Buyer beware

I'm on record for taking the easy route and using disposables. I still chuckle over my initial decision not to, then finding out that I had so few moments to get work done that I definitely didn't have time to wash nappies.

We've shopped around, and found the most efficient (and close to the cheapest) disposables to be had came from a certain well known baby store chain.. the one whose name implies wholesale discounts.

For many months now we've been buying our nappies in box lots of 6 x 36 packs, working out to around $53 a box, and lasting about a month. These nappies are always "on sale" for the same price, which indicates that the sale is a bit of a "have" really, a bit of marketing trickery.

Yesterday I was in town looking to buy two of those remarkable formula dispensers, and as we could stand to stock up on some more nappies, I decided to go to the Riccarton branch of this chain and kill two birds with one stone.

Luckily I'd found out that their competition chain stocked the exact gadget I wanted, which is just as well because the chain store in Riccarton had nary a one. But I also needed socks for the Sock Muncher Pursuivant, so I took a couple of pairs up to the counter and asked for a box of the nappies, size L, cloth-like please.

When all was sorted out and I was told the amount payable, I did a double take.
"No, these are on special, it says so on the sign. $9.95 a pack, NOT $12 odd, please recalculate."

"No, that's the plastic-like nappies. The cloth-like are more expensive, see?" The shop assistant pulled out a pricing book and showed me.

Back & forth we argued, with my points being that the sign on the nappy stack did not distinguish between the two types, and that the other two branches of this chain had never charged me a different price. A younger staff member joined in at this point, taking her senior's side.

They hung firm, so I put the socks down and left, telling them I'd go to one of the other stores.

And amazingly, they let me. If I was their boss, I'd kick their butts for passing up such a big sale.

I didn't find time to go to another branch, but I expect no problems when I do.

I did however buy my socks from the Red Shed (major saving!) and got two wonderful formula dispensers at the competition baby shop at Tower Junction, for $4.95, which is a whole $10 cheaper than the type made by the bottle manufacturer I most commonly use. Utterly identical, except the cheaper one probably wouldn't survive a trip through my steam steriliser, but would stand up to being washed then sterilised with tablets in cold water just fine.

And come to think of it, I don't recall reading that the name brand dispenser was sterliser safe.. probably is, but I don't remember it being blazoned in capitals or anything.

Next time I'm in there I'm going to get one of those amazing shoulder-fastening sleeping sacks. They've got a great rack of them there, in two styles, and plenty big enough for my overlong blanket tosser. At $16, it's a cheap & cuddly way of keeping my boy warm at night, despite his marvelous dancing legs.

My niece told me the two most expensive lifestyles to outfit are boats and babies. I think she's probably right, especially for the meek or unwary shopper.

As for clothes in general.. well I'm still buying off Trade Me, and with very few exceptions I've been rapt with the quality & bang for my buck. Braeden has a resplendent choice of barely worn designer duds (and more practical combinations, LOL) from which to choose.

But naturally, he hates every single one. Keeping clothes ON this kid is a bit of a mission ;-)