BTs increasing prices before 20% off promotion??

DBF · 09-12-2010 12:41PM #1

I was wondering if anyone else has noticed price increases in Brown Thomas / BT2 over the last month or so? I had seen a coat that I liked, it was €280. I couldn't afford it but then when the 20% off promotion came around I went to look at it again and the tag said €318! I've phoned all their stores looking for the size I wanted and asked each person I spoke to why it had gone up in price, 3 told me it was always that price and the last girl told me it was increased "because it turned out to be a bestseller"!!!
I was shocked at this, I can't believe they increase the prices like that! The 20% off promotion isn't worth much now!

Jojo81 · 09-12-2010 04:56PM

I think they are all doing it to be honest. I was in Debenhams the other day and with 20% off, four bags were priced at €105 but one was €96. You could tell by accident that this one slipped through the net as it looked like the original sticker. So normally its €96, they hike it up to €105 and then give you a 20% discount on that so you think it's great and you're saving a fortune !! Unfortunatley not!

moco · 09-12-2010 05:04PM

Isn't that illegal? I know that in the UK anyway, if an item is on special offer they must have been on sale for at least 30 days previous at the higher price.

DBF · 09-12-2010 05:22PM

I'm not sure, there's probably some loop hole since it's not a "sale" just a 20% off promotion. It's SO annoying though :mad:

Twee. · 09-12-2010 07:17PM

moco wrote: »

Isn't that illegal? I know that in the UK anyway, if an item is on special offer they must have been on sale for at least 30 days previous at the higher price.

99% sure this is that law. I remember it from Leaving Cert. business! I'll see what I can find.

tinkerbell · 09-12-2010 07:30PM

^^ I thought that was the case too, I remember that from business studies in the Junior Cert.

E.T. · 09-12-2010 09:36PM

I saw that in Oasis in Debenhams the other day too, they'd loads of stuff with 20% off signs - I looked at the price on something (think it was a pair of ballet pumps) and they'd actually put hand written euro prices on little stickers, covering the printed price. They'd missed one and the same product's printed price was €3 cheaper than the hand written sticker. I thought it was really cheeky, but I wasn't buying them so I didn't think anymore about it.

I wonder what would happen if you went up to the till and said you wanted to pay the official, printed price?

Pandoras Twist · 09-12-2010 09:40PM

moco wrote: »

Isn't that illegal? I know that in the UK anyway, if an item is on special offer they must have been on sale for at least 30 days previous at the higher price.

Tis the law

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1978/en/act/pub/0001/sec0007.html#zza1y1978s7

NinjaTruncs · 09-12-2010 09:49PM

is the 20% off all items or just the coat?

If it's just the coat it's illegal, if it's all items it could just be coincidence.

DBF · 10-12-2010 10:29AM

is the 20% off all items or just the coat?

If it's just the coat it's illegal, if it's all items it could just be coincidence.

I think it's 20% off most things, just for a few days. They have changed the price properly, ie. it's a new printed label stuck on.
I'm so disappointed, guess I'll take my chances and see if it's still there when they start the actual sales. Doubtful though if it's such a "bestseller"!

Villette · 10-12-2010 02:30PM

It's been a couple of years since I studied this sort of law, but I think that it's not technically illegal. They are offering a promotion on the current price of the items, they're not saying we've reduced the price or that it was a certain price and is now this price. The Consumer Information Act seems to have sales in mind where shops say the price was €100 and is now €80 and they would have had to have sold the coat for €100 for 30 consecutive days in the past few months. I mean it could be described as certainly bordering on illegal...I'm not 100% though!

I've noticed Peter Marks have done the same. They've raised their prices by approximately 20%, and even more, and have constant 20% off promotions. If it's not illegal, it should be!

BTs increasing prices before 20% off promotion??

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