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Price on receipt different to price on display

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  • 12-10-2010 9:47pm
    #1
    cojomo2
    Registered Users Posts: 3,216 ✭✭✭


    Just a quick question,

    I was in a shop today buying an item that was marked on sale at 300 euro, both in store and on their website.

    There was none of this item in stock, so the said if I paid a deposit they would order one. I pressed pretty hard to get a further reduction, but was told 300 was the absolute lowest price.

    I then gave over my card to pay a 10 euro deposit, and left the store. When I checked the receipt it listed the product with a price of 249.99 - 10 deposit and said the remaining balance was 239.99...

    What are my rights when I go back to the store? Can the store simply say " that's a mistake" or do they have to give it to me at the price on the deposit receipt?

    Thanks.


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    #2
    P. Breathnach
    Registered Users Posts: 12,089 ✭✭✭✭P. Breathnach


    Let me approach this from a different direction: do you believe that a mistake was made?


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    #3
    dh0661
    Registered Users Posts: 2,630 ✭✭✭dh0661


    cojomo2 wrote: »
    I then gave over my card to pay a 10 euro deposit, and left the store. When I checked the receipt it listed the product with a price of 249.99 - 10 deposit and said the remaining balance was 239.99.

    IMO if they ask for €239.99 as final payment it's up to you and your conscience.
    I would presume that you have a legal right also with receipt.


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    #4
    cojomo2
    Registered Users Posts: 3,216 ✭✭✭cojomo2


    P. Breathnach wrote: »
    Let me approach this from a different direction: do you believe that a mistake was made?

    Well, I don't believe the sales guy made a mistake as the product code and description which appear on the receipt are correct.

    Either the person that inputs the prices in the computer system made a mistake, or the price of the product has dropped without the knowledge of the sales guy who keept saying 300 was the best price.

    However, the product is still marked 300 in store and online, so it's most likey their system had the wrong price programmed into it. The retailer in question is a Brittish multiple,so, basically, if I'm entitled to the price that's on my receipt/ deposit slip I wouldn't feel guilty taking it.


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    #5
    P. Breathnach
    Registered Users Posts: 12,089 ✭✭✭✭P. Breathnach


    dh0661 wrote: »
    ... it's up to you and your conscience....
    cojomo2 wrote: »
    ... The retailer in question is a Brittish multiple,so, basically, if I'm entitled to the price that's on my receipt/ deposit slip I wouldn't feel guilty taking it.

    I don't think that anything I might say would make any difference to your decision.


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    #6
    cojomo2
    Registered Users Posts: 3,216 ✭✭✭cojomo2


    P. Breathnach wrote: »
    I don't think that anything I might say would make any difference to your decision.

    what would you do?

    assume that you have no income at the moment (not even social welfare)and are living off your savings for the past 12 months . Would you go to the Manager of B and Q/Argos/Tesco and point out that they should actually charge you an extra 50 euro?


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    #7
    gerrycollins
    Registered Users Posts: 1,799 ✭✭✭gerrycollins


    as you have paid a deposit you have entered a contract which in full must be honoured. however in your situation the full amount currently to honour is €239.99.

    The retailer has no comeback on this as the contract is valid,if they saw the mistake before you paid over a cent of a deposit then they were in a position to adjust the price.

    Imagine the reverse, if you went into tesco today and bought a shirt for example and it was marked €10 but when it scanned it came in at €8 and you paid and got your receipt and were walkign out the door Tesco at that stage have no right to come after you for the €2 as the contract was completed by both parties without dispute.


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    #8
    noodler
    Registered Users Posts: 26,400 ✭✭✭✭noodler


    I personally think it is rather obvious that the price has been changed and 239 is the correct price.


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    #9
    cojomo2
    Registered Users Posts: 3,216 ✭✭✭cojomo2


    noodler wrote: »
    I personally think it is rather obvious that the price has been changed and 239 is the correct price.
    website still shows the price as being on sale at 299, down from 399.


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    #10
    Welease
    Registered Users Posts: 3,834 ✭✭✭Welease


    gerrycollins wrote: »
    as you have paid a deposit you have entered a contract which in full must be honoured. however in your situation the full amount currently to honour is €239.99.

    The retailer has no comeback on this as the contract is valid,if they saw the mistake before you paid over a cent of a deposit then they were in a position to adjust the price.

    Imagine the reverse, if you went into tesco today and bought a shirt for example and it was marked €10 but when it scanned it came in at €8 and you paid and got your receipt and were walkign out the door Tesco at that stage have no right to come after you for the €2 as the contract was completed by both parties without dispute.

    As far as I am aware thats not strictly true.. A contract can be deemed invalid if it was made in error, especially if one of the parties knows they were benefitting from a mistake.


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    #11
    Exclamation Marc
    Registered Users Posts: 12,039 ✭✭✭✭Exclamation Marc


    Welease wrote: »
    As far as I am aware thats not strictly true.. A contract can be deemed invalid if it was made in error, especially if one of the parties knows they were benefitting from a mistake.

    You are correct with that.

    When you go in store, the best thing to do is hand the receipt and try to pay off the balance of €239. If you say nothing you might get away with it. If they say the price is wrong and it's €300 and that was a till error, you can't exactly claim you were only entering into the contract on the basis of it being €249 as this was only brought to your attention after the contract was formed as at no point pre-purchase was any offer made of €249. There is effectively a mistake as to the evidence of the contract, not the contract itself.

    They have no obligation to sell it to you for €249 (as you offered to pay €300, they accepted, you paid the deposit) but you might get lucky and they won't realise their error. If they do realise their error, you don't really have much choice. That's basically where you stand with them.


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    #12
    P. Breathnach
    Registered Users Posts: 12,089 ✭✭✭✭P. Breathnach


    FireballPitcher wrote: »
    You are correct with that.

    When you go in store, the best thing to do is hand the receipt and try to pay off the balance of €239. If you say nothing you might get away with it. If they say the price is wrong and it's €300 and that was a till error, you can't exactly claim you were only entering into the contract on the basis of it being €249 as this was only brought to your attention after the contract was formed as at no point pre-purchase was any offer made of €249. There is effectively a mistake as to the evidence of the contract, not the contract itself.

    They have no obligation to sell it to you for €249 (as you offered to pay €300, they accepted, you paid the deposit) but you might get lucky and they won't realise their error. If they do realise their error, you don't really have much choice. That's basically where you stand with them.

    I have a different opinion about what is the best thing to do. I believe that is is wrong to take advantage of somebody else's mistake.

    But I am the sort of idiot who, if given too much change by mistake, will gave back the excess.


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    #13
    Exclamation Marc
    Registered Users Posts: 12,039 ✭✭✭✭Exclamation Marc


    P. Breathnach wrote: »
    I have a different opinion about what is the best thing to do. I believe that is is wrong to take advantage of somebody else's mistake.

    But I am the sort of idiot who, if given too much change by mistake, will gave back the excess.

    My advice was based on legalities not morals.


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    #14
    kateof
    Registered Users Posts: 60 ✭✭kateof


    cojomo2 wrote: »
    Just a quick question,

    I was in a shop today buying an item that was marked on sale at 300 euro, both in store and on their website.

    There was none of this item in stock, so the said if I paid a deposit they would order one. I pressed pretty hard to get a further reduction, but was told 300 was the absolute lowest price.

    I then gave over my card to pay a 10 euro deposit, and left the store. When I checked the receipt it listed the product with a price of 249.99 - 10 deposit and said the remaining balance was 239.99...

    What are my rights when I go back to the store? Can the store simply say " that's a mistake" or do they have to give it to me at the price on the deposit receipt?

    Thanks.

    Have you checked if the receipt is giving you sterling prices as well as euro? With some of the british stores they seem to have tills that have the sterling pound price in large numbers and the euro price in a more obscure size font. dont know if this will help.


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    #15
    P. Breathnach
    Registered Users Posts: 12,089 ✭✭✭✭P. Breathnach


    FireballPitcher wrote: »
    My advice was based on legalities not morals.

    I hope that it is acceptable in this forum to suggest that people behave in an ethical way.

    Once discussion goes down the line of what one might get away with, a little bell in my head rings, and I ask myself the question: should one be trying to get away with that?


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    #16
    the groutch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,096 ✭✭✭✭the groutch


    FireballPitcher wrote: »
    You are correct with that.

    When you go in store, the best thing to do is hand the receipt and try to pay off the balance of €239. If you say nothing you might get away with it. If they say the price is wrong and it's €300 and that was a till error, you can't exactly claim you were only entering into the contract on the basis of it being €249 as this was only brought to your attention after the contract was formed as at no point pre-purchase was any offer made of €249. There is effectively a mistake as to the evidence of the contract, not the contract itself.

    They have no obligation to sell it to you for €249 (as you offered to pay €300, they accepted, you paid the deposit) but you might get lucky and they won't realise their error. If they do realise their error, you don't really have much choice. That's basically where you stand with them.

    I would think that the buyer made an offer of €300, and the seller technically made a counter-offer of €249, which the buyer accepted


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    #17
    Exclamation Marc
    Registered Users Posts: 12,039 ✭✭✭✭Exclamation Marc


    the groutch wrote: »
    I would think that the buyer made an offer of €300, and the seller technically made a counter-offer of €249, which the buyer accepted

    No not at all, thats like saying if the store gave a receipt out for €500 that the OP would be bound by that contract.

    The offer is made at the till when the OP gave the deposit towards the €299 product. You can't make a counter-offer after the offer has been accepted and claim its binding. It would only be a counter-offer if the OP said he was paying €249 at the till before he paid the deposit. The €249 figure only came into the buyers conscious after he left the shop and looked at the receipt. At the till the offer was made of €299 by the buyer and the consideration was given of €10 towards that price.


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    #18
    Corkgirl210
    Closed Accounts Posts: 329 ✭✭Corkgirl210


    Morally I would say - it they short changed ya you would go back, so why not if they undercharge you...?

    Might be worth saying it to whoever and say as it is your mistake can I have it at that price.. i work in retail and know about markups and incorrect pricing. Most companies would honor it as it is their mistake.. and regardless they would still be making a profit. (Even if reduced)


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    #19
    Welease
    Registered Users Posts: 3,834 ✭✭✭Welease


    the groutch wrote: »
    I would think that the buyer made an offer of €300, and the seller technically made a counter-offer of €249, which the buyer accepted

    I think that is stretching it..

    The OP spoke to the vendor and the vendor said they could not go any lower in price than €300.. The final billed amount of €249 was a mistake. The OP knows it, and that is why they posted here to ask for legal clatification..

    Legally (imo) the contact could be invalidated if the vendor chose not to honour the contract and it went to court.. Although many would not question or refuse to honour the contract, but that is a good will gesture not enforceable by law.

    Morally.. I think we all know the answer to that one..


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    #20
    kateof
    Registered Users Posts: 60 ✭✭kateof


    Welease wrote: »
    I think that is stretching it..

    The OP spoke to the vendor and the vendor said they could not go any lower in price than €300.. The final billed amount of €249 was a mistake. The OP knows it, and that is why they posted here to ask for legal clatification..

    Legally (imo) the contact could be invalidated if the vendor chose not to honour the contract and it went to court.. Although many would not question or refuse to honour the contract, but that is a good will gesture not enforceable by law.

    Morally.. I think we all know the answer to that one..

    Did you check if the 249 is the sterling price?


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    #21
    CK2010
    Closed Accounts Posts: 543 ✭✭✭CK2010


    just wanted to add that with most of those tills the staff member has to sign in with a personal pin number so mistakes can be easily traced back to the staff member who rang it through, and if it was to arise in future they may either get in trouble for the mistake or have to reimburse the difference themselves depending on store policy/how the system works etc.

    just a thought, as someone who works in retail i would really appreciate someone to bring the mistake to my attention before its out of my hands. for all you know he may have been aware of the price and no mistake was made

    it may just be a system error that would go unnoticed but just in case...

    retail staff are strapped for cash too so would like to keep our jobs! :p


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