When special offers are not that special

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35550137

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When is a deal not really a deal?

Customers have been spotting "special offers" in shops where the deals on items are not as good as they seem.

When bamboozled by numerous store deals, most shoppers are unable to identify the cheapest, according to financial experts.

But some eagle-eyed shoppers have pictured some of the not-so-great bargains available on the shelves.

Pat Monger tweeted a picture of this deal in a Tesco in Chichester.

She says: "This one was confusing, but in the best possible way for a Diet Coke addict."

It certainly would not have been a suitable offer for Geri from Haddington, East Lothian, who got in touch with us to say: "Most price-saving offers are geared towards bulk buying. We are OAPs, and we do not need to bulk buy due to wastage and lack of storage. Consequently, such offers are useless for us."

On Twitter, @barrydiz took this image of two different sized jars of mustard - the smaller jar being the dearest, in a Co-op store in Surrey.

"How does this work?" he asks.

@manatrue tweeted us her "special offer" experience:

Katherine Kent from Glossop in Derbyshire says she takes her time when she shops so that she can work out the best deals.

"I always have my calculator app with me when shopping because the offers in the supermarkets are so confusing. It may take an extra half hour to do my shopping, but I save money by ensuring that I calculate the best deal."

@BaconBantam tweeted this Asda "offer" that would cost customers two pence more if two of the same items were bought.

@robburrow says he could have saved a hefty thruppence here: "I'm confused as to how they thought this was a special offer."

Fortunately, shoppers have kept their sense of humour in the aisles, such as @che7119:

And finally, when there is no offer at all - @darrenjs took this image of a Sainsbury's "bargain":