Does nobody say "Pounds" any more?

[221b]

It gets on my wicket that DFS and PC world and the like say that something only costs 'four nine nine' or is down to 'three nine nine'.

Do we not have a currently any more, then?

Surely it's �499 or �399?

It just seems to be these sort of adverts/shops that do it...

Thoughts?

[Loosehead]

These currentlies, are they similar to currants?

[221b]

Er...

I thought I typed currency...

But couldn't go back and edit it once I read it as a-bank doesn't offer that facility.

Yours currently

221b

[jno]

I was going to disagree with you on the grounds that you can tell what they mean... and then I thought, erm, well, yes, you're quite right. I don't know of anyone in real life who talks like that. Maybe they're trying to be young and hip or something? Not that I know any kids who talk like that either.

[sebtred]

I think they're doing it to save time and/or money.
They can say "four nine nine", rather than "four hundred and ninety nine pounds".

[221b]

Yes, Sebtred, you're right of course...

Jus that it makes me sigh that it's somehow deemed as OK to do that sort of thing and that it doesn't sound odd...

What next?

Just "This sofa is five" rather than �500?

If they didn't try to trick us with their "499 is so much less than 500" in the first place then they wouldn't be having to say all the extra syllables in the first bloomin' place...

Oh Grrrr!


221b

[maxi2]

For all the irritating reasons already stated - I will avoid (as far as possible) buying anything that has a price ending in 99. It is an insult to intelligence.

Even worse though, is the spoken word "399 pound" instead of pounds. That really is terrible.

Grumpy? Me?

[Count_Emmup]

BTW, it's "Gets on my wick" - not 'wicket'!

[221b]

No, I happen to love cricket!

So wicket remains!!

LOL!

[GrumpyOldMan]

It's all part of the plot to get us into the Eurozone. If we don't say "pounds" any more, eventually we will forget about it.

This is one of Gordon Browns five tests!!

[BobbyBobBob]

It really really annoys me. No hundreds and no actual pounds. Makes me want to go in with a bag of jellybeans and count them out. 5 9 9 that's twenty three then.
I'll avoid these sofa retailers. Some consultants or marketing survey will have been used to prove how effective this is and how stupid the public are. Sadly they may be right, I believe the evidence proves conclusively that the 99p tactic works well.

[gen2]

Surely, if they don't specify 'hundred' then you could claim that they were offering it for �4 and 99p and get yourself a bargain.

[Panic Button]

I don't see a problem.

Some things in adverts annoy me far more.

Barry Scott for instance. Was he famous for anything before Cillit Bang?

[nightmare]

panic button

Is Barry Scott famous now ?

[WaldoMcFroog]

Barry Scott is fictional, so no, not famous before the Cilit Bang adverts!

There seems to be some confusion about why things are sold for �x.99 or �x99. Traditionally, it wasn't to hoodwink the public into thinking it was cheaper than it was, but to ensure the salesperson had to go into the till to get the change, thus ensuring transactions were recorded correctly.

[221b]

Interesting Waldo...

I didn't realise that...

There are a lot of wise folk on a-bank...

Thanks all for your contributions.


221b