Hobnobbled! The McVitie’s Hobnobs Flapjacks Scam
I love chocolate Hobnobs. The biscuits I mean. Yom yom. So when I saw some McVitie’s Hobnobs Flapjacks in Tesco the other day, I was irresistably drawn to them like a moth to a flame.
Exhibit A: McVitie's Hobnobs Flapjacks
Exhibit B: Yep, definitely 5
All that delicious hobnobbiness expertly combined into a flapjack. What right minded hobnobber wouldn’t be tempted by that?
Just look at the size of that packet. Huge isn’t it? And that does say "5" flapjacks doesn’t it?
Five? Bloomin’ heck – each of those bad boys must be BIG and tasty then.
Right? Right? Well that’s exhibits A & B.
Now let’s open this packet up and look at some more evidence…
Exhibit C: Surely some mistake? Have they shrunk whilst in the cardboard tray? :-(
Look at all that space left! Anyone would think that you could fit another one in that gap!
Exhibit D: Well bugger me, you can fit six in that tray...
But hang on a second, isn’t there still a lot of space around the edges, even with six in that tray?
Exhibit E: Seven flapjacks with room to spare.
Well, obviously you can even comfortably fit seven in that tray.
But wait, isn’t there still a bit of space?
Exhibit F: So that'll be eight then.
Well I think that’s about our limit. There’s still a bit of space in the middle there, but we’ve probably got max usage. With eight Hobnobby treats it’s a bit of squeeze and they may get a bit squished in transit. But that’s not my point.
Now this is where I embarrass myself with some dodgy maths, but:
- A tray that’s 17cm long by 11.5cm wide has a total area of 195.5cm².
- Each flapjack is 8.5cm long by 2.5cm wide (not incl. wrapper), an area of 21.25cm².
- So five flapjacks in this tray would be a total flapjackage space of 106.25cm².
106.25cm² / 195.5cm² = 54.3% of actual tray space used! Making the product appear over 45% larger than it actually is! I’d say that’s a bit of a con.
…and that’s just the inner cardboard tray I’m measuring – you can’t technically even see that before you buy. The outer packaging measures 14cm x 23cm, a whopping area of 322cm². One could perhaps argue that when you purchase, your brain sees a packaged product with an area of 322cm², when in reality you get just 33% of that.
So I put it to you my dear reader (singular tense there) that McVitie’s are either unintentionally or intentionally:
a) using misleading packaging to make their product look much bigger than it actually is.
b) using stupid amounts of excess packaging, which is somewhat frowned upon these days.
c) proving that I perhaps have a smidge too much time on my hands today.
Whatever combination of the above it is, hisssss booooo to McVitie’s!
The defence rests.
What do you reckon? Guilty or not guilty?
Guilty definately…what a waste of packaging, damaging to the environment & mis-leading in its true size!!
You’ve been truely Nobbled…they must think we’re all Knobs!!
Guilty!
You could try contacting their customer services dept – send them a link to this page…
http://www.unitedbiscuits.com/80256C1A0047922E/vWeb/pcKEYL5DWKWC
Just in case they *do* read the page…
Oi!! United Biscuits!! Another thing! Why can’t I get packets of plain chocolate HobNobs any more? It’s just those stupid things with plastic lids!! Another rip-off!
:-)
Bastards
I’d take them back to tesco and complain that someone has nobbed a hob from your packet…
Err… I’d always been under the impression that flapjacks were pancakes…but apparently they’re something different there…
Yeah, I think a flapjack in the USA/Canada is some pancake type thing:
Over here though, it’s a oaty, syrupy chocolate covered thing. They taste better than they sound – promise.
Andy, are they still available in a multipack without the plastic lids?
“a) using misleading packaging to make their product look much bigger than it actually is.”
That sounds like quite a few men I’ve met
hmm oaty syrupy chocolate covered thing… vs …a pancake..thing… hmm… I suspect North America got the bad end of the deal here….
I’ll have to try them when I’m in London
oh yes and that video is the most disturbing thing I’ve seen today….
but you’ll have to do better for more long-term Disturbination™
For some strange reason I suddenly fancy somes flapjacks, pancakes, pancakes, pancakes and a waffle. Can’t for the life of me work out why???
Another world tour coming up then Marianne?
Amazing how a couple of bikini clad women can make those rubbery looking waffles edible isn’t it!
I have to admit women in bikinis are not a huge selling point for me… maybe Jen would prefer it… she did send me the creepy cameltoe song… and world tour… yes… quite literally this time tho…. maybe this time I can actually leave Heathrow…
btw do you call criminals villains?
oh yes and to stay on topic…
Flapjacks…. yeah……. sweet weird oatie chocolate things… no deep fried mars bars though
Have you considered getting a life?
this coming from someone who obviously took the time to read this… and to comment themselves… wow
Hehe, don’t worry Marianne, that’s just my sister. I can always rely on her for a reality check!! :-)
You’ve got a sister!!!! And you have never introduced her to Andrew… what sort of a friend are you? Are you afraid they may hit it off – or that she may have to leave the country….
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