So, this is how Hocus-Pocus treats their suckers *cough* customers:

Yesterday and the day before, Super Secret Sale "just for members"-- 30% off discountable magic!!! Wow, great let me buy some stuff...

Today, Another Sale "just for members" -- 35% off discountable magic!!! Ha HA F-U suckers who bought stuff yesterday!!

games, nothing but games.

I've never had a problem with Hocus Pocus and I wholeheartedly endorse this establishment. Only the cheap and the small minded would cry over five percent at a magic shop. The Internal Revenue Service steals much more than that.

I agree with Leo. A lot of businesses and industries use sales to boost revenue. If you buy a new car, and a week later there is a $2000 incentive, would you be the sucker ? I have found HP to be reputable and provide good customer service... that's just me. With a little thinking you would see that they have periodic sales of 30%, 33%, 35% and the rare, but consistent BOGO. If you want something that is a discountable item, wait for a sale. If you want the 35% discount that much more than the 30% discount, wait longer.

Maybe a more common sense perspective is... don't buy it unless you are good with the price, regardless of whether that price will change over time. If you buy clothing or a pair of shoes you are really happy with, do you get mad and dislike your purchase if it later goes on sale ?

Let me try another (pretend) example:

Ames has a membership program were you sign up to receive deals and ads.

Monday they send out an email- Secret "Just for members" sale, 20% off.
As a member to a "reputable" company that provides "good customer service," I think "this is special," a buy several things I have been looking at.

Sale ends Tuesday.

THE VERY NEXT DAY there is a new sale, FOR EVERYONE at 25% off. Should I be happy about that? Don't I feel a little "taken?"

Now, 5% isn't a lot. But the amount is NOT the point. They could have easily switched the percentage around. Don't you think that would have been less insulting to the members?

Yes, HP has "sales" all the time, and they change the number. What a joke.

You must not shop much. Much of American enterprise uses "sales" as a routine practice. Take "My Pillow," for example, they have a 50% off sale ALL THE TIME. "The Men's Warehouse" is ALWAYS promoting some kind of sale. Car sales and rebates are crazy dynamic.

No one paid for an HP "membership," so no one is getting cheated... the "membership" simply give you some advance notifications.. sometimes. Take it or leave it....

Again, if you think the price will come down later.. wait. And don't buy anything if you aren't OK with the price you pay, REGARDLESS of the price someone else may pay. If I get a great deal on a new car and am ecstatic with my purchase, should I feel cheated and angry if someone else gets an even better deal the next day ?

I think companies have to be a little careful with how they set up their sales to prevent this type of customer reaction - seems it was bad timing on HP's part to offer a member discount followed by a larger discount the next day. But we know how tempting these "sales" are. I'm reminded of the old joke "Grand Opening Going Out of Business Sale"

Here's an idea, give Paul a ring on the phone and see what he can do for you. Paul has always been good to our family, we all buy from him for the past 20 years. The only thing I'm disappointed in is that HP doesn't handle the Owen line anymore. I'm sure Paul will do something for you.

I recently purchased 3 high end 3D printers from a company, 2 days later each is 200.00 off regular price, the company on their own offered me 600.00 back on the 3 I bought. Amazing what a simple phone call can accomplish with an even attitude towards them.

Bill,

The market will drive HP. If their strategy drives away customers and sales go down, they will either adapt or shut the doors... that's the free market. I've always had a positive experience with HP, including the very rare occasion I had a return.

But I get your point. There was a comedian who had a bit about how his wife made purchases based on the Discount, not the Price... including a divorce atty who had a 60 percent off sale. Sure, I've made purchases thinking I got a "deal," only to see a "better deal" offered shortly thereafter. But like I said, my mindset is Value... is the item WORTH what I paid, not what did I pay relative to what other people paid. I don't buy anything if I'm not OK with the price I'm paying.

Sounds like they were offering you first crack of their surplus, and then sold the remnants at a greater discount the next day. I see this happen in a lot of different types of businesses. So no harm, no foul from where I'm sitting.

However, I do dislike it when I receive a new email while online offering a huge sale, only to find out when I go to the site 70% of the items listed are out of stock. Seeing that the email appeared while I was online I doubt they sold some much stock in 30 seconds.