Photo by Paula Snyder

I know I should be a smarter marketer, but as a consumer also, I hate deception in advertising. That's why I honest marketing for my Celtic Invasion Vacations. They are just plain fun.

If you visit my Celtic Music CD Store, you will not find prices listed as $9.99 for MP3s. Because we all know that that is $10. Yes, it sounds like less. It manipulates you into thinking that you're not spending as much. I don't know if that is a horrible thing, but I elected to set all my CD prices at $15 for a CD or $10 for MP3s.

Recently, I received a “tour Scotland” email from a band. It lists a “9-day” tour of Scotland. Read on, and it lists seven nights. Huh? How does that happen?

Well, it turns out that the pricedoes include airfare from the states. But it adds that date into the “9-day” tour. Is that bogus and deceptive or what?

I don't blame the band. It's a marketing decision by the company hosting the tour. Same with the fact that the price does not include the “U.S. Departure Tax”.  So you have to pay $2269 + a mysterious undisclosed amount.

That's pretty standard among tour companies. If you want to join any official “tour”, you're gonna run into pricing and manipulations like that.

I definitely prefer the way I host my Celtic vacations. They're not just about racing around the country seeing stuff. They're about experiencing sites and sounds together. I also love that the price is what it says. If there are any additional expenses you will be notified of them up front. It's just so much more personal.

Of course, I mention this because I just got sent the itinerary for next year's Celtic Invasion of Highlands of Scotland. It's not online yet. But it will be soon.