What Is a Bargain? - 2022 Edition

ihfree on 28/08/2022 - 23:48
Last edited 31/08/2022 - 18:37 by 1 other user

A bargain is defined by google is

a thing bought or offered for sale much more cheaply than is usual or expected.

Since the last forum post in 2014 things have changed significantly. We have Plus, Prime and a few other market places. Ebay site wide sales have died off.

As a prompt, here are some items that users argue are not bargains:

  • premium products eg: ($420 backpack, $1200 headphones)
  • niche products (especially those with a higher price tag)
  • In demand in stock items (eg: PS5)
  • constantly on sale items posted by reps
  • potentially dangerous products
  • products added to subscriptions
  • fashion brands

I personally think the definition is correct with a bit of a utilitarian leaning. I don’t mind quality products regardless of price point as long as they offer value (considering diminishing returns). I don’t mind the in demand stock items as they are beneficial for the community.

The other arguments i’ve seen suggest that posts should have mass appeal or be value for money. The problem with the latter is that this is subjective.

What do you think constitutes a bargain in the context of Ozbargain? Are there any deals that are posted here which you do not consider to be a bargain?

Previous threads on the topic:

Site Discussion

Comments

  • trustnoone on 28/08/2022 - 23:58
    +1

    Are you talking about the definition of a bargain, or what should be allowed as a bargain on this site? As I feel they both differ a bit.
    FWIW I feel a post is acceptable if the people think so or essentially if its voted as such. So then I'd accept that a PS5 Disc for example at RRP would be a bargain as it has that value to people even at RRP.
    Maybe for me its easier to think of it as, technically a bargain or not, what I want to know/see is anything that would make me really want to buy the item (outside of forced need).

    • ihfree on 29/08/2022 - 00:00

      I think it’s more the latter - “What is a bargain in the context of Ozbargain?”

    • Slippery Fish on 29/08/2022 - 08:00

      PS5 going up. Rrp is a bargain now

      • OzFrugie on 30/08/2022 - 13:11

        Huh really? Ps5 still rare even in 2022? I thought more stocks this year based what i noticed in this site..?
        People still paying OTT price well above rrp?

        • ihfree on 30/08/2022 - 15:33

          I don't think people are paying above RRP. There's just a delay if you want one.

          The RRP did just increase by $50, IIRC.

  • [Deactivated] on 28/08/2022 - 23:58
    -4

    Not iPhones.

    • ihfree on 29/08/2022 - 00:03

      iPhone deals are pretty popular within the Ozbargain community and they have over 50% market share in Australia.

      Here’s a recent iPhone deal with 103 upvotes on this deal https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/720511

      Please elaborate?

      • [Deactivated] on 29/08/2022 - 00:05
        -3

        🤣

      • bobbified on 29/08/2022 - 08:22
        +1

        Here’s a recent iPhone deal with 103 upvotes on this deal

        This Samsung S22 post has 268 upvotes.> https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/711123

        I hope you're not using these upvotes as 'validation' when you make decisions…..

  • SF3 on 29/08/2022 - 00:12
    +1

    Typically, something that is sought after and lower than the usual/current market price.

    • eug on 29/08/2022 - 00:54

      Sought after by whom?

      Niche products are still bargains, e.g. this SDI to HDMI converter. It's not really an in-demand item but it was cheaper than the usual/current market price so is still a bargain.

    • wisdomtooth on 01/09/2022 - 12:56
      +1

      I disagreed TWICE with that one sentence:
      1. An item need not be popular (or "sought after") to be a bargain;
      2. An item need not be on sale to be a bargain (aka "long-standing deals" at OzBargain), and plenty of items "on sale" are not bargains even at purportedly "reduced" prices.

      Rather, a bargain is an item being sold at a price that at a good cost-benefit price point in comparison to similar items (not just to itself through time, which is of course easily and routinely manipulated by retailers all the time).

  • [Deactivated] on 29/08/2022 - 00:44

    What do you think constitutes a bargain in the context of Ozbargain?

    anything that is on sale for a lower price than it usually is, but there are some exceptions: i do not believe items that are expensive because they have a brand name on them (gucci, samsung, tesla etc.) are a bargain when offered with a lower price, simply because they were overpriced to begin with. i believe that only items with inherent value (because of the cost of the materials required to make said item, the craftsmanship of said item or anything along those lines) can be bargains when on sale.

    Are there any deals that are posted here which you do not consider to be a bargain?

    subscription "deals". if you pay for disney +, HBO max, paramount + or any service like that, you are paying a subscription to watch media, when new media gets added, it is not a "deal" or a "bargain", it is the fulfilment of the services end of the contract, you paid them for a service, which they provided. end of.

    i also do not believe scarce items (like PS5s) are deals when posted at RRP. that one is self explanatory.

    • eug on 29/08/2022 - 00:57

      i also do not believe scarce items (like PS5s) are deals when posted at RRP. that one is self explanatory.

      What if RTX3080s (RRP$1,139) that have been selling for $1,800 for two years suddenly go on sale for $1,600?

      • [Deactivated] on 29/08/2022 - 01:11

        not a bargain, if you didn't get one at RRP, you may as well just wait until the 4000 series.

        • eug on 29/08/2022 - 09:50

          Nobody got one at rrp - that's the point. RRP is meaningless in that example as the regular selling price has always been much higher worldwide.

          If an item's usual selling price is $1,800-2,000 for two years and the price drops to $1,600, I'd consider that a bargain.

          • [Deactivated] on 29/08/2022 - 15:24

            @eug: plenty got one at RRP.

            scalping price doesn't become the normal price due to events way out of the norm, what happened during covid was unprecedented and likely won't happen again anytime soon

            • eug on 29/08/2022 - 15:52
              +1

              @[Deactivated]:

              scalping price doesn't become the normal price due to events way out of the norm, what happened during covid was unprecedented and likely won't happen again anytime soon

              You're missing the point. Just like how RRP is irrelevant when looking at "was" prices during sales, RRP is irrelevant when nobody follows it.

              What matters is the normal selling price. If the normal selling price is $1,800-2,000 for a long time and the price drops, I'd say that is a bargain at the time because it is cheaper than the normal selling price at the time.

              Obviously it isn't a bargain now as demand has dropped and prices have come all the way down. But at the time I'd say they would have been bargains because they were cheaper than the regular selling price.

              • ihfree on 29/08/2022 - 16:18

                @eug: I would agree that RRP is largely meaningless, especially in the two cases mentioned. I think bargains should be based on lowest possible price you can buy the item for at the time.

                When I bought a GPU last year, I paid over RRP using a deal posted on Ozbargain.

                I was looking for a GPU for a few weeks before buying one. If I wanted to pay near RRP, I would have needed to wait until relatively recently. I also avoided a LHR version. I've had an additional time using the item by buying it at the best possible price at the time. I also avoided a LHR version. I wasn't even able to use price protection insurance on the item a year later.

              • [Deactivated] on 29/08/2022 - 16:37

                @eug:

                What matters is the normal selling price. If the normal selling price is $1,800-2,000 for a long time and the price drops, I'd say that is a bargain at the time because it is cheaper than the normal selling price at the time.

                i disagree. it was obvious, even at the time that you would consider that a bargain, that the price was going to continue dropping, which is why a lot of people just decided to wait.

    • wisdomtooth on 01/09/2022 - 12:58

      anything that is on sale for a lower price than it usually is

      Nah. Promotion does not a bargain make.

      1. An item need not be popular (or "sought after") to be a bargain;
      2. An item need not be on sale to be a bargain (aka "long-standing deals" at OzBargain), and plenty of items "on sale" are not bargains even at purportedly "reduced" prices.

      Rather, a bargain is an item being sold at a price that at a good cost-benefit price point in comparison to similar items (not just to itself through time, which is of course easily and routinely manipulated by retailers all the time).

  • [Deactivated] on 29/08/2022 - 01:01

    yes

  • spackbace on 29/08/2022 - 01:45
    +3

    Eh, community will always have differing views about this, but it doesn't matter at the end of the day as most deal posts are allowed to be posted.

    You'll always have people who have posted no/few deal posts trying to argue what should or shouldn't be posted, and you'll always have proficient deal posters who's views differ as well. No one's answer is 'correct'.

  • QuickdraW on 29/08/2022 - 02:57
    +7

    Why are people offended by posts that don't interest them? Especially when there are filters to hide them from delicate eyes.

  • singingwolf on 29/08/2022 - 05:46

    There are many bargains listed on the site daily, but are only a bargain for me if it's something I need. Peoples needs are so broad that it's good there are so many bargains listed as we all find something we need on here at least once a week or once a fortnight.

    What worries me more is Amazon sucking people in with cheap subscription deals, but by the time that item is due ot be shipped on the next date, it's way more expensive. So you end up cancelling your subscription. I think Amazon is hurting a lot of existing retails as they match the pricing but others can't match Amazon's fast free post. Which is good in the short term. I wonder if we end up paying more in the long term…

    • mskeggs on 29/08/2022 - 07:53
      +2

      In the USA where prime is dearer, I think it is clear Amazon is aiming to wipeout competition and then grow their margin.

      • eug on 29/08/2022 - 09:55

        Has that actually happened with other stores? I have never shopped at a small hardware store or grocery store, but has Bunnings and Colesworth actually raised prices over what those stores charge?

        I've always been under the impression that small stores can't compete in terms of buying power so things will always cost more.

        • mskeggs on 30/08/2022 - 10:20

          What happens is the small local stores can’t compete, and they close. But then there is no alternative to the big stores, so the big stores raise their prices.
          You can see it on the ozb front page for lettuce.
          Small local fruit shops selling $1 or $2 lettuce. Not many left as the supermarkets have largely replaced them, so there is little reason for Woolies or Coles to sell a lettuce for less than $3.99.

          The stores don’t set their prices based on what they cost to buy in items, they set them based on what you will pay.

          • eug on 30/08/2022 - 10:50

            @mskeggs:

            What happens is the small local stores can’t compete, and they close. But then there is no alternative to the big stores, so the big stores raise their prices.

            Yup that's what I've read, but has it actually happened? e.g. I can go to Target and buy a $6.40 tshirt and to go Kmart and buy a $7.50 toaster. I would imagine a small business wouldn't have the buying power (or for it to be worth their while) to be able to offer such cheap items.

            The stores don’t set their prices based on what they cost to buy in items, they set them based on what you will pay.

            I thought all businesses do that, small and large? They exist to make money after all.

            I buy items from small Asian stores sometimes, when there is a crossover of items (e.g. evaporated milk) it's much cheaper at Woolies than the small Asian shop. So I've always assumed that common items would be cheaper at Woolies than a small grocery store because of their higher buying power.

            • mskeggs on 30/08/2022 - 11:07

              @eug: Do they do it? Yes, see the examples on lettuce.
              See the posts where Amazon price beats the supermarkets every week. If they were passing on their great buying power they would have that price all the time.

              The bigger shops depend on the impression it isn't worth shopping around, and run some heavy discounts to get you in the door each week.

              But every week the normal price for 5kg of potatoes at my local fruit market is $5.99, and the cheapest it gets at Coles or Woolies is $2kg, and often $3.

              As a general rule, the items not in the catalogue each week aren't very well priced.

              • eug on 30/08/2022 - 11:32

                @mskeggs:

                Do they do it? Yes, see the examples on lettuce.

                I was thinking more about regular items that haven't been affected by unusual events like the floods.

                The bigger shops depend on the impression it isn't worth shopping around, and run some heavy discounts to get you in the door each week.

                I must say, based on the very limited comparisons I did, it isn't worth shopping around for me. But that could be because there aren't any small grocery stores around my area; it could very well be a different story in more established suburbs.

                There's an IGA near me (not sure if they're considered a 'small' grocery store now) but everything I've looked at is more expensive than Coles/Woolies. I only go there when I'm after their unique product lines, or it's after 10pm and before 12am. :)

                But every week the normal price for 5kg of potatoes at my local fruit market is $5.99, and the cheapest it gets at Coles or Woolies is $2kg, and often $3.

                Hmm do you mean that the other way round? Or is Coles/Woolies cheaper?

                As a general rule, the items not in the catalogue each week aren't very well priced.

                Is that true for non-produce items as well? Like tinned food, drinks, bread, etc.
                Genuine question as there really aren't any small local grocery stores in my area apart from Asian stores who mostly sell unique items.

                • mskeggs on 31/08/2022 - 18:18

                  @eug: The issue isn’t so much that shopping around will give you good results now, but that when there is no option but the big guys left, they have no incentive to rein in their margin.

    • ihfree on 29/08/2022 - 12:17

      I think Amazon should be avoided where possible over their business practices. You can look into the whole behaviour with Amazon Basics products and it's impact on smaller sellers - I think there's even another recent story on it from Amazon India.

      Sadly, the connivence of Prime is too good. I really had hoped Australian sellers would step up to the challenge when they heard Amazon was coming to Australia.

      • singingwolf on 29/08/2022 - 22:42
        +1

        Aus post tried with their subscription free shipping. That should of allowed the locals to step up. But they didn't. And now every deal they have gets matched. Pretty hard to compete…

        • ihfree on 29/08/2022 - 22:44
          +1

          Wow, I vaguely remember that. I was on the free trial of it but IIRC it was too limited.

          • singingwolf on 29/08/2022 - 22:47

            @ihfree: Yeah couldn't remember the name of it.

            • ihfree on 29/08/2022 - 22:51
              +1

              @singingwolf: Just tracked down the name - Shipster.

              I used it for at least one order back in 2018 based on a quick search of my email. It's crazy how much Amazon has picked up. I remember conversations discussing how useless Amazon was around about the same time.

              • singingwolf on 29/08/2022 - 22:53
                +1

                @ihfree: Haha yeah they were bad at first. Certainly have come a long way.

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 29/08/2022 - 06:54
    +7

    More lettuce deals please

  • GangGang on 29/08/2022 - 07:08

    It's also about the effort & time with the return you get.

  • pegaxs on 29/08/2022 - 07:47
    +3

    Plastic crap from Amazon dropshitters are definitely bargains. And so are RRP Nintendo anything.

    And $1200 headphones can be bargains, but only if they are artificially sale restricted and marketed in a way that drives demand through the roof and supply is drip fed to drive up hysteria and FOMO.

  • djones145 on 29/08/2022 - 07:51
    +2

    damn kids…

    if you are going for a definition, google is not the place to go
    it's the Oxford dictionary! at least u didn't say tik tok defines a bargain as…

    back in my day I use to whip out the paper version to look it up

    "a thing bought for less than the usual price"

    so anything purchased less than the usual price is a bargain! even 1 cent less

    never argue with the Oxford dictionary

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 29/08/2022 - 08:15
    +1

    What is a bargain

    Jousting sticks for <$250
    Pol Pit < $800

    • franco cozzo on 29/08/2022 - 09:50
      +2

      tell em theyre dreaming!

  • Trying2SaveABuck on 29/08/2022 - 08:32
    +2

    i think the issue is pretty simple

    Some items are not 'worth' there RRP and at 'discounted' prices are still not worth there cost….

    Example some yank brand but made in China shorts that were advertised RRP $150 marked down to $79

    Sure the RRP was $150 but realistically they are probably not selling to many units at that and $79 is probably a more 'reasonable' RRP but it is not a bargain (thus the sale price is what most would consider 'normal' price).

    Retail institutions (esp Clothing) have been doing this for years - pump a HIGH RRP only to discount it 'later' to make customers feel like they are getting value but in reality the 'discounted' price is the real RRP as the company knows they probably wont sell a single unit at the RRP unless it is some outrageously popular item

    The bulk of Ozbargainers from what ive seen get over this -tactic and thus complain - in most cases it is people associated with the business themselves trying to get some 'free' advertising for there over priced crap

  • Drakesy on 29/08/2022 - 08:34
    +5

    Not new releases for subscription services like netflix, disney, prime etc.

    • netjock on 29/08/2022 - 09:56

      But it is free! If you forget the upfront cost.

      You know like pay $60k and get a $3k subsidy and it is a bargain. Apparently it is free charging if you pick your sunny days and stay at home for 8hrs (depending on which part of Australia, sun rise to sunset will net you about 24kwh in winter and maybe twice that in summer) then go and drive 30k/kms a year exclusively on overcast, rainy and night time.

    • ihfree on 29/08/2022 - 16:36

      On the fence about new releases from subscription services. They are useful, though, I would understand why they aren't considered bargains.

  • JoeBogan on 29/08/2022 - 09:15
    +3

    Bargains are very subjective and this post is hinting at some form of elitism regarding this. You may not think a $400 backpack is a bargain and that's fine, as it is entirely subjective.

    This is ozbargain not ozidontthinkthisisabargain.

    • netjock on 29/08/2022 - 09:59
      +3

      ozidontthinkthisisabargain

      Worst part is they don't offer any alternatives. Just drop it there "it isn't a bargain" like the rest of us really care. Vote, don't vote, move on. It is like these people get paid per character to write comments.

      I do like the jokes because they can be entertaining, sometimes I just come for the comments.

  • netjock on 29/08/2022 - 09:15
    +5

    If people are confident they are posting a better deal then do it. Don't worry about what other people think.

    I'm more worried about the people who their parents let them onto the keyboard or think they can let themselves onto a keyboard and start talking about stuff they don't know about. Plenty of those on here.

    • franco cozzo on 29/08/2022 - 09:50

      why hello fellow ozbargainers!

  • Drakesy on 29/08/2022 - 09:58
    +1

    Almost forgot, anything that is posted by Suttonforestmeatandwine is not a bargain.
    It is spam.

    • netjock on 29/08/2022 - 10:00
      +2

      It is spam.

      No discount on spam I take it? (joke)

      • Drakesy on 29/08/2022 - 10:01

        V Gooood

    • samfisher5986 on 01/09/2022 - 16:21
      +1

      Exactly and honestly I think a lot of the ozbargain community has become exhausted to deal with companies like that.

      In my opinion reps are mostly garbage these days, we should just ban them.

      Back in the day we had bargaincrypt giving us insane logitech deals and the community rallied behind things like that and the reps engaged with us.

      Today reps just post garbage with little community engagement.

  • USER DC on 29/08/2022 - 10:40
    -2

    if you are convinced enough to splash your Cash right now without needing that item, (price difference or item demand is so high) that's a bargain for you then.

    In case of when you need that item, you were to get that deal over another deal elsewhere that's a bargain too (just might not be as big of one as above)

  • Keplaffintech on 29/08/2022 - 10:56
    +2

    I'm sick of seeing boutique / one-off product manufacturers posting on Ozb because they have a 'sale'. They set the price of their product and they create the artificial discounts.

    Because there is typically nowhere else to buy that product from, they are not violating the rules. They are hardly bargains and more just free advertising.

  • 87percent on 29/08/2022 - 11:01
    +1

    its only a bargain if you were intending to buy it and found it cheaper

    • ihfree on 29/08/2022 - 12:21
      -1

      This is how I try and use Ozbargain now. I have watches set for products that I want to buy.

      Still, Ozbargain does result in a few extra purchases based on price. There are plenty of users who have a "Buy now, think later" philosophy.

      For example, I picked up a mythical pair of $100 Airpods Pro from the Little Birdie opening. I didn't intend to buy them, but I am more than happy with the purchase.

  • 2025 on 29/08/2022 - 11:38
    +1

    To me, a bargain is easily defined as anything that I want or need, and the price is such that I purchase the item without any hesitation.

    • samfisher5986 on 01/09/2022 - 16:24
      -2

      So I assume paying $2.20 per litre of fuel is a bargain for you because you need/want it.

      • 2025 on 01/09/2022 - 17:43

        Lmao
        I’d certainly hesitate at that price

  • franco cozzo on 29/08/2022 - 12:39

    hard to say….honestly havent seen anything here for a long time id consider a bargain or worth jumping on. used to be amazing deals posted here 5+ years ago…miss those days

    • ihfree on 29/08/2022 - 13:55

      Agree that things have changed.

      I think retailers are a lot more aware of Ozbargain now. The community has also massively grown which has created a lot more diversity of deals and more noise.

      You see the change in deals as retailers or products mature. Two prime examples would be:

      • Shopback Gift cards
      • eBay Plus deals
      • samfisher5986 on 01/09/2022 - 17:02
        +1

        In my opinion its this.

        Retailers have purposefully created confusion on the actual price of products so that they can have regular sales and generate more income. This never used to happen.

        For example Black Friday etc never have the best deals anymore, you will always find the best deals at other points in time.

        So the end result is a bunch of "half" bargains because retailers say it is, and occasionally we'll have real bargains.

        • spackbace on 01/09/2022 - 17:40
          +1

          This never used to happen.

          Well, there were the Dick Smith sales:
          Week 1 - Full price but discount code
          Week 2 - No code, discounted prices
          Week 3 - Refer week 1
          Week 4 - Refer week 2

          God it got annoying seeing those

  • Iluvfreebies on 11/09/2022 - 19:30

    All freebies are a bargain.

  • gamemaster on 08/10/2022 - 15:06

    A bargain is a subjective term and relative.

    Ultimately a bargain is a bargain if you think it’s a bargain because everyone has a different measure of what a bargain is. What you consider a bargain might not be what I consider a bargain.

    When a group of individuals decide if something is a bargain then typically they get more upvotes when they post a deal. That’s not to say there are biases, such as

    • The demographics of users - age, gender, occupation etc
    • The popularity or demand of an item
    • The availability of an item
    • FOMO
    • The supplier or store of the item
    • If a deal ends up on the front page
    • Existing votes for a deal
    • How well a deal is publish
    • Who publishes the deal
    • When a deal is published
    • Whether the deal is targeted or requires subscription
    • If the deal is political
    • If a helicopter is required

    In addition to:

    • The price of the item
    • Whether other discounts can be stacked
    • Historically low pricing of the item
    • Currency exchange rates

    And probably a bunch of other factors I have missed.

    The other way of determining if a deal is a bargain is how you feel about it post purchase after a few week or months after purchase.

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