Did the retailer agree a contract with me?

Foxbat

I recently went to purchase three computer cases from a computer internet retailer in their showroom which advertised these computer cases both on their web site at a reduced price and on the instore terminals.


I ordered three with a sales person at the sales counter and was told to pay at the collection point.



I was waiting quite a while and I could see another member of staff go to the sales person and discuss why I was buying them and then go around the back of the store.


Eventually my items were brought to the collection counter.

When I entered my debit card in the debit card machine, the sales person entered a different price from the one on the web site and at the sales counter.


When I queried this, I was told it was a price error on the web site (however it showed both the full price and the discounted price and the saving).


They said they would offer it at cost price.


I accept that a price is an "offer to treat" and that a retailer can refuse to sell but they attempted to take this cost price without informing me (They only admitted the price was wrong after I queried the payment entered on the debit card reader.)


Has the retailer by asking me to enter my debit card in the card machine already entered a contract with me?


And have they attempted to mislead me by intentionally attempting to take a higher amount of money without informing me first. They knew they were going to charge me cost price but were not going to tell me that the amount was higher or why it was done


I would like advice on whether to take this further.

unholyangel

For a contract to exist, offer + acceptance needs to have occurred. While the offer has (you offered to buy them for the discounted price), they refused your offer so no contract exists.

frugal_mike

They asked you to enter your debit card into the reader after they had entered the price into the till, so they were offering to sell at that price and not the price on the website. If they were knowingly attempting to deceive you to get more money then that would be naughty, but you would have a job proving that.

The chip and pin reader shows you the price you will be paying though, so you are free to query it if you don't agree.

browneyedbazzi

They did inform you of the price - by putting it in the terminal for you to check and approve. I would have been better customer service for them to verbally explain to you before asking for the payment but technically you were given the price and had the option to go ahead or not.