John Lewis price matching

StockportGerbil

Folks :-
Many thanks for the replies.
Unfortunately (and embarassingly) I owe John Lewis an apology as a suggested by one of the earlier replies to this thread dabs are now internet only (from dabs web site "Customers often enquire whether dabs.com offers an order collection service at Bolton, where the dabs.com head office and National Logistics Centre (NLC) are based. The answer is 'no' we don't. We did have a collection facility, but it closed in November 2002.") The collection facility was a shop, but since November 2002 I haven't felt the urge to pop into dabs while driving past Aria and Microdirect, so I wasn't aware the shop had closed.
Thanks again
Kev
PS The John Lewis concerned was Cheadle - it sounds like they may be less co-operative than other branches.

italiastar

The John Lewis concerned was Cheadle - it sounds like they may be less co-operative than other branches

In my experience, it's not down to the branch of JL - rather the individual - my advice is persist, but remember they don't say that they will match internet prices or shopping clubs. Also take into account that you are dealing in person with one of the best retailers in the country, who often offer additional guarantees. This has to be worth paying a bit more for - if you item goes wrong, you can return it to JL - internet companies, including Tesco.com and Currys online insist you send it back to them.

In addition JL is often the cheapest for white goods and small electricals. Afriend of mine bought a Fuji s7000 digital camera from them for £210 six months ago - at the time the next cheapest was a grey import from Pixmania for £100 more.

PS. I don't work for them, but often end up buying from them.

audiowiz

I have had several goes at getting John Lewis to price match other retailers specifically for one Plasma screen I was buying (the Panasonic TH37PV500). For electrical items, their price match only applies if the item at the cheaper retailer is:
a - in stock
b - is on display
c - has a price ticket next on the shelf.

Unfortunately I have as yet failed to find more than one shop that has it on display with a ticket next to it - many have it in stock (often boxed and under the display shelf). The real rub was that in all 3 of the John Lewis stores I went into to see the screen, it wasn't on display in any of them either........ Talk about Pot/Kettle, etc........ One of the issues with large TV's is that there are too many around to have on display, and generally the ones that are the best sell themselves without being on display, whereas for the same manufacturer, the ones on display are often lower priced items that are more aimed at mass marketing (or manufacturers clearing the shelves of the previous model).

John Lewis have tightened up their price match policy, which is fine from a commercial sense, but the "never knowingly undersold" slogan is completely misleading if they pile on such constraints that in effect it only applies to large retailers who have the space to display every screen under the sun! As there are so few of those, then the store prices can stay artificially high as a result - no real competition......

Anyone else have such strong feelings?
Martin - is it worth a potential investigation? I just cannot do overpricing, excess profits and somewhat misleading promises....

Now don't get me on to what price CD's leave distribution at versus the price they land on high street shelves at.....

Audiowiz

Number_6_3

In my experience the John Lewis claim of never knowingly being undersold is absolutely worthless.

I went into the store (Kingston) with the intention of getting about £3000 worth of kitchen goods all from one stockist. I had print outs of several retail stores around England whose prices were significantly better than John Lewis (inc del) I asked them to price match the lot. I got a number of excuses including "we don't have to price match if the item isn't on display" "we don't have to price match if the item isn't in stock in the store" "we can choose which items to price match at our discretion" I got absolutely nowhere even after taking it up with the salesman, department manager, store manager, head office and I think their policy team. Also tried at the Bluewater branch. Samething...absolute tosh their so called price match policy.

Some years previous I had done the same thing in Allders. The priced matched the lot including mainly internet etailers. Also got them to price match themselves on a bank holiday reduction day. Guess thats why they went bust!

R

zappomatic

As a John Lewis Partner, let me tell you that the margin on electrical products is miniscule. For example, a certain TV (I'm not going to mention which model) sells for £1395. The cost price (ie. the price we buy from the manufacturer at) is £1132. In a margin of £263 we have to cover the cost of buying the TV (ie. head office), distributing the TV, maintaining stores and warehouses, the wages of the person selling you the TV, delivering the TV to a potential distance of 30 miles, and providing a 5 year guarantee and any after sales service and advice - and somehow make a profit in there. At the same time we have to make sure we stick to our standards, so every detail clearly displayed and nothing hidden (sometimes to our disadvantage) versus internet retailers with much lower overheads and potentially non-existant after sales service plus delivery charges.

Currently this particular TV is being sold at or below cost price in 3 branches in order to honour "never knowingly undersold". Unfair?

Number_6_3

I think if company has a policy and heavily promotes it, it should honour it. Nothing annoys me more than than companies weaseling out of things.

In my case I had done my homework, the items in question fulfilled the terms of the "never knowingly undersold" and seemingly they can refuse to sell the goods...they should either honour the terms of the policy or do away with it.

R

borgs

I like John Lewis but their "never knowingly undersold" statement is utter rubbish.

I actually bought a TV from them which they did price match. I went back into the shop a few times in the next couple of weeks. Each time I went back into the shop to see it still advertised at the higher price.

Maybe my understanding of "never knowingly undersold" is different to theirs. But if you think of the next customer after me who bought the same TV then for them JL "knowingly undersold" it.

zappomatic

Was the shop local to the branch? Stores will only change their shelf price if it's available locally, and this is in a clearly defined area.

katiepops_2

zappomatic wrote:

As a John Lewis Partner, let me tell you that the margin on electrical products is miniscule. For example, a certain TV (I'm not going to mention which model) sells for £1395. The cost price (ie. the price we buy from the manufacturer at) is £1132. In a margin of £263 we have to cover the cost of buying the TV (ie. head office), distributing the TV, maintaining stores and warehouses, the wages of the person selling you the TV, delivering the TV to a potential distance of 30 miles, and providing a 5 year guarantee and any after sales service and advice - and somehow make a profit in there. At the same time we have to make sure we stick to our standards, so every detail clearly displayed and nothing hidden (sometimes to our disadvantage) versus internet retailers with much lower overheads and potentially non-existant after sales service plus delivery charges.

That would be fine and dandy if that particular item was the ONLY thing that JL sell, but it's not - if they didn't make humungous amounts of money then they'd never be able to have all these big shops everywhere. Anyway, have they never heard of loss leaders?

Kate

gogsboy

zappomatic wrote:

As a John Lewis Partner, let me tell you that the margin on electrical products is miniscule. For example, a certain TV (I'm not going to mention which model) sells for £1395. The cost price (ie. the price we buy from the manufacturer at) is £1132. In a margin of £263 we have to cover the cost of buying the TV (ie. head office), distributing the TV, maintaining stores and warehouses, the wages of the person selling you the TV, delivering the TV to a potential distance of 30 miles, and providing a 5 year guarantee and any after sales service and advice - and somehow make a profit in there. At the same time we have to make sure we stick to our standards, so every detail clearly displayed and nothing hidden (sometimes to our disadvantage) versus internet retailers with much lower overheads and potentially non-existant after sales service plus delivery charges.

Currently this particular TV is being sold at or below cost price in 3 branches in order to honour "never knowingly undersold". Unfair?

With regards to this policy, when I found a product in stock and able to buy cheaper I mentioned this to my John Lewis store, after a few days they finally got back to me (had to hassle them I felt) and told me sorry no can do.

The reason, when it comes to Electricals they are not allowed to go lower than cost price + 15%.

So much for this policy, they put these adverts all over our local papers with not even a hint that this sort of term may apply or any term at all for that matter.

I say very poor advertising, very misleading, never knowingly undersold when it suits it seems.

I even said to them so would you sell it for your cost price plus the 15% and they said no they couldnt do that either because the match was not around that figure....bizzare!