Do online prices need to match instore prices?

dgi_n

I seen a cable I need to buy on the Asda website for £3.00, so I figured that rather than waiting about for a few days I would just go and buy it from the store.

When I got to the store I seen their price was £11.99. I asked that guy on the till to check the price and he said that they often do this to encourage more online shopping.

What's the point in that?

mije1983

Yes they are allowed to do it, and many retailers indeed do. They can even charge different prices in different branches if they choose to.

dgi_n

I don't understand it.

If I want something for cheaper then I'll do everything I can to get it for that price.

Only thing it's harming is my opinion of their company.

lovinituk

dgi_n wrote: »

I don't understand it.

If I want something for cheaper then I'll do everything I can to get it for that price.

Only thing it's harming is my opinion of their company.

There are less overheads in running an online arm of a business than a retail store.

If you don't like it, shop elsewhere. I doubt anyone is going to lose any sleep over where you buy a £3/£11 cable from.

mije1983

dgi_n wrote: »

I don't understand it.

If I want something for cheaper then I'll do everything I can to get it for that price.

Only thing it's harming is my opinion of their company.

So did you go home and order it online to get it cheaper in the end?

Why is it harming your opinion of the company? Do you not feel that they should be allowed to decide what prices they charge?

dgi_n

lovinituk wrote: »

I doubt anyone is going to lose any sleep over where you buy a £3/£11 cable from.

This is a money saving forum and I was enquiring how to save money.

mije1983 wrote: »

So did you go home and order it online to get it cheaper in the end?

Obviously.

mije1983 wrote: »

Why is it harming your opinion of the company? Do you not feel that they should be allowed to decide what prices they charge?

It shows me that they are misleading & untrustworthy and I don't think those sorts of practices should be encouraged.

lovinituk

dgi_n wrote: »

This is a money saving forum and I was enquiring how to save money.

But you already knew how to save money, by buying online! This is just a rant against Asda to be honest.

mije1983

dgi_n wrote: »

It shows me that they are misleading & untrustworthy and I don't think those sorts of practices should be encouraged.

Unless they have said 'our prices are consistant across all of our channels' then I don't see where have they misled anybody?

Look at it this way, if the prices had to be fixed across all channels and branches of a particular retailer (which isn't in a consumers interests at all), would you have been happy to pay £11 for the cable instead of £3? Because I can safely assume that a retailer wouldn't chose to charge a lower price over a higher one!

tomtontom

dgi_n wrote: »

It shows me that they are misleading & untrustworthy and I don't think those sorts of practices should be encouraged.

You think they are misleading and untrustworthy*, yet you still bought from them?

* I don't.

Bubblebath

dgi_n wrote: »

I seen a cable I need to buy on the Asda website for £3.00, so I figured that rather than waiting about for a few days I would just go and buy it from the store.

When I got to the store I seen their price was £11.99. I asked that guy on the till to check the price and he said that they often do this to encourage more online shopping.

What's the point in that?

I have looked at Asda's online terms for you and can confirm:

1.2 From time to time prices of items published on our website may differ from the price offered at the same time in ASDA or George stores or in our catalogues

https://direct.asda.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-ASDA-Site/default/Page-Include?cid=M116_EDITORIAL_CONTENT_TERMS_CONDITIONS

However, I'm sure if you know the price is cheaper on the website (and assuming it is available as click & collect), and you were to query this in-store at the time, the store would price match the on-line price.

Smithers37

Why do so many people on here feel they should get to decide how a business prices their products?

If ASDA want to have a online price and a in-store price then that is their decision. What were you expecting - someone to quote a law that all stores have to price match their website?!