Twins buy the same product, but 88VIP is more expensive?

When a pair of twin sisters in Wuhan bought the same product, they found that the price the elder sister, who had 88VIP membership, saw was higher than that of the younger sister, who was not a member. This seems to contradict the general perception of consumers about membership rights. However, after careful analysis, things are not as simple as they seem.

In "The Legend of Zhen Huan", Huan Huan regained the favor of the Fourth Master with the help of the twins conceived in Ganlu Temple, and married him back to the palace against all odds, and even promoted him to the position of Imperial Concubine.

In real life, twins also represent good fortune in the family, but in some specific business contexts, they can also become a kind of tool.

Using the twins to bring down Huanhuan might have been a form of self-protection for Empress Yixiu; but now, the twins are probably also a business in the modern market.

1. An expected reversal

Recently, a report about "88VIP is more expensive" has attracted the attention and discussion of many netizens.

A pair of twin sisters in Wuhan clicked on the same product link multiple times while shopping. The elder sister, who had Taobao 88VIP, saw higher prices than the younger sister.

In the report video, the same pair of sunglasses was priced at 142 yuan by the older sister and 137.26 yuan by the younger sister; the same non-stick pan was priced at 253 yuan by the older sister and 241.21 yuan by the younger sister; the same swimsuit, hat and other items were also priced higher by the older sister than by the younger sister.

As a distinguished Taobao 88VIP, the elder sister not only did not enjoy the price discount, but instead became the "sucker" in the eyes of her younger sister. This is really embarrassing.

However, when Brother Pang took a closer look at the video, he found that many netizens had already noticed something unusual:

First of all, in the screenshot of the video of Sunglasses, we can see that the younger sister’s page shows “Taobao coins have been worth 4.74 yuan”, while the older sister’s page shows “Taobao coins can be worth 4.74 yuan”; if 4.74 yuan is deducted from the older sister’s 142 yuan, it is exactly 137.26 yuan for the younger sister.

At the same time, this merchant selling sunglasses has also set up a gift money for new customers in the store. The gift money received at different times is different. This random discount amount will also affect the price of the goods.

Secondly, in the video screenshot of the non-stick pan, Taobao coins are used for deduction twice: the younger sister shows "Taobao coins have been used to deduct 11.79 yuan", and the older sister shows "Taobao coins can be used to deduct from 9 yuan". If the younger sister's deduction of 11.79 yuan is added, it is consistent with the older sister's price of 253 yuan.

It seems that the reason why my sister became a "sucker" was not because of 88VIP's practice of taking advantage of old customers, but most likely because she did not deduct the difference between Taobao coins and the gift money for new customers.

At the same time, other details of this controversial video are not rigorous.

For example, as the protagonists of the incident, the twin sisters did not post any first-hand videos or screenshots online. Brother Pan searched all major social platforms but could not find their accounts.

2. Why are the prices different?

A pair of twin sisters clicked on the same product on Taobao, and the price difference seemed to be due to the various discounts set by the platform:

First, the use of Taobao coins.

After users log in to Taobao, they can sign in, complete tasks to receive Taobao coins, click on Taobao coins on their personal homepage, and activate "default deduction for shopping". When users make subsequent orders, the corresponding amount will be deducted based on the number of gold coin deductions set by the merchant.

In addition to getting more favorable shopping deals, Taobao users who own Taobao Gold Coins can also use them to win prizes, exchange for red envelopes, and do charity work; some lucky users may also be eligible for free orders in corresponding activities.

Secondly, there is the impact of gift money for new customers.

In order to attract users, some Taobao merchants set up new customer gifts in their stores and provide discounts to new customers through a floating ratio set in the background.

During the shopping process, if all users are new customers, the denomination of the new customer gift money for the same product at the same time is the same; if the order time or purchased products are different, the denomination of the new customer gift money will also be different.

The dual effects of Taobao coins and new customer gifts make this pair of "sunshine sisters", one like a sunny day and the other like a cloudy day; in addition, there are some other ways of playing on Taobao that can also affect the prices of goods.

For example, after users receive store coupons, they can get the corresponding discount amount in the corresponding store; if they do not want to stick with just one store, they can also receive category shopping coupons and buy items in the same category across stores; if they feel that the stores and categories are somewhat restrictive, users can also receive red envelopes with no threshold, enjoy the platform's universal discounts, and shop as much as they want on Taobao.

At the same time, 88VIP users can enjoy many preferential rights and benefits: get more Taobao coins, exclusive consumption coupons for big sales, 5% discount at Tmall Supermarket and Tmall International, etc.

From this point of view, the sister who opened Taobao 88VIP is not a "sucker" who spends extra money. Instead, she has more opportunities to save money and is a "smart" shopping person.

3. Who is lying?

Although the "Cyber ​​Sherlock Holmes" have pointed out the irrationality of the incident, this reporting video still attracted a lot of attention and reposts.

How can a report full of loopholes and inaccurate information attract traffic?

First, the target of criticism is the big platforms. In the online public opinion environment, the traffic of criticizing big platforms is usually not bad, and when words such as "killing the familiar" appear together, the traffic is even more impressive.

Secondly, the behavior is related to the lives of netizens. In the lives of most people, online shopping has long been integrated into daily life, and various problems that arise in the process are more likely to attract their attention.

Third, the contrast caused by membership. In the public's perception, members generally enjoy better benefits than non-members. If they learn that members are at a disadvantage, their curiosity will be instantly aroused to see who is the big loser.

Finally, the personality of the twin sisters. In many people's impressions, twins mean the same, no matter their appearance, body shape, clothing, hobbies... When shopping, the prices are different, which is more likely to form a contrast with the personality.

Nowadays, some news media regard traffic as their top priority when reporting. They report staged photos and jokes on the Internet as real events, but ignore the verification of the events themselves.

For example, previously, a customer service staff member on Apple’s official website in China was considered by netizens to be insulting China because he had braids; but it was later confirmed that the customer service staff member in the photo was actually an Indian.

A TikTok blogger that Brother Pan follows specializes in staging blind date scenes in rural areas and using controversial remarks to create topics. These materials were later discovered by some media outlets, which reported them as real events, causing some people who did not know the truth to sigh at the decline of morals in the world.

Perhaps, for news media, conducting multiple verifications and acting rigorously when reporting are the key to gaining trust. Only those who put traffic above all else will eventually be bitten back by the traffic.

Author/Pango Producer/Daman