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Popped into Gamestation earlier to trade in some games that I couldn't sell and have a nose about. Wasn't really planning on buying anything although I've got a rather nice £50 I won on the Premium Bonds.
Anyway had a look about and saw a Wireless Headset for £24.99, excellent price I thought considering it'd only cost me £10 after trade ins :D
Went to the counter and the bloke said despite it being marked as £24.99 in two different places, it came up on the till as £34.99 so because it was such a large difference, he would have to charge the full price instead. Cue both me and my Mum pointing out trading standards acts etc. Guy phones up the manager, has a long conversation that sounds like the manager wasn't willing to do it.
Then some random guy in the queue next to us (big scary tattooed guy ;D) started backing us up......
Cue one wireless headset for £24.99 or £10 for me after trade ins, and a nice satisfaction that I didn't back down :D
leowyatt
20-01-2009, 17:15
nicely done :D
NokkonWud
20-01-2009, 17:15
Well done, it's always nice when someone gets one over on the consumer... although in the time of this recession you may have killed off Gamestation with that £10 difference. I'm fully expecting them to go into Administration before day end. ;)
What trading standards acts were they then? Can't think of anything that would make then sell it to you at a cheaper price. Still well done :D Wireless headset is handy :)
Streeteh
20-01-2009, 17:18
Hate it when stores try and pretend they can do that. Marked price = price sold last time i checked.
In Gamestations defence i bought a PS3 headset from them online on sunday for £20 (£10 less than anyone else had in stock) and they had it delivered this morning. Pretty good service.
Ha, nice.
I almost expected something similar when i was in gamestation the other day.
I'd been wanting PES 09 to be found on the cheap for ages now, noticed it'd hit £25 online, so popped in on my way home, found it on the shelf for £35 or something so headed out, but then noticed it by the door for £25 (still PS3 copy :/)
thankfully it came up on the till @ £25 \o/
Hate it when stores try and pretend they can do that. Marked price = price sold last time i checked.
Not so, and never has been has it? It's an "invitation to treat" and they don't have to sell at the marked price.
I thought that they had to sell it as the marked price by law. I know at Blockbuster we're told that's the case at least and iirc we were told the same at Carphone Warehouse. Something to do with misadvertising.
I thought that they had to sell it as the marked price by law. I know at Blockbuster we're told that's the case at least and iirc we were told the same at Carphone Warehouse.
Nope, not at all. But most companies will as a goodwill gesture. Unless they advertised Wiis for 1p or something :D
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invitation_to_treat
Streeteh
20-01-2009, 17:31
I thought that they had to sell it as the marked price by law. I know at Blockbuster we're told that's the case at least and iirc we were told the same at Carphone Warehouse. Something to do with misadvertising.
That's what i thought too. I actually got told that by someone working at a shop around the corner from me, he had accidentally mispriced an individual item which i happened to pick up. When the person at the till told me its mispriced he said to them charge me the marked amount due to the reasons you stated above.
Meh, learn a new thing every day
Ah well, bloke at the till thought they had to do it by law in the end ;D And always been the case at Blockbuster although it's not usually been by much.
Yeah, they didn't have to sell you it at that price at all as until you agree to a price (e.g. you being told the price then handing over the money) no contract has been made. Amazingly so many people think that they are supposed to get it for whatever it's advertised at. It is nice though when you get something cheaper than it's supposed to be :D
Davey_Pitch
20-01-2009, 18:39
I think it's generally accepted that if a shop makes a pricing mistake then they'll sell it at the lower price, but as pointed out they can simply refuse to sell you the item at all if they wish. It's good PR for a company if they do it though, so it makes sense for them to honour the price even though they don't legally have to.
Glad you got it at the lower price though, sounds like a bargain to me :)
Fisher v Bell [1961], which cemented the principle of invitation to treat. The keyword is Invitation, and it's basically contract law, the price is an invite for the customer to make an offer, it is suggesting you make an offer on the sticker price but it is no mean guarantee it will be accepted. Offer + Acceptance + Consideration = Contract.
The shops does not and not obliged to accept any offer, and they can reject any offer they see fit.
Also look at Pharmaceutical Society of G.B. v. Boots [1953]
In practice however, for the sake of customer relations, the shops (especially the chain as they have deeper pockets) will just honour the misprice and take the hit.
What you can't do is list it at a low price and then ask for a higher price as you can imagine what chaos that can cause. However the retailer can refuse the sale totally, without reason, to anyone, and then "reintroduce" it at the normal price.
Also look at Pharmaceutical Society of G.B. v. Boots [1953]
It's ok, I'll take your word for it along with everyone else's :p
Chuckles
20-01-2009, 20:44
It would be very harsh on the retailers if they were legally obliged to sell at the marked price.
Say they have a new 16 year old member of staff on their first job who misprices everything drastically. It wouldn't be very fair that the retailer would be forced to honour that prices.
Popped into Gamestation earlier to trade in some games that I couldn't sell and have a nose about. Wasn't really planning on buying anything although I've got a rather nice £50 I won on the Premium Bonds.
Anyway had a look about and saw a Wireless Headset for £24.99, excellent price I thought considering it'd only cost me £10 after trade ins :D
Went to the counter and the bloke said despite it being marked as £24.99 in two different places, it came up on the till as £34.99 so because it was such a large difference, he would have to charge the full price instead. Cue both me and my Mum pointing out trading standards acts etc. Guy phones up the manager, has a long conversation that sounds like the manager wasn't willing to do it.
Then some random guy in the queue next to us (big scary tattooed guy ;D) started backing us up......
Cue one wireless headset for £24.99 or £10 for me after trade ins, and a nice satisfaction that I didn't back down :D
Excellent; I'd argue any national chain should always give the good will gesture without quibble :)
Back on topic though... what do you think of the wireless headset? I've toyed with the idea of getting one for ages.
NokkonWud
23-01-2009, 12:00
I like mine, it's crisp and clear, more so than the wired one, but the ear band that comes only comes in small and medium, now even though I don't have big ears (they're not small, but not massive), medium after 20 minutes or so becomes extremely uncomfortable, and on some occassions, actually painful.
leowyatt
23-01-2009, 12:25
Kitten got me the official one for Christmas and using it for the first time last night I got around 2 hours use with no pain :)
I've not actually used it yet :o It's charged waiting though.
I've got fairly small ears so should be fine for me :D I found the wired one really uncomfortable and reminded me too much of my callcentre days so be nice to switch to wireless.
NokkonWud
23-01-2009, 13:24
I've not actually used it yet :o It's charged waiting though.
I've got fairly small ears so should be fine for me :D I found the wired one really uncomfortable and reminded me too much of my callcentre days so be nice to switch to wireless.
They used to, but the one you sent me and the one I got for my birthday with my chat pad have been brilliant!
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