Price mistakes in shops

Gyalist

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Urban legend my eye. I went into Smyths in Galway to buy an item for my nephew. The marked price on all the boxes was €107.99, Argos across the road was €119.99. So I took it to the till in Smyths where the girl (customer service leaves a lot to be desired in Ireland) mumbled something about €119.99. I said no, sorry, the price marked on all boxes is €107.99. Off she went and got the manager while the rest of the people in the long que wanted to publicly hang me Manager arrived at the till and asked me for €107.99 which I happily paid, as he dispensed said future PR guru to the relevant aisle to reprice a lot of boxes.

If I had no leg to stand on, he'd have charged me €119.99.

It's called goodwill. That doesn't mean that he was legally obliged to sell it to you at that price.

Conmaicne Mara

Maybe he did, he wasn't exactly chatty. Either way I got it at the advertised price. He'd ensure more repeat custom if he ensured some of his staff didn't have more interest in their foot ware than the customer handing them in over €100 across the counter in fairness.

Week later I bought some more items at another shop. Later I checked their website, and I believe I was overcharged by a few Euro. My problem as I didn't get a receipt for my purchases.

theteal

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Urban legend my eye. I went into Smyths in Galway to buy an item for my nephew. The marked price on all the boxes was €107.99, Argos across the road was €119.99. So I took it to the till in Smyths where the girl (customer service leaves a lot to be desired in Ireland) mumbled something about €119.99. I said no, sorry, the price marked on all boxes is €107.99. Off she went and got the manager while the rest of the people in the long que wanted to publicly hang me Manager arrived at the till and asked me for €107.99 which I happily paid, as he dispensed said future PR guru to the relevant aisle to reprice a lot of boxes.

If I had no leg to stand on, he'd have charged me €119.99.

This has nothing to do with having a "leg to stand on", you received a goodwill gesture as the manager was acknowledging the shop's error. As the saying goes, would you lose a customer just to win an argument? I assume that error was quickly remedied and nobody else availed of this deal. That's the balance between good customer service doing everything by the book.

Thwip!

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Maybe he did, he wasn't exactly chatty. Either way I got it at the advertised price. He'd ensure more repeat custom if he ensured some of his staff didn't have more interest in their foot ware than the customer handing them in over €100 across the counter in fairness.

Week later I bought some more items at another shop. Later I checked their website, and I believe I was overcharged by a few Euro. My problem as I didn't get a receipt for my purchases.

Well to be fair, few managers are chatty to any customers that asks for them over a price issue

Also the bold sort of invalidates the point you tried to make when you posted your Smyths experience

Conmaicne Mara

Lol, I don't mind. I'd have been as happy to leave the item on the counter and buy it across the road. I had to buy it for the nephew, it's the same thing in both places, just listed cheaper in one than the other. A few extra bob in my pocket at the end of the day.

Corruptedmorals

Managers in toy shops at Christmas have to be chatty now? I'd imagine they don't have time to breathe.

Most shops will honour small errors. You won't find too many eager to make 90% loss on the item though. They can tell you to go away and you have no comeback. They didn't, they were nice and honoured the price. You should have been grateful they went beyond what you are legally entitled to in that situation (which is nothing) instead of expecting happy faces and conversation. Retail at Christmas is unbelievable, with budget retailers and top shops right at the top.

Conmaicne Mara

Don't be an arse, I wasn't expecting conversation. I said that in reply to the suggestion it may have been a goodwill gesture, he didn't say, I'm sure he was busy, but that's his job isn't it.

I don't actually have to be grateful to them, it's their mistake, it's not my job to sell their stuff for them.

As I said, if they wanted the €119.99 for it I would have bought it across the road, price would have been the same, would have made no odds to me. The entire reason I bought it there is because it was listed €107.99 and not €119.99.

Thwip!

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Don't be an arse, I wasn't expecting conversation. I said that in reply to the suggestion it may have been a goodwill gesture, he didn't say, I'm sure he was busy, but that's his job isn't it.

I don't actually have to be grateful to them, it's their mistake, it's not my job to sell their stuff for them.

As I said, if they wanted the €119.99 for it I would have bought it across the road, price would have been the same, would have made no odds to me. The entire reason I bought it there is because it was listed €107.99 and not €119.99.

And he went beyond his job for you to appease you. He could've just as easily told you the pricing was a mistake and that the price was 119.99 and he wouldn't have been in the wrong but no instead he went the extra mile. A little gratitude wouldn't actually hurt. Things like that are the reason a lot of retailers and retail employees wont go the extra mile now to appease a customer. Why bother when even when you do you're still going to be treated like you're in the wrong and wont receive a bit of gratitude?

Twee.

I work in a shop with many different brands, so we print our own stickers with barcodes and prices. Mistake happen! Usually smaller things like €80 instead of €85, or vice versa. If the price is scanning in higher, a manager will usually approve to sell at the marked price, and then as soon as possible all the others are re-priced. If it's scanning in as lower, I'll finish the sale, and then go check to see if any others are incorrectly priced. Thankfully it hasn't occurred that it's been a decimal mistake or huge difference since I've been there!

Conmaicne Mara

Thwip! wrote: »

And he went beyond his job for you to appease you. He could've just as easily told you the pricing was a mistake and that the price was 119.99 and he wouldn't have been in the wrong but no instead he went the extra mile. A little gratitude wouldn't actually hurt. Things like that are the reason a lot of retailers and retail employees wont go the extra mile now to appease a customer. Why bother when even when you do you're still going to be treated like you're in the wrong and wont receive a bit of gratitude?

"Appease me" I don't have a little moustache and a swastika you know :pac:

No problem if he told me that, as I said I'd have left the store and bought elsewhere.

I still have no need to be grateful.

I bought a car lately, at a very good price. Met the seller a few weeks later, he was complaining I got it too cheap. Again, not my problem, don't make the deal if you're not happy with the price.

It's not up to me to do the sellers job for them.

Thwip!

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

"Appease me" I don't have a little moustache and a swastika you know :pac:

No problem if he told me that, as I said I'd have left the store and bought elsewhere.

I still have no need to be grateful.

I bought a car lately, at a very good price. Met the seller a few weeks later, he was complaining I got it too cheap. Again, not my problem, don't make the deal if you're not happy with the price.

It's not up to me to do the sellers job for them.

*Resists urge to mention Godwin's law*

Appease is a word as much as any other, had I said pacify some, I imagine, would've claimed I was being patronising

You would've left to buy it at the exact same price over in another store. Seems a bit of an effort to prove a point that had no reason to be proven seeing as the retailer had no obligation to sell it at the lower price

Also the bold, can the retailer not follow the same guideline you've submitted here yourself?

bohsman

Thwip! wrote: »

Also the bold, can the retailer not follow the same guideline you've submitted here yourself?

If they can or if the price in store is only invitation to threat why do they constantly get fined for it?

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/anger-at-overcharging-as-tesco-may-face-prosecution-416170.html

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/1008/1224305457231.html

MrVestek

bohsman wrote: »

If they can or if the price in store is only invitation to threat why do they constantly get fined for it?

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/anger-at-overcharging-as-tesco-may-face-prosecution-416170.html

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/1008/1224305457231.html

This has been bugging me. The word is 'treat' not 'threat'.

Conmaicne Mara

Thwip! wrote: »

*Resists urge to mention Godwin's law*

Doesn't resist urge to point out internet nonsense.

Thwip! wrote: »

You would've left to buy it at the exact same price over in another store. Seems a bit of an effort to prove a point that had no reason to be proven seeing as the retailer had no obligation to sell it at the lower price

Also the bold, can the retailer not follow the same guideline you've submitted here yourself?

No effort for me, it was across the road and I was under no time pressure. As I have said and you seemingly failed to read, I brought it to the till at that store solely because it was marked €107.99, their error ain't my problem.

Yet again, you're failing to read my posts. If the retailer wanted to charge me €119.99 I would have left the store, no trouble for me - refer to the above paragraph, that's hardly a big deal, I was not planning to return later to burn them down you know. Because it was marked €107.99 and they wanted to charge me €119.99 does not mean I have to buy it at all.

Ray Palmer

bohsman wrote: »

If they can or if the price in store is only invitation to threat why do they constantly get fined for it?

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/anger-at-overcharging-as-tesco-may-face-prosecution-416170.html

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/1008/1224305457231.html

Really simple there is a law saying how prices should be displayed. This law doesn't change the other law about invitation to treat.

What is funny is the uk law will fine you by the number of items displayed incorrectly. One shelf label but 50 items means fine is 50 times as high. In Ireland it is just the one fine. As the fines can be very high in the UK Tesco make sure they are right. As the fine is low and poorly enforced tesco aren't bothered here.

caprilicious

Taken from NCA.ie:

Mistakes can happen!

If a shop incorrectly labels something with the wrong price, and it is lower than the price charged at the till, you do not have an automatic right to buy the goods at the marked price. As long as the seller tells you before your money is taken that the higher price applies, you can decide not to buy it.

http://www.nca.ie/nca/pricing-rules

Simples!

Thwip!

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Doesn't resist urge to point out internet nonsense.

No effort for me, it was across the road and I was under no time pressure. As I have said and you seemingly failed to read, I brought it to the till at that store solely because it was marked €107.99, their error ain't my problem.

Yet again, you're failing to read my posts. If the retailer wanted to charge me €119.99 I would have left the store, no trouble for me - refer to the above paragraph, that's hardly a big deal, I was not planning to return later to burn them down you know. Because it was marked €107.99 and they wanted to charge me €119.99 does not mean I have to buy it at all.

Trust me I had no problem reading your posts, I'm simply refuting them as I find your premise quite odd given as Caprilicious pointed out...

caprilicious wrote: »

Taken from NCA.ie:

Mistakes can happen!

If a shop incorrectly labels something with the wrong price, and it is lower than the price charged at the till, you do not have an automatic right to buy the goods at the marked price. As long as the seller tells you before your money is taken that the higher price applies, you can decide not to buy it.

http://www.nca.ie/nca/pricing-rules

Simples!

There was a price on the item you wanted and as it turned out it was the wrong price and instead you were asked to pay a price which was equal to the price of said item across the road in another shop. A contract had yet to be formed between you and the retailer and the retailer was under no obligation to sell it to you for the mistaken price which you wanted to pay (and is considered The Offer). Now obviously if they had intentionally mislead customers by putting the wrong price on items then it would be a very different story but this is clearly not the case here. Now out of goodwill, the retailer decided to sell it to you at the mistaken price. Now that's a good thing, hell it's even a great thing because it meant you saved some money and who doesn't like saving money, especially now? What I'm saying is don't mistake goodwill with a Right.

And with regards to the bold, now you're just being hyperbolic for the sake of hyperbolic :rolleyes:

Because it was marked €107.99 and they wanted to charge me €119.99 does not mean I have to buy it at all.

I never said you had to buy it.... now who's failing to read posts? Every potential customer can renege their offer if both they and the retailer can't come to an agreement as to what price should be paid. Obviously you don't have to buy it. You can choose to leave or you can choose to buy.


My initial problem with your experience was the gratitude issue. Clearly the retailer went beyond obligation for you and extended towards you some goodwill and, personally, I find it's good practice to be grateful when someone goes beyond the call of duty for you. What does it hurt?

paddy147

Worked a treat for me in Ikea.

I was buying 6 large Kentia Palm plants for my kitching/dinning area.

They were 50 euro each (I knew this from the beginning via the Ikea website,which is still a good price).
There was a large pallet with around 10 of them on it,and there was a sign on the pallet saying Kentia palms for 25 euro.
I brought 6 of them to the checkout and they scanned through at 50 euro each.

I questioned this and asked to speak to the Ikea shop floor manager.
She spoke to me and agreed with me that I had been missled by some lazyness on the part of Ikea and a staff member.
25 euro was for the smaller 4 foot palms and not the 7 foot tall palms.

She asked me how do I think Ikea could resolve the matter.
I replied by saying that I should be sold the Kentia Palms for the price stated on the pallet.She agreed with me.


So I was given all 6 of the 7 foot Kentia Palms for 25 euro each.


RESULT.:D



IF YOU DONT ASK THEN YOU WONT GET

Conmaicne Mara

Thwip! wrote: »

You can choose to leave or you can choose to buy.

Which is what I have said, over, and over, and over and over...........

Thwip! wrote: »

My initial problem with your experience was the gratitude issue. Clearly the retailer went beyond obligation for you and extended towards you some goodwill

Lol, I don't agree. There were three lines of customers 10 and twelve deep around me. But there's no proof it was good will over not wanting a potential customer to leave an item behind in front of many other customers, and vice versa.

They priced the item wrong, it's their problem.

fasttalkerchat

Had a friend working in retail who got the whole "you're scamming me, i know my rights i,ll see you in court, i want to speak to the area manager, this is illegal under the shoppers act 1998 or some such nonsense"he replied that the police station is across the road, if they send me a headedletter you'll get your refund!

All if a sudden he realised that there was no case and stormed off.