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Curry's - Misleading pricing?

Hi, I am posting this for another member, Tiony, who is having difficulty posting.

There is an offer at Currys via leaflet and online for a Sony 40" TV £499 (Trade in Price). We went to buy 1 Saturday 10th Oct. (offer ends 14/10/09) but the TV in store was £749. We asked the manager to explain? He said offer had finished, no stock, so they'd put the TV back up to £749 with the attitude 'take it or leave it'.
We asked about the display TV (which was stock) and the 1 that had been in the window the previous Saturday, he said he'd sold 1 and we were looking at the other, so we asked, could we buy the display 1? yes he said at £749!!! we tried to understand if there was no stock at the £499 why was there 1 at £749???

The leaflets were still available in the store entrance but after leaving we noticed he removed them??? we also took a photo of the TV at the higher price as proof, which the Manager said was against copyright laws!!!

I have contacted Customer Services who now say, each store is only allowed to sell a certain amount at the offer price!!! (how silly is that?)

Surely this falls into 'Misleading pricing' ???

Comments

  • Anihilator
    Anihilator Posts: 2,169 Forumite
    Hi, I am posting this for another member, Tiony, who is having difficulty posting.

    There is an offer at Currys via leaflet and online for a Sony 40" TV £499 (Trade in Price). We went to buy 1 Saturday 10th Oct. (offer ends 14/10/09) but the TV in store was £749. We asked the manager to explain? He said offer had finished, no stock, so they'd put the TV back up to £749 with the attitude 'take it or leave it'.
    We asked about the display TV (which was stock) and the 1 that had been in the window the previous Saturday, he said he'd sold 1 and we were looking at the other, so we asked, could we buy the display 1? yes he said at £749!!! we tried to understand if there was no stock at the £499 why was there 1 at £749???

    The leaflets were still available in the store entrance but after leaving we noticed he removed them??? we also took a photo of the TV at the higher price as proof, which the Manager said was against copyright laws!!!

    I have contacted Customer Services who now say, each store is only allowed to sell a certain amount at the offer price!!! (how silly is that?)

    Surely this falls into 'Misleading pricing' ???


    No

    Stores often have a big offer on but the number of stock at that price is limited per store. Often a small amount.

    Posters etc are an invitation to buy. They can always refuse to sell.

    The fact he removed the leaflets suggests to me he didnt want to mislead and simply the leaflets werent removed sooner as no one realised.
  • Thank you for your quick reply, they had travelled 16 miles to buy this tv, so were understandably cross.
  • vyle
    vyle Posts: 2,379 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Currys trying to sell a display item for full price is silly, but when it comes to limited amounts of items being on offer, they're well within their rights.

    Say they struck a deal with the manufacturer to buy (for example) 50 TVs at 400 to sell at 499, then the next batch they buy 50 at 700 to sell for 749, they're not going to sell all 100 for 499 because they'd lose stupid amounts of money.

    I wouldn't buy from currys anyway, though. Other high street retailers have better models at better prices with better guarantees and service.
  • Esqui
    Esqui Posts: 3,414 Forumite
    The offer was due to run for two weeks until the 14th...we sold the entire two weeks' stock in 3 days. As far as I know, the price hasn't been put up centrally, although it wouldn't be surprising when the stock's gone. Either way, they should have honoured the price on the flyer.
    Squirrel!
    If I tell you who I work for, I'm not allowed to help you. If I don't say, then I can help you with questions and fixing products. Regardless, there's still no secret EU law.
    Now 20% cooler
  • Crazy_Jamie
    Crazy_Jamie Posts: 2,246 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Thank you for your quick reply, they had travelled 16 miles to buy this tv, so were understandably cross.
    In which case would it not have been prudent to ring the store in advance and reserve one for pick up? Stores can always sell out of items, and sales like this are always subject to availability.
    "MIND IF I USE YOUR PHONE? IF WORD GETS OUT THAT
    I'M MISSING FIVE HUNDRED GIRLS WILL KILL THEMSELVES."
  • vyle wrote: »
    I wouldn't buy from currys anyway, though. Other high street retailers have better models at better prices with better guarantees and service.

    You can include any of the Dixon group stores in that statement as well. If everyone one here reads this and takes note then there wont be any more people caught out by their less than ethical trading practices.
  • Esqui
    Esqui Posts: 3,414 Forumite
    And I'd be out of a job!
    Squirrel!
    If I tell you who I work for, I'm not allowed to help you. If I don't say, then I can help you with questions and fixing products. Regardless, there's still no secret EU law.
    Now 20% cooler
  • vyle
    vyle Posts: 2,379 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Esqui wrote: »
    And I'd be out of a job!

    I have a number of colleagues who used to work for PC world, currys et al. They all agree leaving the high pressure environment was the best thing they ever did.

    Come to the dark side.

    Together, we can rule the retail galaxy.

    I am your father.

    etc...
  • Esqui
    Esqui Posts: 3,414 Forumite
    I'm not in sales, the few targets I have are reasonable and shared with a few other people...so I don't feel under pressure.

    On the other side, I don't get so much money and I get shouted at more often than the sales team.

    You win some, you lose some.
    Squirrel!
    If I tell you who I work for, I'm not allowed to help you. If I don't say, then I can help you with questions and fixing products. Regardless, there's still no secret EU law.
    Now 20% cooler
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