BT Shop Advent Calendar

pepemia

No this is about whinging this is about the rights that consumers have. I have worked in retail all my life and the consumer laws we have are needed to stop us consumers being ripped off.
Would you say its fair for a company to tell you that an item is worth £330 when its only worth £280 ?That is fraud. People would be getting ripped off constantly from their hard earned cash if companys like BT could get away with it.
I previously had a shop and I had to comply with all the trading rules, yet big companys like Bt ,who should know better,seem to think they are immune. What they have done is morally and legally wrong and carries heavy financial penalties.

hesjane

I have emailed Trading Standards (copy below) with the following query/complaint.  I am not arguing about loss of bargain or any such thing here, just trying to establish whether there practices meet current rules and regulations etc (even though they don't meet any ethical ones )

I have made it clear that I have not entered into any contract with BT, but would just like clarification of the situation.  I'll let you all know how I get on.

Hes

Complaint Details

Complaint received
10/12/2004 Complaint ID  XXXXX

Description of Complaint
ww.shop.bt.com currently have an advent calendar promotion and each day offer a different item with 30% off. It would appear that they are inflating the price just prior to each item being the daily offer. For example, today's item is an HP Iaq rx1710 with Tom Tom wired GPS. This was on their website all week for a cost (incl of VAT) of £269.99 (this does not include any discount - after discount it would have reduced to £188.99). Today it went on their special offer of 30% off and the price magically increased to £329.99 before discount. Apparently BT did the same with an LCD TV/Monitor yesterday and I wondered whether there was any rules or regulations regarding this type of practice. I have screen shots of the items being offered at the lower prices. I was intending to purchase the Ipaq as a Christmas gift and had it in my basket at £269.99 pre discount price, but when the checkout box came up and increased the price I decided not to proceed out of principal. I appreciate that I have not entered into any contract with shop.bt.com but I would be grateful if you could let me know whether this practice is allowed. Many thanks for your help.  

andy20

This only refers to items "on sale" where the reported higher price has to have been sold for a period of 28 days in at least one shop in the last 6 months. It therefore would have applied to the £289 price when the item was £269.

I really don't see anything illegal here, sales end and are replaced with other offerings. You can't go into a shop and say "last week you were selling it for £x" - Homebase put many prices up and ended Sale items recently just prior to the 10% day and that's not illegal.

Why is this forum turning into a complainers "loss of bargain" (lets screw the system) sounding board...SHAME!!!  :-/

I'm sorry but you are wrong.

BT had the item listed as follows:
£269.99
was: £289.99
save: £20.00

Read the Consumer Protection Act and you will see it is illegal. You might say that the price was further reduced before the £289.99 price but that is also an offence because the retailer has to indicate all price reductions, i.e.

was £329.99 (crossed out)
£289.99 (crossed out)
now £269.99

pepperoni_2

I also complained this morning so I will let you know how that goes as well, however I did express my disappointment in not being able to purchase at the price I expected.

joshm_2

Has anyone contacted BT to get their response?
If so please could you give us the gist of what they are saying?

thepearce

Has anyone contacted BT to get their response?
If so please could you give us the gist of what they are saying?

From a NG

> I've just had this e-mail response:-
>
> Thank you for your email regarding the BT Advent promotion.
> BT retail prices are influenced by supply costs and market conditions,
> products and prices may change on a daily basis. The future 30% discount
> promotions in the advent calendar have not yet been published on the site,
> each one is published on the day and are not available until they are
> published. Each offer is valid only for one day and the discount applies
> to the price of that product on that day.
>
> Yours sincerely
>
> Lynne Paramanis

Pathetic

Howdie

They have just called me me to honour their price for the Relisys 17" monitor which I had originally ordered for £245, until they cancelled it.

I think the problem here is that we knew what the whole of their Advent calendar was before we should have, and as such that is why we are all feeling so aggrieved with this situation.

thepearce

They have just called me me to honour their price for the Relisys 17" monitor which I had originally ordered for £245, until they cancelled it.

I think the problem here is that we knew what the whole of their Advent calendar was before we should have, and as such that is why we are all feeling so aggrieved with this situation.

Indeed - otherwise they would have gone around doing these "false" reductions and getting away scot free.

Howdie

Indeed - otherwise they would have gone around doing these "false" reductions and getting away scot free.

I quite agree and thanks for your help re: DELL 4700 ;D ;D

hesjane

Just thought I would point out that the BT offer for 13th December is sold out this evening (12th Dec).....do we think they will magically restock at midnight :-/

After the fiasco of suddenly upping to prices just prior to the items going on advent day specials, I wouldn't be at all surprised.

Hes