MSE News: Supermarkets agree to fairer pricing

Doc_N

I'm sure they want to make up the lost ground, Lynsey, but I'm not at all sure they can.

I well remember when Tesco was a downmarket supermarket chain with little appeal to the big spenders. They shopped mainly at Sainsbury, and wouldn't be seen dead in Tesco.

Then it changed, with Tesco eventually overtaking Sainsbury and pulling itself upmarket (well, upmarket on where it had been).

Now there's Waitrose taking the top end, Sainsbury (still much more acceptable than Tesco to large numbers of people) taking the next chunk, and Aldi and Lidl taking the bottom end (but an increasingly large part of the middle market - just look at the cars in the car parks). Not to mention Asda and Morrisons.

Where does that leave Tesco? Nowhere. It's cheated its customers with deceitful prices, cut back on UK store replacements, failed to train its staff to be nice to customers, and behaved like a bully over planning.

No wonder Aldi's doing so well. Our local Aldi (right next to a Tesco) is a much nicer place to shop, the quality's higher, the prices are lower by around 30%, and they don't mess around with the prices to deceive their customers, as Tesco do.

Lynsey

Doc_N wrote: »

Where does that leave Tesco? Nowhere. It's cheated its customers with deceitful prices,

I agree with that, but most of if not all of the BIG 4 take that stance.
Strange way to try and create "Customer Loyalty" by trying to "trick" them.
Harder to get away with it now thanks to sites like MSE and MySupermarket etc.
I luckily do have several great staff I tend to stick to at my Tesco. Asda and Morries (one Morries anyway) seem to have the worst staff in my area. I'm not too sure Morries actually train their staff!!

Lynsey

woopo65

The following is a complaint I have against House of Fraser about them trying to mislead the consumer by artificially inflating a price of a product I was wishing to buy.


Nature of enquiry: Complaints : I have another complaint
Message: I have been tracking the LINEA Teal 30cm Low Round Cast Iron Casserole Product code: 137787244 for nearly TWO years and it's nearly always been priced at £45. You obviously are trying to mislead customers into thinking they are getting something half price by inflating the price of this product. I find this unfair and following a recent report so do the Office of Fair Trading. Although the report is targeting the Supermarkets I'm sure they would take a dim view on your pricing policies. You may have not breeched any law but in these times of recession the public are getting tired of being cheated. Starbucks recent tax evasion exploits did not break any laws but they felt the anger from the public and so will you. Sacha Loi


Here is their response:

Subject: RE: New enquiry
Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2012 16:33:22 +0000
From: customerservicedirectorsoffice@hof.co.uk
To: loisacha@hotmail.com

Dear Sacha,


Thank you for your correspondence.

Following investigation of the price file of item number 137787244, we can confirm that the item was priced at £90 for the period between 26/07/12 and 23/08/12 both online and instore. We are in no way trying to mislead customers, and are entitled to advertise the reduction due to the length of time the item was available at the higher price.
Kind Regards,
Martin Glen
Executive Complaints Department
House of Fraser

Not even a month at the so called full price of 90 quid and they think they are not trying to mislead us?

What do you think guys?

Doc_N

woopo65 wrote: »

Not even a month at the so called full price of 90 quid and they think they are not trying to mislead us?

What do you think guys?

Well done for flagging it up with them that you noticed. If only more of us did that, then perhaps they'd stop their dirty practices.

What we need really is a 'name and shame' website perhaps.

bornintoit

woopo65 wrote: »

Not even a month at the so called full price of 90 quid and they think they are not trying to mislead us?

What do you think guys?

I think you were right with what you said. I believe it is misleading considering that it was only at £90 for less than a month. Many people I believe will think it is £90 for MOST of the year when they see the half price offer therefore of course it is misleading.