We should all be grateful to Google for their recently introduced 'Froogle' service!
For those who are unfamiliar with Froogle, it is essentially a price comparison
site for internet shopping, free to use for consumers and companies alike –
it is fast becoming a major portal for consumers scouring the web for the best
deal.
Possibly the best element of Froogle is the fact that there are no paid inclusions
or adverts (with the exception of the non-inrtusive sponsored links on the side
of the page). The concept is simple, if you're the cheapest
then your at the top!
Due to the nature of Froogle, our website located at www.cavuk.com
is fast becoming a major player in the computer and consumer electronics accessories
market, seeing phenomenal sales rises on items such as the
iRiver
H10 20GB simply by being cheaper than most resellers. Also, ancillary items
such as
scart leads and
phono leads,
usb
cables, and
TDK & Verbatim
blank media have become some of our best sellers within weeks of being listed
on Froogle.
Unfortunately, it seems that not all people share the same gratitude. Some
resellers appear content to turn the service into a farce by using underhand
techniques, namely submitting different prices to Froogle than are displayed
on their website!
I'm not talking about the difference between ex.VAT and inc.VAT prices
– I'm talking about so-called respectable stores submitting prices
of only 5% of the actual price shown on their website.
Here at CAV we make a point of
having a no-nonsense approach with customers, we will not mislead people and
all prices are quoted inclusive of VAT. Amazon (possibly the biggest cuplrit)
however - who are surely supposed to be a reputable company – have adopted
a wholly different approach, they regularly appear at the top of the Froogle
listing under random store names that link straight to their website with completely
different pricing.
For example, a quick search for a 10
Pack of TDK CDR discs brings up a store called 'games4lessuk_zshop'
displaying the title 'TDK
CDR80DVIEW CDR 700MB 10PK' for only 59p, a bargain I think you'll
agree! But upon clicking the link, one is take to the same product (TDK
CDR80DVIEW CDR 700MB 10PK) on Amazon's site priced at over £6
or new/used from £5. What's more, the aforementioned store name
does not appear anywhere within the listing. The exact same item (TDK
CDR80DVIEW CDR 700MB 10PK) also appears under the store name '0912b177784'.
As another example, the same is also true of 'Verbatim
DVD +R Double Layer (2.4x) 8.5GB 5 Pack Jewel Case' advertised at
several pounds less than its actual price. I have concentrated on blank cds
and blank dvds here, but have previously seen products such as the new iRiver
H10 20GB listed for under £10 – although these listings appear
to have been subsequently removed.
There is no excuse for this kind of behaviour, which is in essence blatant
mis-advertising. This practice not only infuriates the customer as they cannot
find a genuine listing due to the abundance of 'fake' listings,
but makes visibility much more difficult for the honest retailers (like ourselves
at CAV) who occupy the majority of the Froogle
community. It also encourages other retailers to adopt the same techniques.
I should point out that I have only singled out Amazon in this report as an
example, I am not by any means suggesting that Amazon are the only company that
does this, there are surely plenty of others who perhaps use the same method
in a more subtle manner. I should also point out that some of the prices displayed
by Amazon on Froogle may be out-of-date prices from their 'new & used'
listings which have yet to be resubmitted to Froogle. However, this is a responsibility
the webmasters should stay on top of – if only to prevent from tarnishing
their good reputation.
Perhaps Google should also consider imposing sanctions upon advertisers who
abuse the Froogle engine, as it seems a shame to ruin something that could prove
to be so good.
