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12 FOR ACTION...
IT USED TO BE-- ONLY
HOTELS AND AIRLINES
CHANGED THEIR PRICES
SEVERAL TIMES A DAY.
BUT WE FOUND ONLINE
RETAILERS DO IT TOO!
(J-MO)
TONIGHT PROBLEM
SOLVER SUSAN HOGAN
SHOWS YOU HOW TO GET
THE BEST DEAL IN THIS
CONSTANT PRICE
CHANGING WAR.
(SH)
WE FOUND RETAILERS
WHO SELL COMMON
HOUSEHOLD ITEMS ARE
MAKING ADJUSTMENTS
THROUGHOUT THE DAY,
ESPECIALLY FOR
APPLIANCES AND
ELECTRONICS. STORES
COMPETING FOR YOUR
BUSINESS ARE DUKING IT
OUT ONLINE.
WHILE SHOPPING ONLINE
RECENTLY, AMY SHOAFF
NOTICED PRICES FOR THE
SAME ITEM, ON THE SAME
WEBSITE CHANGED
SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT
THE DAY
"General everyday items
fluctuating
anywhere from 40 to 300 dollars.
SOME RETAILERS ARE
CHANGING THEIR ONLINE
PRICES HOUR BY HOUR, AND
SOMETIMES EVEN MINUTE BY
MINUTE! THE GOAL IS TO HAVE
A PRODUCT PRICED SO IT POPS
UP AS THE LOWEST PRICED
ITEM IN SHOPPING SEARCH
ENGINES,
"It's more a battle of getting
the right
screen position as opposed to
trying
to sell it as quickly as
possible.
WE WORKED WITH
DECIDE.COM TO MONITOR
PRICES OF SEVERAL ITEMS ON
A WELL KNOWN SHOPPING
WEBSITE. FIRST-AN IPAD. AT
MIDNIGHT THE IPAD WAS $511.
AT 6AM IT WAS $503. BY 7AM
THE PRICE SUNK TO $475,
WHERE IT REMAINED UNTIL
2:30PM AND THEN JUMPED TO
$510. AT 10PM THE IPAD
INCREASED TO A HIGH OF $529.
THAT'S A TOTAL OF A $54 PRICE
DIFFERENCE -ON THE SAME
SITE-ALL IN ONE 24-HOUR
PERIOD.
"The suppliers are constantly
monitoring each other
SOME RETAILERS HIRE
SOFTWARE COMPANIES, SUCH
AS MERCENT, TO MONITOR THE
PRICES OF ITS PRODUCTS AND
MAKE CHANGES BASED ON ITS
COMPETITORS.
"Because consumers now are
researching their offline and
online
purchases in advance more than
50% of the time."
(SH)
THERE ARE WEBSITES
WHICH WILL MONITOR
PRICES FOR ITEMS YOU
WANT AND ALERT YOU
WHEN THE PRICE DROPS,
OR REACHES AN AMOUNT
YOU'D BE WILLING TO PAY.
IF YOU ADD AN ITEM TO
YOUR AMAZON SHOPPING
CART AND LEAVE IT THERE
AMAZON WILL NOTIFY YOU
OF PRICE CHANGES.
IF YOU HAVE A CONSUMER
PROBLEM YOU NEED HELP
SOLVING - CONTACT OUR
CALL 12 FOR ACTION
CENTER MONDAY THRU
THURSDAY FROM 11 UNTIL
1 - OUR HOTLINE IS 228-
1850.
OR IF YOU'RE INTERESTED
IN BECOMING A CALL 12
FOR ACTION VOLUNTEER...
YOU CAN CALL THAT SAME
NUMBER ON YOUR
SCREEN.
I'M PROBLEM SOLVER
SUSAN HOGAN -
EYEWITNESS NEWS.
(MM)