What Is 'Approximate' for Adv Purposes?

  • Thread starter Watson A.Name - \"Watt Su
  • Start date
W

Watson A.Name - \"Watt Su

Guest
I stopped by a 99 cent store to grab some wire ties, and I also grabbed
a box of "BOLTS & NUTS 300 PCS APPROX" also for 99 cents, mainly because
I wanted the compartmented box itself, not the hardware.

I got home and popped open the lid, and said, No way! That sure doesn't
look like 300 pieces! I counted 126 pieces in all, which is
considerably less than 300!

So what does approxzimate mean, for advertising purposes? Should one
consider the tolerance + or - 10 percent? 20 percent? 50 percent? In
this case, even at 50 percent, 126 pieces fails the test, since it's
less than half of 300. Where does one draw the line and determine that
it's a flagrant violation of advertising?


--
@@F@r@o@m@@O@r@a@n@g@e@@C@o@u@n@t@y@,@@C@a@l@,@@w@h@e@r@e@@
###Got a Question about ELECTRONICS? Check HERE First:###
http://users.pandora.be/educypedia/electronics/databank.htm
My email address is whitelisted. *All* email sent to it
goes directly to the trash unless you add NOSPAM in the
Subject: line with other stuff. alondra101 <at> hotmail.com
Don't be ripped off by the big book dealers. Go to the URL
that will give you a choice and save you money(up to half).
http://www.everybookstore.com You'll be glad you did!
Just when you thought you had all this figured out, the gov't
changed it: http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html
@@t@h@e@@a@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@m@e@e@t@@t@h@e@@E@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@
@@@
 
"Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, the Dark Remover"" <NOSPAM@dslextreme.com> wrote
in message news:108sg019ap2d94f@corp.supernews.com...
I stopped by a 99 cent store to grab some wire ties, and I also grabbed
a box of "BOLTS & NUTS 300 PCS APPROX" also for 99 cents, mainly because
I wanted the compartmented box itself, not the hardware.

I got home and popped open the lid, and said, No way! That sure doesn't
look like 300 pieces! I counted 126 pieces in all, which is
considerably less than 300!

So what does approxzimate mean, for advertising purposes? Should one
consider the tolerance + or - 10 percent? 20 percent? 50 percent? In
this case, even at 50 percent, 126 pieces fails the test, since it's
less than half of 300. Where does one draw the line and determine that
it's a flagrant violation of advertising?


--
@@F@r@o@m@@O@r@a@n@g@e@@C@o@u@n@t@y@,@@C@a@l@,@@w@h@e@r@e@@
###Got a Question about ELECTRONICS? Check HERE First:###
http://users.pandora.be/educypedia/electronics/databank.htm
My email address is whitelisted. *All* email sent to it
goes directly to the trash unless you add NOSPAM in the
Subject: line with other stuff. alondra101 <at> hotmail.com
Don't be ripped off by the big book dealers. Go to the URL
that will give you a choice and save you money(up to half).
http://www.everybookstore.com You'll be glad you did!
Just when you thought you had all this figured out, the gov't
changed it: http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html
@@t@h@e@@a@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@m@e@e@t@@t@h@e@@E@f@f@l@u@e@n@t@@
@@@
Click to expand...
No way 126 is about 300 pieces, unless they were very large or something.

Bill
 
On Tue, 27 Apr 2004 04:15:15 -0700, the renowned "Watson A.Name -
\"Watt Sun, the Dark Remover\"" <NOSPAM@dslextreme.com> wrote:

I stopped by a 99 cent store to grab some wire ties, and I also grabbed
a box of "BOLTS & NUTS 300 PCS APPROX" also for 99 cents, mainly because
I wanted the compartmented box itself, not the hardware.

I got home and popped open the lid, and said, No way! That sure doesn't
look like 300 pieces! I counted 126 pieces in all, which is
considerably less than 300!

So what does approxzimate mean, for advertising purposes? Should one
consider the tolerance + or - 10 percent? 20 percent? 50 percent? In
this case, even at 50 percent, 126 pieces fails the test, since it's
less than half of 300. Where does one draw the line and determine that
it's a flagrant violation of advertising?
Click to expand...
I'd say anything between roughly 250 and 350 would be "approximately
300". Maybe that's why they were in the 99-cent store- they were
incorrectly marked back in China, hence became a liquidation lot.

I paid about $7 US for a nicely organized 25-drawer box of hardware
with 1,100 pieces (claimed, no I didn't bother counting them) and
thought that was an okay deal, which works out to 156 pieces for 99
cents.


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com
 
Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, the Dark Remover" wrote:

I stopped by a 99 cent store to grab some wire ties, and I also
grabbed a box of "BOLTS & NUTS 300 PCS APPROX" also for 99 cents,
mainly because I wanted the compartmented box itself, not the
hardware.

I got home and popped open the lid, and said, No way! That sure
doesn't look like 300 pieces! I counted 126 pieces in all, which is
considerably less than 300!

So what does approxzimate mean, for advertising purposes? Should one
consider the tolerance + or - 10 percent? 20 percent? 50 percent?
In this case, even at 50 percent, 126 pieces fails the test, since
it's less than half of 300. Where does one draw the line and
determine that it's a flagrant violation of advertising?


--
If the description was written by a politician, ANY number in the box
Click to expand...
would be deemed acceptable. Remember "It all depends upon your meaning
of the word ALONE?" Sorry, I just had to throw that out there.:)
 
"Bill" <xxx@yy.zz> wrote in message
news:Wirjc.236$Zd6.32@newssvr16.news.prodigy.com...
"Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, the Dark Remover"" <NOSPAM@dslextreme.com
wrote
in message news:108sg019ap2d94f@corp.supernews.com...
I stopped by a 99 cent store to grab some wire ties, and I also
grabbed
a box of "BOLTS & NUTS 300 PCS APPROX" also for 99 cents, mainly
because
I wanted the compartmented box itself, not the hardware.

I got home and popped open the lid, and said, No way! That sure
doesn't
look like 300 pieces! I counted 126 pieces in all, which is
considerably less than 300!

So what does approxzimate mean, for advertising purposes? Should
one
consider the tolerance + or - 10 percent? 20 percent? 50 percent?
In
this case, even at 50 percent, 126 pieces fails the test, since it's
less than half of 300. Where does one draw the line and determine
that
it's a flagrant violation of advertising?
Click to expand...

No way 126 is about 300 pieces, unless they were very large or
something.
Click to expand...

W-w-w-hat?? What's size got to do with it???

(Contrary to the claims of those neverending spams for v!agra,
and now later, c!alis..)

Bill
Click to expand...
 
So what does approxzimate mean, for advertising purposes? Should one
consider the tolerance + or - 10 percent? 20 percent? 50 percent? In
this case, even at 50 percent, 126 pieces fails the test, since it's
less than half of 300. Where does one draw the line and determine that
it's a flagrant violation of advertising?
Click to expand...
I wouldn't feel comfortable giving you a box with LESS than 300 pieces, if I
was offering it like that..

They obviously intend for you to think that you're getting 300 pieces, maybe
more.
 
"Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, the Dark Remover"" <NOSPAM@dslextreme.com> wrote
in message news:108sg019ap2d94f@corp.supernews.com...
I stopped by a 99 cent store to grab some wire ties, and I also grabbed
a box of "BOLTS & NUTS 300 PCS APPROX" also for 99 cents, mainly because
I wanted the compartmented box itself, not the hardware.

I got home and popped open the lid, and said, No way! That sure doesn't
look like 300 pieces! I counted 126 pieces in all, which is
considerably less than 300!

So what does approxzimate mean, for advertising purposes? Should one
consider the tolerance + or - 10 percent? 20 percent? 50 percent? In
this case, even at 50 percent, 126 pieces fails the test, since it's
less than half of 300. Where does one draw the line and determine that
it's a flagrant violation of advertising?
Click to expand...
You need to go back and buy another 100 boxes. The variation should be
(based on the current sample) between 126 and 474 with a reasonable
gaussian? distribution for it to be correct I suppose.
 
"Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, the Dark Remover"" <NOSPAM@dslextreme.com> wrote
in message news:108sg019ap2d94f@corp.supernews.com...
I stopped by a 99 cent store to grab some wire ties, and I also grabbed
a box of "BOLTS & NUTS 300 PCS APPROX" also for 99 cents, mainly because
I wanted the compartmented box itself, not the hardware.

I got home and popped open the lid, and said, No way! That sure doesn't
look like 300 pieces! I counted 126 pieces in all, which is
considerably less than 300!

So what does approxzimate mean, for advertising purposes? Should one
consider the tolerance + or - 10 percent? 20 percent? 50 percent? In
this case, even at 50 percent, 126 pieces fails the test, since it's
less than half of 300. Where does one draw the line and determine that
it's a flagrant violation of advertising?
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure no court would consider 126 to be "approximately 300." The
Federal Trade Commission probably has rules, and there is also the tradition
of common law and precedent.

If I were you, I'd go back to the store, see if the problem is reproducible,
and if so, advise the store manager to mark out "300 pcs approx" on every
label.
 
"Spehro Pefhany" <speffSNIP@interlogDOTyou.knowwhat> wrote in message
news:rahs80hhd74cltrn13n16f9bv2he460svj@4ax.com...

I'd say anything between roughly 250 and 350 would be "approximately
300". Maybe that's why they were in the 99-cent store- they were
incorrectly marked back in China, hence became a liquidation lot.
Click to expand...
That is a distinct possibility.
 
"Mjolinor" <mjolinor@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:pktjc.114$yA.52@newsfe1-win...
You need to go back and buy another 100 boxes. The variation should be
(based on the current sample) between 126 and 474 with a reasonable
gaussian? distribution for it to be correct I suppose.
Click to expand...
No, you're thinking of "average." The label said "approx." which implies
that *every* value is close to 300, not just the average of the values.

Whether this is a big legal liability depends mainly on whether the
customers in the store could see that the label is incorrect.
 
Mjolinor wrote:

"Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, the Dark Remover"" <NOSPAM@dslextreme.com> wrote
in message news:108sg019ap2d94f@corp.supernews.com...

I stopped by a 99 cent store to grab some wire ties, and I also grabbed
a box of "BOLTS & NUTS 300 PCS APPROX" also for 99 cents, mainly because
I wanted the compartmented box itself, not the hardware.

I got home and popped open the lid, and said, No way! That sure doesn't
look like 300 pieces! I counted 126 pieces in all, which is
considerably less than 300!

So what does approxzimate mean, for advertising purposes? Should one
consider the tolerance + or - 10 percent? 20 percent? 50 percent? In
this case, even at 50 percent, 126 pieces fails the test, since it's
less than half of 300. Where does one draw the line and determine that
it's a flagrant violation of advertising?


You need to go back and buy another 100 boxes. The variation should be
(based on the current sample) between 126 and 474 with a reasonable
gaussian? distribution for it to be correct I suppose.
Click to expand...
Well, there were about a hundred more boxes sitting on the shelf,
leading to the conclusion that they're obviously not the most popular
item. So anyone want to contribute a buck to find out?? I go into the
store every so often, I'll have to mention this to the owner.
 
"Michael A. Covington" <look@www.covingtoninnovations.com.for.address> wrote
in message news:i5Wdne8Svf4F7RPdRVn-jA@speedfactory.net...
"Mjolinor" <mjolinor@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:pktjc.114$yA.52@newsfe1-win...

You need to go back and buy another 100 boxes. The variation should be
(based on the current sample) between 126 and 474 with a reasonable
gaussian? distribution for it to be correct I suppose.


No, you're thinking of "average." The label said "approx." which implies
that *every* value is close to 300, not just the average of the values.

Whether this is a big legal liability depends mainly on whether the
customers in the store could see that the label is incorrect.
Click to expand...
I am trying to decide if their definition of "approx" is within the range
specified. If so then my first post is true. I'll concede half a point
though :)
 
In news:rahs80hhd74cltrn13n16f9bv2he460svj@4ax.com,
Spehro Pefhany typed:
I paid about $7 US for a nicely organized 25-drawer box of hardware
with 1,100 pieces (claimed, no I didn't bother counting them) and
thought that was an okay deal, which works out to 156 pieces for 99
cents.
Click to expand...
Or it works out to $7 for a nice cabinet.
 
Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, the Dark Remover" wrote:
I stopped by a 99 cent store to grab some wire ties, and I also
grabbed a box of "BOLTS & NUTS 300 PCS APPROX" also for 99 cents,
mainly because I wanted the compartmented box itself, not the
hardware.

Since you wanted mainly the box, what does it matter? Will you put another
Click to expand...
LED-array into it? Or do you just want to store all those cheap LEDs you got
at EBay? Then the less parts the better, you could buy 2 boxes and put all
the screws in one and have the other free for the led storage.
--
ciao Ban
Bordighera, Italy
 
"Watson A.Name - \"Watt Sun, the Dark Remover\""
"BOLTS & NUTS 300 PCS APPROX"
I counted 126 pieces in all, which is
considerably less than 300!
Click to expand...
No it's not, 126 base 10 is 330 base 6, so you got 30 base 6 (18 base
10) more parts than you paid for. Please take the extra parts back
and complain. 8*)

Did you count the top and bottom of the box separately, and any
dividers, stickers, wrapping, etc?

8*)

--
William Smith
ComputerSmiths Consulting, Inc. www.compusmiths.com
 
<user@domain.invalid> wrote in message
news:v%rjc.51711$um3.1008855@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
If the description was written by a politician, ANY number in the box
would be deemed acceptable. Remember "It all depends upon your meaning
of the word ALONE?" Sorry, I just had to throw that out there.:)
Click to expand...
Not to mention what "is" is :p

Tim

--
"I have misplaced my pants." - Homer Simpson | Electronics,
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --+ Metalcasting
and Games: http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms
 
"Ban" <bansuri@web.de> wrote in message
news:U4vjc.153416$rM4.6240746@news4.tin.it...
Since you wanted mainly the box, what does it matter?
Click to expand...
He just wants to be an asshole. :p Er, I mean, uh, curmudgeon.

Tim

--
"I have misplaced my pants." - Homer Simpson | Electronics,
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --+ Metalcasting
and Games: http://webpages.charter.net/dawill/tmoranwms
 
Ban wrote:
Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, the Dark Remover" wrote:

I stopped by a 99 cent store to grab some wire ties, and I also
grabbed a box of "BOLTS & NUTS 300 PCS APPROX" also for 99 cents,
mainly because I wanted the compartmented box itself, not the
hardware.


Since you wanted mainly the box, what does it matter? Will you put another
LED-array into it? Or do you just want to store all those cheap LEDs you got
at EBay?
Click to expand...
Do I detect a just a taste of sarcasm here? I saw an intertesting
travel documentary on Italy last night, talked about how the citizens of
Venice built their city out on the water to get away from the
barbarians. Hmmm..

Seems like the cheap LEDs are getting used u[p rather quickly because of
their premature death rate. I probably won't need to store many of those.

The Polyethylene plastic is difficult to glue things to, so it's a poor
prospect for a battery case. I recently took a piece of solid oak and
hollowed it out, and I'm proceeding to install a simple blocking osc
inverter in it, two LEDs, and one AA cell. It's just one of those
weekend projects that I've managed to get into and possibly never out
of. ;-)

Then the less parts the better, you could buy 2 boxes and put all
the screws in one and have the other free for the led storage.
Click to expand...
Actually there's enough room in one box to consolidate five or six more
into it. Hmmm... I need some more boxes for small parts storage.
Also, these damn nuts & bolts are metric, and you just know how much we
Americans hate those metric screws. ;-)
 
Watson A.Name \"Watt Sun - the Dark Remover\" wrote:
Mjolinor wrote:

"Watson A.Name - "Watt Sun, the Dark Remover"" <NOSPAM@dslextreme.com
wrote
in message news:108sg019ap2d94f@corp.supernews.com...

I stopped by a 99 cent store to grab some wire ties, and I also grabbed
a box of "BOLTS & NUTS 300 PCS APPROX" also for 99 cents, mainly because
I wanted the compartmented box itself, not the hardware.

I got home and popped open the lid, and said, No way! That sure doesn't
look like 300 pieces! I counted 126 pieces in all, which is
considerably less than 300!

So what does approxzimate mean, for advertising purposes? Should one
consider the tolerance + or - 10 percent? 20 percent? 50 percent? In
this case, even at 50 percent, 126 pieces fails the test, since it's
less than half of 300. Where does one draw the line and determine that
it's a flagrant violation of advertising?



You need to go back and buy another 100 boxes. The variation should be
(based on the current sample) between 126 and 474 with a reasonable
gaussian? distribution for it to be correct I suppose.


Well, there were about a hundred more boxes sitting on the shelf,
leading to the conclusion that they're obviously not the most popular
item. So anyone want to contribute a buck to find out?? I go into the
store every so often, I'll have to mention this to the owner.
Click to expand...
Take a scale and weigh a bunch of 'em. The difference between 126 and
300 should be readily apparent.
99cent stores are fun. Read the labels. On those items that actually
meet labeling requirements, you'll find the concentrations of active
ingredients is way less than you'd expect from a "normal" brand...
for those that actually have active ingredients. What's
normally a 16 oz bottle is only 13oz.
mike

--
Return address is VALID.
Bunch of stuff For Sale and Wanted at the link below.
Toshiba & Compaq LiIon Batteries, Test Equipment
Honda CB-125S $800 in PDX
Yaesu FTV901R Transverter, 30pS pulser
Tektronix Concept Books, spot welding head...
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Monitor/4710/
 
On Tue, 27 Apr 2004 09:57:07 -0700, "Watson A.Name \"Watt Sun - the
Dark Remover\"" <NOSPAM@dslextreme.com> wrote:


Actually there's enough room in one box to consolidate five or six more
into it. Hmmm... I need some more boxes for small parts storage.
Also, these damn nuts & bolts are metric, and you just know how much we
Americans hate those metric screws. ;-)
Click to expand...
I's like when you go to Walgreens and need a small spray bottle.
Empty, it costs $1.99, but full of some crap you don't need, it's 99
cents.

John
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Welcome to EDABoard.com

Sponsor

Back
Top