[Edited] Does a Self-Respecting OzBargainer Ever Pay Full-Price for Anything?

Edit :I started this thread last night after being let down by someone who's body erm of work I admired. So the post did end up being quite ranty. It really wasn't meant to be about that person or his movie but about the fact that there is no one, other than an ozbargainer who :

  1. can commiserate when you've paid for something that was meh. Even the freebies on OZB are pretty awesome.

2 understand the kind of high expectations that you have when you pay RRP for something because that's the normal price for everyone else.

So my question is: have you ever paid rrp for something that you ended up disliking and if you did, who's shoulder do you go to cry on to? I found out yesterday that I don't know one single person, other than JJB, who would think twice about paying normal retail price o.o


When was the last time you paid full price for something …and it turned out to be shite?

I treated a girlfriend to the the special valentine's day package of 50 shades of grey today. It included 2 gold class tickets, champagne ( not enough to get tipsy),canapes and desert…and I paid full price for the experience. I find that I rarely pay full price for anything now that I'm an ozbargainer but I was hoping, against all hopes, that it was going to be worth it. I mean Jamie Dornan…naked and doing kinky stuff to another human being , that has to be worth $200, right? Wrong!

Jamie Dornan was so stiff and not in a good way. The only time he looked sexy, was when he wasn't talking. It breaks my heart to say this but Jamie should have remained an underwear model because he cannot act and he's got inexpressive, dead eyes :(

I've read the books but then I've also read The wife of Bath's and other tales from Chaucer, in their original , unabridged 16th century English ,and the blurb on the back of shampoo bottles…I love reading. I can read just about anything. I also have a pretty vivid imagination, which could be why I don't remember the books being so bad. I must have skipped the boring parts where they talk and stuff and gone straight to the erm tiltillating bits and used my vivid imagination…

Anyway, for anyone who hasn't seen the movie yet: don't! Use that money to buy eneloops or sirena tuna, which is currently half price at coles. Because unlike said tuna, this movie will leave a bad taste in your mouth :(

Poll Options

  • 77
    Unlike you , I'm a real ozbargainer. I've never paid RRP for anything.
  • 66
    I only pay rrp if I've read the reviews and know for sure that I'm going to love it.
  • 4
    I'm a sucker. I always pay RRP. what's the big deal?
  • 19
    I don't mind paying rrp if its a gift to someone.The pleasure of giving exceeds the frustration of letting the ozb community down.

Comments

  • +5

    Such sensationalist title. Don't mind me, I am here for the comments.

    • +2

      Don't mind me, I am here for the comments.

      I came here for teh se..

      nevermind.

      • +1

        Just before anybody reads this, I think I made it slightly too NSFW/gossipy. So if that is something you cannot tolerate, you've been warned.

        Anyways for that, you should probably go to Germany. One of the article that I've read, by this girl who travelled around the world pretty much saying what you are saying, was suggesting that German guys are like beast… (though I think she complemented Aussies as well, I cannot recall that well since it's been so long)

        Anyways, about the movie, my gf was telling me about the reviews and she thought it might have to do with the fact that erect peni (penises?) are no go-zone in cinema or something like that. (Of course, she was just guessing and she said she was not certain). I personally would assume that it might be because the storyline, by the sounds of it, is like a tween romance novel with sex and BDSM added to it. Maybe the sex and the BDSM made the book better, but by the sounds of it, it didn't for the movie it seems.

        On slightly different side of the story, it may have been because filming porn is hard for male actors. I've heard that one of the tests that male pornstars have to go through is staying erect while cameraman is walking towards him slowly with the camera filming it, until the camera comes to around 30cm away from penis. Apparently most people who audition fail on that test. Of course, like everything on the net, it might be a blatant lie. But assuming that is true, it would've been difficult to have the male actor to reanact the scenes from the book since he's not trained to do those.

        Also, sex can leave bad taste in your mouth too, just saying.

        • There's a buffer for a reason!

        • +3

          I've heard that one of the tests that male pornstars …

          @AZNMitch, you're so a pornstar in real life :b Anything that I might have seen?

        • +5

          @wicket1120: I wish I were, I wish I were. I blame my Asian heritage.

        • @AznMitch: lol

        • +2

          you should probably go to Germany.

          @AznMitch, wait wat? I'm AFC for 48 hrs and you've already suggested that my wife should elope with some hot German guy in tight leather pants?! and here I thought we were mates ;)

          til the camera comes to around 30cm away from penis

          hmm you would think they would have some kind of zoom function on their camera , wouldn't you?

        • +1

          @Jar Jar Binks: :P I was suggesting it to turnip, but… Sorry man… I at least said she complemented Australians as well?

          Anyways about the test, I've heard that they deliberately do it like that to see how the person performs under pressure. Of course they can use zoom function, but to put more pressure on the person who's being trialed, they use that method, at least from what I've read.

        • @kaneissik: hahahahaha, apparently from what I gather, most guys who go in the audition go limp on the test I've mentioned because of pressure.

        • +2

          @kaneissik: Not heard it called that before, I use the term fluffer.

        • @endotherm:
          Haha! That was the one I was looking for originally but I forgot what it was called.

        • @Jar Jar Binks: Your comment reminded me of this video. Don't worry, it's SFW.

        • +2

          @wicket1120:

          He's the guy with the blurry genitalia.

        • +4

          @Scrooge McDuck: I am offended by your lack of respect towards people who suffer from Genitalias Blurritis. Every year, thousands of people suffer from GB. Show your support for them! 8⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞҈

        • @AznMitch: >I was suggesting it to turnip, but… Sorry man… I at least said she complemented Australians as well?

          huh? That post was for me? lol I wasn't sure what you were talking about, sorry! You may have misinterpreted my post.. I was just being cheeky and responding to the original thread's title, and playing off your "I am here for the.." reply.

          My post was really quite meaningless lol.

          I live a sheltered life. I've not read the 50 Shades book (or books?), I don't know what it's actually about though I have gathered it's 'sexy', but really that's about all I know. Nothing about storyline or.. if there is one? :P Wasn't even aware a movie had come out. No intention to watch it. I'm boring :(

          I really did just come here to read the comments too though ;)

        • +1

          Re: the world of porn and porn stars.. just look up and watch the Louis Theroux docos on the topic. Brilliant stuff (all of Theroux's work is).

        • @AznMitch:

          Relax dude. It's a common anatomical variation which like 40 % of men have.

        • @waterlogged turnip: I am not into documentaries so I may sound stupid when I ask this question. Is Louis Theroux a porn star that you like or…?

          Also, I just brought German guys up because you said you came here for teh se… ;D

        • @AznMitch: Louis is a BBC documentary filmmaker :)

          I like German beer. But I don't think I've ever met a German guy. The closest I've come to it is the guys serving at the German beer cafes in Sydney, who look exactly like this, outfit and all.

          Mmm. Dem white socks.

    • +1

      does anyone ?

      There are plenty of dodgy price reduction sales around these days, but it probably our own fault for demanding things at a discount.

      % off sales are probably the worst.

      A % off what ? eg. hotels A ficticious discount off a rack rate no one ever pays.

      Or 99% off that rug, wow, what a deal, was $100,000.00 now $999.

      How many places put the price up one day & soon after have a % off sale.

  • +10

    I liked the old title better.
    I get so upset paying RRP that I take extra copies of discount coupons and give them to others in line so I don't have to see them paying it.
    But occasionally I have no choice but to pay RRP. And I am almost always disappointed, but like you, I can't share that with the rubes who routinely pay RRP, that level of disappointment is their normal.

    • I liked the old title better.

      I didn't want anyone to think that it was a slight on JJB's erm performance. Just to clarify, the original title had NOTHING to do with him. Its was totally Dornan's fault.

      As for not being able to share my frustration with anyone who can understand, I'm married to an ozbargainer, so I've always had someone to vent. Although I can't remember ever needing to vent before. I used to love bargains mostly for the bragging rights over hubby … but recently, I find myself walking around in supermarkets looking for something to make for supper…and I'll keep walking past each aisle and then come back again , put things in my shopping basket and then put them back on the shelf because either I want them but they are not on special or they are half-price but its not something that we would normally consume. Am I becoming a serious tight-ass :( (no offence TA) ..or is it an early onset of Alzheimer? :(

      • I didn't want anyone to think that it was a slight on JJB's erm performance

        ??? what was the old title?

        • @JJB, something about sex and how bored I was. Your name wasn't mentioned. People just assumed… :b

        • @Jar Jar Binks: I am sure that if my girlfriend searches porn on my work PC and asks around "how could sex be so boring?" while talking about this celb's body on the forum I go to, it's nothing important. ;)

          Meh, I am guessing that you guys are having a laugh at this post, so whatevs.

        • @AznMitch: YOUR WORK PC IS YOUR HOME PC! I'm sorry if I want to find a romantic movie to watch together at home!

          Also disclaimer: I have never said sex is boring. Scuse me while I berate AznMitch for defamation. :P

        • @umamandy: Come on guys, get a room.

        • +2

          @AznMitch:Of course it means something. It means that I don't 'perform' at a discount. My performance is a work of art. I put all my heart and soul into it. I even throw in some poetry. So if someone wants it, they have to be willing to pay RRP. If not, no performance :b

        • +1

          @Jar Jar Binks: Have you ever heard something called the Gresham's law :D ?

        • +2

          @AznMitch: r u guys a couple? How cute. This is almost like a double-date :)

        • +1

          @Jar Jar Binks: Yeah we are. At least I think we are. I got her to join OzBargain too. :D

        • +1

          @Jar Jar Binks: I joined mostly because he keeps asking me questions then posting stuff I said like I'm some kind of authority. :P

        • +2

          @umamandy: You are some sort of authority, you were the one who said I should learn how to say "Yes, you are right, dear".

      • +1

        I am slightly going to go tangent and talk about Ozbargain.

        I've always got the feeling that OzBargain somehow made the shopping experience similar to a gamble. You go onto OzBargain, you keep pressing that F5 button, the amount of bargain you are expecting is varied but there always is that bargain you want.

        Since staying on OzBargain increases the chances of getting a gain, a bargain, you end up staying on it longer.

        Since you've seen bargains so often, you automatically see paying the RRP as loss. Prospect theory suggests that people react more to losses than gains (given, equal amount) as people see losses to be worse than what they are. i.e. It was shown that doctors were more willing to perform a surgery with 90% success rate, than a surgery with 10% failure rate. This would've gotten worse by the fact that grocery stuff are bought regularly, which makes people more susceptable to prices. So you end up having that fight with yourself on whether to buy something you want, forgoing the losses. Just my 2c.

  • +2

    That's what you get for watching a film that glorifies domestic abuse. What did you expect from a book-turned-movie that was originally Twilight fan fiction?

    http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/film/fifty-shades-gr…

    But yes, I agree. You tend to be more… critical of something you've paid RRP for which I try not to if I can help it

    • a film that glorifies domestic abuse.

      There is a massive difference between BDSM and DV. One is a consensual act between adults, the other is not. In one the adults involve feel safe and can say "stop, I don't want to play anymore" and in the other they are trapped and can't escape. In one there are sexual partners, in the other a victim and their abuser.

      As for 50 shades, so many women were involved in making this film , that I was expecting something more sensitive and dare I say , life-affirming? A sly female empowerment movie about a woman growing into her sexuality… something more like The secretary with Maggie Gyllenhal and James Spader.

      • There is a massive difference between BDSM and DV

        I think that's the point zrach is making.

        • Yes the movie is doing a huge disservice to both BDSM community and people who are victims of domestic violence.

      • Now THAT was a good movie. The Secretary. Need to watch it again and see if it's as good as I remember.

  • Well… there's really not much to do in your case. If you don't want to pay RRP for something, the only option you have is to wait for a sale if you want that specific item. In your case, there was a time and availability constraint since it was specifically for Valentine's day. Plus, IME, cinemas rarely have actual sales like your average store does. I mean, I feel bad about paying full price for something I know I can wait for (for example, I recently just bought Dragon Age: Inquisition from Amazon and now they're having a 33% off sale on Origin) but if it's something like your example? Nah. Especially if it's more of an 'experience' or service rather than a product.

    Side note: I know it's all in good fun, but this 'good OzBargainer' stuff gets annoying. It's not a religion and you can't expect savings on every single thing you're going to buy in your entire life, so… Relax your standards guys.

  • Want something right now? RRP, or ok at best (rarely the best deal when you want it)
    Want something on release day? RRP
    Plane flights for particular dates? More often then not will be "rrp"
    Hotels etc at peak dates

    If you're flexible with time you can nearly always get the best price. If you want it right now (can't wait for shipping) or a particular time, makes it harder. Supply vs demand!

  • I negotiated a 20% discount with the local hooker, but she stopped groaning 80% thru the "experience" (Its a G rated site here). guess you get what you pay for.

    Is this what you wanted to hear??

    • +4

      Groaning?

    • Not really.. but thanks for sharing. Sounds like you have a very interesting sex life.

    • That's a sad story, mate :(

  • I think paying RRP is alright, if you are absolutely sure that you are going to love it. If not, then wait till reviews pop up, wait till newer products come out so that you get a decent discount on it. Though the problem I've found doing that is, especially in Electronics, all the accessories/items for it seem to get discontinued relatively quickly.

  • Thats generally the reason why I never pay full price, because everything I can afford I will usually find disappointing.

  • i try not to but it usually works out that when I need something there is no deal around - such as runners, hard drives, tvs - you think there are always deals, but not when I urgently needed them.

    BTW, my wife thought the movie was great, she went with friends - maybe its the company and not just the movie that makes it good.

    • +4

      I went to see it on friday with Gran. I didn't hate it neither did Gran. It was one of those meh movies that you've already forgotten by the time you've left the theatre. I could tell people were more intrigue by me and Gran than by the movie.

      Wiki, went to see it the next day with a gf. She had a crush on Jamie Dornan, the guy who plays Mr Grey, so I didn't bother to tell her how boring the movie was. I knew that his performance would totally cure her of her crush.

      Movie package deal $200
      crushing your love rival without having to do anything : priceless

      • That's Disney evil.

        Anyways, your comment gave me an idea. It would require a Hitachi Magic Wand, a screwdriver, and little bit of knowledge on electonics.

        Getting it all set up: $100~$200
        Crushing your love rival: priceless

      • JJB is quite possibly the only straight guy in the world to have seen it twice, except for Jamie Dornan.

        • +2

          I've only seen it once…and my date fell asleep 30 mins in.

        • @Jar Jar Binks:

          Comprehension fail. Wiki short for Wicket. Explains why you went to see it with a gf who had almost the same crush on Mr Dornan as said Wicket: you didn't go to see it with a gf. My excuse? The comma threw me.

        • @strangeloops66:

          Comprehension fail

          Its quite complicated actually.So here's a recap of my life so far:

          • I went to see the movie with a 74 year old lady on opening night on the advice of Ozbargainers.

          • Wiki, short for wicket1120, went to see it with a girlfriend on saturday.

          • Wiki is my second favorite person in the world. The first being myself.

          • We never spend the official v day together. We take turns at choosing a day for our v day …so its always a surprise.

          • Ms Turnip has suggested that wiki and I make our own version of 50 shades…to avoid being disappointed by someone else's interpretation of the book/s.

          • Wiki has suggested that we keep the sountrack of the current 50 shades movie.

          • We also happen to be married to each other….but that's not important.

          Edit: This is my interpretation of my life so far…may or may not be the truth :b

        • @Jar Jar Binks:

          Haha, I did know all that, except that your gran is 74. Maybe 50 Shades of Blue Rinse for her? I'm pretty sure i know what v day is. An occasion you could not celebrate alone ;)

        • @strangeloops66:

          Maybe 50 Shades of Blue Rinse for her?

          When I woke her as the credits were rolling, she asked me if the "stud muffin" had a nice "pecker" O.O

          I think she might be more into 50 shades of grey the XXX version.

  • -1

    The only full RRP I paid in years was iPhone 6 on the 2nd day it was launched…. Was hoping I can score a deal in the first 2 weeks when I could return it but it was simply impossible because other stores simply didn't have stock.

  • +2

    There's no need to be OCD about frugality. Ozbargainers will always get more bang for their buck. A few RRPs here and there doesn't negate the overall score because you can't always account for needing things urgently.

  • I avoid paying RRP when I can. But then am happy to pay RRP if I must. Nothing to do with performance expectations, more about the need at the time of purchase.

    As for 50 shades, didn't like the book, don't plan to watch the film (the missus might have something to say about that though). A friend, who hasn't read the book before, thought the film was part comedy. Showing a lot of promise right there.

  • +1

    I try not to pay rrp, but sometimes you can't avoid it. Timing sometimes mean I pay rrp, or the fact some things just don't go on sale (though there wouldn't be many in that catergory)

  • +5

    Yes I pay RRP sometimes, or even more. Examples:
    * When I want something right now, I even probably pay more than RRP (e.g. Chocolate cravings from the servo when it's very late at night and all the supermarkets are closed).
    * Sometimes I need an item soon (e.g. passport renewal for an unexpected overseas trip), and I pay more than RRP for priority processing, because I need it ASAP.
    * Sometimes you cannot avoid paying RRP because it's not available on special.
    * Sometimes there's an option to pay less from overseas or pay more locally, and paying more locally is the better option because you know the item is likely to fail and you want a good local warranty without having to pay huge return shipping expenses (Neato Robotic vacuum cleaners are the perfect example of this, I'm currently on my 5th one, so know the product very well, and buying the cheapest from the US for the initial cost is not the lowest total-cost-of-ownership approach over a 5-year period, IMHO).

    So basically there can be a trade-off between cheapness, and time/convenience, or warranty, or sometimes quality. That's not always the case though (e.g. downloaded games that are the same no matter who you buy then from, assuming they're legit).

    That said I thoroughly enjoy OzBargain, try to pay the lowest I can for my needs, and it pains me to pay more when I know that there is an cheaper option available that would also suit my needs. For example: the wife really likes seeing movies at the gold class/Lux/fancy-pants cinema, whereas I am just as happy in an ordinary cinema with the plebs paid for with my freebie coke rewards tickets, so it pains me to pay the exorbitant price of the fancy tickets. But … trade-off again… : happy wife, happy life!

    Whether that trade-off is worth it to you is for you to decide, and it depends on your personal situation, which only you can really know.

    For example, since having a child, I'll happily trade money for time now (assuming the rate is reasonable), because time is my most limited resource. Before having a child though, I would be reluctant to do this, because I was not short on time. So situations change. And with it my idea of whether something is a bargain or not has become more nuanced. E.g. if I spend 10 minutes completing some web form & survey for a freebie, and I never get the freebie, that's actually an anti-bargain, because I wasted that time, which is valuable to me, and I can never get it back. So I'm reluctant to do freebies now unless I think they're a big enough company of honour it.

  • +1

    Should've had a night-in & just hired the BBC series "The Fall", if you wanted to see Dornan getting his kinky on! O.o

  • I saw the movie today and enjoyed it….bought tickets through Telstra for $13….I definitely wouldn't say it was worth $200 though.
    I think you have higher expectations of a product/experience/service if you pay full price so you can sometimes be disappointed.

    • @shoppingisfun, what did you like about it? serious question.

      • I haven't watched it personally, but my friend has said the soundtrack is good?

        • +1

          The soundtrack is supersexy. If there's anything to take away from that movie, it is that sex feels so much better when you have Beyonce singing in the background.

      • +1

        Oh no…now I'll have to really think about it!
        Ok, I thought Dakota Johnson was fantastic…she has a real presence on screen. Jamie Dornan was ok but I agree there wasn't a lot of chemistry. I think what sucks us girls into this story ( and Twilight for that matter) is that feeling of desperate longing the characters have for each other. As though they are destined to be together even though there are obstacles to overcome. The other element of Fifty Shades that I think is its reason for success is that in the story Christian makes all the decisions for Anna even down to what she eats, wears, drives, where they go, what they do etc and I think that for a lot of women who have to make so many many decisions each day around their families, home and work it seems really appealing to have someone make them all for you!! I'm sure if it happened in real life it would be a nightmare but it's a fantasy.
        It's also total escapism and a couple of hours to not have to think about anything! And the soundtrack is also really good :)

    • @Shoppingisfun, did you really like it? I went with a girlfriend. She didn't like it either. There was no chemistry between the 2 actors. Dare I say it? It is the most contrived love story between 2 people since Anakin and Padme :(

      • +1

        I went with a girlfriend too and we both liked it :)
        I agree about the lack of chemistry though which is a bit of a shame.
        We saw it in the morning and both found it hard afterwards to go back to our normal daily lives! One minute you are watching all this crazy hot sex and the next you are at home hanging out the washing!!! I think that's part of the appeal…so outside your day to day life :)

      • +1

        It is the most contrived love story between 2 people since Anakin and Padme

        Blasphemy!!!

  • +2

    I pay RRP, except that I recommend the price, using ozb as my guiding light

  • +1

    l pay full price for milk only

    • +3

      Yep, $2 milk from colesworth/aldi

    • Why?

  • +1

    A true ozbargain would know the cinema's refund policy before you watch the film, most will give you a full refund excluding snacks if you leave within X minutes of the film starting and tell the manager it's shite

  • I paid full price for a house once as it was a 1 off, and it has been a great investment.

    • +2

      Is there such a thing as full price for a house? Do you mean that you paid the asking price, with no negotiating?

  • +3

    I think, in hindsight, we can see why this issue (of the movie, and thus having paid RRP and more, and then being completely disappointed), may have been predictable and avoided in the first place….

    I've read the books but then I've also read The wife of Bath's and other tales from Chaucer, in their original , unabridged 16th century English ,and the blurb on the back of shampoo bottles…I love reading. I can read just about anything. I also have a pretty vivid imagination, which could be why I don't remember the books being so bad. I must have skipped the boring parts where they talk and stuff and gone straight to the erm tiltillating bits and used my vivid imagination…

    Thing is, Wicket, you're female. Or.. we are, rather. See…

    I dare suspect that the 'vivid imagination' part is rather typical for our kind. I can totally relate to what you've written there in that paragraph. I also adore reading and find myself immersed in books, creating entire detailed worlds and scenes in my head that are just so rich and evoke such emotion in me. There have been occasions when I've then watched a movie that's been released, with so much anticipation and excitement, thinking that it could be just as incredible as what I imagined in my mind… and I've only left utterly let down. Everything felt so flat.. the characters, the scenes, the interactions between everyone and everything. Yawn. "Was that is?" One was the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Not quite a sexy movie, but.. I had high hopes as it was a book that meant a lot to me.

    Anyway. It is a shame you left unfulfilled. But in a way, perhaps that was a good thing? In a funny way, it makes you realise just how good you've got it wink, when you've got it good yourself wink ;) (in which case, who needs fiction, right?).

  • +1

    Do I ever pay full price?
    Usually I'm stacking at least two discounts together!

  • +2

    the best purchase i have made that was rrp was my zerlemon note 2 battery.

    9.3A compared to the 3.1A of the stock so three times the juice.

    can last over 13 hours on screen on time with heavy data usage satnav and the like.
    this equates to around 4 to 5 days usage for me on a single charge.

    best $45 i have spend.

  • -3

    hello :)

  • Should have changed the topic title to "Ozbargainer paying full price gold class cinema tix for a cheap movie on Valentine day. Thoughts?"

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