Argos: Can they do this?

elo_2

Hiya,

About a month ago, I was going to buy an antique pine high sleeper complete with matress and futon for my daughter. However, for what ever reason I was unable to afford it as it cost a hefty £399.99.

I've now tried to order the same bed only to find that Argos have discontinued the item using the old catalogue number and have introduced a 'new' version (I really use that term loosely as it is EXACTLY the same item, but for £489.99! How is this possible? I understand that items get discontinued and replaced which different items, but to use the same item twice, charging nearly £100 more is ridiculous.

I then called up Argos contact centre who were completely useless and informed me that the item currently has saving of £49.00, thus making the item £440.99 and I am getting it cheaper. No, to get it cheaper would be to have it at the original price, not to lull potential customers in with a fake saving.

Does anyone know if there is anything that can be done or am I just flogging a dead horse.

Thanks in advance.

molerat

Simply, yes they can. You do not have to buy it.

mymatebob

Can a company raise its prices?

Yes it can

esuhl

What?! If you were selling your house, and someone came round insisting that the same house was sold previously for £20k, would you say "Well, okay. A precedent has been set - we'll sell it for 20k."

In a (partially) free-market economy, the value of something is determined by what someone is willing to pay. Would you prefer that Argos were forced to sell goods to you at a stipulated price? Would you prefer that the government (or whoever) fixed your house price based on what it had been worth previously? Or if pay rises were illegal?