Bahtatboy

Read the below, then see what I’m talking about in the Spoilers.

1 There’s a certain product I really like.
2 I was once in the condition where the company producing it would sell it to me.
3 But I’m not in that condition now, and despite wanting the product the company refuses to sell it to me.
4 The company producing this product deliberately targets those people who they want to buy their product. They don’t allow people not in the “right” condition to buy the product.
5 I don’t feel bad—nor do I have the right to feel bad—about the company’s policy. I don’t believe I have an inalienable right to be able to buy it. Much the same as my skillset is my product, no company can demand that I sell my skillset to them—its up to me to chose who I sell it to.

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scrubbedexpat141

BUT....You're talking generally about money there.

A&F are one of the only companies I can think of who are affordable to masses but exclusive to who they want to be.

(I can fit in their shit by the way...)

Bahtatboy

So? Is selling your product only to rich people worse than selling your product only to fit people? I don't see the difference.

Blue Cat

is it not up to the company who they sell to? it's their decision at the end of the day

Bahtatboy

Absolutely. And if anyone thinks they have the right to buy anything advertised for sale in a shop in the UK, you're wrong. Stuff put out for sale in a shop isn't an "offer" which you can "accept"--when you present something to a sales assistant, or say "I'd like this, please", you're the one making the offer and its up to the shop whether they accept your offer or not. Admittedly that's a slightly different situation, but its similar in that you, as a customer, don't have the "right" to buy what's on sale.

And morally? Its his business, up to him who he sells to, and the market will tell him if he's doing it well or badly.

scrubbedexpat141

If you're fat and want a polo shirt from A&F you can lose weight to be able to get one. If you're poor and want to fly first class to New York, it's going to be a lot harder to get enough cash to be able to do it. So I guess you can argue that point.

I don't acutally disagree with you, I'm just playing Devil's Helmet. I'm just pleased that some people got free clothes.

I don't disagree with your point that companies can sell to who they want to. It's their business, their choice.

Blue Cat

exactly

Bahtatboy

And every company should have a USP...

Ethos83

Hmm.

Anyone can fly first class if they pony up the money. Airlines aren't going to say, wait, you're not the right class, you can't fly first. You show them the cash, you get the ticket.

That's the difference between a company refusing to sell a product to someone who doesn't meet their non-financial criteria because they're undesirable for whatever reasons.

If you are a business with a shop on the high street you are operating in the public sphere and as such you have no right to control who buys your product, especially when we're talking about something as trivial as clothing.

The US has very clearly defined laws preventing discrimination in sales. Not long ago there were department stores and hotels that refused to serve black customers. Can you justify that?

Ethos83

A&F is shit, anyway.

In the US it's mostly popular among lower income Americans who think they're buying prestige by wearing the A&F logo whereas those in the socio-economic groups that's stereotypically associated with A&F stopped buying their clothes, oh, 15 years ago.

Boomhauer

I want to start a clothing line ; the name's going to be " Pretentious Git & Git " .

Innitially I plan to buy Hanes white T-Shirts at Wallmart, scruff them up a bit, makes some holes and sew in some canvas patches . I am thinkin I could limit the number to 99 t-shirts and retail them for $179 .

scrubbedexpat141

Absolutely. Like their other company, Hollister....who have the lights off in their stores so you can't ****ing see what they sell.

Oh and employ people to walk around spraying their rancid aftershave on the clothes, to make sure you wash them before wearing.

Hateful shop

Bahtatboy

Anyone can buy A&F if they pony up the six-pack. I fail to see the difference. Why should money be an acceptable criterion for deciding who can and who cannot buy, but not physique? Some people are rich from an early age and stay that way all their life; some people are poor from an early age but make themselves rich. Some people are fit from an early age and stay that way all their life; some people fat from an early age but make themselves fit. Some people strive really hard to be rich, but fail, and so can't fly first class. Some people strive really hard to be fit, but fail, and so can't by A&F. No-one ever said life was meant to be fair, and business enterprises aren't there to make it any fairer.

If you are a business with a shop on the high street you are operating in the public sphere and as such you have no right to control who buys your product, especially when we're talking about something as trivial as clothing.

You have EVERY right to control who buys, unless you are discriminating illegally.

Bahtatboy

Except for the checkout babes. (I was dragged in by one of my kids--couldn't see what was going on, but was drawn like a moth to the lights at the counter...)

scrubbedexpat141

Aww shucks yes. I always walked out adamant they fancied me too.