What an offer!
This morning, I received this offer of €10 for simply purchasing something electronic from French supermarket chain Carrefour’s online shop. This is perfect timing, since I spent some time yesterday researching the price of a dictaphone I need to buy. Bargain, right? Not really, and here’s why.
I found the dictaphone on Amazon for €50.84. At Carrefour’s online shop it was €52. Okay, so the discount would drop to €8.84 – still better than nothing, right? Not really, and here’s why.
Amazon in France offer free delivery. Carrefour charge €7.99 for delivery in 2-4 days, or more if I want it sooner. Presuming I can wait a few days (more like a week with French postal services to here), the difference is now down to 85c . Bargain, right? Not really. Apart from obviously not being a bargain, here’s another reason why.
My spare 85c would have to be spent at Carrefour in the next few months. So any savings I make, I have to give back to Carrefour. Not a bargain at all, right? Right. And here’s another reason why.
I’d have to spend a minimum of €100 to even get my 85c voucher to spend in Carrefour in a limited time. So, if I spend a further €48, I’d get my 85c voucher, but if I take that 85c off, I’ve only have to spend a further €47.15 for the privilege of shopping online at Carrefour.
Bargain.
I'm a technical author, journalist and writer from Australia who has been living in Europe since 2000 and exploring the world from there. My passions are writing, snow sports and travel.
I don’t know how Amazon do it, but they always win in every price comparison even when there are seemingly good offers to be had!
Good job you checked it out. Too many people are taken in by such offers which, when you look at them closely, aren’t really offers at all.
Plus, Amazon are good for returning items if there are problems, or if they don’t arrive at all. French shops aren’t quite so easy to negotiate with.
Yes, Amazon do seem to be cheapest every time – and usually items turn up which is always a gamble here in France. 😀
Like I always say: refuuuuund!
Nice blog. 🙂
Good grief! You need a degree in maths to sort that out!
I laughed so hard that I was crying when I read this post. I am so glad that crazy stuff like this is not just in my head! I had to read this out loud to my husband who is convinced that this dumb stuff only happens in France. I love how you took the time to analyze it when I would have taken one look at it and thrown it in the trash :). Man, you should get an award for all the hard work it took to figure out the no bueno bargin! Cheers to you!
Tonton, thanks!
Dormouse, Crazy, isn’t it. The good deals are never so good here it seems!
Ashley, you’ve spurred me on to find more dodgy offers!