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Price War - Difficult Situation

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  • 23-09-2008 2:10pm
    #1
    pampers1
    Registered Users Posts: 404 ✭✭


    O.k. here's the problem.

    My niece is 6 today... promised her a High School Muscial Laptop where we saw one in smyths toystore for 54.99.

    Smyths are sold out of them. They are on sale in Argos for 74.99.

    How can Argos charge this. Its a joke. I really want to get it for her but I think 74.99 is way too steep. Is there anything I can do???

    I can't not get it for her as she's really excited about it


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    #2
    dahamsta
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16,659 ✭✭✭✭dahamsta


    Of course you can not get it for her. Use it as an opportunity to explain about prices or competition and buy her something within your budget. She gets a present and learns something.

    adam


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    #3
    Crapjob Sean
    Registered Users Posts: 150 ✭✭Crapjob Sean


    pampers1 wrote: »
    Is there anything I can do???

    Spring for the extra €20 and make a note to not leave stuff til the last minute next time?

    Just a thought like.


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    #4
    Kensington
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,683 ✭✭✭Kensington


    pampers1 wrote: »
    How can Argos charge this. Its a joke. I really want to get it for her but I think 74.99 is way too steep. Is there anything I can do???
    Argos can charge whatever they like for it. If you think 74.99 is too steep, then don't pay it - simple as.


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    #5
    Rebel021
    Registered Users Posts: 943 ✭✭✭Rebel021


    Kensington wrote: »
    Argos can charge whatever they like for it. If you think 74.99 is too steep, then don't pay it - simple as.

    Couldn't agree more.
    I would never hand over more than the market value..
    When people pay that price it only decreases competition.

    People have been lulled into the idea that argos is cheap
    nothing is further from the truth.
    Look at any item in there and then shop around,you will find it cheaper
    You will find bargains there but not that many,convenient not cheap.


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    #6
    jhegarty
    Registered Users Posts: 6,440 ✭✭✭jhegarty


    Well argos are the cheapest here...


    if smyths don't have it in stock it doesn't matter what their price is....


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    #7
    Biggins
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34,567 ✭✭✭✭Biggins


    Any chance they have it in a store in Dublin etc and maybe a friend while up there can get it?

    + This is not the first time that my wife and I have seen BIG and larger prices in Argos.
    I've lost faith in them having a decent price.


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    #8
    Ian Beale
    Registered Users Posts: 768 ✭✭✭Ian Beale


    Biggins wrote: »
    Any chance they have it in a store in Dublin etc and maybe a friend while up there can get it?

    + This is not the first time that my wife and I have seen BIG and larger prices in Argos.
    I've lost faith in them having a decent price.

    Call a smyths in Dublin......


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    #9
    Guy:Incognito
    Registered Users Posts: 38,247 ✭✭✭✭Guy:Incognito


    Ian Beale wrote: »
    Call a smyths in Dublin......

    You can check online.

    http://www.toys.ie/


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    #10
    parsi
    Site Banned Posts: 5,904 ✭✭✭parsi


    pampers1 wrote: »

    How can Argos charge this. Its a joke. I really want to get it for her but I think 74.99 is way too steep. Is there anything I can do???

    I can't not get it for her as she's really excited about it

    Hold off on it until it comes into Smyths. Design and print-off a voucher for the laptop and tell her that Argos wanted too much etc etc.

    The prices in Argos are best for commodity items that are not the newest or must haves. After all where else could you get a toaster for 5.99 and be paying over the odds for a TV ?


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    #11
    A Dub in Glasgo
    Registered Users Posts: 17,202 ✭✭✭✭A Dub in Glasgo


    Not much of a thread. Shop X is selling something I want but I do not want to spend that much on it... what do I do?


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    #12
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,993 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    Just because Argos are charging more does not mean they are making a bigger profit. It could very well be that their supplier is charging them more than Smyth's supplier.


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    #13
    witnessmenow
    Registered Users Posts: 7,153 ✭✭✭witnessmenow


    Kintarō Hattori wrote: »
    Just because Argos are charging more does not mean they are making a bigger profit. It could very well be that their supplier is charging them more than Smyth's supplier.

    Although thats a possibility I doubt that argos one of the biggest retailers in the Uk in Ireland is getting a worse deal than smyths.


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    #14
    jor el
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,713 ✭✭✭✭jor el


    witnessmenow wrote: »
    Although thats a possibility I doubt that argos one of the biggest retailers in the Uk in Ireland is getting a worse deal than smyths.

    Very true, but Smyths could have been selling it at a reduced price, whereas Argos are still retailing at the RRP.

    OP should have bought it when first seen in the shop, as the price was agreeable. There's nothing that can be done at this stage other than pay the higher price, look in other shops, or don't buy at all. You can't force one shop to meet the price of another, especially when the other is sold out.


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    #15
    Jip
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,418 ✭✭✭Jip


    Biggins wrote: »
    + This is not the first time that my wife and I have
    seen BIG and larger prices in Argos.
    I've lost faith in them having a decent price.


    I only came across a similar price difference yesterday. I'm looking for a new micro system and I started browsing the catalogue as it was in the house. Price was €225 for a Sony I was looking for. Then checked Powercity and they had it for €189 or €180 online. Then dropped into a Sony Centre who also has it for €189 but price matched the cheaper Powercity price.
    Obviously it pays to shop around but I was surprised that Argos was charging so much more for it.


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    #16
    Guy:Incognito
    Registered Users Posts: 38,247 ✭✭✭✭Guy:Incognito


    Jip wrote: »
    I only came across a similar price difference yesterday. I'm looking for a new micro system and I started browsing the catalogue as it was in the house. Price was €225 for a Sony I was looking for. Then checked Powercity and they had it for €189 or €180 online. Then dropped into a Sony Centre who also has it for €189 but price matched the cheaper Powercity price.
    Obviously it pays to shop around but I was surprised that Argos was charging so much more for it.

    The Argos catalogue should really only be used as a guide. You really should check the shop.

    Things like electronics drop in price all the time. The hifi you were buying might have dropped in price the day after the Argos catalogue was printed, not much they can do about that. The catalogues usually last what 4-6 months. Prices ARE going to change in that time frame.


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    #17
    Fighting Irish
    Registered Users Posts: 7,065 ✭✭✭Fighting Irish


    Kensington wrote: »
    Argos can charge whatever they like for it. If you think 74.99 is too steep, then don't pay it - simple as.

    .


    I don't get people who don't understand that


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    #18
    jor el
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,713 ✭✭✭✭jor el


    Fighting Irish wrote: »
    .


    I don't get people who don't understand that

    Celtic Tiger mentality. To hell with the price, we can buy it no matter what it costs. Thankfully, that's starting to change now.


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    #19
    Jip
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,418 ✭✭✭Jip


    Stekelly wrote: »
    The Argos catalogue should really only be used as a guide. You really should check the shop.

    I checked their website which is acurate and the price remains the same.
    And as you say, the catalogue lasts 4 to 6 months, this was the winter catalouge which is not out that long, there's no excuses for it.

    Coincidentally I only read this yesterday in the Indo http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/why-the-price-of-thomas-the-tank-engine-will-get-you-all-steamed-up-1481666.html Argos wouldn't comment on the individual prices differences nor on the fact of why so many items increased for the Winter catalogue. I'm guessing they increased to take advantage of the fact that so many people use it to buy Christmas gifts.


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    #20
    antoinolachtnai
    Registered Users Posts: 9,793 ✭✭✭antoinolachtnai


    Smyths may be 'selling' it as a loss-leader. This is a pretty common thing to do in the toy business I believe. Normally you see it in the run up to Christmas. This price difference does not mean that Argos is ripping anybody off. They may be just covering their costs.

    I think it is naive to compare a headline price quoted by someone with no stock to a price quoted by someone who has take the trouble to make sure they do have stock.


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    #21
    LEIN
    Registered Users Posts: 9,936 ✭✭✭LEIN


    Argos is a rip off kip of a place. I got a cannon camera last year for €250 on a web site that was €500 in Argos.


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    #22
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    Prices differ between stores for all kinds of products (thank goodness). What's the big deal? There's no point blaming Argos for being more expensive than Smyths if Smyths can't supply the goods, is it?
    If Argos is dearer then don't buy if you don't want to. Nobody is insisting we but anywhere! The catalogue is great for looking at the choice available and to get a guide price when looking elsewhere but if it's more expensive then bigger fool you for buying there. If you have no other supplier than there's no point complaining either.
    Comparing purchases on the Web is a bit of a red herring as they are usually being bought in another country.


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    #23
    parsi
    Site Banned Posts: 5,904 ✭✭✭parsi


    Jip wrote: »
    Coincidentally I only read this yesterday in the Indo http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/why-the-price-of-thomas-the-tank-engine-will-get-you-all-steamed-up-1481666.html Argos wouldn't comment on the individual prices differences nor on the fact of why so many items increased for the Winter catalogue. I'm guessing they increased to take advantage of the fact that so many people use it to buy Christmas gifts.

    That article is in a paper which costs €1.80 here and 75p up North.....


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    #24
    rubadub
    Registered Users Posts: 32,381 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    Will Smyths have it back in stock soon. If so I know what Hitler would do, he would buy it in Argos, keep the receipt for the now 30 day cash back no questions asked refund, then buy it in smyths in a few weeks and return it to argos with the argos receipt. If the argos one breaks you have the smyths receipt.

    But you will obviously burn in hell for eternity and probably your niece too.


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    #25
    LEIN
    Registered Users Posts: 9,936 ✭✭✭LEIN


    rubadub wrote: »
    Will Smyths have it back in stock soon. If so I know what Hitler would do, he would buy it in Argos, keep the receipt for the now 30 day cash back no questions asked refund, then buy it in smyths in a few weeks and return it to argos with the argos receipt. If the argos one breaks you have the smyths receipt.

    But you will obviously burn in hell for eternity and probably your niece too.


    Great idea. Think you are a wasted talent here! :p


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    #26
    Jip
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,418 ✭✭✭Jip


    parsi wrote: »
    That article is in a paper which costs €1.80 here and 75p up North.....

    You're point being ? The facts remain the same.


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    #27
    parsi
    Site Banned Posts: 5,904 ✭✭✭parsi


    Jip wrote: »
    You're point being ? The facts remain the same.

    Let those without sin cast the first stone. Look at the beam in your own eye before the mote in your neighbours. I've no more biblical quotes to explain my point.


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