Ever Been Duped By A Dollar Store?
March 9, 2009 by Tisa Silver
Filed under Finance
It is pretty understandable why retailers like the Dollar Store, Family Dollar (Ticker: FDO) and Dollar Tree (Ticker: DLTR) thrive during economic downturns. Everyone is looking for ways to save.
I love a good discount. Getting good stuff cheap always helps, but what about when the cheap stuff is no good?
Photo by Gaspa, courtesy of flickr
For example, when I was in college I went to a discount store and bought their version of Liquid Plumbr. When I got home, I was disappointed to find that my bottle was full of water.
I called the store and reported my findings, but I chose not to go back to the store for a refund of one dollar.
Unfortunately, I had no choice other than to go to a regular retailer and get the real Liquid Plumbr. I don’t remember how much it cost me, but let’s suppose it was four dollars.
The extra dollar spent on a bottle of water equates to an extra 20 percent!
My attempt to save money ended up costing me MORE. Not to mention the time and gas wasted on my trip to the first store.
I got duped. I guess there are certain things you shouldn’t skimp on. The attractive low price may lead to an ineffective product.
Am I the only one who got duped by the dollar store? I doubt it.
I have first-hand knowledge of the Liquid Plumbr and I’ve heard about the bad toothpaste. Share your dollar store horror stories and maybe you can help someone else save time and money!
Wow, sounds like you got burned. So was it actually water (did you drink it?) or was it a watered down solution. Either way it didn’t do what you needed it to do and you got burned for a buck which is never good.
That being said, I think you would be pleasently suprised if you visited what you refer to as a “dollar store” today. There has been a major emphasis on quality and chains like Dollar General and Family Dollar carry many national branded items which you can be as confident in as if you purchased the same brand at a larger retailer at a higher cost.
Try it now and let us know what you think.
If needed I can leave you contact info if you, if you would like to share all the money you are going to save.
Thanks for the comment Howie.
I actually poured the solution into the drain. Once I saw how clear and watery it was, I got suspicious. I decided to smell it and asked my roommate to do the same.
I have been to Dollar General and Dollar Tree several times since my Liquid Plumbr incident and for the most part I have been very pleased.
I think I’ll hold on to my savings and continue to share my stories! Thanks again!