Top Ten most SHOPLIFTED items?

by Terry 38 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  talesin

  DaCheech, this

  off topic, but the other day I was shopping for toner in a laser printer............... found a new laser printer for the same price as the toner!!!!

  There are many things that fall in this category. It's part of the wasteful, consumerist way of life, and it's not the 'consumer's fault'. Unfortunately, we NEED to buy what is most valuable; it's embedded in the system, and hard to escape.

  Let's face it,,, if you have a family, and it's cheaper to buy a NEW printer, rather than replace the toner,,, where is your money gonna go? This whole system sux, imho.

  xo

  tal
• 

  sammielee24

  The problem as with most things is that if demand goes up, the price keeps going up. Test strips are paid for on a lot of insurance plans and in the USA they might be covered by State plans or Medicare. In Florida they reported that testing for diabetes was decreasing but the cost of strips was increasing dramatically. There are people who get the strips paid for through insurance, who then turn around and sell them for cash thereby earning a 100% profit. The more they do it, the greater the cost to everyone else. Apparently it's in the millions of dollars in abuse. Kind of like meds - people will cut them in half and then sell half a prescription - it's a cycle. This quote is from a State insurance plan - as you can see the strips are free - for some people that means they can sell them - and at a cost of $1.00 a strip in some places, it's a good chunk of change for them depending on how many strips they are allowed. Do I blame someone who needs them and wants to save money from buying gray market? No. sammieswife

  EGINNING JANUARY 1, 2011, A PREFERRED DIABETIC SUPPLY LIST (PDSL) WILL BE IMPLEMENTED.

  What does this mean for me?

  You will need to start using one of the blood glucose monitors listed in the table below. If you have a blood glucose monitor that is not on the list below, you will need to speak with your doctor to get a new prescription for one of the blood glucose monitors and test strips listed below. New blood glucose monitors and test strips will be provided at no cost to you. If you already have one of the blood glucose monitors listed below, you do not need to do anything.
• 

  jgnat

  I read a business article about Day Timers a few years ago. They described their costing model. The fluctuating price of paper used to wreak havoc on their forecasts. By the time the catalog came out, the price of paper had changed! Then they realized that costing has a lot more to do with perceived value than the actual price. So they marked up their luxury covers and kept the price of the inserts low. Even in years where they lost on the inserts, the accessories more than made up the difference.

  Has anyone noticed the price of Apple accessories? Yowza.
• 

  jgnat

  Having spent the last few plans without a drug plan, hubby and I have become painfully aware of the cost of medications. If we need a product that has been on the market for some times, lots of people need it, and if it has an expired patent, we get a nice generic price. Thyroid is easy peasy. Hubby's glaucoma medicine by comparison, we figure, are about five dollars a drop. Why? Only one manufacturer and limited demand.
• 

  talesin

  Jgnat, you might want to check the dispensary fees ... I know you are in the deep country, but if you 'go to town' for your Rx and have a choice of pharmacies, you may be able to save a minimal amount on scrips. Some pharmacies charge $7 for dispensing, and up to $12. So you may be able to save a few bux here and there by checking that out.

  xo

  tal
• 

  Band on the Run

  I've had to write the manufacturer and beg for an exemption. Altho I fell outside of their formal plan, they did exempt me. Once I was given a weird pain med that caused nausea. I did not just want to not feel one pain while I am not functional from being sick to my stomach. My pain mgmt team worked out of a hospice unit. When I told the md the side effects, he prescribed antinausea tablets most often prescribed for chemotherapy patients. One pill was $250. Most of the patients in the practice have good insurance. I was not one. So some nurses told me of herbs to purchase in Chinatown and to eat pickled something. It was the first time in my life that the choice was so stark.

  Basic health should not be so dependent on the extent of your investment portfolio.

  I searched the internet once for my basic meds. The price difference in U.S. dollars differed greatly. Israel had the cheapest. Canada was much less than the United States.
• 

  jgnat

  talesin, our small town pharmacist is from the old school. He recognizes me on sight and has our meds ready for pickup before we can reach the counter. He gives us cost-saving tips and we're both keeping tabs of when we are back on a plan. I won't go back to those big impersonal city pharmacies again, if I can help it.
• 

  Glander

  I don't think there is any practical way for the average consumer to overcome market manipulation in general.

  We have found that online shopping is the way to go and you have to factor the gasoline and hassle. We live 20+ miles from any major grocery, hardware, department store.

  It does stifle our shoplifting impulses, lol.

  More importantly, it also stifles our impulse purchases.
• 

  talesin

  Yes, I hear you, but s/he still gets a $5-10 dispensary fee.

  Unless you're special.
• 

  talesin

  jgnat,,

  Just to clarify.. JOKE

  you are a special person,,, and xo you to the max. xoxoxo