Currys Price Promise - refusing to price match

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

cymruchris said:

Comsumerhelpgenius said:

AK47UK said:

TELLIT01 said:

I don't know about Curry's but many of the companies offering price matching require that the offers be exactly the same.  If one offers free delivery and the other charges they won't fit the criteria.

I think the main thing for me here is they specifically list the supplier when you click the Price Promise button and there are no terms linked either. If the supplier wasn't listed there then I'd look for terms to see but the fact they put them in the list makes it seem like they are "pre-approved" by Currys themselves. 

Making a clear promise and then refusing to fulfil means breaching Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations. Have a good read of that legislation, as it give you the private remedy of 25% off the price of the product. 
Beware, OP, there are fulltime regulars whose function appears to keep discouraging consumers.  Be careful with their "just cnacel" advice  - as this would make you lose out on the deal.
If Currys made the promice, they must keep their word - as this formed part of the contract. Making misleading promises can amoutn to unfair trading.   

I'd be interested to read where in legislation it states that making a clear promise and then refusing to fulfil leads to a 25 percent discount off the retail price. Can you provide a link so that we can all take a look?

The unfair trading regs gives the consumer the right to receive back a percentage of the payment made under the contract (from 25%-100% depending upon the seriousness of the practice) where the trader has engaged in a prohibited practice and the consumer has chosen not to unwind the contract. 

Before exercising this you would need to be able to articulate that the trader has indeed engaged in a prohibited practice.

I assume companies use a price promise in the hope that either people will buy from a name they know (such as Currys) safe in the knowledge if they find it cheaper they can claim the difference but then not bother or that people will assume the presence of a price promise probable means that company is the cheapest any way and simply not shop around or check anywhere else. 

As an example, if a company had a price promise but changed every single product to their own model number making it impossible to claim that would be a prohibited practice.

With the OP, the terms on Currys site are a bit vague, saying delivery charges are excluded reads to me as if they won't price match the delivery aspect, not that they exclude a pay out if the delivery charges are different.

If they did intend to exclude pay out where delivery charges are different (firstly it should be clearer, secondly) they could charge £4.71  for all deliveries and probably never have a customer with a valid claim as who else would charge that random price for delivery. 

I think Currys would say their first response was an error and honour the price match should someone in the OP's position attempt to argue the price promise is misleading. 

On the one had I don't like price promises because retailers obviously don't want to give money back and there's a feeling it's going to be a headache, on the other hand I got £150 back on some flooring a few months ago. In case you wonder why I didn't shop around, the product on the website had it's name as xyz and only 3 places sold it, once delivered the packaging had the manufacturer's name and details on which is what most sites use to describe the item..... 

AK47UK

Grumpy_chap said:

How much is the price promise that the OP is seeking?
If the laptop was, say, £499 at Currys with free delivery but, say £479 elsewhere plus £20 delivery then it is already price matched 

The price difference was about £55 and the delivery on the competitor site was around £6 so that is why I said to them to subtract the delivery from the price match but they said this voids it all together. Still no reply except an acknowledgment to my ceo email. 

AK47UK

I just had a call from a representative of the director, they confirmed that this is the correct policy however as a gesture, they will honour the price match but for vouchers rather than cash.

I told them I would accept just to settle this but added how misleading it was, they actually agreed but this was their opinion rather than that of the company. 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

AK47UK said:

I just had a call from a representative of the director, they confirmed that this is the correct policy however as a gesture, they will honour the price match but for vouchers rather than cash.

I told them I would accept just to settle this but added how misleading it was, they actually agreed but this was their opinion rather than that of the company. 

Thanks for keeping us updated OP, glad you got a result, shame it wasn't cash but I guess accepting vouchers is better than the headache of having arguing with them  

LippyDoodle

Yesterday I was also told by an adviser on Currys webchat that I wasn't entitled to their price match promise. The reason being that the online store selling the same tv was an international store who ships items in to the UK. The store was Euronics. I said I'd look further into this and thanked him for his help.

I then phoned Currys and spoke to a woman who checked it for me and today I've received an email to confirm I will be getting a refund for the amount of the price match, so its worth getting on the phone to check if you are told no or go instore if you can.