I Knew I Was Getting Ripped Off But Bought Anyways, OUCH!

December 3, 2007 · Filed Under , · 9 Comments 

Duracell 9 VoltsLast night my wife and I packed up our three kids and went to a Christmas event that included old Saint Nick and gingerbread houses that the kids could decorate. It was a lot of fun and we were asked to bring a toy for our local ‘Toys For Tots’ program. So before the event, we went to the toy store and let our 2 oldest kids pick out a toy for a child less fortunate. Good stuff. My 6 year old son picked out a pair of walkie talkies and my 3 year old daughter picked out a book and a toy drum. So we all get back in the car and are heading to the event when my wife remembers that we should pick up some batteries for the walkie talkies. We are really pressed on time so I pull into a gas station (I need gas anyways), and while I am filling up my tank, I run into the gas station to buy two 9 volt batteries. It cost me $10.70 for two 9 volt batteries!! I almost said “forget it” when the guy was ringing me up, but I knew we did not have time to find another store and since it was for a good cause I just slapped down my cash and got out of there with my tail between my legs.

The funny thing is that the 2 batteries costs about the same as the walkie talkies. My wife and I then considered that maybe this was not such a great gift to give a child whose parents probably can’t afford to buy batteries in the first place. Even though it was for a good cause, I still had this terrible taste in my mouth that I had just been totally ripped off. I hate that feeling! This is why I know I will never be able to shop in the department stores that have the high mark-ups and that aire of superiority. If I know I am not getting the best value for my money I feel like an idiot. This is why I like shopping at stores like Ross or Marshalls. Same quality brands, just a lot cheaper. After all, a Duracell battery is the same whether you pay $5.35 or $3 for it! Not sure if this makes me cheap or just ‘price sensitive’? OK, I just totally made that term up, but it sounds a lot better than cheap!


Great Idea Jenny! Shirt costs $29.99, any buyers?

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Comments

9 Responses to “I Knew I Was Getting Ripped Off But Bought Anyways, OUCH!”

  1. paidtwice on December 3rd, 2007 1:56 pm

    Price sensitive – I love it! :)

  2. Jenny on December 3rd, 2007 2:36 pm

    Price sensitive works me. You could put it on a shirt, “I’m not cheap, I’m price sensitive.” But, then your audience probably wouldn’t buy it. 9 volts are really pricey- but, yeah, you got ripped off.
    At least it was for a good cause. ; )

  3. Jennifer on December 3rd, 2007 2:54 pm

    Ha ha ha, price sensitive!

    So Duracell is Duracell… But I would love to know whether name brand batteries are really worth the extra money-any thoughts on that?

  4. Kyle on December 3rd, 2007 3:01 pm

    @ Jenny, great idea on the shirt, I have added my prototype to the post!

    @ Jennifer, That is a good question. Anybody out there in the blogosphere ever run their own tests on this one?

  5. Mrs. Micah on December 3rd, 2007 4:16 pm

    Ha! I love it! My mom raised me to be price-sensitive…sometimes it’s a pain but I’m sure it saves me money. :)

  6. Silverstar on December 5th, 2007 11:24 am

    $10 for batteries? That’s insane! Its criminal how much some places charge for things.

  7. Kimberly on December 7th, 2007 3:09 pm

    As a reply to the comment above about Duracell (or any name brand) compared to generic..

    I must admit, I go through batteries like crazy, (you would think I would just invest in rechargeable batteries :) ) … I buy generic, but awhile back some Duracell’s were given to me. I have to tell, you they lasted twice as long as my generic ones. So I think the cost is definitely worth it! I did however, buy generic batteries just the other day that were $1 anyway… I am most definitely price sensitive! :)

  8. Nivek on December 7th, 2007 6:24 pm

    I think it’s great you invovle your kids in choosinf toys for donating to Toys-For-Tots. Not only is it a great way to teach kids about charity it’s also a chance for them to make a purchase decison under controlled conditions. My 7 year-old takes shopping for the Toys-For-Tots donations very seriously.

  9. Kyle on December 8th, 2007 8:21 am

    @ Kimberly, good to know. I kinda suspected that to be the case because when my kids get a new toy and it has a generic battery already in, it does not last very long.

    @ Nivek, totally agree with you. My kids get a lot out of the process, the money aspect is something that you can’t start early enough, plus the idea of giving to someone less fortunate than yourself is a great ethic to instill in kids. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment!

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