Guillermo Ramon Adames: Mexico's El Buen Fin - Whatever That Might Mean Guillermo Ramon Adames y Suari - PVNN
December 4, 2013

So what is “El Buen Fin in Mexico”? Mexico has realized that on America’s Black Friday (Thanksgiving) a number of Mexicans cross the border to profit out of huge America’s sales. Having seen those sales when I lived in the US, they are exceptional in price and offers. They are really good savings in most articles. Definitely, Americans are good marketers; good promoters and they know how to promote their business model. Now cross back the border to Mexico and let’s explore what is “El Buen Fin in Mexico - the Mexican version, (whatever that might mean), to America’s Black Friday’s sales: the short and the long of it is pure scam.

Mexico has organized the companies that pay off their yearly benefits to their employees and department stores to match a given weekend in which they will, on one hand group the payment of their benefits to employees and on the other have most stores and department stores to get together on this effort to have good prices on most items. Likewise, the banks offer “facilities” also, whatever that might mean, and interest rates are “only” in the whereabouts of 10%, plus yearly on top of “small letters in the contracts” in which obviously you always loose. I did not want to be sarcastic only and some of my junior students helped me out: we sampled some items (20 items in various department stores: I have no budget to run a proper survey with sufficient support, so it was limited to the help available. May this phrase be a thank you statement to the students who helped me out). So we checked the prices before “el buen fin” and at “el buen fin”. We looked for unusual and normal articles in which department stores could justify a sales effort. Fashion and popular items: with the exception of ONE item, a top brand lady’s handbag, prices were the exactly same but all of them with the additional tag “SALE”. Fake reductions went from 5 to 10 % at cashier depending on the tag color… like in the USA or Europe. The truth was obvious: re-tagging that looked “real original tags”. Other reductions were in the whereabouts of 70, 80% at one of the most exclusive Mexico City’s shop. Be realistic, who would ever believe an 80% reduction… in Mexico? With a bit of chance the department stores would pay you to get in…

What was surprising were “the facilities”. Banks offered up to payments in 40 installments, no interests (also, whatever that might mean) I did the research myself just like “Mystery Shopping”: pretending to be interested in an article for my home, I asked for the “payment plan”... 40 Installments (which is 3.3 years and they don’t give you an answer when you ask them HOW will you buy in the next “Buen Fin” with this debt on your back?). Of course they do not mention the “charges” of opening the credit and commissions and insurances and whichever other niceties that you obviously have to pay for. But they are intelligent enough not to mention them. And all of this… for a SALE? To be clear, that was “el Buen Fin”. To sum up: In general, department stores did not lower their prices and the only possibility was to buy whatever they claimed and the only chance was to take profit of far too many more monthly payments.

Food stores could not care less, the prices keep going up (still) and the equation is simple: you eat or you die. This overall attitude leaves a sour flavor in the back of your mouth. You have the impression that everybody is out to get you, your money, your integrity, everything under “strict” supervision and complete compliance of the government. As of the day of this publication, even big American shops established in Mexico they announce “discounts” with your debt spread over 40 months “without interests”.

On the other hand, the ones that can afford America’s Black Friday, they were in Houston or Dallas or Brownsville or you name it. The research that I did myself for the US was mostly in electronics’ products: prices went to the point of going “below” buying price to simply call in frenzy costumers to buy in “their” shop. The logic was: if the customer wants to buy other electronics’ items, he will pick up the “super sold item” item and acquire the rest in here. Top top discounts were in the whereabouts of 60%. True 60% to simply clear stocks which gives an idea of their margins. Many Mexicans simply make an effort to avoid government lies. This example by the way, adds up to building the lack of credibility on the government statements. “yet another example of government lies”. Many Mexicans simply hear a government statement and simply say, “what next”.

Guillermo Ramon Adames y Suari is a former Electoral Officer of the UN

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