Invitation to treat question?

Chippie86

I just wanted to ask a question about contract law with regards to the selling of goods and service. It’s just curiosity really after witnessing the following:


My friend and I were in the shop the other day where she purchased an item of clothing. This item was apparently marked at the incorrect price (lower than its orgional price) and when arriving at the checkout, the person serving queried the manager about the cost. The manager stated that the item had to be sold at the reduced price, even though it was mistake. Great!


However, even though this benefited my friend what the manager said didn’t seem to ring true. If I remember correctly from my AS Law books, when buying goods from a retailer then it is an ‘invitation to treat’ meaning that the retailer (seller) has the right to refuse the offer put forward by the customer. Is this not correct?

SailorSam

Yes i think you're right Chippie, i got a law 'O' level long time ago and that's the way i remember it, they can always say No.
One up to you this time for getting a bargain.

System

I imagine its a store policy that says if the item is incorrectly priced they will sell at the cheaper price.

You don't want to get hung up on law's as they are the minimum a store has to abide by. A stores policy can be better than these legal minimums.

soolin

No need to remember what you learnt at college, there is a sticky on this very board that actually answers your question

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3277262

Leo2020

Most people working in a shop will only know about store policy, including the managers - most will not have a clue about the law.

somethingcorporate

Leo2020 wrote: »

Most people working in a shop will only know about store policy, including the managers - most will not have a clue about the law.

Exactly this, what most staff in retail know about law can be fit onto a postage stamp.

Lots of them are like poorly informed consumers, little knowledge which can prove to be a dangerous thing.

Leo2020

When I worked at PC World Customer Service they actively discouraged a knowledge of the law. We were given some basic, and I mean basic, fact sheets about DSR and SOGA. If we asked any questions we were told we didn't need to know that. Although some managers were happy to go off the script and discuss the law.

One of my colleagues had a copy of the SOGA so I read it and then made myself a copy. I would occasionally read through sections again when an issue came up. I have to say this actually annoyed some customers when they incorrectly claimed they were entitled to something and I knew they weren't.

rustyboy21

somethingcorporate wrote: »

Exactly this, what most staff in retail know about law can be fit onto a postage stamp.

Lots of them are like poorly informed consumers, little knowledge which can prove to be a dangerous thing.

That goes for quite a number of 'posters' on here too ! lol