The buy one get one free fallacy

[Twoddle]

In the supermarket the other day I'm looking for something to get for lunch and I see a nice pizza on the shelf for £3.50 then just as I'm about to put it in my basket I see that it's one of those buy one get one free offers but here's the fallacy. I only want one. I will not have time or the inclination to eat both before the second one goes off, it will just sit in the fridge while I'm away on an excursion.

So why do supermarkets do this? If they want to shift stock why not make it half price instead of 2 for 1? It makes absolutely no sense and all it does is piss people off who are on a tight budget because they cannot benefit from the deal and they actually sell less of that item.

You might well say seeing as you were going to buy one anyway why not just get two and be done with it, you haven't lost out? The point is that you are being given the shaft so you don't bother buying any at all. People who actually want two will be getting a deal while you are definitely not.

I'm also making a poll on this to see what you would do.

[Hottage]

Get the second for free knowing I won't eat it myself and either give it to friends or donate to a food bank.

[obdigore]

That isn't a fallacy. A Fallcy is an incorrect argument, not a deal you don't like.

The only fallacy I see is your assumption that BOGO shifts less stock than half price. Deals like this are put in specifically to make room for more/new stock, or because expiration dates are approaching. Why wouldn't stores use the most efficient way possible of moving that stock? Hint: they would.

Edit -> Marketing article for you http://business.time.com/2012/07/03/...e-bad-at-math/

[Deleted]

You can't eat two pizzas before they go bad?

[Deleted]

I would have gotten 2 and ate the other the following day.

I don't personally see this as an issue but i take your point about the half price > buy one get one free.

[Adonkavic]

Ummm, why not just buy one then? It's not like you are paying extra for a second one.

[s_bushido]

Sales are rarely personalized for the specific customer...they just want to move product.

I don't know why you'd get pissed off at the prospect of free stuff. If you were going to buy one in the first place, you could obviously afford it.

[Deleted]

Tesco has been proven time and time ago that they put prices up the day that items go on buy one get one free. It's a perfectly legal strategy that's frustrating for buyers because now you have to buy two, and technically if you wanted two, you are saving money, but if you only wanted one - you're actually paying more than the day before whilst being told you're getting a great deal.

So all the people saying the second one is free; in supermarkets in the UK (I don't know about the rest of the world), technically it's not free, because the price has been raised just for this promotion, making the price you pay for 2, more than the price you would usually pay for one - with no option to go back to the original price for one until the promotion is over.

[Rixis]

Why not just buy one and not take the free one then?

Can you not freeze one of them? Give it to a friend/neighbour.

"i'm not buying a pizza because they're giving me a free pizza i don't want" sounds like the most retarded problem you'll come across. >.<

[Deleted]

If it was half price you'd just buy one, meaning they'd make half the money off you than if it was 2 for 1. Supermarkets want to sell you as much as possible (gasp!).

[Hottage]

"i'm not buying a pizza because they're giving me a free pizza i don't want" sounds like the most retarded problem you'll come across. >.<

#FirstWorldProblems

[Deleted]

Freezers are wonderful kitchen appliances.
if you cant afford a new one, then check around the newspapers for a secondhand one.

[Catta]

In the supermarket the other day I'm looking for something to get for lunch and I see a nice pizza on the shelf for £3.50 then just as I'm about to put it in my basket I see that it's one of those buy one get one free offers but here's the fallacy. I only want one. I will not have time or the inclination to eat both before the second one goes off, it will just sit in the fridge while I'm away on an excursion.

So why do supermarkets do this? If they want to shift stock why not make it half price instead of 2 for 1? It makes absolutely no sense and all it does is piss people off who are on a tight budget because they cannot benefit from the deal and they actually sell less of that item.

You might well say seeing as you were going to buy one anyway why not just get two and be done with it, you haven't lost out? The point is that you are being given the shaft so you don't bother buying any at all. People who actually want two will be getting a deal while you are definitely not.

I'm also making a poll on this to see what you would do.

They want to get rid of it and obviously making you buy two rather than halve the price is gonna accomplish that since few people are gonna moan about getting one for free when they planned on buying said item at full price.

[Deleted]

If I need only one, I always take only one. It's as simple as that.

[OzoAndIndi]

Well if the price of one is still the same then you aren't really getting screwed on it or anything. They're probably just trying to lighten inventory. You're not forced to take two. Although many people would and put the second in the freezer for another time.

Honestly I didn't know anyone complained about those offers. As a kid local stores where I am often had buy one get one, but it's very rare to see it here now. Now it's usually buy two (or even three) and get one free. Or buy one (or two) and a second (or third) is 25 or 50% off... or they try to be tricky and tell you they are 1/2 off IF you buy two.. which is the same as buy one get one, but forced.

Really you're lucky, I miss REAL buy one get one offers.

[Blueobelisk]

Buy one get one free is the same as "half price but you must buy two."

I mean. Is it really that hard? "Do you want this free pizza?" "No I don't want this free pizza that I'm actually paying for."

And lol as mentioned it's not a fallacy.....LOLed hard at the article the guy told you to read.

[Vvulf]

If you were going to buy it before you saw the sale, what difference does it make?
Just take one.
Or take two.
You can drop the 2nd in the trash can next to the manager's door if it makes you feel better.
As others have said, it's a way to move stock off the shelves.

Side note: Maybe I'm just fortunate, but believe it or not, here in North Carolina (USA) both the grocery chains that I frequent (Lowes Foods and Harris Teeter) don't "enforce" the advertised deals. For example if something is advertised 2 for 1, or 3 for 1, or whatever the promotion is, it's actually 1/2 off at the register. So, when I only want 1, I only buy 1, and it's 50% off (or 66% etc). I'm not sure if it's a state law, or just customer friendly management style.

[Deleted]

Seriously bro, use a freezer. You can keep stuff for up to 3 months in them.

Also, I don't think the supermarket makes deals for people who only want one pizza because they are going away for a while. 99% of other people buying that pizza either A) were going to anyway or B) were going to buy something similar but opted to buy that brand as it was on deal.

[Twoddle]

You're can't eat two pizzas before they go bad?

Not on this occasion, I was going away.

Ummm, why not just buy one then? It's not like you are paying extra for a second one.

This is covered in the 3rd paragraph.

Sales are rarely personalized for the specific customer...they just want to move product.

I don't know why you'd get pissed off at the prospect of free stuff. If you were going to buy one in the first place, you could obviously afford it.

It's not really free they are just telling you it is by making it 2 for 1, I am far more likely to buy 2 for half price each than 2 for the price of one because you are not being forced get 2 you can buy 1 and have the free will to get 2 if you want to.

Can you not freeze one of them?

My freezer isn't big enough.

[Deleted]

Tesco has been proven time and time ago that they put prices up the day that items go on buy one get one free. It's a perfectly legal strategy that's frustrating for buyers because now you have to buy two, and technically if you wanted two, you are saving money, but if you only wanted one - you're actually paying more than the day before whilst being told you're getting a great deal.

So all the people saying the second one is free; in supermarkets in the UK (I don't know about the rest of the world), technically it's not free, because the price has been raised just for this promotion, making the price you pay for 2, more than the price you would usually pay for one - with no option to go back to the original price for one until the promotion is over.

No offense, but your country is damn messed up if they allow this.... That's just asking stores to trick the buyers, and what kind of message is that to send through legislation? I know for a fact that raising prices one day to say it's a sale the next is illegal by law in Denmark, and the 'Competition Authority' has won lawsuits regarding this happening as well... I would personally never shop in a store I knew to have ever done that, but that's another discussion entirely

As many have said, I would buy the 2, obviously, as I can understand a company wanting to do what's in their best interest. They are not there to cater to the poor, they are there to make money, plain and simple.