The Caldwell tribune., 1922-02-03
MANY STILL LOVE
TO Be HUMBUGGED
Seem Not to Mind Having "Some-
thing Put Over" on Them the
Least Bit.
PINK PAJAMAS FOR SHIRT
Mall Order Houses Find It Easy to
Make Substitutions Because OF
the Cost Of Making
Exchanges.
(Copyright.)

(Copyright.)
It was famous American Snowman
who declared that the American people
love to be humbugged. That saying Is
many years old now but sometimes 1t
seems that there is about as much
truth in it now as there was when 1t
was first uttered.
People as q rule do not like the idea
of having something put over" on
them, but from the way in which the
great mail order houses in the big |
cities flourish it seems that great |
many people do not mind it a bit.
The business man who, when he gets
a call for an article which he has not
In stock, attempts to substitute some
other article Of similar nature with
out telling the buyer of the substitu-
ton, is putting something over" on
his customer. Few retail merchants
nowadays attempt to do thing OF tnat
kind. The great majority of merchants
do not do this for two reasons. One
reason is that they wouldn't do it II
they could and the other Is that tney
couldn't do it If they would. The man
who buys an article O. er the counter
and sees what he is buying before he
pays for it, is pretty sure to get what
he wants.
Ordered Shirt, Got PaJamas.
But there is another class Of mer-
chants, of which the same thing can
not be said. A man who has been close
ly connected with some of the big mail
order houses is authority for the state
ment that the heads Of the various
merchandise departments of many
mail order houses have standing orders
to substitute with the nearest thing
they have If the articles ordered are
not in stock and available for delivery
II is related that in one instance as
result of these instructions, man who
ordered a dress shirt from mail order
house received pair of pink paJamas
instead.
1t is easy for the mail order house tt
get away with this substitution of an
other article for the one that Is or
dered for the reason that to exchang'
an article received from a catalogu'
house Is q costly undertaking.
Exchanges Are Costly.
} If a mail order buyer is disappoint
ed in his purchase, as he is very apt u
be when he compares the article upol
its arrival with the picture and flower
description which appeared in tn
catalogue, the wisest plan Is to tax
: what he gets and make the best OF
: for every time he sends an article bac
: to be exchanged, he is piling up the e1
press or freight charges and even
the article is exchanged as requested
I the buyer is not apt to fare much De
. ter on the second attempt.
o The mail order houses are we
9 aware of the fact that the majority
their customers will not 60 to the tro'
i BILE and expense of returning an a
r. ticle if It does not come up to the
!. expectations and as "a result they ca
n work the substitution game to the
n hearts content.
r. The home merchant, however, ca
70 not do business in this way and, as nj
o. been said, the majority Of them wou
not do II If they could. The home me
chant, If he has not the article CALI
- - for may offer another with the expl
20 ! nation that 1t is of the same quail
]. ;, as the one for which the custom
- asked. Good merchants nowadays ev'
- hesitate to offer something "just
ae did" to the customer especially VIII
ae the article called for Is one that h
~ become well-known and popui
ne through the advertising done by I
We manufacturer, but to attempt to ma
W substitution without the knowled
er or consent Of the customeri Well.
ie' isn't being done by the local merchar
~ y. today.
Eat Substitution Made Easy.
irs Substitution Is made easy for
no mail order houses, also, by the II
me that they do not sell much OF what
ms. known as advertised" goods-that
|. goods that have been thoroughly
.cb yertised by the manufacturers O
,s,. have become nationally known thror
FOR such advertising. A large part OF
: - merchandise which the mail or
Me houses sell purports to be manuf
,au tured by them-although In most ca
! a. little Of It is made In their own piai
= 90 Much of this merchandise bears o
'.So ~" tho name of the mail order house
ous Il Is easy to substitute one article
/, = another without the customer be
and any the wiser.
'nor The methods of the home merch
20 naturally are different. With the 81
~ ~ development of advertising In rec
H years much of the merchandise carr
NV NV by the retail merchant Is "advertis
''ef' goods. These goods are of fami
rder brands, the names of which have b
on made famous by the national ,advel
sell ing of the makers. This advertiser
the distinct protection to the buyer
With the latter knows when he goes into
Its local store and asks for an articl
next this kind that he will get just wha
vate asks for If the merchant has Il
the stock and that he will be told II
~