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Argos and their constantly changing prices

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  • 05-12-2012 11:52am
    #1
    Arciphel
    Registered Users Posts: 2,836 ✭✭✭


    I am watching a camera on Argos which I am going to buy before Christmas. I used the website changedetection.com so I could see when the page (and the price) changes. What I learned is that Argos changes the price of their goods several times a week :cool:.

    At the start of the week this particular camera (Nikon d3200) was down to a good price of €520 so I reserved it, at the bottom of the page it said "Current selling price valid until 18/01/2013" Today I checked online and the price has increased back up to €540 but it still says, you guessed it, "Current selling price valid until 18/01/2013".

    So what is the legal basis if I go into the shop today with a print out of the screen which advertised the camera as being for sale at €519.99 and vlaid till 18/01/2012, am I then entitled to buy the camera at that price, or does the whole "invitation to treat" come in?

    Thanks,
    Paul.


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    #2
    Lingua Franca
    Registered Users Posts: 2,800 ✭✭✭Lingua Franca


    At a guess I reckon they'll say it was mispriced in the first place, and the same for all their other frequent price changes.


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    #3
    Arciphel
    Registered Users Posts: 2,836 ✭✭✭Arciphel


    I've sent a mail to Argos and I've asked the question to the National consumer Agency too. Only for the fact that I have all the cached versions of the page, with all the price changes, I suppose I wouldn't have a leg to stand on. They changed the price on this camera 13 times in the last five weeks. Thirteen times!


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    #4
    Procrastastudy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,224 ✭✭✭Procrastastudy


    Arciphel wrote: »
    So what is the legal basis if I go into the shop today with a print out of the screen which advertised the camera as being for sale at €519.99 and vlaid till 18/01/2012, am I then entitled to buy the camera at that price, or does the whole "invitation to treat" come in?

    Thanks,
    Paul.

    While there may be some issues surrounding false advertising and potential penalties for the shop in that regard what you have is a bare promise. Bare promises are not enforceable. A contract requires three basic things; An offer (which you have), an acceptance (which you also, arguably, have) and consideration (which you are lacking).


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    #5
    Arciphel
    Registered Users Posts: 2,836 ✭✭✭Arciphel


    Cheers Procrastastudy. So what would I need in order to have "consideration", I would need to have paid a deposit, is that correct?


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    #6
    Procrastastudy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,224 ✭✭✭Procrastastudy


    Arciphel wrote: »
    Cheers Procrastastudy. So what would I need in order to have "consideration", I would need to have paid a deposit, is that correct?

    I'm not sure how deposits work, I believe they are one step removed from the actual contract e.g. they are contracts in their own right. But yes some part payment, even a peppercorn will do.


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    #7
    robfowler78
    Registered Users Posts: 920 ✭✭✭robfowler78


    Argos and their pricing / reservation policies are a bit off lately. I reserved a shaver and when I went to collect it there was no stock. Two weeks later 5 units were back in stock so i reserved it again at 8pm went into the store at 9:30 the following morning to collect guess what no stock I was told it was a system glitch.The same night 5 units appear but 40 euro dearer I reserved one went down and guess what stock was there but they wouldnt honour the reservation as it was a day old. No bother but just bad practice I think.


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    #8
    Icepick
    Registered Users Posts: 2,454 ✭✭✭Icepick


    If you reserved it at the lower price, they will honour it although they don't even have to do that.


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    #9
    robfowler78
    Registered Users Posts: 920 ✭✭✭robfowler78


    Icepick wrote: »
    If you reserved it at the lower price, they will honour it although they don't even have to do that.

    No they wouldn't honour it they offered to take 10 euro off but it had gone up by 50. I didn't really need the shaver it was an impulse buy so no harm done but like op said the prices change a lot in Argos and the reservations don't seem to mean as much anymore.


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    #10
    syklops
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,966 ✭✭✭✭syklops


    Argos is a very expensive place to buy something like a DSLR. Maybe check out a camera shop instead? Also look at second hand shops, the D3200 is an entry level DSLR and people often upgrade their camera after a short period of time, and there is bargains to be had.

    Argos' prices go up and down but its basically tied to the exchange rate, what with them being a British company. That doesnt automatically mean its fraudulent. The changes in price are only less than 5%. For a yoke that costs around 500 quid, 20 quid here are there really is not the effort that you are putting into it.


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    #11
    Lingua Franca
    Registered Users Posts: 2,800 ✭✭✭Lingua Franca


    Right enough, if I'm buying something expensive these days I usually go and check it out in the shops to check out what's on offer and decide what it is that I want, see what they'll give me it for (or throw in with it) in the shops and then go home and compare prices online. E540 is a bit much to be spending on a single item in Argos, of all places.


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    #12
    sandin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,594 ✭✭✭sandin


    If you are spending 500+ ona camera, go to a real camera shop that understands your needs and ensure you get the camera you want.

    They'll also easily match argos price.


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    #13
    Arciphel
    Registered Users Posts: 2,836 ✭✭✭Arciphel


    LOL @ all the people telling me to go to a camera shop to make sure I get what I want. I want this camera primarily to shoot video, I will still be using my D700 for stills. I'm not a camera n00b, but thanks for the concern none the less. :)

    The comment about the exchange rate really has nothing to do consumer law, and so has nothing to do with what I am asking about.

    I want to buy the camera in Argos so I can avail of the Nikon cashback offer that is available at the moment, this makes it cheaper than Amazon and also gives me a better comeback if I have a problem with it later.

    Anyway, this is all besides the point. I posted this in the consumer issues forum and not the photography forum for a reason, and that is to query Argos pricing strategy and the legality of it.

    I emailed Argos but have gotten no response from them. I emailed the National Consumer Agency and they have gotten back to me to say they are going to look into it and have asked for all the cached versions of the product page from the Argos website, which I have given them. They have also said they are going to involve their Commercial Practices Division as "Under the Consumer Protection Act 2007, it is against the law for a trader to give a false or misleading indication of a price for goods." So let's see what happens now...


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    #14
    readytosnap
    Registered Users Posts: 1,330 ✭✭✭readytosnap


    Maybe they keep upping the price when they see that people are reserving them (thinking they are shifting the items) but then reducing the price when they see that those same people never bother to go and purchase what they reserved :D:p


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