Today’s complain is about evil marketing tricks or schemes that today’s the consumer are subjected to. Some of them are in disguise as convenience over alternative but most of them is through using the old school marketing tricks.

Let’s do the list of available tricks that is available today.

1. Discount via cards – (Store Value Cards, Credit Cards, Membership Cards & etc.)

   Note: Discount cards may or may not give you discount(s) at all since the discounts are foot by the initial high cost of joining the membership.

   Kopitiam food court Cards need to pay $20 upfront to register a basic card and thereafter you can “upgrade” in order to get the 10% discount at their food courts.

   Credit Cards discount does have it’s limitation that promotes more spending future money (on credit) and earn via earning interest from the consumer.

2. Free Gifts – usually comes with cheap-o “made in China” gifts to entice customers to buy a over-priced products that the customer does not need immediately.

   It also comes it the form of free vouchers that comes with conditions written in very fine text fonts which force you to buy something before able to redeem for the discount or free stuff.

3. Tax Free (For Singapore is No GST) – Usually the price of the products are priced slightly above the market price hence given the illusion of getting a cheaper deal but in fact you may be buying at a much higher price then normal!
4. Lucky Draw – Extremely effective for those aunties or gamblers but very dangerous as some require you to fill in your contact details that include your full name, mobile phone number, home number, mailing address and Identification number that they can sell to data-miner that in turn sells to other businesses to call you and peddle their products like credit cards, insurance, Chinese speaking female scams and many more!!
5. Sale Events (Especially Closing Down Sale) – The technique is selective discounts on objects that are of lower demand, unpopular clothes sizes (Super big or Ultra small) and some of the popular products remains same price or higher.

   There are also chance of up-selling you more accessories for your cheap electronic sale item. A extra bluetooth ear phones, extra game, illegal modification and more.

6. Free Gift for contract plans – I ever get a free macbook for signing up a 3 year contract for internet connection with a local telco-company and paid up to $100 per month ($90 +$10 Wireless@SG Plus)

   Only to find out the free gift is lower quality first generation macbook and the same contract plan is currently just $60+/month without the gift. Other attractive gifts like Large Screen TV, MP3 Players, Computer desktop to laptops, free months in the contracts and even tickets to see world cups.

   You are paying it in the monthly subscription for the “free gift” hence it’s not actually FREE!!

   Remember, if it’s too good to be true…usually there is a catch somewhere in the deal.

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