Design Dolcezza

So the other day the dreaded descale coffee machine message appeared (for the 1st time) on the display. There would be no more coffee until addressed: cue the dramatic music riff.

I headed to the Keurig site to find out what to do. My choices were to buy a descaling solution or use vinegar. Normally, I would choose the natural remedy. However, the vinegar instructions stated it took 4 hours; no time for that at work. Time to begin the quest for the magic potion.

As usual, I searched Amazon first to see what it would cost. Ooh, it was only $6.75; unfortunately it was an add-on item and there was nothing else I needed to buy that costs $25. I need my coffee STAT!

So on to the Target app which stated it was $6.79, sweet! I’ll willingly pay four cents extra for the convenience of having it immediately. The app even indicated that  I could find it at my local Target in aisle C-41. and that’s where IT was.

Confused  I wondered, "what is this? Is this a different item? Is this a different size bottle than what I saw online?"  I browsed some more and found the same bottle on ANOTHER shelf with a price of  $12.99!  I scanned both with the red scanner in the store which confirmed the lower price. I then scanned the bottle with the Target app:

I’m a busy teacher mamma, I don’t have time for that. This savvy teacher mamma went directly to  customer service. I explained the facts to the young lady in the red shirt. Her take was, "Well,  online  we have to be competitive so our price is going to be different on the shelf  than on the app. However, we will honor the price you have there on your phone." Satisfied, I made my purchase with the app price.

What's the lesson my friends? Shop with your smartphone, double-checking the prices of things that seem overpriced. There is no reason to pay twice as much for an item just because you are on-location.