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Books-A-Million (BAM), one of the most popular bookstore chains in the country, offers consumers countless ways to save money.
If you’re a fan of manga (Japanese comics), you may have been thrilled with this BAM offer for 15% off “ALL Manga.”
A TINA.org reader who is a manga fan certainly was at first. But after TINA.org took a closer look, we discovered that you may not have been able to judge this deal by its cover.
That’s because although BAM advertised its 15% discount for “ALL” manga, certain titles appeared to be excluded. In fact, it seems the company was so busy brainstorming clever alliterations like “Magical Manga Moments,” that it forgot to add the advertised discount to a bestselling book right at the top of the manga page:
And this was far from the only exclusion. Just by looking at the company’s section for “New in Manga,” TINA.org found seven books that didn’t have the advertised discount available.
It’s worth noting that out of all the ads TINA.org reviewed, none of them included any information about exclusions to this advertised deal. Not to mention that the company’s page for promotional offers didn’t refer to this discount at all, leaving us (and consumers) with little information about why certain titles didn’t qualify.
And that’s not all. The company also advertises $100 in bonus coupons and up to 40% off bestsellers, among other benefits, for consumers who become members of its Millionaire’s Club.
Unfortunately, we found that these perks aren’t any more of an open book than the manga discount.
For instance, the $100 worth of coupons only comes with one online coupon (compared to 10 in-store coupons), meaning consumers from the 18 states without a physical store may receive fewer benefits than advertised. Moreover, only 10 hardcover bestsellers are eligible for the full 40% off.
Books-A-Million did not respond to TINA.org’s request for comment.
The bottom line
BAM may want to be clearer in its advertising before it ends up in consumers’ bad books.
Find more of our coverage on pricing issues here.
Our Ad Alerts are not just about false and deceptive marketing issues, but may also be about ads that, although not necessarily deceptive, should be viewed with caution. Ad Alerts can also be about single issues and may not include a comprehensive list of all marketing issues relating to the brand discussed.
