Old Navy >> Bait-and-Switch
An open letter to Old Navy, or GAP Inc. Brands:
Today, March 22, 2014, I received an email from you that stated you would have "Kids and baby steals" priced at "$4, $3, and even $2." (oh and it was only for today)
That was a lie.
Being a new mom of a three month old baby we go through a lot of clothes and they are not cheap. So, of course, when I saw the email containing the advertisement below, we rushed to our nearest Old Navy. (Which, by the way we used the store locator attached to the ad to make sure our store would be participating in the sale!)
When we arrived at your store in the Firewheel Town Center in Garland TX, the lowest priced child or baby item was $5. After looking around for a while, I asked a store associate for assistance. She had no idea so she sent me her manager. The manager requested to see the ad so we pulled it up on my phone. She stood there looking at it dumbfounded obviously unaware of the sale her store was promoting. She walked around the baby section to make sure there wasn't a sale sign that matched. She then decided to go get her price gun and scan random items in the baby section to see if the items rang up lower because, "sometimes our stuff is just really badly marked."
With no luck, she told us sorry and that it might be because her Old Navy is smaller than some and that we should have made sure that store was participating in the sale.
Seriously Old Navy? You know what thats called? Bait-and-Switch Advertising and it is not okay! According to investopedia.com Bait-and-Switch is "a dishonest marketing tactic in which a marketer advertises a very attractive price/rate/term that is really a teaser rate meant to attract customers. Once the customer comes into the store/office to inquire about the advertised price/rate (the "bait"), the advertiser will attempt to sell the customer a more expensive product (the "switch")."
I have shopped at your store for years; so I'm not really fond of being TRICKED into going to your store. That trip was a waste of my time and money.
When I gave you my email years ago, it was because it was because I trusted it would be used for good not evil. I know this may not seem like a big deal to a giant corporate chain such as yourself, but I believe that it if your customers stop being able to trust you, you will lose your value and eventually cease to exist.
Signed,
A Very Unhappy Customer
Today, March 22, 2014, I received an email from you that stated you would have "Kids and baby steals" priced at "$4, $3, and even $2." (oh and it was only for today)
That was a lie.
Being a new mom of a three month old baby we go through a lot of clothes and they are not cheap. So, of course, when I saw the email containing the advertisement below, we rushed to our nearest Old Navy. (Which, by the way we used the store locator attached to the ad to make sure our store would be participating in the sale!)
When we arrived at your store in the Firewheel Town Center in Garland TX, the lowest priced child or baby item was $5. After looking around for a while, I asked a store associate for assistance. She had no idea so she sent me her manager. The manager requested to see the ad so we pulled it up on my phone. She stood there looking at it dumbfounded obviously unaware of the sale her store was promoting. She walked around the baby section to make sure there wasn't a sale sign that matched. She then decided to go get her price gun and scan random items in the baby section to see if the items rang up lower because, "sometimes our stuff is just really badly marked."
With no luck, she told us sorry and that it might be because her Old Navy is smaller than some and that we should have made sure that store was participating in the sale.
Seriously Old Navy? You know what thats called? Bait-and-Switch Advertising and it is not okay! According to investopedia.com Bait-and-Switch is "a dishonest marketing tactic in which a marketer advertises a very attractive price/rate/term that is really a teaser rate meant to attract customers. Once the customer comes into the store/office to inquire about the advertised price/rate (the "bait"), the advertiser will attempt to sell the customer a more expensive product (the "switch")."
I have shopped at your store for years; so I'm not really fond of being TRICKED into going to your store. That trip was a waste of my time and money.
When I gave you my email years ago, it was because it was because I trusted it would be used for good not evil. I know this may not seem like a big deal to a giant corporate chain such as yourself, but I believe that it if your customers stop being able to trust you, you will lose your value and eventually cease to exist.
Signed,
A Very Unhappy Customer
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