The OTC Dosage Scam

Manufacturers have become so creative with their attempts to get more money from consumers.  We all know about the Amazing Shrinking Volume/Weight.  Just look at the small size of dish washing detergent.  The bottles are the same size, but instead of the 13 ounces of two years ago they are now 9 ounces.

Recently, I have noticed the OTC (over the counter medicine) Dosage Scam becoming more common.  It works like this:  You buy a package of 24 tablets and when you get home and read the instructions you see that you need to take two tablets to equal one dose.  So the package actually only contains 12 doses of medication and you have paid twice as much for the medicine than you originally thought.

Of course the manufacturer will argue that all the information is on the back of the box for anyone to read.  This is true, but they are depending on buyers being too busy, too sick, too elderly and too distracted to read the fine print.

It all comes down to consumers beware, but I am just fed up with that attitude.  We should start pushing manufacturers to be transparent with their packaging.  Put your money where your mouth is and only buy products that are clearly and honestly labeled.  Send an email to manufacturers whose products you decide not to buy and let them know why.

Frankly I'm tired of needing to be Sherlock Holmes when I go shopping, just to make sure I don't get ripped off.

God bless,
Pam

Shrinking Packaging Deception

We've all done it:  we buy a favorite product, it doesn't last as long as usual and then, we realize that the manufacturer has decreased the amount of product in the packages.  Consumers tend to protest and stop buying products if the prices goes up, so manufacturers increase their profit by decreasing the amount of product while keeping the same price.

Changed Package Design

To hide this deception the package design is often changed, so that the consumer cannot visually see that the product amount is smaller.  You can see this in the above picture.  Another trick is to keep the same packaging design, but to make it smaller in a way that is not easy to recognize.

Same Package, But Smaller Amount

Take a look at Breyer's ice cream in the freezer section.  From the front it looks just the same, but from the side it is slimmer.  The manufacturer did this to give the shopper the same visual profile while the package is on the shelf and hoping that we are too busy or unobservant to see the narrowness of the package.

A half gallon of ice cream is not a half gallon anymore and a pound of coffee is a thing of the past, but frugal homemakers are smart enough to shop according to the price per ounce and not be deceived by packaging changes.

God bless,
Pam