| Author | Message | ||
| Logician (Logician)
New member Username: Logician Post Number: 392 Registered: 6-2003 |
After months away from the forum, something happened yesterday which suddenly got me thinking: "Why, that'd be a good lateral puzzle!" So here I am... Joe was in a bookstore, looking through the selection. Upon finding one book, his response was: "Excellent, this book costs £12.99. Fantastic!" He went to buy it, and discovered that according to the computer, it actually cost £9.99. Even better, you might think...but no. His response was: "Damn it. I knew it was too good to be true!" Explain. | ||
| Mimino (Mimino)
New member Username: Mimino Post Number: 44 Registered: 6-2005 |
Did he want to change a 20 quid note? did he need 7 pounds in coins? | ||
| Martinfg (Martinfg)
New member Username: Martinfg Post Number: 522 Registered: 8-2005 |
Did he write the book? | ||
| Woodworm (Woodworm)
New member Username: Woodworm Post Number: 1363 Registered: 3-2006 |
Is he the author of the book? | ||
| Woodworm (Woodworm)
New member Username: Woodworm Post Number: 1364 Registered: 3-2006 |
Oops! Two-minute cross-post there :-) | ||
| Logician (Logician)
New member Username: Logician Post Number: 393 Registered: 6-2003 |
Did he want to change a 20 quid note? did he need 7 pounds in coins? no - neither of these. Did he write the book? / Is he the author of the book? no - but good guess(es) though! Reminds me of a story of an author who finds one of his books in a charity store, goes to buy it and is told it costs 10p. He obviously is demoralised at the prospect that his book is so worthless - when the cashier misreads his downward expression and goes: "Oh alright then, 5p" (!) | ||
| Martinfg (Martinfg)
New member Username: Martinfg Post Number: 523 Registered: 8-2005 |
Would he gain financially in any way from the sale of the book? | ||
| Peter365 (Peter365)
New member Username: Peter365 Post Number: 1283 Registered: 1-2007 |
Had he bought other books in the shop that day? Was there some sort of special offer if you spent over a certain amount? Is his method of payment relevant? | ||
| Logician (Logician)
New member Username: Logician Post Number: 396 Registered: 6-2003 |
Would he gain financially in any way from the sale of the book? yope-ish | ||
| Martinfg (Martinfg)
New member Username: Martinfg Post Number: 524 Registered: 8-2005 |
Was the fact that it was the computer that said it was cheaper relevant? or could the sales assistant have just told him? Did he want the book regardless of the price? Was the price the reason he chose the book? | ||
| Logician (Logician)
New member Username: Logician Post Number: 397 Registered: 6-2003 |
Was the fact that it was the computer that said it was cheaper relevant? or could the sales assistant have just told him? only in that there had been nothing on the book to indicate the lower price, which only came up when the barcode was scanned. So the answer to your first question is no - it's just practically the most likely. Did he want the book regardless of the price? yes Was the price the reason he chose the book? yes | ||
| Martinfg (Martinfg)
New member Username: Martinfg Post Number: 525 Registered: 8-2005 |
So if the book had not been priced at £12.99 he would not have wanted it? | ||
| Logician (Logician)
New member Username: Logician Post Number: 400 Registered: 6-2003 |
So if the book had not been priced at £12.99 he would not have wanted it? yope...sorry, I probably wasn't clear in my last two answers. It was one of those "I'd-really-like-to-read-it-someday" books - the reason he chose it on that day was the price. Otherwise, he probably wouldn't have picked it up. But likewise, it wasn't as if he would've chosen any random book just because he thought it cost £12.99. Hope that clears it up. | ||
| Martinfg (Martinfg)
New member Username: Martinfg Post Number: 526 Registered: 8-2005 |
Did he think £12.99 was a cheap price for the book? Was it actually the book he wanted? | ||
| Logician (Logician)
New member Username: Logician Post Number: 401 Registered: 6-2003 |
Did he think £12.99 was a cheap price for the book? not necessarily - he had no opinion as to how cheap/expensive it was; just that it was (at least, he thought it was) £12.99. Was it actually the book he wanted? FA | ||
| Martinfg (Martinfg)
New member Username: Martinfg Post Number: 527 Registered: 8-2005 |
Did he want the book? Did he just want to spend £12.99 on something? | ||
| Logician (Logician)
New member Username: Logician Post Number: 403 Registered: 6-2003 |
Did he want the book? yes, in the "I'd-really-like-to-read-it-someday-but-not-too-fussed-when-that-day-comes" sense described above Did he just want to spend £12.99 on something? but also YESish! Do explore (: | ||
| Martinfg (Martinfg)
New member Username: Martinfg Post Number: 528 Registered: 8-2005 |
Some kind of scavenger hunt involved? | ||
| Liquizt (Liquizt)
New member Username: Liquizt Post Number: 214 Registered: 5-2008 |
Some kind of promotion involved? If the book were £12.99 could he have somehow purchased it for less than £9.99? Did he buy anything else at the same time? relevant? If the book were £12.99 could he have purchased it with other item(s) for less than the total cost of the other item(s) and a £9.99 book? | ||
| Peter365 (Peter365)
New member Username: Peter365 Post Number: 1284 Registered: 1-2007 |
I think you missed my 3.47 post | ||
| Logician (Logician)
New member Username: Logician Post Number: 404 Registered: 6-2003 |
Some kind of scavenger hunt involved? nope Some kind of promotion involved? YES! If the book were £12.99 could he have somehow purchased it for less than £9.99? no, but... Did he buy anything else at the same time? relevant? If the book were £12.99 could he have purchased it with other item(s) for less than the total cost of the other item(s) and a £9.99 book? All YES!! I do believe that warrants a: ***** SPOILER ***** "Joe" is me, and yesterday I went into WHSmiths with some 'money off' vouchers that were due to expire that day. The one which I tried to use was "Get £5 if you spend £20". The other book cost £7.99, so combined with £12.99 (the RRP) that would've been £20.98. Perfect, I thought! Just over the £20 limit! I go to the checkout, and am told that for some strange reason, the computer has it logged as £9.99, so that's how much it costs! After much grumbling, I go get another book I quite like the look of to make up the £20+ - which, although I spent more than I thought I would, meant I got to use the voucher! Yay! (: Well done to you all, especially to Liquizt for finishing it off! | ||
| Logician (Logician)
New member Username: Logician Post Number: 405 Registered: 6-2003 |
I think you missed my 3.47 post Oh, I'm sorry - no idea how that happened. If it's any consolation, as the spoiler shows, you basically got the puzzle with your question: Was there some sort of special offer if you spent over a certain amount? So congratulations are also due to you. Well done! (: | ||
| Crazypalpig (Crazypalpig)
New member Username: Crazypalpig Post Number: 2080 Registered: 8-2006 |
If I'm not mistaken, it was a 3:41 post (: At least that's what my computer says |
