Porn Break/Corporate Secrets, What is that one trick that “they” really don’t want you to know?
- Thread starter Pack Rat
- Start date
Just heard Clark Howard talking about this last week. How is this even legal? 
If you browse from a Mac, you could be paying higher prices for items online. Use 2 computers when you browse items to compare prices. Do not rely only on Safari to browse for items as a Mac user. I never used it anyway. Even better yet, do your shopping from a PC.
On Orbitz, Mac Users Steered to Pricier Hotels
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304458604577488822667325882
If you use a Mac or an Android, e-commerce sites may be charging you more
https://www.washingtonpost.com/post...id-e-commerce-sites-may-be-charging-you-more/
Mac users might pay more when shopping online
Posted: Jan 23, 2015 11:06 AM ESTUpdated: Apr 20, 2015 3:15 PM EDT
ATLANTA (CBS46) -
You could be paying higher online prices depending on your internet history and what device you use to shop.
A CBS46 investigation found online retailers are manipulating prices to charge you more. If you're a loyal Apple user, the price may automatically go up.
It may not happen every time, but CBS46 found instances where a search for the same product on the same website produced not only different results, but different prices and it's perfectly legal. When you pull an item from a store shelf, the next person to grab the same thing pays the same price. That's not always the case with online retailers.
"Some are more sophisticated than others so if you go and shop at a particular retailer and you're seeing the exact same price no matter what piece of hardware, no matter what browser you use, they're probably a little less sophisticated. They haven't quite gotten to the point where they can customize those models," said Jennifer Lewis Priestley, Ph.D., professor of applied statistics and data science at Kennesaw State University.
Research firms found Amazon and Sears customize prices for up to 20 percent of what they sell online at least once a day. Meaning, the price you see when you log on, click and buy can be created specifically for you using several factors.
"So if you're using a MacBook or a PC, or if you're using a tablet, or a phone, that actually influences the price that you see for particular items that you might be shopping for," Priestley explained.
One factor is the cookies or information that tracks the other websites you've visited.
"Online retailers are just using all of the data that's related to your online shopping behavior to develop a price that's very specific to your online shopping behaviors," Priestley said.
Retailers know, based on which search engine you use, if they can charge you more.
"So if you're using Safari or you're using Chrome, or if you're using Internet Explorer or Firefox, that actually influences the price that you see as well," Priestley said.
Here's the proof. Jocelyn Challas and Ashley Aabye are friends with healthy online shopping habits. We have the moms search for the same item, on the same website. The only difference, Challas is using her MAC and Safari, Aabye a PC and Chrome.
"Lego Heartlake Shopping Center," Challas said, as the women make their first search.
"So for the second item how much is it?" Aabye questioned her friend.
"$126.83?" Challas said.
"Mine says $111.83," Aabye said.
It's a price difference of $15.
"It says there's only four left in stock," Aabye said. "Mine says, 18 in stock," Challas said.
When the women search for a new iPhone 6, Challas comes up with a price of $799, but that's not what Aabye finds.
"There's a discrepancy here, because I'm showing $777," Aabye said.
This time, it's a $22 price difference.
From iPads, to an XBox, to Frozen dolls, we find many items on Amazon with price differences.
When we questioned Amazon, their response was, "All of their customers see the same prices."
They suggest the different prices we see are the result of different sellers. When CBS46 questioned why different sellers come up on identical searches, Amazon said there are factors that impact how the results are displayed, but won't tell CBS46 why some customers are first offered a seller with a higher price.
It's not just Amazon. Sears, Walmart and Best Buy also adjust prices based on what computer or web browser you use.
"When you walk in the store that doesn't happen," Challas said.
When the prices differ, researchers and our investigation found, the Apple user's price is often higher.
"The reason why those prices are slightly higher for Mac users is simply because they can be. Data scientists have looked at the data and they can prove that the people who use Macs tend to be a little bit less price sensitive and tend to be willing to pay a little bit more for the same items," Priestley explained.
It's not just price differences. When their girls want to search for a popular jacket, different web browsers produce different items for sale.
"It doesn't list the color but it shows a magenta color for $89.91," Aabye said.
"I'm not seeing anything magenta over here," Challas said. "And we both searched for Northface Osito right, in women's clothing?
Office Depot/Office Max has changed their website but not before we caught a discrepancy. PC users saw "Popular Products in Cameras," but Mac users got "Top Products in Cameras," and were offered different options.
Travel websites also customize hotel and airfare prices. On Delta, Kennesaw State grad students found a PC user got more low-price options on a flight from Atlanta to Denver than a Mac user.
The statement we received from the airlines states, "Delta does not treat searches differently based on the device or browser customers use when they shop for tickets." Delta admits they get complaints about this issue but say they can't control the results your computer shows.
When we used mobile devices for hotels on Orbitz and Travelocity, both the cell phone and tablet came up with better deals than a desktop. Where you shop physically can also affect the price.
"Your device has a GPS locator on it so they know where you are physically," Priestley explained.
Are we at the online retailers' mercy? The answer is no.
"You can use the data to your advantage to ultimately decrease the price you see online," Priestley said.
Try changing your web browser.
"If you are normally a Safari user you may want to flip over to Chrome, or you may want to try Internet Explorer, or you might want to try Firefox," Priestley said.
Show retailers you're willing to shop for a better price.
"Just within a couple of minutes you can probably visit multiple retailer sites for the same item," Priestley said.
Challas and Aabye plan to change the way they shop.
"It's very presumptuous of Amazon or some of these other online retailers to assume Mac users have more money," Aabye said.
"I think I will have my husband get on the PC beside me and we'll be comparing prices as we shop," Challas said.
Some sports venues also customize prices based on demand for tickets, which can hurt fans when demand is high. The experts say the new way of shopping around means changing up the web browser you use and manipulating the data your computer stores.
http://www.cbs46.com/story/27923981/cbs-investigates-online-shopping-disparities
If you browse from a Mac, you could be paying higher prices for items online. Use 2 computers when you browse items to compare prices. Do not rely only on Safari to browse for items as a Mac user. I never used it anyway. Even better yet, do your shopping from a PC.
On Orbitz, Mac Users Steered to Pricier Hotels
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304458604577488822667325882
If you use a Mac or an Android, e-commerce sites may be charging you more
https://www.washingtonpost.com/post...id-e-commerce-sites-may-be-charging-you-more/
Mac users might pay more when shopping online
Posted: Jan 23, 2015 11:06 AM ESTUpdated: Apr 20, 2015 3:15 PM EDT
ATLANTA (CBS46) -
You could be paying higher online prices depending on your internet history and what device you use to shop.
A CBS46 investigation found online retailers are manipulating prices to charge you more. If you're a loyal Apple user, the price may automatically go up.
It may not happen every time, but CBS46 found instances where a search for the same product on the same website produced not only different results, but different prices and it's perfectly legal. When you pull an item from a store shelf, the next person to grab the same thing pays the same price. That's not always the case with online retailers.
"Some are more sophisticated than others so if you go and shop at a particular retailer and you're seeing the exact same price no matter what piece of hardware, no matter what browser you use, they're probably a little less sophisticated. They haven't quite gotten to the point where they can customize those models," said Jennifer Lewis Priestley, Ph.D., professor of applied statistics and data science at Kennesaw State University.
Research firms found Amazon and Sears customize prices for up to 20 percent of what they sell online at least once a day. Meaning, the price you see when you log on, click and buy can be created specifically for you using several factors.
"So if you're using a MacBook or a PC, or if you're using a tablet, or a phone, that actually influences the price that you see for particular items that you might be shopping for," Priestley explained.
One factor is the cookies or information that tracks the other websites you've visited.
"Online retailers are just using all of the data that's related to your online shopping behavior to develop a price that's very specific to your online shopping behaviors," Priestley said.
Retailers know, based on which search engine you use, if they can charge you more.
"So if you're using Safari or you're using Chrome, or if you're using Internet Explorer or Firefox, that actually influences the price that you see as well," Priestley said.
Here's the proof. Jocelyn Challas and Ashley Aabye are friends with healthy online shopping habits. We have the moms search for the same item, on the same website. The only difference, Challas is using her MAC and Safari, Aabye a PC and Chrome.
"Lego Heartlake Shopping Center," Challas said, as the women make their first search.
"So for the second item how much is it?" Aabye questioned her friend.
"$126.83?" Challas said.
"Mine says $111.83," Aabye said.
It's a price difference of $15.
"It says there's only four left in stock," Aabye said. "Mine says, 18 in stock," Challas said.
When the women search for a new iPhone 6, Challas comes up with a price of $799, but that's not what Aabye finds.
"There's a discrepancy here, because I'm showing $777," Aabye said.
This time, it's a $22 price difference.
From iPads, to an XBox, to Frozen dolls, we find many items on Amazon with price differences.
When we questioned Amazon, their response was, "All of their customers see the same prices."
They suggest the different prices we see are the result of different sellers. When CBS46 questioned why different sellers come up on identical searches, Amazon said there are factors that impact how the results are displayed, but won't tell CBS46 why some customers are first offered a seller with a higher price.
It's not just Amazon. Sears, Walmart and Best Buy also adjust prices based on what computer or web browser you use.
"When you walk in the store that doesn't happen," Challas said.
When the prices differ, researchers and our investigation found, the Apple user's price is often higher.
"The reason why those prices are slightly higher for Mac users is simply because they can be. Data scientists have looked at the data and they can prove that the people who use Macs tend to be a little bit less price sensitive and tend to be willing to pay a little bit more for the same items," Priestley explained.
It's not just price differences. When their girls want to search for a popular jacket, different web browsers produce different items for sale.
"It doesn't list the color but it shows a magenta color for $89.91," Aabye said.
"I'm not seeing anything magenta over here," Challas said. "And we both searched for Northface Osito right, in women's clothing?
Office Depot/Office Max has changed their website but not before we caught a discrepancy. PC users saw "Popular Products in Cameras," but Mac users got "Top Products in Cameras," and were offered different options.
Travel websites also customize hotel and airfare prices. On Delta, Kennesaw State grad students found a PC user got more low-price options on a flight from Atlanta to Denver than a Mac user.
The statement we received from the airlines states, "Delta does not treat searches differently based on the device or browser customers use when they shop for tickets." Delta admits they get complaints about this issue but say they can't control the results your computer shows.
When we used mobile devices for hotels on Orbitz and Travelocity, both the cell phone and tablet came up with better deals than a desktop. Where you shop physically can also affect the price.
"Your device has a GPS locator on it so they know where you are physically," Priestley explained.
Are we at the online retailers' mercy? The answer is no.
"You can use the data to your advantage to ultimately decrease the price you see online," Priestley said.
Try changing your web browser.
"If you are normally a Safari user you may want to flip over to Chrome, or you may want to try Internet Explorer, or you might want to try Firefox," Priestley said.
Show retailers you're willing to shop for a better price.
"Just within a couple of minutes you can probably visit multiple retailer sites for the same item," Priestley said.
Challas and Aabye plan to change the way they shop.
"It's very presumptuous of Amazon or some of these other online retailers to assume Mac users have more money," Aabye said.
"I think I will have my husband get on the PC beside me and we'll be comparing prices as we shop," Challas said.
Some sports venues also customize prices based on demand for tickets, which can hurt fans when demand is high. The experts say the new way of shopping around means changing up the web browser you use and manipulating the data your computer stores.
http://www.cbs46.com/story/27923981/cbs-investigates-online-shopping-disparities
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But it's hard to pull off that defense in some low-level court were the judge and cop know each other.
Trial by jury, lawyer should beat it into the heads of jury that it's on the county, city or state to prove you are guilty. They won't be able to.
To ask how often the radar guns are calibrated and by who, the cop will say the manufacture does it but then it's on the user to do it after. Then he must ask the cop if he's certified to calibrate the gun. At any given moment the gun may just go haywire.
I learnt this the other day,that's why I often only use the white sheets, those are always bleach washed , I fold the comforter and keep it in the closetHotels almost never wash comforters. They wrap them in sheets for a reason.
Even the Ritz Carlton.
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