$39 chair for $61, the new math?

I went on CampingWorld.com today.  They show "Internet Only 3 day Sale" so I perused around, as I have been shopping for a special chair for several months now but haven't found anything I liked with a price I wanted to pay.  However, today,right on the front landing page for CampingWorld.Com  they showed a lovely Sunbrella Chair with 4 reclining positions and no uncomfortable cross-bars  for only $39.99 as "Featured Chair of the Week".  The regular price is $61.10

I need an outdoor chair high backed chair and would love to have this, the price reduction  seemed like a fairly good deal, so I punched the purchase button and it rang up in my cart *ding* ding* for $61.10

I called CampingWorld, explained the problem and FINALLY they agreed to sell it at $39.99 with free shipping.  The free shipping is another special they are running I guess to compete with the other stores and so on.

Soooooooooo...  check it out if you need a great chair but hurry before they fix the webpage.

Too late...it's $54.99 now.

That is just one of many reasons I don't do CW.  There are better companies to do business with in my opinion.  An example, CW will send to an offer in the mail for the presidents club for $19.95 or so but went online and found the same for $12.95.  Don't need that kind of shell game.

Just curious, Who else on the internet is selling Presidents Club membership for $12.95

Wizard46 said:

Just curious, Who else on the internet is selling Presidents Club membership for $12.95

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Found this price @ the CW website under several web page layers a couple of years ago.

I fell for the Presidents Club scam the first time I shopped with Camping World. What a waste of money. If you aren't on a small budget, and have deep pockets, maybe it works for you, but I couldn't make it work for me.

I let it lapse and haven't bothered with it since. Their email and junk paper mail is overwhelming for a traveler like me and impossible to get rid of!  I typically never shop with them unless I am camping in their lot overnight.  Last time I stayed with them, I splurged on tent stakes but they had nothing else in stock I was looking for, as I asked for A/C filters and the salesman insisted my A/C was so old I should replace the entire unit. What's so funny is he was dead serious and wasted a lot of time harping on this like I was some idiot with a flat tire looking to buy a new RV to replace the one with a  flat.  I found out most folks arrive after they are closed then leave before they open, for free over-nighting.  I don't have the heart to do that. I prefer to have permission up front before I camp out for free on commercial property. I don't want to think about police and tow trucks waking me up in the wee hours.

When they closed I was the only one camping in their lot.  A half hour later, the lot was full to capacity as if everyone was down the street waiting for them to close so they could park for free.

However, once in a great while, they do have a sale on something I can't find anywhere else for the same price. Well actually, now that I think of it, this is only the 3rd time in 2 years I've found a semi-deal with them.

My 9x12 patio mat was bought super cheap about a year or more ago. The heavy duty  tent stakes were very cheap, probably priced wrong. I use them to hold the patio mat down in windy campgrounds.

I honestly don't understand how they manage to stay in business.

I was actually searching for something else on google, when one of the links took me to camping world. It was a fluke they had the chair I wanted, on sale but then I had to do phone battle to get the sale price.

Molaker said:

Too late...it's $54.99 now.

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It is still $39.99  on the main webapge, just scroll down to the middle of the page, it's still there as of 2 minutes ago.

Found it.  At first I didn't go to CW website via their main page so did not see it.  I tried calling, but there is no one manning the phones on Sunday, so I sent an email telling them I would call tomorrow to order two chairs and that I expect their advertised price to be honored...We'll see.

Edit: I found another phone # that was answered (800-626-5944) and I was able to order two chairs at $39.99 with free shipping - no questions asked!

Just my 2 cents, FWIW. Most retailers who have a web site don't really own the site. Its a licensee who pays a fee to use their name. Nothing these days is as its made to seem to be.

Best Buy used to be really bad in this regard. You would see a price on the web site and then decide to go buy it a the store. The people in the store would tell you that you were wrong about the price and then bring up a mirrored website to the licensee's website, but with different prices. After enough people started bringing in screen shots of the web page they saw at home, they finally discontinued the intentional deception.

As of Sunday night, the chair is still advertised on the main page of the website at 39.99, but when you click on the image, it takes you to the next page which indicates internet price of 54.99. Clicking "add to cart", it is still shown as 54.99.

Harbor Freight's web site is just the same way. If you see something on line for one price, often the store will have no knowledge of it. They will tell you to print out the ad and bring it in and they will honor the printed price. The retail stores and the on line stores often have no communication at all. 

There is a local hardware store doing the same.  They won't match their website, but Canadian Tire across the street will.  Last time it happened to me, I asked the manager: "Do you want to match the price or do you want to loose a sale to Canadian Tire?"  They matched the price.  It's easy for brand name items sold every where, but does not work for store brands.

I'm still surprised that some stores would rather loose a sale than match the price.  Small margin on sale is still better than no sale.

Just picked up the set of 2 zero gravity lounge recliners I got on eBay for $79.99.  If anyone wants a great chair, I strongly suggest looking into these.

I have a "Presidents Club" membership. I bought my surge protector, jack pads, water filters, etc when they were on sale. I saved a lot of money on thos items and even more with the club memberships. That being said one needs to perhaps do a search on other websites (such as PPL http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/)to see if the savings that are offered by CW really are a bargain. I usually buy off season when they have the sales. One thing about CW is that they have some things on display that the RV dealers may not have.

wgb1 said:

As of Sunday night, the chair is still advertised on the main page of the website at 39.99, but when you click on the image, it takes you to the next page which indicates internet price of 54.99. Clicking "add to cart", it is still shown as 54.99.

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This is how this thread started, you have to CALL them to get them to honor the price correctly. The fact that they have not bothered to correct this, after I and others pointed it out, speaks volumes...  I call it vicious marketing, as I have seen this same phenomenon on many websites.

I prefer mail-order shopping often, as it saves, time and gas. I can usually pick out exactly what I want without touring several stores in search of the precise item. I've had my stuff shipped to campgrounds all over creation without hassle.

About those zero gravity chairs...  I have tried out quite a few. They lay down wonderfully,terrific for napping,  but for me, I guess my thighs are too short. This past summer, someone loaned me their zero-gravity chair for awhile, but I returned it before I took off traveling again. I can't sit up in them comfortably at all and I sure can't sit in one and type on a table, as my arms can't reach the table, my feet can't reach the ground when I sit in a zero gravity chair. So...  that is why I was searching for a recliner chair that wasn't the zero-gravity style.

I need something comfy to take to work to nap in.  ;D  Oops, I mean to sit in.  :