MSE News: Investigation reveals supermarkets' 'dodgy pricing tactics'

flippin36

Agree with above comments but also wanted to remind people to check receipts before leaving the store as offers don't always come through at the checkout (I know this is probably just a computer error but it has happened a few times to me). Also watch out for a similar product being placed next to the offer, don't sleep shop, double check that particular item is definitely part of the deal - just because there is a big sign above it don't automatically assume. Another thing is to be careful that the offer is still valid. Look for end of offer date before buying.

I know this is common sense but its so easy to be caught out if we are rushing or have the kids with us and who wants to spend 15 minutes queuing at CS to get a refund with a trolley full of food.

richardw

chrisjw37 wrote: »

It's buyer beware of the corporate cowboys.
No-one is your friend, its not about customer benefits, it's profit margins.

.......Exactly

MonaJones

BEWARE

I noticed when I go shopping in my local ASDA that they have 'special offers for £1', then say a month later they'll have the offer on again, but the products contain less? whats that all about? I have been had on this type of sales technique a few times,
Pampers wet wipes bulk buy - not only did they increase the price, they went from 64 wipes to 56!
Bernard Matthew turkey drummers - went from 6 to 5 still for £1.
Flora marg - smaller tub
Jam - smaller jar

I am more dubvious about sales items now and it takes me twice as long to shop, so I dont get stung again! Shame on you supermarkets.

I do also find especially in my local Co-op that the week before an offer is to start, they start selling the product at a rediculously higher price, must be mad if you buy it like price!, then week after say its on special offer!

The whole lot of them are morons and something should be done to stop them playing with our minds and pinching our cash!

anguk

Premier wrote: »

Now I've only seen these in any supermarket in recent days all for about £5-£6 a tin, yet Tesco were advertising them at half their previous price of £10.99

Anyone ever seen or bought these in Tesco last month for £10.99???

It's the same with tins of Roses and Quality Street at Christmas, they're always "half-price" at £5 yet I've never seen them full price at £10. I'm sure they only ever have these full price in a little store in the Scottish Highlands for a week just so they can get around the "sold at a higher price previously" rule.

I've also noticed so many larger packs now costing more than double the smaller pack, I think it's deliberately misleading to say these larger packs are better value because often they're not. And I can normally guess which products are going to be on "offer" in the coming weeks because the prices suddenly go up for a week or so beforehand.

It's definitely a case of buyer beware and you have to take your time to check and compare prices but many consumers don't have the time to do that and just see an offer label and assume it's a bargain.

anguk

MonaJones wrote: »

BEWARE

I noticed when I go shopping in my local ASDA that they have 'special offers for £1', then say a month later they'll have the offer on again, but the products contain less? whats that all about? I have been had on this type of sales technique a few times,
Pampers wet wipes bulk buy - not only did they increase the price, they went from 64 wipes to 56!
Bernard Matthew turkey drummers - went from 6 to 5 still for £1.
Flora marg - smaller tub
Jam - smaller jar

This is happening with so many products now, the cost of making things is higher so the manufacturers have a choice of putting the price up or reducing the size of the item. Most people buy by price so they make the product smaller, many people don't even realise that the product is smaller they just see that the price is the same.

It happens with lots of things, bottles of juice, sauce, washing up liquid are all smaller, packets weigh less, only 6 sausages instead of 8. But the price stays the same so most people don't notice they're getting less for their money.

DonnySaver

On the last 4 trips to Morrisons, my wife has found that her multi-buy and discounts have not been applied at the till !! The last time she went she'd been overcharged by over £10 !!

She goes back and tells them everytime but it happens on every occasion.

CHECK YOUR RECEIPTS !!

*Jelly_Tots*

Pincher wrote: »

This is just silly.

If you don't know the price of milk,
complain that the supermarket is overcharging you?

I roam through Costco, Tesco and a high street nearby, etc. not excessively. If something is overpriced, I just don't buy it. Simples.

The problem is, most people don't have the time to shop around from store to store, going to another shop for cheaper milk, etc. Most people only have an hour, once a week, to race round and get everything they need, usually with a kid or two whingeing for sweets, and have no option, but to buy the milk there or then. They are not going to stand for hours with a calculator working out whether these sprouts are cheaper than Asda. It doesn't mean they are silly, just in a hurry. The shops need to be forced to make things clearer for the customer.

hermante

*Jelly_Tots* wrote: »

The problem is, most people don't have the time to shop around from store to store, going to another shop for cheaper milk, etc. They are not going to stand for hours with a calculator working out whether these sprouts are cheaper than Asda.

I bet these people are the ones who complained that algebra has "no relevance in the real world". Like msot of the people who posted above, I have some idea of what I consider a fair price, and can do a quick calculation in my head to work out if an offer is worth it or not. I don't ever look at the "was" price, or the "normal" price for BOGOFs.

Also, the man with the yellow stickers on products that expire today. Something is £3, 2 for £5, but only gets reduced to £2.69?? Might as well get 2 fresh ones for 2.50 each and put one in the freezer.

rabidbun

The price hike the week beforehand needs to be stamped on imo.

I've had an instance recently with a Buy 2 For X offer in Tescos where they had only one item and refused to give it me for the offer price (told me to come back in the afternoon as they could have them in after a delivery if I was lucky...). I needed the item, but refused to pay the inflated price from the week before the offer just for the one unit so went and did the bulk of my shop at Sainsburys.

Admittedly I could have not bought anything but they did actually have proper offers on three items that week so just got those. I was lucky to have the time to shop.

Tomr

I noticed Tescos/Sainsbury's would quote offers in the aisle, but using the self-checkout machines a lot of the time the offers would not process in real-time, and would often be missed by the computer if you simply proceeded to pay without checking the total manually. Often you have to press "Back" to go to the scanning/basket stage to then see the offers process and total update. Fooled me a few times, must have made the supermarkets thousands.... Utter disgrace.