How did you work that one out?

[sdg31000]

I work as a manager in a UK charity shop. In our chain of shops all the goods are donated to us by the public and we just sell them.
Goods are priced and given a week number to show us when they have been placed in the shop. If they are still in the shop after 4 weeks the price on them is halved for the next week. We have one rail for half priced women's clothing with an A4 sized sign above it stating they are half price.
I've had customers assume that all the goods around this rail must be half price as well, most of them understand when the pricing system is explained to them and are ok with it. Others get a little belligerent, but generally back down when I say that my head office sets the pricing policy and that I can't change it.
On Saturday I had two customers ask me if they could look at some jewellery that is kept in a locked cabinet on the other side of the shop from the sign. I opened it, they asked the price, I told them and was then hit with this doozy. They asked why it was the full priced and not half price. I gave my standard explanation and then had to argue with them that one tiny sign over one rail did not mean that everything in the shop was half price and that is wasn't false advertising for us to charge full price for the goods in the rest of the shop. Of course they refused to pay full price, told me that our prices were too high and left.
I went and made a cup of tea for my volunteers and tried to work out what brand of logic some people operate under.

[Kit-Ginevra]

That's weird...we had exactly the same thing happen at our charity shop on Saturday... You're not my manager are you?!

[sdg31000]

Hi Kit-Ginerva, if you are based in Leicester in a shop that is opposite a fountain and either a 16 year old boy, a 14 year old girl or a middle aged man on work placement, then I could be.
I think it's more likely that customers are the same the world over.

[RealUnimportant]

"My friend saw a sign saying half off. Not in here, in some other shop. No, they're not here, they texted me about it. What do you mean it doesn't apply here?"

[EricKei]

I always love how people will whine about prices in charity shops. x.x The only shop I've ever seen with prices that I would consider "high" is a local one where about 1/3 of their floor space is taken up by NEW, non-donated items (mostly furniture) that they paid wholesale prices for, and charge retail or better for --- much of their net profit comes from these. Their actual donated goods are just as cheap as other such shops in the area.

[notalwaysright]

Ah, the classic "there was a sign somewhere in this store so you have to give me that price!" I'm always amused by how many people walk into our store and are so confused by... everything. Especially pricing. I have some form of the following conversation all the time:

"These are different prices because they are different fabrics. Yes, some fabrics are different. Yes, they are still different even though they are somewhat near each other. We don't have room to keep them farther apart. We do use these nifty things called signs above the product. Additionally, the prices are on stickers on the bolts, and we have three price checkers throughout the store."

Granted things get shoved where they don't go, but I refuse to believe this is the only store in the world where product is in the wrong place.

[Nunavut Pants]

My friend saw a sign saying half off. Not in here, in some other shop...

Oh, I love this!!!

[Argabarga]

Signs are my friends, and everyone else's mortal enemy, based on 6 years of working with them...

[MoonCat]

Oh for gods sake! It's a charity shop! These are the people I'd like to tell, "If these prices are too much for you, there is a service run by the church where you can get things for free."

Except they'd probably love that

[Sparklyturtle]

Our local Goodwills and Salvation Army stores (charity shops) have colored tags. While I've never seen or heard anyone fussing due to not getting a discount because they're color blind (probably just a matter of time) it's normally pretty obvious what the color of the day is. I've gotten some very good deals on Turtleguy's work clothes at the local charity shops when the color of the day happens to land on something he needs, like a $2 U.S. knit Henley shirt and a pair of jeans for $4 U.S.

[notalwaysright]

Our local Goodwills and Salvation Army stores (charity shops) have colored tags. While I've never seen or heard anyone fussing due to not getting a discount because they're color blind (probably just a matter of time)

I just glanced at something I got at Goodwill which I haven't taken the tag off, and it actually says "PINK" on it. I've also gotten some really good deals with tag sales. The best are when the sale is like "All green tags are $1.79." I've also had one when it was a manager's special, and all women's tank tops were $1.99. Got a couple name brand tanks, like Liz Claiborne.