Target’s price match offer is back, and while the retailer has expanded the policy, the question still remains: is this deal worth it for consumers?
Well, like everything else in life, the answer lies in the details, and in this case I would have to say this deal is no deal.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some advantages to the policy, I just think there is more good than bad with this offer.View Post
Let me explain..
Target’s price match policy lets you match the price on any item within 14 days of purchase, using 29 retailers, including Best buy, Macy’s, Staples and Costco.
This is great because it gives you a lot of options and is a big improvement over last year, where shoppers could only price match with 5 stores: Amazon.com, Walmart.com, BestBuy.com, ToysRUs.com and BabiesRUs.com.
Another great feature Target added this year is the ability to price match online at Target.com.
Last year shoppers could only match at Target.com using Target’s own in-store prices.
Now, they can use any of the 29 participating retailers, expanding their chance to save.
Yes, this sounds great, and it is, except there are some issues that make this policy more of a headache than it’s worth.
The main problem is that price matching is tedious work, and most of the time it yields little to no savings.
Whatever item you want to price match, you have to take the time and search other sites to find a better deal.
That would be bad enough, but what makes it worse is that it has to be an EXACT match.
Sounds simple, but it’s not.
For example, Target has the Despicable Me 2 Minion Stuart with Fart Dart Launcher for $14.99.
Amazon and Walmart also have this toy, except they have the deluxe model, so you can’t compare it.
Seems like a little thing, but it happens quite often, which can make a simple search take forever.
This is just one of several items I had a hard time matching (I looked in toys, electronics and clothing).
Every word/detail must match to compare prices and that can be beyond frustrating.
Often times, stores like Target, Best Buy and Walmart have exclusive offers or content on games, movies and toys, rendering the price match policy useless.
Plus, most stores have specific brands, especially when it comes to clothes, which once again eliminates the ability to price match.
In addition, Target is one of the most reasonably priced stores, so even when you do find an item to match, the savings are usually low.
This is especially true during the holidays, as everyone’s prices usually hover around the same price- especially the most popular items.
As for non-holiday times, if you compare online, Amazon is almost always higher-priced, particularly for toys and videos.
For instance, they have the Apple iPad Air 2 (8GB) for $357, while Target has it for $319.
Walmart is usually cheaper, but not by much, and in my experience they are a bit unreliable in their delivery and customer service – a sentiment echoed in complaint forums.
I’m not knocking the price match offer – it can save you money if you make the effort.
I just don’t think it saves you enough to be worth that effort, my time and energy is limited thanks to 2 crazy little boys (3 if you count my husband).
What do you think of Target’s price match offer?
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