SmartPak's bad math: "25% off" isn't! Minor update, p. 5

[mvp]

Here’s the issue:

I’m a USEF member and therefore am given 5% off purchases. Then, when Smartpak has its 20% sales, those are advertised to me as “Get 25% off!”

But that’s not how they calculate the reduction. Rather (and if I understand it, lol), I get 20% off the retail price first, like the rest of you guys. Then I get an additional 5% off of that reduced price. Get it? That’s not 25% off of the original price. It’s a tad less than 25% off.

My point: How are they allowed to advertise this way?

[SuckerForHorses]

What did they say when you asked them? I’m curious

That is annoying, it should just be 25% off the retail price for you (and me, I get 5% off for my AQHA membership)

[HorseAlter123]

Because you are the only one doing the math. lol.

It doesn’t amount to much even for a $100 purchase and isn’t really all that much for a $1000 purchase either.

As a matter of principle though, they should be clear about this because if a lot of people are using the 5% USEF discount, then it adds up to a lot of extra money for Smartpak. I hope this is just an oversight and not something they are doing on purpose and hoping that no one notices.

[mvp]

[QUOTE=SuckerForHorses;8014292]
What did they say when you asked them? I’m curious

That is annoying, it should just be 25% off the retail price for you (and me, I get 5% off for my AQHA membership)[/QUOTE]

I haven’t asked them. And I will if I can figure out the right person to bring this to.

As I say, I think they are doing a bit of false advertising. This has been going on for awhile. I can’t believe someone, somewhere in the organization hasn’t fixed it.

[SillyHorse]

SmartPak is doing it exactly right. The price to you and everyone else is 20% off. As a USEF member, you get 5% off that price. I can see where you and others might think otherwise, but you are still getting an extra 5% off.

[mvp]

[QUOTE=SillyHorse;8014386]
SmartPak is doing it exactly right. The price to you and everyone else is 20% off. As a USEF member, you get 5% off that price. I can see where you and others might think otherwise, but you are still getting an extra 5% off.[/QUOTE]

I don’t think so.

I’m not getting that additional 5% off of the 100% price.

I’m getting 5% off of the 80% price.

Those aren’t the same number; the second one is smaller. And if they kept giving %5 off of 5% off, that discount would become incrementally smaller in each iteration.

[trubandloki]

[QUOTE=mvp;8014384]
I haven’t asked them. And I will if I can figure out the right person to bring this to.[/QUOTE]
Send them an email and let them make sure it gets to the right person in the food chain.

[SuckerForHorses]

[QUOTE=mvp;8014441]
I don’t think so.

I’m not getting that additional 5% off of the 100% price.

I’m getting 5% off of the 80% price.

Those aren’t the same number; the second one is smaller. And if they kept giving %5 off of 5% off, that discount would become incrementally smaller in each iteration.[/QUOTE]

Yep, and I think the reason mvp is saying ‘false advertising’ is when you log in to your account, the banner you get says “25% off!” because it recognizes you and knows that you already have that 5% discount for AQHA/USEF/whathaveyou memberships.

[roamingnome]

[QUOTE=mvp;8014441]
I don’t think so.

I’m not getting that additional 5% off of the 100% price.

I’m getting 5% off of the 80% price.

Those aren’t the same number; the second one is smaller. And if they kept giving %5 off of 5% off, that discount would become incrementally smaller in each iteration.[/QUOTE]

I wouldn’t mind it if they didn’t advertise it as 25% off, but they do. I love Smartpak, but now it makes sense as to why my calculations on price are always lower than what I pay at checkout.

[SuckerForHorses]

[QUOTE=SillyHorse;8014386]
SmartPak is doing it exactly right. The price to you and everyone else is 20% off. As a USEF member, you get 5% off that price. I can see where you and others might think otherwise, but you are still getting an extra 5% off.[/QUOTE]

It’s not the same in terms of math.

If an item is $100, the way SmartPak is allowing the discounts would be:

20% off $100 = $80.00
5% off $80.00 = $76.00 is what you pay

If an item is $100, and you get 25% off that item:
25% off $100 = $75.00 is what you pay

[IronwoodFarm]

In all due respect, I think SmartPak is doing what most retailers do. I was in Stein Mart the other day and bought some clothes off the sales rack (30 - 50% off). I got one of those scratch off coupons and it was for another 50% off. That was 50% off the sale rack price, not 50% the pre-mark down price. Did I complain? Heck no! I saved a ton of money.

So while it is correct about SmartPak, the actual discount is 24% or $1 per $100 spent that they don’t give you. I wouldn’t sweat it.

[horsepoor]

I get what you are saying, mvp, and agree that their math is wrong if that is how they do things (take the 20% off first, then take another 5% off that remaining amount). Works out to actually being 24%. For those that don’t “get it,” say you buy a $100 item. Take 20% off, that makes it $80. Take another 5% off that for USEF, so that knocks $4 off ($80 x 0.05 = $4). So you pay $76 for the item that was $100 originally, or exactly 24% off.

Report back what SP says, if you do talk to them. I’ve noticed this in the past but never bothered to gripe as I’m not a USEF member so don’t qualify for the additional anyway.

I see several of us were doing the math at the same time.:lol: And while 1% if not much to dicker over, true, the whole idea of being “close enough” bothers a former math major like me. And being deceptive, or just dumb, is wrong.

[SillyHorse]

[QUOTE=SuckerForHorses;8014451]
Yep, and I think the reason mvp is saying ‘false advertising’ is when you log in to your account, the banner you get says “25% off!” because it recognizes you and knows that you already have that 5% discount for AQHA/USEF/whathaveyou memberships.[/QUOTE]
If they are telling you that you get 25% off and then taking 5% off the sale price (20% off), I agree that they are doin it wrong.

[roamingnome]

[QUOTE=SillyHorse;8014469]
If they are telling you that you get 25% off and then taking 5% off the sale price (20% off), I agree that they are doin it wrong.[/QUOTE]

Yes, the banner on the website says ‘25% off’ :no:

[ybiaw]

I was ready to come here and defend SP, but yes, the website banner is incorrect. It should say 20% PLUS 5% off, not 25% off, because they’re two separate discounts and have to be calculated as such.

I mean, its splitting hairs, really. But I can see that it would be annoying.

[HorseAlter123]

It really only makes a difference to SmartPak if there are hundreds or thousands of people signing up for the USEF discount and using it for purchases of $100 or more on sale items

[roamingnome]

I was curious. I just got off a chat with SP.

They did not understand the math, and kept firm that it was the same- even when I pointed out that it was in fact, not. I even emptied my cart to the 1 item that the agent was focusing on. She still stood firm it was the same price even though 75% off the Piper is under $60, but I was being told to check out for over $60.

She said that she will pass on my feedback, and I can get the additional 1% credited to me.
When I asked if the 1% would come off of the original price, the 5% discounted price or the 24% discount price, she said “all discounts come off the original price” - Which I really wanted to say “But I just spent the last 5 minutes proving to you that that is in fact NOT TRUE!” But I did not, not to worry.

Yes, I realize it is a small amount, but I’ve been shopping with Smartpak for a long time, so I can only imagine how much has ‘fallen through the cracks’ on this mathematical/advertising snafu.

[mvp]

Haha…SmartPak being like those super-snazzy-nano traders who are making slivers of pennies on trades arriving to this or that desk split second sooner because the computer centers are physically closer and electricity has a finite speed….

Yeah. Just like that. The slivers add up.

Look, I’m no math wiz. And this isn’t an Epic Rip-Off. But I’m just sick of reading false advertising and having people blow it off. Someone making money from this deal should be smarter than I am…. or not make the money… or not make the BS claim. Pick one.

I did ask a customer service rep about this (not hard) and she was confused.

[SuckerForHorses]

[QUOTE=roamingnome;8014588]
I was curious. I just got off a chat with SP.

They did not understand the math, and kept firm that it was the same- even when I pointed out that it was in fact, not. I even emptied my cart to the 1 item that the agent was focusing on. She still stood firm it was the same price even though 75% off the Piper is under $60, but I was being told to check out for over $60.

She said that she will pass on my feedback, and I can get the additional 1% credited to me.
When I asked if the 1% would come off of the original price, the 5% discounted price or the 24% discount price, she said “all discounts come off the original price” - Which I really wanted to say “But I just spent the last 5 minutes proving to you that that is in fact NOT TRUE!” But I did not, not to worry.

Yes, I realize it is a small amount, but I’ve been shopping with Smartpak for a long time, so I can only imagine how much has ‘fallen through the cracks’ on this mathematical/advertising snafu.[/QUOTE]

Yes, I called to order a blanket, and while I had them on the phone, I pointed out this issue. I got the same response as you, and the mention that she would pass my feedback along. Shrug.

[roamingnome]

[QUOTE=SuckerForHorses;8014611]
Yes, I called to order a blanket, and while I had them on the phone, I pointed out this issue. I got the same response as you, and the mention that she would pass my feedback along. Shrug.[/QUOTE]

I made sure to ask for a follow up response. I’m not sure if I’ll ever get one, but she said she made a note in my file…