Could shops charge MORE for products you’ve ‘Liked’ on Facebook and Twitter?

  • ‘2012 will be the year of behavioural pricing’ – entrepreneur
  • Sites could use Facebook ‘Likes’ to hike prices
  • Tweets, credit score and web history could ‘tell’ sites about who you are – and what you’ll be willing to pay

By
Rob Waugh

Last updated at 6:19 PM on 23rd January 2012

Twitter

‘Behavioural pricing’ would tailor pricing to individual users – with special offers targeted to certain shoppers, but also taking into account information from social networks such as Facebook or Twitter

Online shops already have a frightening amount of information at their fingertips – from whether you’ve purchased from them before, to what sites you’ve visited before you arrive at their shop, accessible via browsing history.

But new start-ups could move the idea to a new level – harvesting information from sources such as Facebook and Twitter to ‘tweak’ prices to what customers are willing to pay.

In other words, if you’ve ‘Liked’ something, prepare to pay for it.

One web entrepreneur, Alex Gannett, founder of CampusSplash says that 2012 will be ‘the year of
behavioural pricing’ – a new type of e-commerce, where prices will be
tweaked to include what customers are willing to pay.

Using such freely available information isn’t an out-there idea.

Demdex, acquired by Adobe last year, has built a business on harvesting user information from ‘cookies’ – invisible internet files –  to build up a picture of what audiences like so that advertisers can target people more effectively.

Tweaking prices to suit the individual could be the next step.

The idea has already started raising privacy alarm bells.

Gannet writes, ‘This year will mark the end of static pricing. The use of your tweets, credit score, and web history in e-commerce pricing is frightening—but ultimately unavoidable.’

Gannett describes the idea as a ‘consumer’s worst nightmare, a merchant’s dream’.

Chris Simpson, Chief Marketing Officer at price comparison website Kelkoo says, ‘There are many pricing policies already used by retailers that most consumers are completely unaware of.’

‘These include things like regional pricing variations in the same stores across the country, not to mention retailers using different pricing structures for the same products in stores and online.’

Shops already harvest information from loyalty card programmes, and also use credit ratings to decide what rates some customers should pay for products such as loans.

Gannett writes, ‘Online marketers have
dramatically increased the amount of behavioral data they have on
consumers. It comes from a complex network of web histories,
demographic records, loyalty programs, and increasingly, social media
profiles.

In the last few years, behavioral data has matured and gained
widespread acceptance and usage in online advertising. Startups like
Demdex  allow advertisers to access “databanks” of
behavioral information on users, and target advertising to them.’ 

Kelkoo’s Simpson says that although the idea seems like a next step for businesses, it may be hard to work in the real world – particularly when web shoppers are fond of using apps and comparison sites to track down the best bargains.

Simpson says, ‘Whilst behavioural pricing might seem like the next logical step, it is a hugely complex initiative for retailers to implement.’

‘The danger of this pricing strategy is that if ‘social savvy’ shoppers became aware of it, it could lead to a social media boycott destroying a retailer’s reputation very quickly.’

The great thing about price comparison sites like Kelkoo is that we offer customers price transparency. In essence, customer data does not influence the prices that are displayed on our website.’

 

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have not been moderated.

Pay cash for everything. Its easy. The only thing you can tell from my financial dealings is that I earn money, pay utility bills and withdraw cash at the same ATM at the same time every week. Nobody knows what I spend it on.

Easy jet already do it. If you search online for a flight and do not buy it on that search the next time you search the price has gone up. The only way to get the flight is to find another computer that has not done the search and buy the ticket on that computer. I did this yesterday and saved myself £8!

never used facebook. i htink it is a very dangerous site, but when you shop on line a lot of goods are cheaper on line than the shop price, so it is best to see what price the item is in the shop then check the on line price before you buy, that is what I do, any thirfty buyers would do that if they have a computer

And you thought your Facebook account was ‘free’?
Well, losing your privacy and Lord knows how much money is a small price to pay for … losing your privacy … mates, are you SURE you want to keep feeding your lives to Facebook and the rest of that sorry ilk?

This is too much exploitation of people. It looks like Facebook is being used for junk mail by these shops. We don’t want it in our homes nor our websites.
– richard, london uk, 23/1/2012 20:36
Haha. Facebook aren’t being used. They’re the ones peddling out these ideas and selling your data.

So before you want to buy anything online just disparage the product and hey presto, you get it on the cheap.
– Stephen, St. Ives, England,
Rubbish!!! Is that how you do it?

Watch out for MyConnects which launching in Australia as we speak which solve most of the privacy problems raised by commentators. MyConnects is designed for consumers (a first we believe) and lets consumers decide who and what supplier, service or community they want to connect to. Driven by consumers (not suppliers and brands) MyConnects allows a consumer to publish their own unique preferences and allows (only with the consumers permission) connection to stated preferences and likes chosen by the consumer. Consumers have option to disconnect at any time and comment on suppliers and their experiences; so suppliers and brands will be kept honest.

Personally I like the self service tills,especially for cheese.

I think to varying degrees across whatever range of products, marketing departments have always used ‘behavioural marketing’. This is just one of the many tools they utilise to do so.

I don’t like anything. Does that mean I can pay less?
– Rob, Poole, 23/1/2012 21:50
————————————————————————————————————
Yes.
If you can offer cash or a DEBIT card, turn the tables and HAGGLE! Don’t be shy! If they don’t want to play -Walk.
Haggles do not have to be a price reduction-“throw ins” are good-HDMI leads, Printer cables etc. Always go haggling when the shop is quiet and ask to speak to the assistant manage/.senior sales-these people have the authority to drop prices. Extended warranties-always remember you can cancel these within 45 days if the deal depends on you buying one.
Where can you haggle? In most big names-just about everywhere but a pound shop!

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