Studio24 - trying to charge me prices higher than catalogue/website

RoisinO

Hello,

I am new to the forum and am asking for advice with how to deal with studio24, Please & thank you! I am a novice with regard to consumer rights ect. (but am rapidly teaching myself) In November 2011 I received a catalogue from Studio24. I had a look through and chose some Christmas items/presents. On November 8th I placed the order online, was aware that the prices on screen were higher than the catalogue, I entered the discount code and double checked all the prices, which then matched the prices in the catalogue, I ordered 22 items with a total cost of £69.15. I received an 'order acknowledgement email' listing all the items ordered, prices as per the catalogue.
The items started to arrive in various parcels eventually a main box arrived with most of the remaining items. An invoice showed the prices - all higher than the catalogue with a total of £115. 2 items were never delivered. I believe that my outstanding balance should be £69.15 - items not received = £61.98.
I rang the customer care number, had a long call with them, that member of staff went through each item and told me he was correcting the prices on my account and I would receive a new invoice within 48 hours - never arrived. The balance on my account when I check online has remained unchanged. I have emailed them several times but am getting nowhere. I have received replies from two customer care staff asking for more details but no further reply from them when I forwarded on the order acknowledgement Email, which gives all the details of the order. I rang the customer care number again to ask for direct contact details for Pat Mathews - Customer Care Manager but they wouldn't/couldn't give them to me. I asked how much the call was costing me - they couldn't tell me that. (0871 number)
My payment is now due on 12th January - I am planning to pay £61.98. I am nervous about getting into debt with them by not paying the 'disputed' £53 and having the charges added on top of that.
I have sent a formal written complaint to Pat Mathews today (Email) and plan to post it to the head office via recorded mail on Monday. I informed him that I was seeking advice from Trading Standards and Consumer Direct.
I submitted this query to Consumer direct this morning.

Any help/advice in with this situation would be greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks for reading and please help, if you can!

pcombo

they can charge you what ever they like.

xxJudexx

Pcombo is correct that they can charge you what they like but if they said they were going to charge you one amount (the lower amount as per your order confirmation) and then try to charge you another amount they should have contacted you before dispatch to see if you still wanted the items. If I were you, as the invoice is due very soon, I would send a cheque ( I'm assuming you haven't given them your bank details) and add a letter stating that you have tried to sort the matter out but have had no luck and you will be paying the amount as per the order confirmation you have received. It might be worth putting in a copy of your order confirmation too. Good luck!

RoisinO

pcombo wrote: »

they can charge you what ever they like.

Thank you very much for the speedy reply. Are you certain you are correct? They sent me a catalogue with certain prices listed, I order via the website, using the discount code as instructed, prices on screen then matched the prices in the catalogue. 2 - 3 weeks later the invoice arrived with the higher prices.

I know I am a newbie, but how can they get away with that? Isn't it some kind of con? Couldn't any distance selling company do that? Offer an item for £10 and then a couple of weeks later ask for £50.

There must be a way I can dispute this?! (can you sense my desperation/frustration! lol)

RoisinO

xxJudexx wrote: »

Pcombo is correct that they can charge you what they like but if they said they were going to charge you one amount (the lower amount as per your order confirmation) and then try to charge you another amount they should have contacted you before dispatch to see if you still wanted the items. If I were you, as the invoice is due very soon, I would send a cheque ( I'm assuming you haven't given them your bank details) and add a letter stating that you have tried to sort the matter out but have had no luck and you will be paying the amount as per the order confirmation you have received. It might be worth putting in a copy of your order confirmation too. Good luck!

Phew! Thank you. The higher prices were listed on an invoice which came with the box containing the bulk of the order. Other items had arrived prior to that. I was going to pay online (not sure if a cheque will clear by the 12th) and am really nervous of getting into debt with this particular bunch of cowboys. Shall I pay online - and inform the customer care manager that I have done so when I write to him on Monday. (enclosing a copy of the confirmation Email)

Thanks again

somethingcorporate

What price does your order confirmation contain? Do you have any proof that you bought them at the lower price?

RoisinO

somethingcorporate wrote: »

What price does your order confirmation contain? Do you have any proof that you bought them at the lower price?

Thank you for your interest. The order confirmation shows each item at the lower price so the total is also at the lower price. These prices are the same as the prices listed in the catalogue that was sent to me.

Ps I am using that 'order acknowledgement email' as proof of the prices that I paid, sadly no longer have the catalogue that was sent to me.

somethingcorporate

That's fine, it wasn't clear whether your order confirmation was at the lower or higher price. I would pay in line with your order confirmation and let them chase you for the rest.

Any fees etc would be disputable since you have proof that you should not be paying the higher price.

xxJudexx

The order acknowledgement email should be enough. What ever way you pay I would just make sure you pay on time and send off a letter (recorded if possible) with your order email, explaining what has happened, maybe include the invoice stating the higher amount. If I were you i Would phone them up on Monday and if you don't get anywhere then send off your letter.

squeaky

Hi

It might be worth reading this: When is an on-line contract formed? (They took my money - but then declined the order)

And this: Does a shop have to sell at the advertised price?

Then check what the Terms & Conditions say. Good luck

arcon5

squeaky wrote: »

Hi

It might be worth reading this: When is an on-line contract formed? (They took my money - but then declined the order)

And this: Does a shop have to sell at the advertised price?

Then check what the Terms & Conditions say. Good luck

I don't think checking their terms is necessarily relevant here.
When op made the order at the lower price (and received confirmation at the lower price) the company should have accepted the offer or rejected the offer. What they shouldn't do is change the price to the original one and commence with the order without ops consent.

Sine goods have already been sent to op the contract will be formed, so it's simply a case that they have overcharged op and should now reimburse her.