A few weeks ago Bob mentioned to me a set of pots and pans that he saw at S & R. He was explaining to me about it and it really got me interested. But when he mentioned the amount it just turned me off. I will not spend that kind of money unless I really like the items.
He told me that next time I go to S & R to take a look at that pots and pans and let him know whats my take on it. He told me if it were not that expensive, he would have already bought it for me.
So finally I went to S & R to go shopping. I saw the pots and pans that Bob was talking about. I checked it out and it is a good pan to cook with and it look durable. I liked it a lot. But I told him with the price tag, I’m not really interested. With the high price I would rather have a different set like the pan that he bought me last year and it worked out good for me. I really liked it a lot. Bob bought me a nice porcelain dutch oven cookware the round one ( I’m not that crazy with the red color, but it will do for me right now). It’s good to cook in stove and in the oven. Since I I had the round one, I saw on line that they have now a dutch oven oval shape and I want the bigger size than the round dutch oven that I had. You guys probably wonder why I liked the dutch oven, the one that Bob bought really is nice. It has a nice and thick insulation inside. So now I had my eyes on that. It’s not the Le Creuset brand, I’ve seen that brand here and it so darn expensive. I’m okay with the brand that Bob bought for me.
Anyway, back to that pan that I saw at S & R. Bob really wants to buy it for me. I didn’t know that he was really wanting to get it for me. So last week I went to S & R, then I was just passing by at the back section of the store and I saw the box of the pots and pans on their damaged goods and returns area. I was just curious how much was the price of the damaged goods. When I saw the price it’s around 60% off from the original price, I looked at the tag because it states there the reason for selling at a low price. It states on the outside box “factory defect”. So I just didn’t think about it. I just continued on shopping.
When I got home, I told Bob that they had one box of those pans that we liked there at S & R that’s defective and its 60% off. Bob immediately asked if I know whats the problem with it, I just told him that it says factory defect. He immediately told me to go there and see what’s the factory defect. So after eating our lunch, Aaron and I immediately went back to S & R again. Thankfully nobody got the box of that pan. So we loaded the box to our cart, as soon as I saw one of the sales person I asked him if he had an idea what’s wrong with the pan. He told me that we can open it up and see for ourselves. So we did.
When he opened it, we both inspected the items. To be honest we didn’t see any major problem. The only thing that we saw that’s wrong with it were the rim of the lid that wrapped the glass, the aluminum, the gap on the inseam it’s not totally closed enough (maybe like less than 1 mm gap). Hardly noticed it. The one on display gap of the seam its too close that its not really visible. Also the one that I bought had a small dent inside of one of the pan, that you can’t even see it unless you try to feel the inside of the pan with your hand. So all in all, the items don’t have major damage. So I bought the pots and pans for the 60% off price. The only thing I’m not totally into was the color of it. But hey with the big discount I can live with it.
Most stores in the Philippines don’t even take returns, so they have so deals like this where a minor factory defect will result in a huge discount! S & R is different, though. They seem to operate more along the American business practice.
Talking about discounts. A few months back I was buying a ceramic jar at one of the malls here. While shopping I saw some items that I liked, but when I talked to the sales lady she told me that I had to buy the whole set. So I said okay I want it. When she’s trying to checked all the items one of the piece the lid of it the screw was missing and its not easy to put it back. So I ask her if I buy the whole set would you give me any discount since one of the piece the screw is missing? She told me “Oh no Ma’am, you have to buy at the same price”. I just told her politely that I’m not interested to buy the items like that without any discount. She said okay. I could tell she wants to give discount. The problem is the sales person here don’t have the say to anything, only the high up people can decide.
It’s just nice to see a store that will give a good discount/deals here. It’s been a long time since I’ve encounter deals like that. It’s just good to know that some stores do care.
Hi Feyma,
Good deal! Thanks for sharing the tip on discount damaged goods at S&R. Love shopping for new cookware too, but like you I’m not a fan of the high price. Anyway, about the no-discount thing at major malls/retailers… that’s not exactly true. At least in my experience… When shopping for major items like furniture, cookware or appliances, I find that I can get a discount on regular items and even on already discounted items when I ask the salesperson for a “manager’s discount”, which is usually 10-30%, depending on store policy.
A friend of mine told me about this policy… many managers have discount privileges and they can give it to customers who ask for it. I’ve used it many times now in different stores like Ansons, Robinson’s appliance and SM. Branded clothing stores also have this, like Nike (friend’s advice)
Hi Charley – Hmmm. Didn’t try that deal (manager’s discount) that you’re talking about. I haven’t heard of my friends doing that. We have SM & Robinson’s here they will give discount when paying cash. I will try to ask that next time I purchase something plus I might get big discount since I don’t use credit cards here.
Thanks for the comment. Nice to see you here!
Feyma, I don’t know if Bob mentioned me, but I’ve become what I’d like to think pretty good friends with your husband for never having met YET. Two things: Great buy on the pots n pans! I’m a bargain shopper myself. I’m going to check out that store when I arrive there.
Secondly, I like how you mixed the pics and ads into your story. Very nicely done!
Bill
Hi Bill – Bob might mentioned your name to me or I might have seen you here too. Good to see you here though.
Hey, who would not want a good bargain. So happy to see good deals our way. LOL.
Thank you for the compliment. I really appreciate your kind words. Have a great day!
when i first arrived in digos, i naturally had to furnish my apartment.if it were just me, i would have paid full price on everything. but i had brought my wife along, and as she spoke to the salespeople i could watch them making deductions. later i asked her what she had said to them, because the deductions were substantial.she said she asked the salespeople for the “best price”, which is standard digos city lingo for ‘give me a break on the price, will ya!”
Hi William – Good for her. It was in your advantage at the end. That must be a Filipino attitude. Ha ha ha… I do asked for a discount when buying furniture too. Even in the States before I did asked and we got a good discount. It really shocked Bob that I asked and was given a big discount too. :-).
Nice to see you here. Have a wonderful day!
S&R has good prices. But one of my friends had a bad experience at the branch in Fort Bonifacio. She noticed that in the frozen meat section, one of the big fridges holding chicken was not working and all the chicken had thawed out over night. When asked the manager, he said that power had gone out but now fixed. When asked if they were going to dispose of the now thawed out chicken meat, said its still good. They just refroze it. She didnt buy any chicken.
The thawed-out chicken were refrozen for re-sale? And this S&R is located at Fort Bonifaction, the highly-touted global city in Metro Manila? Find that manager real quick and have him fired pronto before someone dies of food poisoning because of his incompetence. Needless to say, this is a very serious health violation that puts at risk the health of unsuspecting consumers. Whether this was an isolated case or standard procedure for the store, no one kows. In any case, i think the Health Department needs to know about this matter, in my opinion.
Fort Bonifacio, not Fort Bonifaction LOL (Must be a slip of the tongue, because sometime during the Philippine Revolution, two FACTIONS of the Katipunan were involved in a rivalry, and Bonifactio was invited to mediate it.)
That is just standard practice all over the Philippines, though. Many shops even turn off their freezers at night to save electricity, then re-freeze in the morning.
Wow! That’s incredible, Bob. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends throwing out meat, poultry, and seafood that were held above 40 degrees Fahrenheit for over 2 hours. Different countries, different standards.
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/emergency-preparedness/a-consumers-guide-to-food-safety-severe-storms-and-hurricanes/ct_index
Yes, I am aware that by USA standards it is nearly unthinkable. Here, though, as I said, it is standard procedure. If you go to many grocery stores when they first open, most frozen goods are thawed.
And this isn’t the USA. There’s a reason many Filipinos do not buy frozen food. Look at the small number of freezer aisles in supermarkets compared to the USA
Hi Don – Yeah I know what you mean about the frozen meat. Have to really inspect the items before buying. Majority of the people here are not rich, so they will buy meat at the public market. I’m sure you already know that “No freezer” at the public market. Got the picture in your mind already?
Thank you for the comment and stopping by!
you can , just need to be with a big guy like me, lol
John
Have to agree with you about the manager. Good chance of food poisoning. Talking about fort bonafacio. They had a fire and explosion there. Apparently a building with military ordnance caught fire and exploded while they were putting out the fire. Injured 26 soldiers and firemen. 2 critical.
Feyma
Glad you were able to get the cookware set at a big discount. Its good quality that should last longer than most cookware you can buy here. I don’t know how that store expects to sell damaged ceramic jars at regular price.
out the manager. Good chance of food poisoning. Talking about fort bonafacio. They had a fire and explosion there. Apparently a building with military ordnance caught fire and exploded while they were putting out the fire. Injured 26 soldiers and firemen. 2 critical.
Hi PapaDuck – I was so happy paying the huge discount and it was unexpected.
**** I don’t know how that store expects to sell damaged ceramic jars at regular price. *** — Ha ha ha… As what we always says here: “It’s more fun in the Philippines”. LOL
I didn’t hear about what’s happening at Fort Bonifacio. That’s not good to hear. Hope no casualties. I haven’t been watching local news lately. Been busy with other stuff and with the brownout situation in Mindanao too.
Always good to see you here PapaDuck. Hi to Ann. Take care & God bless!
Hi Feyma you are right sometimes you can get a good deal at S&R in Matina, but not always. They have a damaged goods place near the back of the store but not much there? Last month (I think it was April) they had Costco coffee 3lbs for only 500P reg. 749p and dial gel soap 8 bars for 200p reg. 349p. I always look for the Yellow tag priced items…..sometimes they are really good and sometimes just OK? That happens at NCCC also when they have 2 items taped together you get 2 for the price of one.
Hi DaveC – They’ve been having good deals lately there. I go there quite often since it just a walking distance from our house. I bought good deal items there aside from the pots and pans. Like liquid hand soap, rug (buy one get one free), canola oil, fabric softener, body soap, shampoo and many others.
Yep NCCC also had sale sometimes.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts here. Have a good one!
There is nothing more frustrating to someone who loves to cook more than a dull knife and crappy cookware.
I am moving there this next spring and already have a list of the pots, pans, and knives I will pack to ship.
I love to cook and I have 3rd generation well seasoned cast iron cook ware and several pots and pans I just don’t think I could live without…lol
Good buy on the cookware..well done..:)
~~Richard
Hi Richard – That’s for sure. Luckily we brought that kind of stuff with us too when we moved here. But when there’s a good deal around, its hard to passed up on that. Had to get it. LOL.
Good luck with your move. Good thinking on bringing some good stuff.
Good to see you here. Have a great weekend!
Hello Feyma Im sori about posting this off Topic but I didnt find the other post ware I learned about the Moringa.This may be useful in your house and perhaps Bobs bloodsuger issue-http://www.top10homeremedies.com/kitchen-ingredients/10-health-benefits-of-turmeric.html