Sony Vaio in PC World

ancientoracle

Not sure if this is where I should post this, so mod's please move if required.

My wife recently noticed a Sony Vaio, EH3B1e, on the PC World website for €579 down from €779. Sounds like a geat price drop I know, and yeah I know Sony's are all overpriced. Anyway thought nothing of it until we were in Mullingar a few days ago, so we said we'd pop into Harvey Normans for a look while we were there. When we went in we saw the same laptop there for €567.

After thinking about it for a few minutes, she decided to get it. So the salesman went out the back to get it and came back couple of minutes later. As he was getting details off herself, I noticed a price sticker on the box for €649, so I questioned him about it. The salesman said the €649 was Sony's RRP, but they had it advertised in their sale for €599, but as PC World were selling it for €579, they dropped it down to €567. So that got me thinking about the great PC World price drop.

So when I got home I got in touch with Sony, with a few questions about the model and asked what their RRP was, and sure as hell they said €649.

So my question is, are PC World lying about their original price to make it seem like a better deal? Is this a case of false advertising? I've often noticed these large price drops and deals on their website, and I often wondered are they as good as they sound.

jor el

PC World can charge whatever they want for it, no matter what Sony says. The same model computer can often have different specs too, which means there could be differing prices. Just because the price is currently €649 doesn't mean it was always that price either. Laptop prices fluctuate quite a lot, so it could well have been €779, or any other price, at some point in the past.

RRP would mean "recommended" retail price, and not put any real obligation on the retailer to actually go with that recommendation.

Also to the best of my knowledge (this might have changed but I know for a fact it used to be the case anyway) for a retailer to label something as an "on sale" price they have to have it available at full price for at least 30 days before describing the product as discounted. They can reduce the price anytime they like of course, it just has to be 30 days at the higher price first before you can describe it as a sale.

ancientoracle

jor el wrote: »

PC World can charge whatever they want for it, no matter what Sony says. The same model computer can often have different specs too, which means there could be differing prices. Just because the price is currently €649 doesn't mean it was always that price either. Laptop prices fluctuate quite a lot, so it could well have been €779, or any other price, at some point in the past.

Actually, no, the same model woldn't have the same specs, then it wouldn't be the same model. And before you make another ridiculous statement, there is only 1 EH3B1E. Different colours yes, but all the same spec. You can compare them on the respective websites if you like.

As for the currently and previously statement, it is a recent enough model, and the Sony guy on the phone say's it was never RRP higher than €649. Obviously PC World can charge what they like, they are a business and are in the job of making money, my thought on this is if PC World actually ever had it at €779 at all. And if they did, did they just price it up to make the deal look better than it is, in which case it is their right, but not very moral of them.

jor el

ancientoracle wrote: »

Actually, no, the same model woldn't have the same specs, then it wouldn't be the same model.

I'm not familiar with every single model of laptop out there, so I was referring to them in general, and yes the exact same model number can have differing specs. Perhaps you should have asked PC World when it was on sale at that price instead of posting blind accusations about them.

Beano

The RRP is irrelevant. It only matters whether PC World have previously sold the same model for €779. and knowing PC world that is entirely possible.

BostonB

The word sale is or RRP is generally meaningless in Irish shops.

They should really be banned from using it unless an item has been at the higher price for at least a month prior to the sale.

Kintarō Hattori

Without wanting to sound smart OP- why don't you ask them this question over in the Currys/PC World forum right here on Boards?

ancientoracle

I did, well not here on boards, called into the store in Carrickmines this morning. The guy I spoke with told me they had sold it for a short time at the €779 price point, which I can accept. But he couldn't say why the huge price difference, or why they priced it so high initially when everyone else I could find selling it, either online or in brick and mortar, was on or around the Sony RRP.

Procrastastudy

Almost all sales out side of drapery work like this:

1) Get product into minimum number of stores and sell for silly money knowing no one will buy it
2) Wait statutory period (30 days I think) until you can reduce the price
3) Deploy stock to all stores
4) Sell product at massive mark down! Was 999 now only 599 SAVE €400!
5) Customer buys thinking they are getting a fantastic deal - product only worth 549 in the first place.

Some variation on this has been used by every retailer outside drapery for about as long as there has been retail. Drapery do a similar thing but generally are more honest about it. You pay silly money for that season then they clear it out - still hat a profit but not at the massive mark ups.

My source - 15 years retail experience selling, anything (Woolworths), Computers, Mobiles, Fabric and finally Games.

To be fair though sounds like you got an okay deal from a bricks and mortar.

EDIT - My Favourite quote about the Stig - "They say he's the only person ever to buy a Sofa from DFS that wasn't in a sale"