Can a retailer charge to different prices?

Noelie

I think this is the correct forum for this post

I'm buying an appartment and we are been giving a tiling allowence, with which we buy our tiles and then have to get a tiler to fit them for us. The shop has a contract to with the developer to supply tile for each property in the development.

I first went to the Tile shop to get a quote for a average sized bathroom and a small kitchen. I picked out the tiles i liked for each room and asked for a price, he told me he would ring me later with a price. Two days later he rings telling me it will cost over €1500 to supply the tiles. I felt that not only was this price dear but i was certain that he was ripping us off, this guy knew that we HAD to buy the tiles from him as the tiling voucher is for his shop

As a test i went back to the Shop and asked for a price for the same tiles, but this time i didn't mention that i had a voucher for his shop. I told him i'd bought in a different development which he didn't have a contract with to supply tile.

Now i only got a price for the Bathroom, which is the majority of the tiles, the price he now quoted was only €620. the kitchen tiles would cost about €250 to tile, making a total price of around €900. That's €600 less than before.

I'm pretty sure of this but just wan't clarification and advice. He can't charge two different prices for tiles just because he had to buy the contract to supply the tile or can he??

Thanks for any replies.

TheMonster

Noelie wrote:

I think this is the correct forum for this post

I'm buying an appartment and we are been giving a tiling allowence, with which we buy our tiles and then have to get a tiler to fit them for us. The shop has a contract to with the developer to supply tile for each property in the development.

I first went to the Tile shop to get a quote for a average sized bathroom and a small kitchen. I picked out the tiles i liked for each room and asked for a price, he told me he would ring me later with a price. Two days later he rings telling me it will cost over €1500 to supply the tiles. I felt that not only was this price dear but i was certain that he was ripping us off, this guy knew that we HAD to buy the tiles from him as the tiling voucher is for his shop

As a test i went back to the Shop and asked for a price for the same tiles, but this time i didn't mention that i had a voucher for his shop. I told him i'd bought in a different development which he didn't have a contract with to supply tile.

Now i only got a price for the Bathroom, which is the majority of the tiles, the price he now quoted was only €620. the kitchen tiles would cost about €250 to tile, making a total price of around €900. That's €600 less than before.

I'm pretty sure of this but just wan't clarification and advice. He can't charge two different prices for tiles just because he had to buy the contract to supply the tile or can he??

Thanks for any replies.

Get your quote in writing and get a friend to get another one for same price tiles and get onto the Office of Consumer Affairs with the evidence.

rubadub

I would have thought they could. Many shops give discounts if you ask so are they all breaking the law?

Culchie

rubadub wrote:

I would have thought they could. Many shops give discounts if you ask so are they all breaking the law?

Surely the person with the develop should get the discount (bulk purchase) rather than the individual if there is any going.

This is a very interesting one, definitely worth following up on, and please keep us informed.

MorningStar

Simply yes they can charge you more.

The shop agree a deal with the developer to supply product at an agreed price or "deal". That price is X which you could be charged the developer decides that you will get a discount of Y on the deal struck.

Mean while the tile shop changes its price structure or deals it does while the devlopment continues. It is now cheaper (or may always have been) to tile directly from the shop.

And before you say this is a rip of building industry it is the same way in the medical insurance business.

The short of it is they can do what they like and having proof they are doing it means nothing.

Culchie

MorningStar wrote:

Simply yes they can charge you more.

And before you say this is a rip of building industry it is the same way in the medical insurance business.

The short of it is they can do what they like and having proof they are doing it means nothing.

Well two wrongs blah blah blah.....It is a rip off, pure and simple.
It most probably is not illegal, but whatever about the developer not giving a toss, I'm sure the retail outlet would find it pretty uncomfortable if word got around of this sort of reverse discount, or bulk surcharge whatever you want to call it....which on the face of it makes no sense to Joe public at all.

Same thing goes on in advertising, same space, different ratees to different business sectors.... or different rates if you are a local, or Dublin based.

It certainly won't change if people don't kick up a fuss about it.

MorningStar

Culchie wrote:

Well two wrongs blah blah blah.....It is a rip off, pure and simple.

I'll tell you what a rip off is it is a company that claims to provide magazines to the irish market that can't. Don't you work for magazine365 who can't do what they advertise

Culchie wrote:

It most probably is not illegal, but whatever about the developer not giving a toss, I'm sure the retail outlet would find it pretty uncomfortable if word got around of this sort of reverse discount, or bulk surcharge whatever you want to call it....which on the face of it makes no sense to Joe public at all.

What makes no sense to joe public doesn't mean there are not legitimate business reason. I think you will find that out when people start complaining about poor service.

Culchie wrote:

Same thing goes on in advertising, same space, different ratees to different business sectors.... or different rates if you are a local, or Dublin based.

It certainly won't change if people don't kick up a fuss about it.

You are right I might complain to the advertisemnt authority about a magazine company that doesn't provide the service they advertise they will and puts up no notice to inform its customers.

You should learn to be polite about business practices many have good reason.

Dub13

MorningStar,stay on topic this is a thread about a tiling allowance not a magazine company.

TheMonster

Could you not get everything and when paying mention the allowance.(once you have the receipt). The mistake you made was mentioning the allowance first.