Are Retailers Trying to Trick Us?

littlemissgiggles

Call me suspicious but I'm starting to wonder whether all is as it seems on the high street i.e. bargains galore!!

I recently bought an item in a well known baby store which showed in their most recent catalogue at £35. When I got to the store (as I had a voucher to spend) the item was showing as being on special offer labelled as "£5 off - reduced from £37.50 to £32.50". I queried it with the staff who showed me the disclaimer in the catalogue that prices were subject to change. I asked them if I could have the item for £30 as a good will gesture but they were having none! I now notice that the item is on the website as again being on special offer but now reduced from £40 to £37.50, now £2.50 more than the original selling price!! I know that prices change but since the catalogue going to press it's hard to believe more than a 14% increase!

Are retailers offering "discounts" by increasing the costs in the first place!! This is not the first time I've suspected but it's the best example I have!!

What do you reckon??

Hope my sums are right - eek!

Harveycat_2

Shops can ask whatever the heck they like for an item. It is up to the customer to decide whether to pay the asking price or not.

Big stores often have a price displayed on an item with the 'previous' price in small print underneath. I saw something in Argos the other day which was more expensive than the previous price, but at least they had indicated this.

I had a great wind-up conversation with Sky sales yesterday. They advertise the Sky HD boxes everywhere for £49. When I phoned to order one I was informed there is an additional £30 'installation fee.'

I told them that I didn't require installation, that after years of experience of connecting up PC's, Laptops, Wii's, Gameboys, PS2's, Nintendos, VHS recorders, HiFi's, DVD's, Freeview boxes (you get the idea etc etc...) that I could probably manage to swap the wires out of the rear of my existing Sky+ box into a new HD box.

They would not budge. I got so annoyed I told them to keep the HD box.

Looks like I'm sticking with Sky+ until I simmer down again.

Anyhow the message is - Sky HD is not £49 at all - it is £79!

Phone them and see!

08442 411 333

Sooler

http://www.rbwm.gov.uk/web/ts_trading_stds_faq_19075.htm
Look out for in store notices disclaiming or explaining price claims : Pre-sale prices should be the last price at which goods were offered - and the goods should have been at that price for 28 consecutive days in the previous six months. Shops can however use disclaimers to get around the law, such as "higher price charged from 1st to 7th April 2001" or "higher price charged in our Oxford Street store".
Above all, remember to look at the price, not the reduction.

Are they displaying the dates for their previous higher price?

jenniewb

Basic story, retailers are always trying to trick the customer- just like the customers will try to get one over on the retailer.

Both parties respect each other, but they are not and never will be friends.

cdam

Simple answer, of course they are trying to trick us. They call us customers, but we are just dollars (or Euros or Pounds to them). Most don't give a damn about the customer (not all i know) only how to screw another penny out of us.

And yes, we too have fallen into the trap of wanting something for nothing and have lost the notion of value as opposed to price.

So, maybe we get what we deserve,

worcestersaver

littlemissgiggles wrote: »

Call me suspicious but I'm starting to wonder whether all is as it seems on the high street i.e. bargains galore!!

I recently bought an item in a well known baby store which showed in their most recent catalogue at £35. When I got to the store (as I had a voucher to spend) the item was showing as being on special offer labelled as "£5 off - reduced from £37.50 to £32.50". I queried it with the staff who showed me the disclaimer in the catalogue that prices were subject to change. I asked them if I could have the item for £30 as a good will gesture but they were having none! I now notice that the item is on the website as again being on special offer but now reduced from £40 to £37.50, now £2.50 more than the original selling price!! I know that prices change but since the catalogue going to press it's hard to believe more than a 14% increase!

Are retailers offering "discounts" by increasing the costs in the first place!! This is not the first time I've suspected but it's the best example I have!!

What do you reckon??

Hope my sums are right - eek!

The best way of judging whether the shop is raising the price to show a discount is to compare the price of the item against other retailers.

sinw

Gazfaz wrote: »

Shops can ask whatever the heck they like for an item. It is up to the customer to decide whether to pay the asking price or not.

Big stores often have a price displayed on an item with the 'previous' price in small print underneath. I saw something in Argos the other day which was more expensive than the previous price, but at least they had indicated this.

I had a great wind-up conversation with Sky sales yesterday. They advertise the Sky HD boxes everywhere for £49. When I phoned to order one I was informed there is an additional £30 'installation fee.'

I told them that I didn't require installation, that after years of experience of connecting up PC's, Laptops, Wii's, Gameboys, PS2's, Nintendos, VHS recorders, HiFi's, DVD's, Freeview boxes (you get the idea etc etc...) that I could probably manage to swap the wires out of the rear of my existing Sky+ box into a new HD box.

They would not budge. I got so annoyed I told them to keep the HD box.

Looks like I'm sticking with Sky+ until I simmer down again.

Anyhow the message is - Sky HD is not £49 at all - it is £79!

Phone them and see!

08442 411 333

easy - go through to cancellations, threaten to cancel as ur not happy n they do it for nothing, if u really grand u may get the box cheaper too or for nothing - we did xx