There’s Upselling And Then There’s Scamming

While on vacation in a different city, my family and I decided to buy a biscuit that the city is known for. While I’ve encountered plenty of upselling strategies (who hasn’t?), this was an… interesting new one.

Me: *Holding a gift box to the cashier* “Just this, please.”

Cashier: “Would you like to buy a second one? It’s only MOP70 more.”

Me: “No, thanks.”

Cashier: “But your purchase will come out to MOP500, and two boxes cost MOP570. You’re losing out!”

Other Employee: “It’s true, you know. I can help you get another box, if you like.”

Because the product happened to be the most popular, a stack of them was also on the counter next to the cashier, with a price tag reading “MOP375” that could be clearly seen from where I was standing.

Me: “I’m still going to decline.”

Cashier: “But it’s not worth it to buy just one box!”

This back-and-forth went on for a bit until my father cut in.

Dad: “Actually, forget it. We have a bus to catch, so we’re in a hurry. We’re just not going to buy anything.”

Cashier: “Okay, one box it is, then. Tell you what: we’ll even give you the employee discount.”

Interestingly, the total after the discount was the exact amount on the price tag.