Possibly mislead by sales staff

Snakeweasel

I was in a well known electronics shop on Monday evening. I was looking to buy a particular tablet and was disappointed to find that it was not part of their black friday/tag event. I asked at the till if there was any chance that it would be part of the event later in the week and I was told no. As such I bought the tablet then. I check their site today and see that the tablet in question is now in fact part of the event and is €100 cheaper than I paid, with an additional years warranty.

Do I have any comeback to get a refund for the €100? I know that some will say "why didnt I wait and see if it became part of the event" but when a staff member tells me it won't I believe I should be able to take them at their word.

Xterminator

Hi

Often the staff dont get advice notice of sale deals. Not sure its fair to assume they misled you.

Now if they have a returns policy that allows you to return the item you may be able to return it, and purchase a new one.

check out the returns policy.

Snakeweasel

Xterminator wrote: »

Hi

Often the staff dont get advice notice of sale deals. Not sure its fair to assume they misled you.

Now if they have a returns policy that allows you to return the item you may be able to return it, and purchase a new one.

check out the returns policy.

I have been told by a former employee (finished there less than 12 months ago) that the staff would know of any items that were coming up for sale. She was advising me to go in and look for the refund on that basis, and it would be common to have people come in within 14 days of purchasing something if it drops in price, but I have never been much of a person for kicking up a stink in a retail environment! From their returns policy it doesnt look like I can return it as it has to be "as new" and I have opened and used the tablet.

Is this something that I will have to just stew on and treat as an expensive lesson?

I just read more about their policy and for opened products there is 14 days to return it. I wonder does this mean that I could return it for what I paid for it and buy it at the reduced price?

coylemj

On your original question, there is no obligation on the store to pre-announce reductions. Nor are the staff legally obliged to tell you that the price will be reduced tomorrow. The law says the price is the price, take it or leave it. The contract of sale is not affected by price changes that happen after the sale.

Snakeweasel wrote: »

I have been told by a former employee (finished there less than 12 months ago) that the staff would know of any items that were coming up for sale. She was advising me to go in and look for the refund on that basis, and it would be common to have people come in within 14 days of purchasing something if it drops in price....

I realise that your friend used to work there but I would be very surprised if the store was prepared to give a refund purely because the price dropped.

Wouldn't that mean that there would be a queue outside the place before the January sale - people who were given gifts for Christmas, holding the receipt they got from their friends and looking for refunds at the pre-sale price so they could buy the product back at the sale price and pocket the difference?

Snakeweasel wrote: »

I just read more about their policy and for opened products there is 14 days to return it. I wonder does this mean that I could return it for what I paid for it and buy it at the reduced price?

If they have a 'no quibble' returns policy then by all means use it but tell them you changed your mind or use some other excuse but not that it's because of the price drop.

Snakeweasel

coylemj wrote: »

On your original question, there is no obligation on the store to pre-announce reductions. Nor are the staff legally obliged to tell you that the price will be reduced tomorrow. The law says the price is the price, take it or leave it. The contract of sale is not affected by price changes that happen after the sale.



I realise that your friend used to work there but I would be very surprised if the store was prepared to give a refund purely because the price dropped.

Wouldn't that mean that there would be a queue outside the place before the January sale - people who were given gifts for Christmas, holding the receipt they got from their friends and looking for refunds at the pre-sale price so they could buy the product back at the sale price and pocket the difference?



If they have a 'no quibble' returns policy then by all means use it but tell them you changed your mind or use some other excuse but not that it's because of the price drop.

99% of the time I would be just like "oh well, silly me" the annoying thing is how definitive the staff member was. I would have been happier if he said he didnt have a clue if it would drop in price.

It does seem no quibble from what I read online, but I would follow your line of thinking on the January sale thing, hence my uncertainty on what to do!

Postgrad10

I'd go back in and speak to the manager and take it from there.

Paulw

Snakeweasel wrote: »

It does seem no quibble from what I read online

Online sales have very different rules to store sales, especially in relation to returns. So, you need to be sure if the no quibble bit is for only online or for store and online.

With "Black Friday" sales, most staff are not told about items. With general sales, yeah, staff would generally know in advance. Just from what I heard from a manager of a DID store.

In your situation, I would have waited until the Black Friday sales were announced, and taken the risk that the price would be the same or may have dropped. Never trust a salesman and a price.

I don't see how you would have recourse to return the item for a refund now.

Tenigate

The staff member should have said "I don't know, and even if I did I wouldn't be allowed to tell you."

But what if the staff member told you about the reduction, and you turned up only to see the last one being nabbed by someone ahead of you in the queue? Would you still demand it at the reduced price after the black Friday event?

The item was displayed at a price, by taking it to the counter you placed an offer, and your offer was accepted. Unless you put as a condition to the offer that any reduction in price would be reimbursed to you there's not a huge pile you can do at this stage apart from having a good ould moan to the store manager and see what he/she can do.

Snakeweasel

Damn you all and your logical replies not in my favor! :P

But seriously, thanks everyone. I guess I just place too much trust in people and am annoyed that the salesperson thought it was more important to seem as if he knew the answer for certain rather than just say he didn't know. If he had said he didn't know, I would have waited and just taken the risk of it being gone by the time I got in for it. (but wouldn't have expected it at the lower price afterwards!)

coylemj

Snakeweasel wrote: »

But seriously, thanks everyone. I guess I just place too much trust in people and am annoyed that the salesperson thought it was more important to seem as if he knew the answer for certain rather than just say he didn't know. If he had said he didn't know, I would have waited and just taken the risk of it being gone by the time I got in for it. (but wouldn't have expected it at the lower price afterwards!)

Never believe anything you are told by a salesman, that applies to store pricing policy, 'is this the current model?', technical features or anything else.

You can bet that the store policy is to deny that there will be reductions in the short term, that sales guy was just following instructions.

'Yes sir, all of these items will be cheaper tomorrow. We opened the store today, switched on the heat and lighting and we're all hanging around so we can tell people to come back tomorrow when the prices of all our popular products will be reduced.' :rolleyes:

njs030

Snakeweasel wrote: »

Damn you all and your logical replies not in my favor! :P

But seriously, thanks everyone. I guess I just place too much trust in people and am annoyed that the salesperson thought it was more important to seem as if he knew the answer for certain rather than just say he didn't know. If he had said he didn't know, I would have waited and just taken the risk of it being gone by the time I got in for it. (but wouldn't have expected it at the lower price afterwards!)

Again though he may have thought he did know. Your friend left a year ago, things change!
This item could have been decided on last minute or the sales staff were given a list that didn't include it.

If it's a large company there's no harm in popping in and explaining to the manager what happened and asking if they'd refund you the difference. You never know!

rubadub

Snakeweasel wrote: »

II just read more about their policy and for opened products there is 14 days to return it. I wonder does this mean that I could return it for what I paid for it and buy it at the reduced price?

Yes

Paulw wrote: »

I don't see how you would have recourse to return the item for a refund now.

Seems to be their own policy, I know Harvey Norman have the policy he described, which is the same as online buying. I was recommending a friend to buy from HN on the basis, and told him to get them to confirm it.

http://www.harveynorman.ie/customer-services/returns-policy.html

In-store Returns Policy

If you’re unhappy with your purchase, please let us know. Unless faulty, this must be within 14 days and you should return it to us, preferably to the original store of purchase.

If the unwanted item is returned as sold and is accompanied by the original receipt within a 14 day period, we can refund you in full by the original payment method, or offer you an exchange, or offer you a Harvey Norman gift card to the same value. If the original purchase was made with a credit/debit card, that card must be physically present and available when the refund is made.

Refunds will be refused for items returned without an original receipt.

We reserve the right to refuse a return under this policy, if the goods are not in a re-saleable, as sold condition. As sold condition means that the goods are unopened, in their original packaging with all documentation, and the item and its packaging are undamaged and unused.

We do not offer refunds or exchanges on clearance/ex-display/sold-as-seen items.

If any promotional items included in the original sale are not returned, the corresponding value or discount of the promotional items will be deducted from the refund amount.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

rubadub wrote: »

Yes


Seems to be their own policy, I know Harvey Norman have the policy he described, which is the same as online buying. I was recommending a friend to buy from HN on the basis, and told him to get them to confirm it.

http://www.harveynorman.ie/customer-services/returns-policy.html

We reserve the right to refuse a return under this policy, if the goods are not in a re-saleable, as sold condition. As sold condition means that the goods are unopened, in their original packaging with all documentation, and the item and its packaging are undamaged and unused.

It sounds like the item may have been opened, though.

Paulw

From the OP -

Snakeweasel wrote: »

From their returns policy it doesnt look like I can return it as it has to be "as new" and I have opened and used the tablet.

So, since it is not "as new" and as the HN policy states - "We reserve the right to refuse a return under this policy, if the goods are not in a re-saleable, as sold condition. As sold condition means that the goods are unopened, in their original packaging with all documentation, and the item and its packaging are undamaged and unused.", I don't see how the OP would have recourse to return the item for a refund now.

Snakeweasel

Well Guys, just to wrap things up here. I bit the bullet and went in to the store last night. I was told that they have a policy of refunding the difference if the price drops within 7 days of purchase, in this case they dropped the price by €100, or if the price drops in a different retailer within 7 days of purchase. I just have to go back in with the receipt this evening and the €100 will be refunded to my card.

coylemj

That's great news OP.

The Harvey Norman policy would suit the situation where someone gets a gift like a gadget or similar and they want to exchange it for a different model but clearly the box and wrapping have to be intact or the policy does not apply.

coylemj

Snakeweasel wrote: »

I was in a well known electronics shop on Monday evening. I was looking to buy a particular tablet and was disappointed to find that it was not part of their black friday/tag event. I asked at the till if there was any chance that it would be part of the event later in the week and I was told no.

Snakeweasel wrote: »

Well Guys, just to wrap things up here. I bit the bullet and went in to the store last night. I was told that they have a policy of refunding the difference if the price drops within 7 days of purchase....

So you'd wonder why the original sales guy didn't tell the OP about this policy

Though the fact that the OP took him at his word (no reductions for Black Friday) and bought the item anyway probably answers the question. How many other customers paid the higher price in the previous week and did not go back to claim the difference?

Snakeweasel

coylemj wrote: »

So you'd wonder why the original sales guy didn't tell the OP about this policy

Though the fact that the OP took him at his word (no reductions for Black Friday) and bought the item anyway probably answers the question. How many other customers paid the higher price in the previous week and did not go back to claim the difference?

From speaking to people I know who have dealt with the same sales assistant (small town, everybody knows everybody) he seems to have a habit of wanting to seem more competent than he is (which ironically has the opposite effect)

The person I spoke to last night was more experienced and told me that the answer should have been "I dont know" as even though they are usually told the sale items in advance, there are times like this when they get no warning.

I would imagine the reason that they don't highlight the 7 day period is due to what was mentioned in an earlier post about people queuing around the block during a sale for refunds. That being said there was a sign at the till asking for people to come back after 28th for any returns/refunds, which funnily enough would be when the 7 day period had ended for the items added to the black tag event after initial items.

njs030

coylemj wrote: »

So you'd wonder why the original sales guy didn't tell the OP about this policy

Though the fact that the OP took him at his word (no reductions for Black Friday) and bought the item anyway probably answers the question. How many other customers paid the higher price in the previous week and did not go back to claim the difference?

Tbh I'd wonder why ops friend didn't tell him this as they worked there!

Snakeweasel

notjustsweet wrote: »

Tbh I'd wonder why ops friend didn't tell him this as they worked there!

She used to work there and in fairness she mentioned the 14 day return policy, she couldnt remember if the price match one was 7 days or 14 days too.