Online shopping discounts removed at checkout

msknight

If you're physically in a shop and there is a price argument, you pay what it said on the shelf ticket/product ticket, not what the system says if they try to overcharge you. Lately, however, I've been getting a lot of issues with Sainsbury where items are on offer when I put them in my basket, however when it comes time to checkout, I get a small list of those items and told they're no longer on offer. I feel cheated and conned into putting them into my "basket" because they were on offer. Is this a case where on-line regulation hasn't caught up? Should we all be complaining to trading standards about this? Grateful for thoughts and opinions please.

Aylesbury_Duck

msknight said:

If you're physically in a shop and there is a price argument, you pay what it said on the shelf ticket/product ticket, not what the system says if they try to overcharge you. Lately, however, I've been getting a lot of issues with Sainsbury where items are on offer when I put them in my basket, however when it comes time to checkout, I get a small list of those items and told they're no longer on offer. I feel cheated and conned into putting them into my "basket" because they were on offer. Is this a case where on-line regulation hasn't caught up? Should we all be complaining to trading standards about this? Grateful for thoughts and opinions please.

That's not strictly true.  If the system price is correct and the ticket/shelf is wrong, they're not compelled to sell you the item at the incorrect price.

With regard to your online shopping experience, have you complained to Sainsbury's?  What did they say?  Are you sure you met all the conditions of the offer?  Is it possible that there are conditions (e.g. multiples of that product, or buy it with something to trigger a discount) and when it gets to the checkout, the system realises you haven't met the offer terms?

And no, I don't think we should all be complaining to Trading Standards about this.  You're one shopper (so far) declaring this experience, and it's not yet evident that Sainsbury's are involved in systematic wrongdoing.

Diamandis

You pay the price the item is in store on the day. If something is on offer it will say "offer available in store and for delivery before until 8 May", or something similar, which is why you get a guide price. 

Just make sure you're delivery date is before the offer ends.

cannugec5

When I buy online supermarket shopping there is a significant time delay. Sometimes I order two weeks in advance of delivery. 

I have always known that the price charged will be that which applies at the time of delivery. 

As a consequence some prices go up as deals change, but also some prices come down too. 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Hello OP

As above I think the price on the shelf is an offer and it can be declined or accepted before you pay at the till, if there are repeated instances of incorrect shelf pricing a business may be guilty of misleading practices (regardless of whether it's intentional or not).

If you use self checkout it's easy to see the prices before paying or at a traditional till you can usually stand somewhere where you can see the screen as they scan the shopping so have a chance to query any prices. A lot of the bigger companies will honour price differences if you notice after paying and/or have a voluntary change of mind policy on top. 

For your online shopping is it the case that the offer is currently valid but expires before your delivery date? 

I've not ordered online with Sainsburys, you'd think if the delivery slot is booked products could be shown without expired offers being mentioned but I remember years ago that wasn't case. 

If you feel their practices are misleading you have the right to complain, you can contact Trading Standards via Citizens Advice, although the odds of them looking at a single complaint are very slim and (should there be something amiss) sadly big companies can get away with acting in grey areas for long periods of time as it's a complicated issue to enforce such matters.  

soolin

msknight said:

If you're physically in a shop and there is a price argument, you pay what it said on the shelf ticket/product ticket, not what the system says if they try to overcharge you. Lately, however, I've been getting a lot of issues with Sainsbury where items are on offer when I put them in my basket, however when it comes time to checkout, I get a small list of those items and told they're no longer on offer. I feel cheated and conned into putting them into my "basket" because they were on offer. Is this a case where on-line regulation hasn't caught up? Should we all be complaining to trading standards about this? Grateful for thoughts and opinions please.

I know it’s been said already but I think it is important to ensure that the urban myth that shops must charge us what the shelf says is corrected. Shops do not have to honour the shelf edge price but they should ensure that any errors in pricing are addressed promptly. at the payment point, usually the till , a buyer is given a price and can accept or decline at that point. It is amusing to see people at tills shouting that ‘they know their rights’ when they obviously don’t.

msknight

I have just had a response from Sainsbury. They say, "This would be because they are no longer on offer at the time of delivery." ... so if I order things on a Tuesday that are on offer until Wednesday, but my delivery date is set for Friday... then it removes the offer price. I haven't seen the reverse happening! ... while on the face of it there is some sense to this, I do think it needs reviewing and possibly consumer legislation to iron this out. It's just too woolly.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

msknight said:

I have just had a response from Sainsbury. They say, "This would be because they are no longer on offer at the time of delivery." ... so if I order things on a Tuesday that are on offer until Wednesday, but my delivery date is set for Friday... then it removes the offer price. I haven't seen the reverse happening! ... while on the face of it there is some sense to this, I do think it needs reviewing and possibly consumer legislation to iron this out. It's just too woolly.

Thanks for clarifying OP, I thought that would be the case, I do think with the level of technology we have now they could prevent this from happening.

I'm sure Sainsburys wouldn't suggest they would do such a thing deliberately but this setup can benefit them as some people may add the items to basket specifically due to the offer but may well decide they want them anyway (or not notice) when the offer is removed at Checkout. 

jon81uk

msknight said:

I have just had a response from Sainsbury. They say, "This would be because they are no longer on offer at the time of delivery." ... so if I order things on a Tuesday that are on offer until Wednesday, but my delivery date is set for Friday... then it removes the offer price. I haven't seen the reverse happening! ... while on the face of it there is some sense to this, I do think it needs reviewing and possibly consumer legislation to iron this out. It's just too woolly.

Its been this way for at least 10-15 years, for supermarket deliveries its the same as if you walked into the store and did the shopping yourself, the price on the day of picking is the price you pay.

msknight

I did put to them that I haven't seen the reverse happening... ie. ordering goods at full price and suddenly getting a cheaper price on delivery day. Also, if I add an item on Tuesday when it's on offer and then add something else to my basket on Thursday, then it could cause a re-calculation of the first item as well if something has changed since the first order was, "checked out," on Tuesday. This feels to me like there's a chunk of grey area here that needs to be reviewed in terms of consumer legislation. Obviously without any law/guidance Trading Standards won't touch this. It'll have to go to the MP to forward to the appropriate department for review as to whether anything needs changing. I have told Sainsbury's that if I've already told the system what date I've reserved then it shouldn't be giving me those offers in the first place. They're chewing a brick on that. We'll see what falls out, but at the best it's just leaving a sour taste in people's mouths.

tightauldgit

soolin said:

msknight said:

If you're physically in a shop and there is a price argument, you pay what it said on the shelf ticket/product ticket, not what the system says if they try to overcharge you. Lately, however, I've been getting a lot of issues with Sainsbury where items are on offer when I put them in my basket, however when it comes time to checkout, I get a small list of those items and told they're no longer on offer. I feel cheated and conned into putting them into my "basket" because they were on offer. Is this a case where on-line regulation hasn't caught up? Should we all be complaining to trading standards about this? Grateful for thoughts and opinions please.

I know it’s been said already but I think it is important to ensure that the urban myth that shops must charge us what the shelf says is corrected. Shops do not have to honour the shelf edge price but they should ensure that any errors in pricing are addressed promptly. at the payment point, usually the till , a buyer is given a price and can accept or decline at that point. It is amusing to see people at tills shouting that ‘they know their rights’ when they obviously don’t.

I actually run a shop and I thought this was true. Just goes to show you. It's good practice anyway I think to charge what you've labelled it at so I always would unless its something egregious.