On Apr 12, 10:45 am, Sheldon > wrote:
> maxine in ri wrote:
> > On Apr 11, 6:36 pm, "jmcquown" > wrote:
>
> > > James Silverton wrote:
> > > > Hello, All!
>
> > > > Today, I was in a supermarket that claims to be a discount one
> > > > (in fact its prices *are* usually lower.) I saw some large navel
> > > > oranges marked "10 for....." That looked interesting until I saw
> > > > it was "10 for $10" or a dollar each. Don't people do the simple
> > > > arithmetic. They also sometimes price melons per pound that
> > > > makes them look cheap until you weigh one and find it will cost
> > > > $5!
>
> > > > James Silverton
> > > > Potomac, Maryland
>
> > > Happens all the time. �I don't generally need or want 10 of (or 5 of)
> > > whatever they're trying to rope the consumer into buying. �Fact is they're
> > > counting on people not calculating the unit price. �I don't buy into 2-fer
> > > deals unless the per-unit price is significantly less with the 2-fer deal
> > > *and* it's something on my list or at least something I know I'll use.
>
> > > I've noticed scales seem to be disappearing from a lot of produce
> > > departments. �They don't want people to figure out it isn't a "deal" until
> > > it's rung up at the checkout. �Most people are too timid to say take that
> > > off, I'm not paying $5 for a cantaloupe!
>
> > > Jill
>
> > The reason scales are disappearing is more likely related to their
> > grossly inaccurate rendering of the approximate weight that they
> > display. �I'm rude when it comes to that, taking my produce purchase
> > over to the deli and reaching over to weigh them on their scales for a
> > more accurate reading.
>
> > That was, btw the way I found out that the scales at the registers
> > were not accurate. �Made the people in line behind me angry, but I
> > raised a ruckus, insisted the manager do the same math I had, and got
> > that register closed down until the weights and measures people had
> > come in to retest that scale.
>
> > My one moment of glory.<G>
>
> That's very rare... those electronic scales at the register cost many
> thousands of dollars each and are extremely accurate and sensitive...
> and also have built-in warning devices that disable a scale if there's
> any malfunction (it will even flash the particular malfunction, like
> if there's too much liquid on the scale, or some item falls
> underneath). And the weights and measures inspectors come around to
> test and recalibrate if needed very often, with many stores on a daily
> basis. No store is going to purposely mess with those scales... there
> are very stiff fines and serious prison time. In fact most stores buy
> a service contract from the scale manufacturer which includes an
> insurance portion protecting from error liability, so the manufactures
> come around very often to check their products too.

Well, it was only once in many years of shopping. The inspectors in
our area tend to come on a yearly basis. I will check the seals on
the scales (if they are there) next time, just to be sure. There was
a hullabaloo a few years ago when it was found that one of the
inspectors was sleeping in his car or hanging out in bars during his
shift, but that's the sort of thing that hopefully doesn't occur too
often.

> Now the spring scales at the produce section are not intended for
> precise weight, normal brained folks don't care if the grapes they
> weigh are off a half ounce... those are guestimate scales, those
> grapes will still get weighed at the register... and better than 50
> pct of shoppers will have eaten a goodly amount before ever getting to
> the register.

If they're off by half an ounce, I'd be fine with them. The ones in
most of the local stores, and the chains, tend to be off by a good
deal more than that!

Now that some stores are coming up with those "scan as you shop"
devices, there is a decent scale in the produce section, that spits
out a label for your produce when you weigh it.

maxine in ri