I can 100% confirm that the "discount" perception is a huge aspect of the decision making process for a purchase.
I sell a shitload of stuff on Facebook Marketplace because I buy, sell, fix, refurbish electronics and appliances
I know from experience that the way to sell something for $100, is to first post it for $120, and then 8 minutes later reduce the price to 100. People see the crossed out 120 and they think *oh my god this is my chance"!
I've been buying and selling for almost 30 years, I was like the first user on eBay LOL... This is such a baffling but real phenomenon! For example on ebay, if you want to get 30% more than market value, post your item for a dollar and let people fight! The idea of a deal, even when it doesn't exist, is so potent.
It comes from that massive disconnect that people are largely unaware of, which is the assumption that people purchase e:invest in businesses to help run them more efficiently and become more profitable.
That really has very little to do with it! It's a giant shell game. I believe the initial investors came in to disrupt our company, to prime it for fire-sale later. To make us so incredibly uncompetitive that we effectively had to shut the doors. It worked!
So you are both a liar and semi-literate.