PMT Price Match 'Guarantee'

KAW_24

First, apologies as I cannot post links; otherwise, I would include the links to the relevant web pages.

PMT offer price matching. On their home page this is advertised as Price Match Guarantee and the page that provides more details is titled Price Match Promise.

What are they actually required to do when they use words like guarantee or promise? My expectation was that they'd actually match the price of another retailer, assuming it met their conditions ('... like-for-like products on a UK retailers website, where the product is still live at the same price at the time of purchase. We cannot price match items bought on Finance or any other offers')

As an example, I was looking at an Epiphone Masterbilt Century DeLuxe Classic Vintage Natural guitar, which PMT sell for £647.98. I found the same guitar - as in same make, model and finish - on GAK for £479.00. I decided to request a price match from PMT just to see if they could beat GAK's price. Note, I have nothing against GAK and I eventually made the purchase with them, but I was curious to learn what PMT would do. Their response is below.

unfortunately we would not be able to drop our price that low
sorry we can't be of more help

I'm not sure if this is because the GAK price doesn't meet their conditions (the 'or any other offers' bit?) but they didn't offer any additional explanation. Is this just a case of 'the devil is in the detail' and the GAK offer (somehow) just doesn't meet PMT's conditions? Or are PMT being naughty by guaranteeing and promising to price match and then not following through?

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

KAW_24 wrote: »

First, apologies as I cannot post links; otherwise, I would include the links to the relevant web pages.

PMT offer price matching. On their home page this is advertised as Price Match Guarantee and the page that provides more details is titled Price Match Promise.

What are they actually required to do when they use words like guarantee or promise? My expectation was that they'd actually match the price of another retailer, assuming it met their conditions ('... like-for-like products on a UK retailers website, where the product is still live at the same price at the time of purchase. We cannot price match items bought on Finance or any other offers')

As an example, I was looking at an Epiphone Masterbilt Century DeLuxe Classic Vintage Natural guitar, which PMT sell for £647.98. I found the same guitar - as in same make, model and finish - on GAK for £479.00. I decided to request a price match from PMT just to see if they could beat GAK's price. Note, I have nothing against GAK and I eventually made the purchase with them, but I was curious to learn what PMT would do. Their response is below.

unfortunately we would not be able to drop our price that low
sorry we can't be of more help

I'm not sure if this is because the GAK price doesn't meet their conditions (the 'or any other offers' bit?) but they didn't offer any additional explanation. Is this just a case of 'the devil is in the detail' and the GAK offer (somehow) just doesn't meet PMT's conditions? Or are PMT being naughty by guaranteeing and promising to price match and then not following through?

Yep, there is nothing you can do. They replied they would not price match and you bought elsewhere! they can decide who to do business with!


On a quick search, Rimmers seem to price this from £679 to £449
https://www.rimmersmusic.co.uk/epiphone-deluxe-classic-masterbilt-century-natural-p38347/s38795?utm_medium=ppc&utm_term=epiphone-deluxe-classic-masterbilt-century-natural-etd2vnnh1&utm_campaign=froogle&msclkid=00394e5f2e431efe96a7150820b64f53


https://www.rimmersmusic.co.uk/epiphone-zenith-classic-masterbilt-century-vintage-natural-p41944/s42419?utm_medium=ppc&utm_term=epiphone-zenith-classic-masterbilt-century-vintage-natural-etz2vnnh1&utm_campaign=froogle&msclkid=558bf79fd24c1e29d2d1acc8dcb69ad3


But the models appear to my eyes to be different, the second one, cheaper, has holes in it!

KAW_24

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth wrote: »

Yep, there is nothing you can do. They replied they would not price match and you bought elsewhere! they can decide who to do business with!

Thanks, although my post was more about a discussion of the general practice. This was the first time I'd used a retailer's 'price match' but my expectation was their use of terms like 'price match guarantee' and 'price match promise' indicated a formal committment to offering the best price. Is this just one of the tricks of the trade to discourage potential customers from looking elsewhere since the retailer is implying (IMO) they either already offer the best price or will match it? Or should a retailer be prohibited from using words like 'guarantee' if they won't actually go through with it?

As you pointed out, in this particular case I went elsewhere and am very happy with the purchase. I just wanted to know if this is consistent with anyone else's experience of price matching and I just shouldn't read too much into the use of words like guarantee and promise?

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth wrote: »

On a quick search, Rimmers seem to price this from £679 to £449

<links removed>

But the models appear to my eyes to be different, the second one, cheaper, has holes in it!

Yes, the first one is the deluxe model, which is the one I purchased. The second one is the standard model. Not sure what you mean by holes though?