Want to look around but not buy anything? That'll be $5.

[Crazedclerkthe2nd]

Yes, REALLY.

http://consumerist.com/2013/03/25/st...t-looking-fee/

Summary:

A store in Brisbane, Australia has apparently started charging customers $5 if they are "just looking". The fee is waived if they actually buy something.

This is apparently to combat the practice of "showrooming" also known as "check it out in a store then buy it online later".

This has to be one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. This place better be ready to go out of business FAST if it tries to extract $5 from anyone who doesn't want to make a purchase.

There are good ways to deal with showrooming, this isn't one of them. Can you imagine having to work at this store and enforce this policy? The tidal wave of angry customers would be epic. (Note: I don't call them SCs because as I see it there's nothing stupid or sucky about opposing this ridiculous fee).

[mikoyan29]

If I saw a sign like that in a window somewhere, that would be one less place for me to look around. For the most part, I do not buy stuff online. There are occasions where I'm gonna buy something but I don't have the cash just then but I will buy it, so I want to look at it. So if they pulled that on me, they would lose my business.

[Panacea]

Yup, any place with such a policy would immediately lose my business.

Comparison shopping is part of the game. If you don't have the right price, you lose business: Capitalism 101.

I get that small business owners are under pressure: first from Wal Mart, now the internet. The nature of buying and selling is changing and you either keep up or you go out of business.

Sucks, but that's the nature of the game.

[Mr Hero]

How do they enforce this policy if you don't carry money on you?

[smileyeagle1021]

Yeah, no way I'd shop there. There have been plenty of times I have gone into a store and not purchased anything, and none of those times have been because of showrooming (I have comparison shopped on my phone before at a store, but that was to see if a clearance item I had not previously planned on getting anyway was actually a good enough deal for me to splurge on it). I have before left because they didn't have what I wanted in stock, I have before left because I thought I wanted something and after seeing it and trying it decided it didn't actually do what I wanted and was starting over at square one, hell, I've before left because I had gone in to kill time, I had some extra money that I might spend if there was something interesting I found but hadn't gone in explicitly to buy something.
I'm assuming that they are collecting $5 at the door as a deposit and then posting it towards the bill when you pay, but will they refund it for any of those situations? I'm not putting down a deposit I might not get back because of something that could well be the fault of the store (such as the case of the item being out of stock) or even something that isn't the store's fault, but not mine either (such as finding out when looking at the product that it doesn't perform as I had previously expected).
So yeah, no patronage from me.

[Racket_Man]

They would just love me especially when I was looking at HD TVs and Blu-Ray players a while back. and no I did not buy these items on-line, I was literally browsing and comparison shopping of similar items in different stores like BestBuy, Wal-Mart, Target, ShopKo.

I am doing the same thing now as I am looking to update my MP3 player. I want to see what products stores have to offer and the corresponding prices. I may or may not buy online but if a local store has the same item I want I may get it there instead of online.

[Akasa]

I wouldn't set foot in that store.

[HYHYBT]

If it weren't for people having the sense not to enter in the first place, this would be a great way to increase sales of cheap items.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I wouldn't go near that store. Sometimes I go into a store and leave without buying anything. Why? Cuz I couldn't find anything I liked.

[TheHuckster]

I've showroomed at many places. I confess, I'm a windowshopaholic. But guess what? Many times, I'll return to the store to make my purchase after I get my paycheck because I loved some products I saw so much. I've done this at furniture stores, electronics stores, pretty much any place besides drug stores and supermarkets.

[LewisLegion]

Most of the time, if I walk into a store and see something I want, and the price isn't too crazy, I buy it. I'd rather buy it then and there and have it in my hot little hand than go home, look for it online, possibly pay for shipping, and wait two or three days to get it.

That said, I do the majority of my shopping online, but when I take the time to walk into a store I have no problem making a purchase at that store, so long as I find something I want.

[MadMike]

This is apparently to combat the practice of "showrooming" also known as "check it out in a store then buy it online later".

I'm sure this will also combat the practice of people actually buying stuff from that store.

I don't know about anyone else, but I think I'd be pretty pissed off if I came in for something in particular, and they didn't have it in stock, and then some clown tried to charge me $5 on top of that.

[bex1218]

I can see a loophole. Go in there, pick up something cheaper than 5 bucks to buy and look around at prices.

Though, I wouldn't step foot in there if I was shopping. I go in to look around all the time at stores. Not even showrooming. Just looking around at random stuff.

[Nyoibo]

Given its a specialty celiac food store, I doubt you'd find anything under $5.

[HYHYBT]

Given its a specialty celiac food store, I doubt you'd find anything under $5.

Good point... but taking that into account makes it even less sensible. I can understand showrooming for electronics or furniture, but the whole point of it is to get to try something out in person. Aside from an occasional sampling setup, do stores generally let you eat food and then buy it if you liked it? And setting that aside, it's something most people will buy the same thing of repeatedly if they like it, so after that first purchase, if online is better then they've lost the customer anyway.