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Original poster

Does this piss anyone else off when online shopping '27 people are also looking at this'...'selling fast,100 sold already today' etc.

53 replies

Farmageddon · 28/05/2023 20:31

I feckin hate those messages that come up when you're browsing clothes online telling me how popular an item is. Why are they everywhere all of a sudden?
It doesn't make want to buy the thing, it's actually really off-putting - like the online version of a pushy sales person.

Anyone else hate this or just me?

OP posts:
Original poster
Farmageddon · 28/05/2023 22:54

MonumentalLentil · 28/05/2023 22:45

When I am looking for something and a message pops up 'John from Brighton bought this at 5.00 pm' and every time I open a page 'Bought by Freda from Finchley' 'Bought by Esmerelda from Norfolk' guaranteed to make me look elsewhere. In fact I have gone to the trouble of contacting the company to tell them so.

That's a good point actually - if we let them know that we hate it maybe it will stop.

Somewhere along the line a marketing team decided this was a good idea, but I wonder if they did any research or actually asked customers if we want to be constantly bothered in this way. I have definitely decided against buying items more than once because of this.

OP posts:
Throwncrumbs · 28/05/2023 22:54

It’s the same when booking flights and holidays, there’s always only two seats left or it’s the last room, makes me think ‘nah, not for me then if it’s that busy’ lol

tobee · 28/05/2023 22:54

Actually my favourite ones are from Trainline where you finish your booking and you get a notification saying "your trip to Basingstoke is nearly here!" 🎉🍾🥳🥂

CinnamonJellyBeans · 28/05/2023 22:56

Yes, I agree.

someoneisalwaysintheloo · 28/05/2023 23:01

The figures are all fake and just manipulate your FOMO.

If you know where to look on some sites you can see the code or script that does it.

dontgobaconmyheart · 28/05/2023 23:10

I'm not fussed over it - it's an effective business and marketing tactic and I don't see it as being much different to anything else - eg time limited reductions or sales or any other targeted ad.

Usually I just second guess myself if I see there are " x number of people looking at this right now" type of thing, I wonder if it's on a forum somewhere being ripped to shreds like it always is on here and that's why the views are so high.

QueueEtwo · 28/05/2023 23:10

Especially when it's something linked from here & you just know that the other 50 people looking at this very popular item are other Mnetters who have also clicked on the link! 🤣

Summering23 · 28/05/2023 23:15

It’s fake data. There was a dress I wanted from one site that was sold out in all sizes. I kept checking back to see if it had come back into stock. It never did but there was still a banner telling me how many people had supposedly bought it that day!

Precipice · 28/05/2023 23:16

I don't tend to see these. The only ones I can think of are on ebay where it lists 'X sold', but there I do feel more reassured as to the credibility of the seller than an item with no sales at all.

What irritates me are all sorts of pop-ups, which get past the adblocker, and that for many sites to find out the delivery costs you have to go through to check out and given an email and then if you don't make a purchase, they email you! I've learned to put in a fake email at that stage unless I actually check out, but I shouldn't have to. It's a misuse of customer (or not-customer) data.

Daffodilwoman · 28/05/2023 23:21

Yep it’s normally when I’ve clinked on a link posted by a Mumsnetter.
What I do find strange are the ‘because you looked at X you maybe interested in Y’ comments. You know you looked at a navy swimsuit so it goes without saying that you will also buy a pair of Doc Martins. Or you looked at a pink fascinator so the next logical step is to buy a duffel coat!

Doormatnomore · 28/05/2023 23:26

What would be crazy would be to leave the page open on your phone and look it up on your iPad to see if it then said 48 people are looking right now. I’ve definitely never done that …

PeaceLilyCactus · 28/05/2023 23:39

I hate it too and it’s designed to make you panic and buy without thinking it through by marketing assholes. It has the opposite effect on my decision to buy. I put the brakes on whenever I feel under pressure. I remember buying a mobile phone from a really bitchy salesperson when I was younger and I regretted it the second I stepped out of the shop. It put me off every giving my money to someone or a company I don’t like.

Moomoola · 28/05/2023 23:44

Yes, hate it.

Moomoola · 28/05/2023 23:45

Daffodilwoman · 28/05/2023 23:21

Yep it’s normally when I’ve clinked on a link posted by a Mumsnetter.
What I do find strange are the ‘because you looked at X you maybe interested in Y’ comments. You know you looked at a navy swimsuit so it goes without saying that you will also buy a pair of Doc Martins. Or you looked at a pink fascinator so the next logical step is to buy a duffel coat!

Exactly! Too many distractions, random annoying crap. Exhausting!

Yoksha · 28/05/2023 23:45

At last I thought I was alone. This just totally puts me off. I click exit & don't buy.

SweetBirdsong · 29/05/2023 00:05

YEP! Very annoying. Argos are demons for it. I think it happens on ebay too. And several other sites. (As people have mentioned.)

IDGAF who else has bought it, or that '223 people are looking at it now.' It's not going to make me buy it! I will if I want to, but your mithering me and pressure sales won't work. Jog on. Wink

VimtoVimto · 29/05/2023 09:14

Throwncrumbs · 28/05/2023 22:54

It’s the same when booking flights and holidays, there’s always only two seats left or it’s the last room, makes me think ‘nah, not for me then if it’s that busy’ lol

I once looked at a hotel on the TUI website showing only one room left over several weeks and the message was still the same.

Original poster
Farmageddon · 29/05/2023 10:29

dontgobaconmyheart · 28/05/2023 23:10

I'm not fussed over it - it's an effective business and marketing tactic and I don't see it as being much different to anything else - eg time limited reductions or sales or any other targeted ad.

Usually I just second guess myself if I see there are " x number of people looking at this right now" type of thing, I wonder if it's on a forum somewhere being ripped to shreds like it always is on here and that's why the views are so high.

Is it an effective marketing tactic though when it seems to put a lot of people off actually buying the thing, as mentioned by several people on this thread?

OP posts:
Tweety79 · 29/05/2023 12:15

I hate it when it says 48 people have bought this in the last 24 hours! Or, their are only 5 left (panic) buy before they are all gone!

peacelemon · 29/05/2023 12:34

The only time I like it is when someone has posted something hideous on here and then when you look at it it's got loads of interest and I like to imagine the company being confused why it's got so popular.

peacelemon · 29/05/2023 12:35

dontgobaconmyheart · 28/05/2023 23:10

I'm not fussed over it - it's an effective business and marketing tactic and I don't see it as being much different to anything else - eg time limited reductions or sales or any other targeted ad.

Usually I just second guess myself if I see there are " x number of people looking at this right now" type of thing, I wonder if it's on a forum somewhere being ripped to shreds like it always is on here and that's why the views are so high.

Yes that's the ones I like..when someone posts something so hideous no one would want it

TreesAtSea · 29/05/2023 17:07

Yes, drives me nuts and it's not just on clothing sites. We all know it's just a cynical attempt to rush us into making a purchase and often the figures given are misleading too. It also annoys me that these messages stay on-screen for so long and that, at least in my experience, they can't be cleared.

someoneisalwaysintheloo · 29/05/2023 19:35

dontgobaconmyheart · 28/05/2023 23:10

I'm not fussed over it - it's an effective business and marketing tactic and I don't see it as being much different to anything else - eg time limited reductions or sales or any other targeted ad.

Usually I just second guess myself if I see there are " x number of people looking at this right now" type of thing, I wonder if it's on a forum somewhere being ripped to shreds like it always is on here and that's why the views are so high.

Are you in that industry?

mdinbc · 29/05/2023 20:54

If you log out of the site right away, then they will track that and maybe catch on that people don't like it. An email to customer service can also help, they will pass it along hopefully.

ShinyAppleDreamingOfTheSea · 29/05/2023 23:01

RockaLock · 28/05/2023 21:45

Although if I'm looking at a link that someone on here has posted, and it says "40 people are looking at this right now", I always smile to myself and wonder how many of the 40 people are also reading the same MN thread Smile

I wonder that too ! And if they are looking at it thinking 'why would anyone want to wear this?'!

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