H&M instore/online price discrepancy

MS1980

Today i went to buy a jacket in H&M which i had seen on the internet on sale. The jacket was priced at half its value online and full price in the shop. When i informed the assistant that the jacket was on sale on the internet, she responded by saying that the internet was treated as an entirely different business. Is there some law against false advertising merchandise on the internet at a lower price and charging customers full price in the stores for exactly the same item?

I felt extremely cheated as i was browsing the net for ideas to reduce shopping time when i finally went to the city centre to shop.

SharkyGeorge

I had the same thing at HMV a few years ago and that was the answer they gave (apparently because the internet side has lower overheads). As a result I no longer rely on internet prices.

As far as I am aware this would not count as false advertising (sadly!)

zenseeker

This isn't a case of false advertising. Nowhere on the website does it say that online prices are the same as instore prices, and if you look at an item that is sold out it clearly states:

This item is now sold out, but may still be available at your local store. Please note that the price may vary.

http://www.hm.com/gb/product/94080?article=94080-B#shopOrigin=SA

Stores don't even need to charge the same prices for items in brick and mortar branches, you can visit a Tesco in one town and see that prices on some items are different to the price of the same item in another town (I often find Tesco Express to be more expensive than a normal Tesco for example).

jenniewb

Many stores operate like this: having offers which are only online or prices which are not the same instore. If I think about it, many big brand names have done this, infact too many to name!

I don't know if its legal or not but would assume it is if so many do this and have done this.