Here is how it worked for me:
I went to my local grocery store and picked up a priceline.com "card" which is similar to a credit card. I then went to the priceline website and registered my card by inputting the numbers on the back of the card along with my personal information (my name, address, email address, and a valid credit card).
After you register, you can then go shopping on their website. The first time I used it I merely bought three products just to "test" it out. I clicked on the menu for cheese, and it offers you a list of products that are available along with a set of prices that you "might" want to pay for cheese. You must pick at least two brand names of cheese that you are willing to buy, and you then put in a price that you are willing to pay for them. In my cheese example, I said that I wanted 3 blocks of cheese and I was willing to take either "Cracker Barrel" or "Cabot" brand cheese. The price that I decided that I wanted to pay was $1.89 per block. (1.89 was one of the suggested prices, but it also lists the probability that your bid would actually be accepted along with the possible prices- in this example, the probability was 33% that they would accept my 1.89 bid). If my bid had been rejected, I would have been precluded from bidding on cheese for 24 hours however, this bid was accepted. I also bid on 3 boxes of "Triscuit" crackers for $1.67 per box, and 6 bottles of "Seven Seas" salad dressing for $.87 per bottle. All of these were accepted. When your bid is accepted, your credit card is automatically charged with the amount that you bid.....ie, you pay for them immediately.
You then print out your "list" of accepted items and take this to the grocery store. You go thru the shelves and pick out the items on your list, although, you need to keep them separate from non-priceline items as they need to be rung up separately at the register.
The checkout person then scans your items, and tells you what the total of your bill is....in my case, it was $33.18 (Manhattan prices for 3 blocks of cheese 3 boxes of crackers and 6 bottles of salad dressing). You then hand the checkout person your priceline.com card which they process as a "debit" card. They swipe the card, and you enter a pin number....and the transaction is processed. So even though retail was 33.18, I actually paid 15.90 (3 Cheeses @1.89; 3 Crackers @ 1.67, and 6 Salad Dressing @ .87) which has been billed to my credit card right at the priceline.com website.
A fantastic savings!! I have been back twice and the savings are comparable. I was wondering if anyone knew though, who is actually losing out on that $17.28 that I would have paid before priceline? Is priceline compensating the grocers and the manufacturers for accepting these low prices?...They must be, but I don't know the details and would be interested if any else might know and be able to explain it to me.
Hope this answers your questions,
Jane |
