard product (and it may even have the same model number - I don't know how they get by with that deception). I have never seen one of these "exclusive to..." specials be because they wanted to
increase the value to the customer or
add desirable features. They are always to make something cheaper to draw you in, or make it more profitable for the store. Buyer beware!
I don't think WalMart even advertises "Exclusive to WalMart". They just silently sell the cheaper version pretending that it is as good as the original, and riding on the coattails and brand name of the original version. Do your due diligence before purchasing an expensive item at WalMart. Or from Harbor Freight for that matter. Realize that you may not be getting the quality that you think you are, but if your needs can be met with the cheaper version, and the price is appealing, why not?
This is one reason why I would research heavily before buying one of those Kobo eReaders from WalMart. Is it
really the Kobo you think you are getting? Or a cheapened version? Maybe it's the standard model, but didn't quite meet the quality inspection minimum levels as it came off the manufacturing line, and is now what most manufacturers might call a "second", but sold at WalMart without mention of that. Model numbers/names may not tell you the complete story. It's probably best to just assume for everything that there is an "Item XYZ, standard quality" and an "Item XYZ, WalMart quality", and make your buying decision with that in mind.