Archived What do you think of this?
- Thread starter FlowChick
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When I saw this last week, my thought was, "again?" Seriously, they had this issue with a doll (not Barbie) a year or two ago. Who are these bozos that keep doing this?
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I'm glad they fixed it right away.
Just weird that it had to be pointed out in the first place.
I remember the year we had to dump a bunch of Halloween signing because it had pictures of black kids with the words "Spooks" over them.
I'm sure the people who wrote the ad copy probably weren't even alive during the 1960s but still ....
Just weird that it had to be pointed out in the first place.
I remember the year we had to dump a bunch of Halloween signing because it had pictures of black kids with the words "Spooks" over them.
I'm sure the people who wrote the ad copy probably weren't even alive during the 1960s but still ....
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I am a 70's baby but I read history books..
Mhugh220
Former ETL-Logistics
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This could go both ways - African doll costs more - white people must want white Barbies in every home. African doll costs less - white people must think African products are worth less than white products. Can't please everyone. Must have been an honest mistake in the database system. They probably don't have the same DPI (off by one number) so the adjustment only went to one of the dolls in that product line.
ClearanceMaster
Price Accuracy TM
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We didn't even receive any african American dolls in this year. Just one barbie thing. We usually get an Our Generation doll line and everything but this year nothing. Then an African American comes up to me and asks me if we have any and I have to sheepishly tell them just this one. I've been getting dirty looks and "mmhmms" and everything for the past month. Give me a break.. I just mark the clearance..
CleanMyBackRoOm
Hard lines Wizard
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Yeah, they had different DPCI's I honestly just looked it up. If they purged whatever had that number before and the person writing the script to the site didn't change the price that's on them. I could see that happening, I mean how often do you see that kind of mistake. Personally I think the news article kind of blows it up into a bigger deal than it already was. I mean, why the hell did this guy go to the news station about this first of all? I highly doubt anyone up in Minn, gave him a hard time about it and literally probably changed the price on the spot for him... IMO the guys just looking for some attention and fame creating a fluctuating racial issue...
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I think they made it clear that Spot didn't give him a hard time and was quick to fix the problem.
The fact that there was a situation that a little kid noticed and an international corporation didn't is what made it news.
He probably didn't 'go to' to the station.
There are all kinds of ways they would have picked up the story, a newspaper local interest piece, even a Spot press release.
Seriously WTF is a 'fluctuating racial issue'?
He got what he wanted, the company to charge the same price for the doll.
There's no attention or fame involved.
CleanMyBackRoOm
Hard lines Wizard
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Fluctuating racial issue? That doesn't speak for itself? I'm speaking on the piece of the world around you lately. Watch the news, to think that people out there don't think race isn't an issue is ignorance.
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I very much agree race is an issue, I was questioning your terminology and the context.
As I pointed out, he got what he wanted.
I guess the going on the news would serve as a warning to other companies not to make the same kind of mistake but otherwise it was a nice kind of David vs. Goliath story.
In the context of a 'race' story it's considered a win unlike so many of the others on the news.
As I pointed out, he got what he wanted.
I guess the going on the news would serve as a warning to other companies not to make the same kind of mistake but otherwise it was a nice kind of David vs. Goliath story.
In the context of a 'race' story it's considered a win unlike so many of the others on the news.
FlowChick
Expect The Unexpected
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I totally agree. I had a woman come in looking for a black generation doll and I had like 4 boxes on my flat of backstock because the aisle was full. Well there were none in the aisles and after looking through the boxes, there were none!!!! CRAZY....I was wondering if we even carry the black dolls, and I remember seeing one some time long long ago.......Haha. ALL BAD.
ClearanceMaster
Price Accuracy TM
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Last year and every year before that they had their own dpci and the description was "generation doll AA". Now I'm wondering if they mixed them into one DPCI or if they just didn't carry it
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Why is the white doll cheaper? BECAUSE IT'S ON SALE! It even says "sale" RIGHT UNDERNEATH the price ffs.
This is no different than a red headphone being on sale and a green headphone being regular priced.
Ridiculous.
This is no different than a red headphone being on sale and a green headphone being regular priced.
Ridiculous.
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So I guess the question was why weren't the black dolls on sale too?
They are identical and usually when dolls like that go on sale both of them do.
I find it kinda funny that anyone thinks this was intentional. Do you really think there's a guy who sits in a small room in Minneapolis who decides how to price each item? I'm pretty certain pricing is not done manually, but rather via a computer program.
Lots of time we'll have different prices on identical products with the exception of color - say a blue sweater versus a pink sweater. Of course, if a guest points it out, I'll gladly VIBE a price change.
Lots of time we'll have different prices on identical products with the exception of color - say a blue sweater versus a pink sweater. Of course, if a guest points it out, I'll gladly VIBE a price change.
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Not intentional, no -- tone deaf, unaware of social situations, culturally stilted, corporate blindness, I could go on but what's the point?
This isn't a case of a blue Ipod vs a yellow one, please don't use that comparison.
It's easy as a someone in retail to to do that, we work with numbers and different products every day.
It seems simple to us.
To that little girl and her father it seems like the doll that looked like her costs twice as much.
That's personal.
I know you would vibe something like that but the fact is most of the stores (as many of the posts here have pointed out) just don't carry those dolls so the father had to go online.
Which meant there wasn't someone to vibe with, he had to go to corporate.
And they listened which is great.
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You missed the point. The point was that it wasn't tone deaf, unaware of social situations, culturally stilted, corporate blindness. It was a matter of an algorithm that doesn't see color or social situations or culture. It's a math thing.
I get that the dad was upset. Would he have been less upset if his doll were priced or worth less than the white doll? I'd be more pissed about that.
I get that the dad was upset. Would he have been less upset if his doll were priced or worth less than the white doll? I'd be more pissed about that.
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Corporate blindness is allowing to have an algorithm do the work with no human oversight.
A cursory glance at the sales would have brought this to light before there was any bad publicity.
Yes, it might cost you a little bit more but you know what it's worth it.
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Except when you get stupid bad publicity.
It's like having someone spellcheck the damned signs.
I can't tell you how many times I got replacement signs because someone finally figured out that they had misspelled something.
You do that in every single store it gets damned expensive.
You have someone check it first, it might cost a bit up front but it's cheaper in the long run.
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