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It's a piece of marketing I detest, when a shop says "find it cheaper and we'll refund you the difference". What it really means is:-
We'll try to make you think our prices our cheap by saying this
Yet we can now price as we want, safe in the knowledge that the worst than can happen is we'll have to reduce our price to that of our competitors.
In reality it's protection for retailer. And how many people actually go checking the price 'after' they've bought something, the time to do it is before. It persuades people to think they've a safety net, yet actually our own spending habits habitually persuade us not to. Don't be fooled!
So what's this hunt all about then?
A few stores agree to refund you the difference PLUS xx percent. Though claiming can be fiddly on higher priced items it can be worthwhile. Also it means its worth buying in the store with the price promise, even if you know its available cheaper elsewhere so you can reclaim the added discount afterwards.
What to do?
This Great Hunt is to find those stores that say they’ll give back more than the difference and create an easy-to-use list.
Please note in your post
The retailer’s name,
Details of its price beater promise (how much extra it gives back)
Is the money is taken off at the till or needs to be claimed.
If possible please give a link to the retailers website
Martin
Martin Lewis, Money Saving Expert.
Please note, answers don't constitute financial advice, it is based on generalised journalistic research. Always ensure any decision is made with regards to your own individual circumstance.
Comet.co.uk price match and give 10% off the difference if you can find the item cheaper on selected websites or a local shop within 10 miles of your local Comet store (or within 10 Miles of your Postcode if you order by Phone). You can price match up to 14 days after you purchase. Unfortunately there is no indication on how to claim the Difference & 10% or how it is refunded.
From Comet Website
Always Low Prices - Guaranteed
At Comet, we believe in continuously checking competitors' prices online and in-store on your behalf to make sure that The Comet Price is always low - on average we check over 34,000 prices each week.
Online, we check the prices, including delivery, of all the leading online electrical retailers and if we find a lower price then we lower ours.
However even though we're doing everything we can, it is possible that we might miss something.
The Comet Price Guarantee
If you find a product on our website priced lower on Argos.co.uk, CarphoneWarehouse.com, Currys.co.uk, Dixons.co.uk, JohnLewis.com, PCworld.co.uk, Tesco.com/electrical and TheLink.com or in a local store (a store within 10 miles of your nearest Comet store), we'll not only match the price but also beat it by 10% of the difference. For purchases completed over the telephone the store must be within 10 miles of your home post code area.
14 Day Protection
We won't stop protecting you on price even after you've made your purchase. The Comet Price Guarantee applies for up to 14 days after you've made your purchase with us. We only ask that the same product is immediately available in a factory sealed box from Argos.co.uk, CarphoneWarehouse.com, Currys.co.uk, Dixons.co.uk, JohnLewis.com, PCworld.co.uk, Tesco.com/electrical and TheLink.com or at that local retailer.
This Applies
Where the offer can be verified, either by written evidence (e.g. advert, quotation, dated screen print etc.) or verbally from our competitors.
We Do Not Match
Warehouse clubs or any retail club requiring membership.
Mail order and internet companies other than those listed.
Warranty prices, as no competitors' warranty is directly comparable to our own. We check the online prices of Argos.co.uk, CarphoneWarehouse.com, Currys.co.uk, Dixons.co.uk, JohnLewis.com, PCworld.co.uk, Tesco.com/electrical and TheLink.com. These are indicated as Special online prices and are not available in store.
Last edited by MSE Archna; 13-07-2005 at 12:47 PM..
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Unbeatable.co.uk also have a 'price promise' plus 10%
Company local to me, usually fairly competitive for electrical items.
Although I used this whilst collecting a purchase and they only price matched! Should have gone back 10mins after purchasing, but you live and learn.
Details from their website:
Our Price Promise
we guarantee you can't buy cheaper!!
In our competitive market place prices are changing on such a regular basis that it's impossible to be sure we're always the best.
In fact because a number of our competitors use our prices as a benchmark we guarantee that if within 7 days of purchase you find the same product in stock on the UK mainland, boxed, brand new, UK sourced and supplied via an official UK supplier, we will beat their price by 10% of the difference (excluding delivery). Simply provide us with the written details (or point us to a website) of where and when you saw the product and we will offer a no quibble refund. Please note this refund only applies once within the 7 days.
* Please note, at times our competitors may not have telephone contact details to verify the price match, in these circumstances we would require you to obtain written confirmation.
Last edited by MSE Archna; 11-07-2005 at 4:58 PM..
Just to let you guys all know that I have actually had much better experience of the Currys price promise than this.
I recently purchased a Humax digibox with hard drive recorder. I knew the price in Currys, and found it in a shop in Wolverhampton for 5p cheaper. I called Currys, and they agreed to price match.
I believe that their price promise is 10% of the difference. However, on arriving at the store to collect my digibox, I noticed that the price I was buying it at had already been written on the box. To my surprise, they had price matched it, plus a further discount of what appeared to be 10% of the original selling price of the item!
Was I ever pleased! It proves it's worth trying to get stores to do their "added kick" price match as sometimes they don't understand their own policies either!
I agree with Martin completely on this. Price promises are usually just an insult to your intelligence. If there is a retailer who is offering a lower price, then I would rather reward them with my business. Why bother with all the hassle of proving to retailer A that retailer B is selling for £5, has it in stock, is within x miles, etc, etc? If B is cheaper, just buy from them.
Having said that, these offers can occasionally be useful. Richer Sounds shops will price match with internet offers, so all you have to do is take a print of the web page into their shop and they will match the price. This can be good if you don't want to wait for internet delivery. It can also save you the delivery cost, as they don't adjust the internet price by the cost of getting it delivered.
Apple Stores also do price matches. I found this handy a while back when I found John Lewis Oxford Street was selling some Apple gear at 10% off, but unfortunately they were out of stock. They found it was in stock in their Sloane Square branch, so I was about to slog over there when I realised I could just wander down Regent Street to the Apple Store and get them to price match. They were not at all happy, as retailers are not meant to sell Apple gear at a discount, but they did match the price after phoning to confirm the JL price.
A few months ago I bought a Xerox scanner. £70 at Currys, Half price offer at PC World next door at £35. Both stores part of DSG. Bought it from currys for £31.50.
Sometimes you're the statue, sometimes you're the pigeon.
Richer Sounds - although they will match other websites, you sometimes have to get them to match their own. Their in store prices are often more than their online prices, and they expect you to take in a print out of their own web page before they will match the price.
B&Q have price promise then take further 10% off. Last year we found fence paint on a flyer that was £11.99. In B&Q it was £15.99. We took our receipt for the two tins we had puchased and were refunded the difference plus 10%. We needed several tins more so we held on to the flyer and when purchasing more we just went direct to the customer service desk(not the returns desk they will not allow you to purchase goods there)who met the price plus deducted the 10% each time. The shop on the flyer had to be within a 10 mile radius(I think) of the B&Q store to be in competition.
If yuu are in or around Lincolnshire Downtown / Oldrids offer a Double The Difference price promise within 40 mile radius of their stores at Grantham and Boston within 28 days of purchase.
EmpireDirect will pricematch then an extra 20% off (the difference). However the list of stores they match is very limited:
Simply call our Sales Desk on 0870 120 1122 with the contact details for the store where you found the item advertised at a lower price than EmpireDirect.co.uk. We will then confirm the price and the stock availability of the item with the store. Provided the item is identical, brand new and in stock, we will not only match the price but also refund you with 20% of the difference! Purchases made on finance agreements are excluded from this price promise. Conditions Our 120% price promise is only applicable to advertised prices for brand new items available from stock at any of the following retailers Comet, Currys, Dixons, Argos, John Lewis or Tesco.com. The price promise excludes delivery costs, mobile phones, DVD's, console games and products from the Gifts and Gadget's section. We will need verification of the offer either by written evidence such as a national advert, quotation, screen print or verbally from our competitors. It specifically excludes display, clearance & refurbished items, manufacturer discontinued lines and any grey imports. Purchases made on finance are also exempt. All claims have to be made within 7 days from date of purchase.
Staples superstores have a 150% Ultimate Price Promise (which can be very useful for buying computer / electrical office equipment). Can't find the full T&C's online but details are in store.
From memory if you find something locally sold new for less within 14 days they'll match the price and knock a futher 50% of the price difference (up to a maximum of £25 pounds). Excludes online sales, items not stocked, evidence of lower price must be provided etc.
Very useful for buying the lower spec Samsung lasers (ML1210 ML1510/20 etc.) when Comet or Curry's occasionally have them for £50 and Staples for £100. Visit Staples and take printer away for £25! Probably also applies to Office World now Staples have taken them over.
HTH - Rufus.
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Recently, Curry's refused to honour their price promise.
I was looking for a Black and Decker Dustbuster and after shopping around noticed that Comet were a little cheaper than Currys (both on the same retail park). I went to Comet to make my purchase but - as usual - they were out of stock. So, I toddled down to Curry's to buy my Dustbuster knowing that Currys have their price promise.
Unfortunately, the dreaded small print says that the item has to be in stock at the retailer selling it at the lower price. After they'd checked with Comet, they refused to charge me the lower price.
Power House in Dundee claim that they will price match anything as long as the goods are in stock at the said competitor. A friend not so long ago made enquiries about a large tv (panasonic) which Comet were selling for around £500 as were Power House but Comet were throwing in a free matching brand recordable dvd rewriter into the bargain. Power House said that they would knock a few pounds off but needed to phone Comet to check if it was in stock (friend had said advert in his hand as proof). Funnily enough according to Power House it was out of stock in Dundee so no need to price match. We drove the few hundred yards to Comet and picked up the out of stock tv and said dvd rewriter. Apparently this is common practice in many stores to get out of price matching when its for a considerable amount. I've heard quite a few stories of Power House in Dundee doing this, so ask to speak to who ever is on the phone when they are claiming to call the store. Its probably just an unconfirmed "special number" they are phoning to get out of the price match! I hasten to add i have no proof of the "special number".
B&Q Dundee again were no problem price matching on some polycell paint when i got it for £6.49 out of Tesco and they were selling it at £12.99. I had my receipt as Tesco didn't have enough for me and B&Q discounted it there and then for me after speaking to someone at customer services and gave me 10% off no problem again. They also asked to photo copy my receipt to inform head office as manager felt that they would need to reduce their price to that for the time that Tesco (only a 2 min journey away by car) was selling it at that price to avoid further claims. I never did go back and check if they had reduced it though as i had enough to finish my job.
If you buy something using a Barclaycard and you find it cheaper within 60 days anywhere else be it online or in a shop they will refund the difference if its at another retailler. You need to provide proof such as an advert of url of a website to get it but they are brilliant. No further discount is given but its handy when the sales are on and you have bought something only to find that it has been reduced further at another location. An added bonus here is that you also get purchase protection free for 60 days providing its not covered anywhere else. Nectar points also awarded for the next couple of months before Barclaycard stops its association with Nectar at the end of August 2005, but hey they are offering free travel insurance if you pay for your holiday in full on your card for holidays booked after 1st September 2005.
Oh and on some things you can get a years extra warranty free by paying with your card saving you even more than the 10% offered by some retaillers in the long run. I think if my memory serves me correctly that is electrical goods over £25, but there are some exclusions but alas i don't know what they are. (PS2 was one that was covered but an xbox wasn't - but that was back in september 2003).
Think this will do for this posting before i bore you all to tears - most humble apologies if im too late (oh and if you refer someone to get a barclaycard apparently you get a reward too but i dont know what it is. Sorry).
Joyce
Last edited by cheekyweegit; 14-07-2005 at 11:58 PM..
Reason: noticed spelling mistake
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Pls be nice to all MoneySavers. There's no such thing as a stupid question, and even if you disagree courtesy helps. Take care over copyright. Use excerpts and links rather than copying long text. This site asserts copyright on all comments posted on the board.
Pls be nice to all MoneySavers. There's no such thing as a stupid question, and even if you disagree courtesy helps.
Great “Price Beater Plus” Hunt
or is that saying they will beat the cheaper price by......
no problem at B&Q, Kings Cross Road, Dundee
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