Bad Math
I really dislike (bordering on zealous detestation) of things that don't make sense, are obviously wrong or, worse yet, deceptive (except as humour).
That great provider of comedy, satire and parody - AOL - recently ran a consumer piece comparing prices between warehouse retailer Costco and normal retailer Giant and showing where you got better savings. What struck me was the way the savings were expressed - they were nonsensical.
If I say you can save 50%, you would expect (at least I would hope you would expect) to pay 1/2 the price for it.
If I tell you that you can save 100%, you would expect the item to be free (zero cost).
That it not how AOL does math. In fact, on some products you can save as much as 267%!
?????
I don't see how you can save more than 100% and I would expect any person to look at that and go, "That is just plain wrong."
For your consideration two examples pulled from the AOL piece claiming 100% and 267% savings. (The real savings is 50% and 72.8% respectively.)
Screen captures and cropping by me, images and bad math copyright AOL.
That great provider of comedy, satire and parody - AOL - recently ran a consumer piece comparing prices between warehouse retailer Costco and normal retailer Giant and showing where you got better savings. What struck me was the way the savings were expressed - they were nonsensical.
If I say you can save 50%, you would expect (at least I would hope you would expect) to pay 1/2 the price for it.
If I tell you that you can save 100%, you would expect the item to be free (zero cost).
That it not how AOL does math. In fact, on some products you can save as much as 267%!
?????
I don't see how you can save more than 100% and I would expect any person to look at that and go, "That is just plain wrong."
For your consideration two examples pulled from the AOL piece claiming 100% and 267% savings. (The real savings is 50% and 72.8% respectively.)
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Screen captures and cropping by me, images and bad math copyright AOL.
Comments
barbara: yeah, I know. People expect that a bigger number means they save more. It just seems so alien to me that people would so egregiously misunderstand something I consider to be quite basic.
breal: oh, wow. Two comments in two days. Tha towuld be a good topic of discussion: the basis of confidence.
mattbg: he he. It makes you wonder how those people got to be in charge of the money.
Go take them on, Richard! I'd be interested in how they explain it!