Price displayed V Price Charged

flutegirl

Hi,

This has probably been discussed before, but I'm ticked off big time.:mad: Bought a few items in a well-known store and was charged a different price to the one dispalyed on the shelf. What is the law regarding this? Once I pointed it out to one of the supervisors I was given the difference back (20c) but it's not about the money. This particular shop has done this ever since I have lived in the area, and its the reason why I use it only when I have no other choice. I only use it occasionally but I can be sure I will get overcharged on something.

If I had had more time I would have asked them why they don't match Tesco's (their nearest competitor) policy of giving you a full refund if the price displayed and what you get charged are different.

This really, really bugs me.

MorningStar

The price displayed is called something like an offer to tender ie. they do not have to sell it to you at this price in other words. Once you get the tilll and you are not happy with the price you have the choice not to buy. This amounts to them correcting you on the price.

Don't be too much in prase of Tesco however. IN the UK they would be fined £1500 per item incorrectly priced. As A result they make sure items are priced correctly while in Ireland they are no where near as bothered. Not sure but I heard a whole pricing checking procedure in the UK is simple not done here as there is little or no danger of hefty fines.

They can be fined for some false advertisement depending on the sign it is a little bit complicated but surfice to say it is not a real concern to Irish shops so they don't bother.

Ask your local ploitician what he plans to support or purposes on consumer rights. Most of them don't know anything on the subject or feed you "common sense" concempts without any substance. Most times common sense ideas don't cover the issue as they rarely know why or what is currently in place.

Sam Vimes

MorningStar wrote:

The price displayed is called something like an offer to tender ie. they do not have to sell it to you at this price in other words. Once you get the tilll and you are not happy with the price you have the choice not to buy. This amounts to them correcting you on the price.

Don't be too much in prase of Tesco however. IN the UK they would be fined £1500 per item incorrectly priced. As A result they make sure items are priced correctly while in Ireland they are no where near as bothered. Not sure but I heard a whole pricing checking procedure in the UK is simple not done here as there is little or no danger of hefty fines.

They can be fined for some false advertisement depending on the sign it is a little bit complicated but surfice to say it is not a real concern to Irish shops so they don't bother.

Ask your local ploitician what he plans to support or purposes on consumer rights. Most of them don't know anything on the subject or feed you "common sense" concempts without any substance. Most times common sense ideas don't cover the issue as they rarely know why or what is currently in place.

i think its called an invitation to treat. its true that there are no fines but dunnes makes an effort. they have a whole section who's only job is to make sure the tickets are right. they're always going around the place changing them (or they did when i was unfortunate enough to work there)

gerrycollins

the reason the price is different at the till is usually down to human error the price changes and then the ticket isnt
it is really fustrating i know and an embarrasment to the shop but most shops have dedicated people to check the labels and change them accordinly,many shops change their prices in batches so that there is not constantly change of labels but in my shop this could amount to 1000 price changes a week sometimes of only 1c but are prevelant all over the shop so really there is no way to check them all after, until that section is checked over again maybe in two days time and in the mean time your in doin your shopping price wrong and its a real pain for us too
the law states tho that the details on the ticket must match the product ie size/weight,description,extra fill or not,and only then can the price be brought into question
say for example someone picks up lyons tea red from where lyons tea green price is displayed (the red is dearer)well the description is not for that product so technically the shop has done nothing wrong except hire stupid staff thats how much of an ass the law is on these matters
again it is really a pain in the ass but out of 19000 customers a week i would have to say personally that i get 15-20 that bring price issues to me and 10 of them are sorted or explained while the rest are refunded cause of a mistake

flutegirl

I appreciate all the comments that have been made but with this particular shop it's consistant, and only half the size of other bigger stores with less products that have a variety of price structures, (like buy one get one free, and buy 2 get 2nd half price), that are changing week in week out and the price is always the same as the price displayed: it's obviously part of their commitment to the customer to keep them returning to the store.

gerrycollins

it can only be down to management of that particular outlet so that they do not put enough emphasis on the basics

rubadub

MorningStar wrote:

Don't be too much in prase of Tesco however. .

I know what you mean, but at least they do it, and with no real contest/rig-ma-roll about it. I have gotten lots of free stuff in tescos. My local supervalu has FAR more mistakes, I see them all the time, and when I point them out they hum and haw and get managers etc, now I only bother complaining when it is out by a large amount since my time is worth more than waiting around for them. But in tescos if it is off by 1cent I get it free.

If you are unsure i.e. see 2 prices in tescos you can scan instore, if the high price is show load up that trolley!

There is actually a UK forum pointing out errors in tescos so people can load up trolleys with wrongly priced stuff and get it all free.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=133632

Sleipnir

MorningStar wrote:

The price displayed is called something like an offer to tender ie. they do not have to sell it to you at this price in other words. Once you get the tilll and you are not happy with the price you have the choice not to buy. This amounts to them correcting you on the price.

It's not quite that simple though. e.g. Many pubs have recently been fined for charging a higher price than the one displayed.
While a retailer is not obliged to sell to you at the price on display, they do have to tell you that the price is higher when you arrive at the checkout to pay for it. If they do not, then you may be entitled to redress.

from ODCA.ie

A price on a shelf edge label was less than price showing on the till when the product is scanned. Does the consumer have a right to buy the product at the lower price?

This may be a misleading price indication, consumer should contact the Office with details. However, the consumer does not have an automatic right to the product at the lower price. A price indication on a product is what's called an "invitation to treat";

If the consumer is advised of the correct price before purchasing, they are not entitled to the goods at the lower price. In this case, the consumer has a choice of rejecting the goods and not buying them, or, accepting the higher price and making the purchase.
If the consumer was not informed of the correct price before purchasing, they may be entitled to some form of redress from the shop for having been misled. But, if the shop refuses, as well as this Office following up on the matter, the consumer could consider taking the matter further thorough the shop's Head Office (if it is a member of a chain), or, through the Small Claims Court.

If a retailer consistently charges a different price to the displayed then it would certainly warrant in investigation by the ODCA and I would advise that you contact them about it.
It would also be helpful if you could provide a list of a few products with which you have noticed the price discepancy.

flutegirl

rubadub wrote:

My local supervalu has FAR more mistakes,

It's a national thing!

Here's another one. Have also noticed that some products that have, say, 100% extra free are a few cent more than the regular product without the extra free. Should they not be the same price??

shoegirl

I worked on the helpdesk supporting the back end servers for one of Tesco's main competitors in the UK about 4 years ago. It was taken very seriously, but the problem at the time was that all these are completely different IT systems and sometimes changes don't transfer from one system to another. Tesco are one of the more up to date where IT is concerned so are better at managing this.

Having said that nobody has screwed irish consumers more than Musgrave (Supervalu's owner). Everytime I visit my local supervalu the price of everything seems to have gone up. I simply give them a miss and shop elsewhere instead.

Musgrave (with their central billing policies and mass takeover of the convenience sector) have done more to hike up pricing than Dunnes, Tesco and Superquinn put together. They shut out a lot of the smaller wholesalers in the late 80s who were offering good discounts to compete. It was this, and not the groceries order, that caused high prices to emerge in the late 90s as shops were taken over by either Musgrave or their equally harmful competititor BMG.

PS Expect this to get worse now that Musgrave have eaten up co-op chain Londis.

rob1891

If the consumer is advised of the correct price before purchasing, they are not entitled to the goods at the lower price. In this case, the consumer has a choice of rejecting the goods and not buying them, or, accepting the higher price and making the purchase.

What must the retailer do to advise of the correct price. When are you not advised of the correct price, it's on the register when the item is checked in, you are definitely made aware of the total when you come to pay .... I am thinking of a senario where you have noticed a mispricing on an expensive item and you wish to cash in.

I know people who have claimed to get the item for the lower price by causing a fuss at the check out, calling managers over and generally making a scene. It seems to me that it's going to be very difficult to not be made aware of the correct price before purchasing and so you have no rights what so ever to purchase at the lower price? I.e. if paying by cash it's clear as day and if paying by credit card you have to sign the slip with the total on it. You couldn't claim to have not been made aware of the correct price ...

MorningStar

Sleipnir wrote:

It's not quite that simple though. e.g. Many pubs have recently been fined for charging a higher price than the one displayed.
While a retailer is not obliged to sell to you at the price on display, they do have to tell you that the price is higher when you arrive at the checkout to pay for it. If they do not, then you may be entitled to redress.

Alchol sales in a pubs have different rules and regulations.


As mentioned from a fellow IT person most problems are due to difficulty with systems. Tesco do not take as much care in Ireland as the UK AFAIK. Ceratin store types have major problems with pricing and stock management. THere is effectively no way for the stores to truely manage theri prices correctly if their systems are anyway old (5-10 years) and your staff are not focused.

Convenient stores and hardware stores always have stock and pricing problems. GO to any of the DIY stores and just watch how much general problem there is finding an item and getting a price on it.

The government should bring in new legislation on the issue to protect more consumers and I would like to see some politicians actively doing things rather than just say everything is a rip off. THese things can be changed easily and pay for themselves.

Gray

I was in Woodies today bying a lampshade when we got to the checkout it came up €4 dearer than on the shelf tag. We quired the price & were told it was a diferent stile, but we still got it for the lower price.

This sort of thing used to be very common in UK DIY stores untill they started fining them on store got done for about £20,000 in one day! made them keep the lables up to date from then on

gerrycollins

shoegirl wrote:

Having said that nobody has screwed irish consumers more than Musgrave (Supervalu's owner). Everytime I visit my local supervalu the price of everything seems to have gone up. I simply give them a miss and shop elsewhere instead.

Musgrave (with their central billing policies and mass takeover of the convenience sector) have done more to hike up pricing than Dunnes, Tesco and Superquinn put together. They shut out a lot of the smaller wholesalers in the late 80s who were offering good discounts to compete. It was this, and not the groceries order, that caused high prices to emerge in the late 90s as shops were taken over by either Musgrave or their equally harmful competititor BMG.

PS Expect this to get worse now that Musgrave have eaten up co-op chain Londis.

a slight defence of Musgraves they do not "own" anyone other than the name,all Supervalu's, centras etc. are privately owned by people who buy from Musgraves as a central warehouse because in todays market its cheaper than going to individual suppliers due to bulk buying power etc
I personally know of a Supervalu owner or two who hike up the price of certain items but I know Musgraves do there best to keep these guys in line with the rest of their stores,they have 500 lines that match price with Tesco and Dunnes and are 3% cheaper than Superquinn.After that all stores have different prices on other items
I feel that your local maybe one of these few bad boys and if you can prove with receipts on standard lines that he is way more expensive that your local Tesco report them to Musgraves head office

flutegirl

Are Supervalu and Londis franchised? What guides do they have to follow?

gerrycollins

flutegirl wrote:

Are Supervalu and Londis franchised? What guides do they have to follow?

the names are owned by musgraves as are centra but the building and contents are privately owned but the names can be withdrawn at any time
the shops have to comply with musgraves suggested price policy, to 99% or face massive fines, which they say will offer the owner profit while maintaining competitive in the market place if the shop is run properly and because of greedy owners/bad management some raise certain prices and think of bottom line other than customers
the shop that is near you what size is it,what products were you overcharged on?would you have formed this thread if the right price ticket was there in the first place?
i think the issue of price displayed vs price charged must not be compared with high prices
when was the last time you checked your tesco shoppping bill against the prices in dunnes or supervalu.If you do i will guarentee that exactly the same product in all shops will be the same price. A few exceptions will apply about 2% those are own brand,cost price,promotional and grey market products
AS for extra fill products been a few cents more than is done by the producer and has nothing to do with the shop and if you check closely enough the price will go up a few weeks before the extra fill pack comes into shops,but BTW only one company in ireland do this but they control many of the products i think i know you are referring to

gerrycollins

flutegirl wrote:

Hi,
If I had had more time I would have asked them why they don't match Tesco's (their nearest competitor) policy of giving you a full refund if the price displayed and what you get charged are different.
.

This is just a customer service thing just lke superquinn giving you 100 clubcard points or something else and it makes for easier till operations
the law plainly states (in plain english)that you should get the product for the price it is sold to you at(ie what it scans for?)not for whats on the label but that the label is an invitation to treat while informing you of the product and its price,if ever have you returned to tell them that they (or any other shop) undercharged you?the label is still wrong but your not comlaining about that?im not attacking or defending anyone here just pointing out a few things which may make it easier for people to understand

flutegirl

Feedback is good as it gives a clear view as to how the different shops work. I check my receipt and compare all the time. The area i'm in is rural so there hasn't been a lot of choice of shop until the last year or so, unless you were prepared to drive 50 miles or so. The price displayed on the shelf is the same as their competitors, which is why I was asking: is it a ploy to get people to shop there and then charge them more without people realising? If you're shopping for a big family you can't possibly know ever price of every item. With increased competition it must have an effect on their business.

It was fresh soup I bought the other day,(priced at €1.99, got charged €2.09) but in the past it's been branded stuff, like coffee, pizza. The thread wasn't to highlight any particular shop just the practice. Having done a quick survey of friends, most don't bother looking at the price of stuff, they just stick in the trolley and wheel it away!

antoinolachtnai

A franchisor can't dictate prices to their franchisees or dealers. That would be a restriction on trade and someone could go to prison for it. It's a breach of the Treaty of Rome and the Competition legislation. There is a case underway relating to a particular car brand at the moment. (Though something very similar does go on, through rebates and other things.)

It is against the law to show the wrong prices. If you have a problem with wrong prices, write to the director of consumer affairs, give full details and ask them to prosecute. Tell them you are willing to go to court as a witness if you like. (The law is the European Communities Act 1973 Regulations 2003, I think) There is a fine of around EUR 3000.

I have done this before and everyone takes it quite seriously.

gerrycollins

flutegirl wrote:

Feedback is good as it gives a clear view as to how the different shops work. I check my receipt and compare all the time. The area i'm in is rural so there hasn't been a lot of choice of shop until the last year or so, unless you were prepared to drive 50 miles or so. The price displayed on the shelf is the same as their competitors, which is why I was asking: is it a ploy to get people to shop there and then charge them more without people realising? If you're shopping for a big family you can't possibly know ever price of every item. With increased competition it must have an effect on their business.

It was fresh soup I bought the other day,(priced at €1.99, got charged €2.09) but in the past it's been branded stuff, like coffee, pizza. The thread wasn't to highlight any particular shop just the practice. Having done a quick survey of friends, most don't bother looking at the price of stuff, they just stick in the trolley and wheel it away!

there is no ploy but the fact that most people dont check the prices doesnt help firstly the shop is not out to con people its against the law and secondly they may think that everything is grand and the people within the shop appointed to look after prices is doin a good job but the mistakes are not been pointed out to the manager,there is no other way they can find out unless they get feedback

gerrycollins

antoinolachtnai wrote:

A franchisor can't dictate prices to their franchisees or dealers. That would be a restriction on trade and someone could go to prison for it. It's a breach of the Treaty of Rome and the Competition legislation. There is a case underway relating to a particular car brand at the moment. (Though something very similar does go on, through rebates and other things.)

It is against the law to show the wrong prices. If you have a problem with wrong prices, write to the director of consumer affairs, give full details and ask them to prosecute. Tell them you are willing to go to court as a witness if you like. (The law is the European Communities Act 1973 Regulations 2003, I think) There is a fine of around EUR 3000.

I have done this before and everyone takes it quite seriously.

i probably should have worded it better,the franchisor can reccomend a selling price that will give the shop a reasonable profit while remaining competitive in the market place,however a shop must stick to advertised promotional prices as these are normally nationally organised,many shops worth their salt are embarrased by having wrong prices and I am one of them and will be the first to put my hand up if something like that happened

flutegirl

gerrycollins,
What kind of shop do you have?

antoinolachtnai

There a couple of if's and maybe's but franchisees are basically supposed to be able to set their own prices.

To be fair, most shopkeepers (or at least many shopkeepers) go to a lot of trouble to keep the prices marked on the shelf correct.

The only really reliable way to do it though, is to use digital radio-controlled shelf tags.

gerrycollins

flutegirl wrote:

gerrycollins,
What kind of shop do you have?

grocery

gerrycollins

antoinolachtnai wrote:

There a couple of if's and maybe's but franchisees are basically supposed to be able to set their own prices.

To be fair, most shopkeepers (or at least many shopkeepers) go to a lot of trouble to keep the prices marked on the shelf correct.

The only really reliable way to do it though, is to use digital radio-controlled shelf tags.

i agree but the cost of such a venture is collossal
Franchisees are able to set the price dependant on local competition but most if not all stay with suggested price for bookkeeping purposes and making life easy for themselves

antoinolachtnai

You can get into that sort of taking system now for around 5 or 6 euros per tag. It's all a question of what employees' time is worth. Some of the vendors say you get your money back in a year on the labour cost of keeping the tags up-to-date. It's not a lot of money in the context of what is being paid for key money and rent on convenience stores these days.

Savman

flutegirl wrote:

What is the law regarding this?

Simple answer is you have no right to automatically get the item at the lower price. You can chase it up with Office of Consumer Affairs but might not be worth the hassle, the shop will have a million ways out most of them probably associated with "human error" (those pesky humans again:p)

gerrycollins

Savman wrote:

Simple answer is you have no right to automatically get the item at the lower price. You can chase it up with Office of Consumer Affairs but might not be worth the hassle, the shop will have a million ways out most of them probably associated with "human error" (those pesky humans again:p)

ha ha your right those damn humans,but seriously if there is an issue, the office will look into they usually compile a file so the more that people report the more action they can take if a shop constantly offends,every issue on its own may not need a full investigation but a book load of them will if there is a serious aspect that the office considers that a general consensous of miscommunication to customers