Bait and Switch in Retail: What is It?

Bait and switch.... no this isn't about fishing.

It is a fraud used by retailers to get you into the store and sell you something that you did not come for.

The Scenario:
So you are browsing through the ads for the week and you see an ad for a portable DVD player. The deal is remarkable and everything that you ever could want. It's the brand you trust and a price you can afford. So the very morning the ad is suppose to come in effect you walk in the door right at the crack of dawn and say that you are looking for that portable DVD player.

Then a sales clerk will say something along the lines of either:
1) We do not have those in stock, they are in another location.
2) We JUST sold out about 5 minutes ago, I'm sorry, would you like to look at other portable DVD players?
3) Oh, you do not want that DVD player, it sucks. Let's take a look at the other ones.

If you have heard something along the lines of this, then you could be a victim of bait and switch.

So why do some people do it?

Well sometimes the store realizes they will not be making a lot of money by selling the advertised item, because of the price. So instead they try to get you to buy other ones they will make more of a profit off of. Another reason could be some commissions or incentives that other employees have. Perhaps they will get no commission off the product that is on sale, but a different one. They may not be coached to do it by a manager, but do it on their own to try to get you to buy what they will make commission off of.

According to the Better Business Bureau: