pc world 4 day sale - check your receipt!!!

bada_bing

was in PC World today and saw some special offers as part of the 4 day sale promotion. There were baskets with sale prices displayed for the items below them. Picked up the following :
Western Digital 400 Gb portable drive. Price displayed as 109 euros above the item
Epson all in one printer . Price displayed as 79 euros above item.

Now bear in mind there were large posters displaying the prices of the goods below them. So i paid with my credit card in full and upon walking out the door i checked my receipt to see that i did not get either item at the sale price as displayed in store.
The total amount came to 229 euros, an extra 40 euros than what i should've paid. So naturally i went back in and complained. Not once did the cashier say it was a mistake or offer me an apology, instead he just refunded the whole amount and then scanned the items again and this time he selected a button " 4 Day sale " on his screen and then the total came to 189 euros.

Now i realise i got the goods i wanted at the price but i can't help thinking that this is a dishonest practice where the discount is only applied if the consumer is aware of it. I don't think it was a simple mistake because the discount was not applied to both items. I'd understand if it was just the one item. So if you bought any item there as part of the 4 day sale, you should check to see what you actually paid compared to the advertised price.

projectmayhem

bada_bing wrote: »

Now i realise i got the goods i wanted at the price but i can't help thinking that this is a dishonest practice where the discount is only applied if the consumer is aware of it. I don't think it was a simple mistake because the discount was not applied to both items. I'd understand if it was just the one item. So if you bought any item there as part of the 4 day sale, you should check to see what you actually paid compared to the advertised price.

Well the best practise as a consumer is always know how much you're paying but I would imagine that the guy made a genuine mistake rather then a company-wide conspiracy to screw the Irish consumer. Since it's a 4 day sale they're likely to have an "offers" button rather then having to change the prices on the system all the time.

Padraig Mor

Was that the Epson SX(?) 405? Saw it on the stand in Cork with the €79 sign above it......and two other different prices at different shelves!

bada_bing

well to be specific it was the model Epson SX400 and that basket with the price advertised was in front of the cashier's desk!!!!! :rolleyes:

tomred1

Lesson to learn, Never shop in PC Wrold/ Curry.

mathie

What's the law on this?

I was in Debenhams a few weeks ago and they'd the 20% off adverts up everywhere. I picked up a few shirts and didn't notice that the discoutn wasn't applied until I got home.

I emailled them and they said the it's weren't in the sale (even though they blatantly were). Store was in Newry and I'm in Dublin so I can't call in.

Nody

mathie wrote: »

What's the law on this?

That the only thing matters is the price they ask you to pay at the check out. If you pay it, irregardless if it is 500% more or 99% less then listed in the shop, that is the price of the item/service; everything else is only an invitation to treat.

pauldiv

Good post.

This has happened to me on about 6 occasions now in PC World in Sligo and now I always ask the cashier how much I am being charged. It is sharp practice and has been going on since the shop opened. It makes them look like amateurs.

parsi

mathie wrote: »

What's the law on this?

I was in Debenhams a few weeks ago and they'd the 20% off adverts up everywhere. I picked up a few shirts and didn't notice that the discoutn wasn't applied until I got home.

I emailled them and they said the it's weren't in the sale (even though they blatantly were). Store was in Newry and I'm in Dublin so I can't call in.

I'm not in anyway defending them - but their shirts seem to be regularly excluded from the x% offers (I buy my shirts there so always get my hopes up ..)

tallaghtfornia

I would never shop in PC world - But i sometimes go in to have a laugh at there high prices

They charge €49 to transfare your data from 1 pc to another what a rip off!!

mikehn

With regard to Nodys "invitation to treat" I was in Debenhams today looking at their sale items, all their products are priced in both sterling and Euros and of course the conversion rate is totally out of touch with reality. If I offered to pay for the items in Sterling as per the price tag are they obliged to accept this, there are no signs around the store stating that only euros will be accepted????

Random

mikehn wrote: »

With regard to Nodys "invitation to treat" I was in Debenhams today looking at their sale items, all their products are priced in both sterling and Euros and of course the conversion rate is totally out of touch with reality. If I offered to pay for the items in Sterling as per the price tag are they obliged to accept this, there are no signs around the store stating that only euros will be accepted????

They're not obliged to accept any offer Euro, Sterling or otherwise.

the groutch

no, sterling is not legal tender here, so they don't have to take it

the groutch

Nody wrote: »

That the only thing matters is the price they ask you to pay at the check out. If you pay it, irregardless if it is 500% more or 99% less then listed in the shop, that is the price of the item/service; everything else is only an invitation to treat.

not true, they can refuse to sell at the advertised price, but as soon as they take your money, they have accepted your offer to buy at the advertised price, and then must legally refund any difference

Mark200

Nody wrote: »

That the only thing matters is the price they ask you to pay at the check out. If you pay it, irregardless if it is 500% more or 99% less then listed in the shop, that is the price of the item/service; everything else is only an invitation to treat.

True that's the contract law, but I think consumer law states that retailers aren't allowed put up false advertisements or information...in other words saying 20% off everything while some things aren't 20% off. But unless the sign said "everything" then they aren't breaking any law or rules or anything.


But if they WERE on sale, they aren't under any obligation to give you money back if you offered to pay more for it :P