“Come on” has eleven (!) different meanings? “Come on!,” I can hear you say. Actually, that’s definition #1 (see below); the other ten follow: One. “I don’t believe you”; incredulous. “She never went to class, and aced the final? Come on . . .” Two. “Hurry up”; admonishing. “The Uber will be here in 5...Read More
“Coupon Caveats,” or, When the Sum of the Parts < The Whole [Editor’s Note: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway, or any other entity referenced.] There may be valid reasons to buy an annual Barnes & Noble membership for $25. But, the promised $50...Read More
Too-Good-to-be-True Real Estate Come-On’s Combine an (over)heated housing market, scarce inventory (at least at the lower price rungs), and a shaky economy in which lots of consumers have still-battered credit, and what do you get? Home-made signs (like the one to the right) on telephone poles promising would-be home Buyers their pick of hundreds of...Read More
“Would you like fries — and a cherry pie, and a latte, and a DVD, and a ??? — with that?” I think it’s fair to say that we live in an “up-selling” world. There’s never just one membership category anymore; there’s “standard,” “deluxe,” and “premiere” (that applies to everything from credit cards to health...Read More
It’s All About the ***Asterisk***I usually let it pass unremarked, but the latest come-on in my mailbox is too good (bad?) to not pass along. (I won’t reveal the name of the company, but it rhymes with Schmifetime Schmitness.) In big, bold letters at the top of the letter: Rejoin for $0 Enrollment Fee and...Read More
