When is a pack of two a pair?

[enrico]

Thought I would share this little story.
My wife and I were looking for some Showa Gloves on line which we use for gardening and came across a company that seemed to have a good deal of a pack of two for a very reasonable price.
We ordered them but when they arrived the pack only contained one pair. We took this up with the company who said that a pack of two meant a pair. We asked when a single glove might ever be required and if it was how would they know if we needed the left or the right glove. They stated that they wished to make it clear that the pack contains two gloves. We were tempted to send for the small size which did not have the note on it that it was a pack of two to see if we would just be sent one glove! The company were adamant that you could not buy two pairs of Showa Gloves for the price we paid. We said that we knew that, that was why we thought it was excellent value. Ironically the same company sells the same gloves on another page of amazon at a cheaper price but on this page they sate it is a pack of one!!!
I will spare you the rest of the to and fro but suffice it to say we wont be buying from them again.
Any body else thinks that a pack of two when it comes to gloves should mean two pairs or would you be happy with two gloves! I mean! They are not even identical, one is for the left hand and one is for the right!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Any body else thinks that a pack of two when it comes to gloves should mean two pairs

nope, it's pretty obvious it's two gloves, now if they said it was a pack of two pairs, that would be different.

 

[user 20297]

Thought I would share this little story.
My wife and I were looking for some Showa Gloves on line which we use for gardening and came across a company that seemed to have a good deal of a pack of two for a very reasonable price.
We ordered them but when they arrived the pack only contained one pair. We took this up with the company who said that a pack of two meant a pair. We asked when a single glove might ever be required and if it was how would they know if we needed the left or the right glove. They stated that they wished to make it clear that the pack contains two gloves. We were tempted to send for the small size which did not have the note on it that it was a pack of two to see if we would just be sent one glove! The company were adamant that you could not buy two pairs of Showa Gloves for the price we paid. We said that we knew that, that was why we thought it was excellent value. Ironically the same company sells the same gloves on another page of amazon at a cheaper price but on this page they sate it is a pack of one!!!
I will spare you the rest of the to and fro but suffice it to say we wont be buying from them again.
Any body else thinks that a pack of two when it comes to gloves should mean two pairs or would you be happy with two gloves! I mean! They are not even identical, one is for the left hand and one is for the right!

Gloves listed by number in the pack usually indicates that they aren't handed. When in pairs, L & R, you expect the listing to mean number of pairs. Two-packs of gloves are quite common in poundshops or Lidl, so I get your drift.

 

[JamezF]

"A pack of two" is strange language to use to describe a pair of "handed" gloves to my way of thinking. So much so that I might have queried what they meant with the vendor before ordering. "A pack of two" suggests to me that the items are the same -- as might be the case, say, if you were buying nitrile gloves.

I suspect that a fair few item descriptions on websites are written by people whose first language is not English and may be less aware of the nuances of expression and the misinterpretation that can ensue as a result. I have often ordered from elsewhere instead in such cases, even if I have to pay a little more to be sure that I'll be getting what I think I'm getting.

James

 

[user 20297]

Fork handles anyone?

 

[enrico]

"A pack of two" is strange language to use to describe a pair of "handed" gloves to my way of thinking. So much so that I might have queried what they meant with the vendor before ordering. "A pack of two" suggests to me that the items are the same -- as might be the case, say, if you were buying nitrile gloves.

I suspect that a fair few item descriptions on websites are written by people whose first language is not English and may be less aware of the nuances of expression and the misinterpretation that can ensue as a result. I have often ordered from elsewhere instead in such cases, even if I have to pay a little more to be sure that I'll be getting what I think I'm getting.

James

Ironically the shop is in a nearby town. Although we didn't know that at the time. As English as you can get.

nope, it's pretty obvious it's two gloves, now if they said it was a pack of two pairs, that would be different.

I can't see any reason for saying it is a pack of two unless it meant a pack of two pairs. If I bought gloves I would expect a pair so why mention 'two' at all unless you mean two pairs!

 

[Blunt Spike]

Fork handles anyone?

No thanks its O's I need

 

[JamezF]

No thanks its O's I need

And some P's?

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

A pack of two" is strange language to use to describe a pair

I can't see any reason for saying it is a pack of two

Why not? it's a pack containing two items.
or are we just being too parochial in this universal marketplace we now occupy? do other countries just use the term 'pack of two' when describing a set of two items and think us weird for using the term 'pair' when selling two of something? gone are the days of 'empire' when all the world has to kowtow to a bunch of over entitled robber barons in England.

 

[JamezF]

do other countries just use the term 'pack of two' when describing a set of two items and think us weird for using the term 'pair' when selling two of something?

"A pair" of gloves and "a pack of two" gloves are not necessarily the same thing however. If I bought a pair of gloves, I'd expect a matched pair of left and right gloves. Perhaps if a golfer bought "a pack of two gloves" they might not be at all pleased when the package arrived to find one right-handed and one left-handed. Much depends on the context. And when a given wording is used in a context that I'd not expect to see it my immediate reaction is that what the writer meant to be understood by those words and what I actually understand by those words may not be the same. In this instance, given that a singular glove may not be considered particularly useful it may be perfectly reasonable to assume they'd be sold as a pair. If they're then sold as a pack of two, it's not clear whether the "two" applies to multiples of gloves or multiples of pairs.

Screwfix sell Showa gloves, as it happens. They don't even claim that they're pairs. Their descriptions say the "pack size" is 1. I'm pretty sure you get two gloves though.

As far as I recall (it's quite some years since my O Levels) the French say "une paire de gants" rather than "deux gants" and the Germans would say "ein Paar Handschuhe" rather than "zwei Handschuhe". Beyond that I can't say what people in other countries do.

James

 

[Bluebell1985]

I think calling it a pack of two is misleading as it makes it appear more than what it is. Who would buy a pack of one? It's language being used to confuse the buyer in my opinion.

It should simply be called a pair of gloves as that's what it is and I'm sure what the large majority would know it as.

 

[Garry R]

Regarding golf gloves I need just one BUT I'm not really a left-hander but the clubs were a bargain

 

[The Poot]

Ironically the shop is in a nearby town. Although we didn't know that at the time. As English as you can get.

I can't see any reason for saying it is a pack of two unless it meant a pack of two pairs. If I bought gloves I would expect a pair so why mention 'two' at all unless you mean two pairs!

Hi @enrico,
I thought of you this morning - I was looking at buying socks and was drawn to a “three for two” offer.

 

[enrico]

Hi @enrico,
I thought of you this morning - I was looking at buying socks and was drawn to a “three for two” offer.

Bragging again!

 

[ics19]

It's language being used to confuse the buyer in my opinion.

Well at least it wasn't a pack of 2 raw gloves

 

[pargyle]

It'z definitely winter ... only in a beekeeping forum could we be having a discussion about whether a pair of gloves is a pair or whether it means two gloves .... roll on Spring - it's going to be a Lonnnnnggggg winter. It's about now that someone will raise a thread about whether 2:1 syrup is 2:1 or 1:2 .... that wlll keep us occupied until December has passed. Where's Finman these days ?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Where's Finman these days ?

He was here on Monday...heaven know why he isn't posting?

 

[North End Bees]

As far as I recall (it's quite some years since my O Levels) the French say "une paire de gants" rather than "deux gants" and the Germans would say "ein Paar Handschuhe" rather than "zwei Handschuhe". Beyond that I can't say what people in other countries do.

In German 'ein Paar' can mean either a pair or a few.

I wonder if there's someone on a German forum musing that they only got 2 gloves instead of the few they were hoping for?!