New Noxzema jar has 2 fewer ounces bonus false bottom

[Snoutport]

Great photos of the packaging being deconstructed...what a TOTAL rip-off of the consumer!!

http://consumerist.com/2011/04/shrink-rayed-noxzema-jar-has-2-fewer-ounces-bonus-false-bottom.html

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. This has been going on for what seems like forever.

And they will continue to do it.

Consumer Reports talks about this sort of thing.

I call it sneaky and underhanded.

It really pisses me off.

[Snoutport]

13. Me too Peggy!

Give me an honest product, honest information and an honest price. If it is expensive, then it is expensive...but don't trick me!

[JanMichael]

2. Drunk idiot couldn't read the weight on the jar?

What a tool.

[Luminous Animal]

6. What are you talking about? The guy clearly noted that there was 2 oz less of product but

the jars were the same size. Thus, the investigation of how it was done.


Noxzema did this purposely because they know for a fact that the vast majority of shoppers will not look at the ounces each and every time they buy a product but they will notice if the packaging has suddenly shrunk.

[madokie]

10. It was a planned rip off any way you slice it

[Snoutport]

23. Or saw it.

[RKP5637]

3. We should just rename the country "RipOff Haven."

[Buzz Clik]

4. I love deceptive packaging.

One of my favorite ploys is a standard move at Walmart. I was looking for a mechanical pencil. I just needed at least two, and I could buy a package that contained either two pencils or three identical pencils. The package of 2 was priced at $2.49, and the package of 3 was $3.99. Nice. I bought the two-pack and went home fully amused.

[rzemanfl]

14. Yeah, well wait until you lose one and try to find one that matches

the other one. The extra cost for three is like insurance...or something....no wait....

Why do you buy cheap mechanical pencils anyway? I have a Cross and a Parker that have lasted me decades, probably thirty years ago I asked my secretary to order some erasers for the Cross, she got a dozen packs of three. I still have plenty, they will form a significant portion of my estate. Erasers for the Parker are impossible to find though, I have to shave ones for other brands down to fit.

[Mariana]

27. That's a very common practice, and not just at Walmart.

Lots of people will just grab the larger size of an item assuming it costs less per unit than the smaller sizes. Stores know this and price the largest sizes so as to rip those people off.

[winston65]

35. true-

just look at the cost per ounce, much higher in the larger package. they count on us not looking.

[niyad]

48. welcome to DU-- I am one of those consumers they hate--I read, and check, everything.

[Snoutport]

53. me too! I have a knack for remembering

I'm terrible at math but great at remembering numbers. Here the stores put the cost of the item by OZ or some sort of count. (cost per sheet, etc) but what really makes me mad is when they have two sizes of the same product and one of them will say 8.4 per OZ and the big size will say 12.2 per quart. Stuff like that so you can't easily compare the prices. That seems so sleazy to me!

[Codeine]

5. If the label indicates the amount inside

then I fail to see the problem.

[Luminous Animal]

7. Yes. Because you look at the ounces each and every time for each and every product

that you've been buying for years.


Noxzema didn't redesign the packaging with a false bottom because they thought the design was boffo. They developed the false bottom (and most likely spent oodles of money doing so) because they wanted to deceive.

[greyl]

28. C'mon, the packaging is designed to deceive.

When's the last time you checked the label to make sure what appeared to be a gallon of milk(or whatever) wasn't simply the same plastic package with a balloon full of air hidden inside?

edit: it's also another example of wasteful packaging, just to put a button on this for you somehow ;)

[Snoutport]

60. Exactly. A false bottom is for one reason only...to trick people.

[blondeatlast]

8. Not good, but damn, I didn't even know they still made that stuff.

Still the best treatment for oversunned (even if not sunburned) skin around; we here in Arizona know.

[niyad]

49. that would actually be aloe vera

[Withywindle]

61. No, Noczema is better, IME.

I glow in the dark. I have never managed to achieve a tan in my whole life; I sunburn in about 15 minutes if I don't have the highest factor of sunscreen on while waiting for the bus in the summer. Yet my mom is tropical and brown, so I've had to keep up with her, so I am very well versed in the feeling of second-degree burn blisters that arise on a very melanin-deficient person just from a couple hours of sun.

Aloe might be better for longterm healing, but only Noczema can really cool a sunburned child's pain enough to let her sleep for a few hours, in my experience.

[madokie]

9. The jelly glasses that they've been selling jelly in for years is now a lot thicker too

same size on the out side but thicker glass. We've still got some of the older ones. They're good drinking glasses and been using them since I was a kid and I'm an old fart now.

[rzemanfl]

17. That may ruin the old joke about breaking one and saying:

"We just can't have nice things." You should check what the old ones sell for. Surprising.

[RKP5637]

25. I think we have some of those around here too for drinking glasses! n/t

[madokie]

26. I've been drinking out of them for years and years

I seem to remember when they first started selling jello in reusable drinking glasses. The lids popped off instead of unscrewing.

[Snoutport]

33. Do you have old ones still? Can you compare the new to old?

[Liberal_in_LA]

11. Good for him, for taking apart the jar. would never have thought to do so

[CatWoman]

12. people still use Noxema?

:shrug:

[Raine]

16. I do

as I've gotten older my skin has gotten drier so I use it instead of soap, works good. :-)

[CatWoman]

18. cool

I use Olay cleansing pads :)

[blondeatlast]

19. Cool is exactly right; it's great after sun exposure even without a burn.

Really soothing--I need to get a jar but I haven't been able to find it around here.

[dgibby]

31. Try a towel soaked in iced tea.

Best thing I ever used for sunburn. Also works for insect bites.

[blondeatlast]

40. That sounds good as well--but I'm more likely to drink it if I have it!

I'll try that, it does sound lovely.

[Snoutport]

47. +1 totallyworks

[JI7]

21. i always thought noxema was more aimed at teenagers

[Raine]

30. Yes that's true. When I was a teen-ager that's who

they were marketing it to, probably still are. The odd thing is as I have gotten older my skin is more like when I was a teen, sensitive and break outs. Noxema is probably embarassed to even sell to anyone over 40. So many companies anymore seem to feel like anyone older than their sacred demographics only buy denture cream and Depends and advertising to those people is beneath them. It works though for me so I don't care about their precious demographics.

[Art_from_Ark]

56. In the '60s, they were marketing it to men as a shaving cream

with one memorable commercial playing the "Stripper Song" as a buxom blonde urged her man to "take it all off".

[Snoutport]

57. I totally remember that commercial!!...found it..youtube link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEFHbMDPkE8

[Lyric]

64. It's awesome as a shaving cream.

I wish more guys knew it--especially if they have skin that's easily irritated by shaving. I have the most tender, delicate skin in the universe and it works for my legs like nothing else. :)

[Liberal_in_LA]

22. yes they do. I remember it being very medicine like.

[Raine]

15. Nothing is worse to me than my intelligence

being insulted by someone assuming I'm stupid enough to fall for that kind of shit. :mad:

[Zanzoobar]

20. "Suckers pay more for no value"

"Today, suckers paid more for lotion which makes them feel good, but otherwise has no effect. One local shopper, Mrs. Zanzoobar exclaimed, 'Oh, I can't believe I have to pay more for a placebo! It makes my skin so much softer!'"

"While questioning Mr. Zanzoobar about the issue, he ran in front of a truck and was squashed."

"This reporter, for one, wishes Mr. Zanzoobar would have tried the new and improved minty fresh formula. I can feel my pores oozing gnarly deposits as we speak!"

"Thank you, and have a pleasant tomorrow!"

[Generic Other]

24. ewwww noxema

I would prefer the stuff in the false bottom! LOL. Guess we have a new place to hide our stash!

[999998th word]

29. :D

[Odin2005]

32. And bags of chips are half empty because they "settle in shipping", LOL. What Liars.

[Snoutport]

62. Tostitos with a hint of lime

they just went up a buck and the chips are several ounces less...but the bag looks pretty much the same. Half air, half chips.

[winston65]

34. this is not exactly news

producers of goods have been playing fast and loose with packaging for decades. Don't change the size of the package or price just fool the consumer with less content. You want to get screwed? Buy a box of cereal. $5.00 for a box of air and sugar.

[ensho]

36. my sugar company has started adding water so the jog weighs more

and it makes the sugar clump and pack down

like we are not going to notice

[Javaman]

37. aka the prices of things are going up. nt

[hunter]

38. Vastly smaller, faster, more automated production line, less product...

... profit.

Maybe one guy working on a machine the size of a bus replaced eight people working on a machine the size of a house.

[Blue Owl]

39. That packaging is a metaphor for the Tea Party

The M$M shows you the big fake outside jar -- but once you open it up, there's not much in there...

[CoffeeCat]

41. They do this with peanut butter too!!

Look at the bottom of the peanut butter jars. They are indented. Peanut butter is just one
example. Manufacturers are using many tricks to fool consumers into not noticing how we're
paying so much MORE for less product.

Toilet paper is a big one too. Pay attention to the numbers on the packages. Those packages
(and the size of the rolls) have been shrinking for years now. But the price is rising.

I belong to a savings/couponing website--and this package manipulation and shrinking has been
happening for a while now---and it has happened to an incredible number of products.

[CoffeeCat]

42. The saddest thing about this deception....

...is the corporate greed.

Adding two additional ounces to a package probably cost the manufacturer pennies. The packaging
is the most expensive part of that entire purchase! So, these manufacturers are going to such great
lengths to save a penny or two.

Not to mention, the marketing people they pay to come up with these decisions and the branding people
who must re-design the packaging.

If they really wanted to cut product cost--how about packaging their products with less waste or use
cheaper materials? Why does the consumer always get screwed when corporations decide that they
need to improve those profit margins?

[Uncle Joe]

43. For some reason, I keep thinking of those Pootie Pant commercials.

Thanks for the thread, Snoutport.

[Pryderi]

44. I remember the good old days when I could buy a half gallon of ice cream.

.

[DFab420]

45. Does is say 14 oz or 12 oz on the side of the jar?

I mean, false bottom or not, if it says 12 oz on the side what should the false bottom matter?

[niyad]

51. because it used to be 14 oz, and now, the same size jar only contains 12--how hard is that to

understand?

[DFab420]

55. Cause if the label on the side of the jar says it only has 12 oz on it now

Then what should the packaging matter?

See??

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/177-1078354-2768260?asin=B00430CRX6&AFID=Google_PLA_df&LNM=|B00430CRX6&CPNG=&ci_gpa=pla&ci_sku=B00430CRX6&ci_kw={keyword}&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001

says it right on the label.. 12 OZ!!

so this guy discovered what? that the 12 oz container has twelve ounces? but looks like 14 to get people who aren't paying attn? Just wondering why this is such a deal..

Understand?

[niyad]

58. yes, I understand that you are defending the corps and denigrating the public.

I take it that caveat emptor is your motto

[Faux pas]

46. I can't remember the last time I saw a 1 pound can of anything

that was 16 oz, or a half gallon of ice cream that wasn't 1.75 of a half gallon. This rip off method has been going on for years. They've got us by the short ones.

[greyl]

52. Last Edy's we bought were 1.5 QTS.

Cussing as I put them both in the cart.

[Faux pas]

54. It might be cheaper to make your own. O my gawd, what

would all these businesses do if we got all self sufficient?

[Blue-Jay]

50. Not surprised, BUT doesn't that dude own any real tools?

If I don't own an Exacto knife, my next step isn't opening something by running over it with the lawn mower.

[Jamastiene]

59. Why do you think there is a dimple at the bottom of a jar of peanut butter?

They've been screwing us for years...and they didn't even have the decency to take us to dinner first!


http://www.cracked.com/article_18994_6-subtle-ways-youre-getting-screwed-at-grocery-store.html

[Lyric]

63. I use Noxzema every day, and I've gotten all my male friends hooked on it too.

Noxzema makes a FANTASTIC shaving cream. Seriously--it coats and protects better than any other soap, foam, or cream on the market, and seems to do a lot more to prevent razorburn than anything else I've tried. I use it for my face, but I discovered its wondrous use as a shaving cream when I ran out while shaving my legs. I used Noxzema instead, and for the first time in years, I DIDN'T have any post-shave irritation.

My former male roomie tried it with his Mach 3 Turbo razor, and it prevented irritation for him, too. He shaves in the shower with it now--just wash your hair and body, then slather your whiskers with Noxzema, and shave right before you get out. It also works if you're using it at the sink. :)