Should there be dual pricing in supermarkets?

General_Grant

baser999 said:

Myser said:

As I found at a recent trip to Tesco, if you ask for an item price check at the start of a checkout before presenting your loyalty card, you will be given the non-loyalty card price!

This has confused me. I’d noticed that ann item appears on the receipt as £x but then is discounted on presentation of clubcard. Your comment would suggest that everyone pays the clubcard price regardless of whether they’ve got one or not; or is the cashier assuming you have a clubcard and so gives you that price if you ask? 

The confusion is because Myser was saying that, when requesting a "price check" and not having presented a loyalty card, they were quoted the price for when not using a loyalty card.  If I didn't present a loyalty card when  there was a price differential for using such a card, I could hardly expect to be quoted the card-use price.  BUT, if I thought the system was sophisticated enough, I might like it to quote both prices.

You are looking at what appears on the till receipt after purchase and using a loyalty card, not what happens if you, for example, go to customer service and ask them to check the price for you.

ZeroSum

Money_Grabber13579 said:

Grumpy_chap said:

I'd like to see just simple pricing, plain and clear.

The trouble with the Which? report seemed to be that it was conflating "sale" prices which require the rules around previous price history to have been met with the "loyalty" pricing. 
That is not a correct link to be making. 
The "loyalty" pricing is simply saying "if you buy this item right now, it will cost you £4" and "if you buy this item right now, and use our loyalty scheme, it will cost you £3.50".
The rules around price history do not apply.

I might have misunderstood but I thought what they were getting at was that it used to be £3.50 for everyone, and now it’s £4 but £3.50 if you have a nectar card, thus making it look like it’s a special offer when it isn’t really. It’s hard to tell how the impact of inflation ties into all these things though because even if the absence of nectar prices, the standard price might well be £4 but equally, it could have stayed at £3.50.

Theres certain products that were always on offer somewhere. What's happening now, is that those offers that were previously open to everyone are now only being applied to loyalty card holders.

MrsStepford

Husband calls in to Sainsbos on way home to stock up on staples, so I regularly text him offers and although he has a Nectar card he forgets to use it ! 

badmemory

I wonder how long it will take tescos to realise that some of only buy things like toilet rolls when they are on clubcard price.  Although I would have thought it was pretty obvious.

dealyboy

@MrsStepford said:

Husband calls in to Sainsbos on way home to stock up on staples, so I regularly text him offers and although he has a Nectar card he forgets to use it ! 

... I do as well at the self-scans sometimes, especially if I'm paying cash ... that reminder to swipe your Nectar card is so quiet maybe they don't want me too really.

LunaLater

I understand why they do it, but find it very annoying.

YoungBlueEyes

I think a lot of this nonsense would die on it's erse if people voted with their feet.....

pumpkin89

badmemory said:

I wonder how long it will take tescos to realise that some of only buy things like toilet rolls when they are on clubcard price.  Although I would have thought it was pretty obvious.

They don't mind - in most cases suppliers pay for the price reduction, not supermarkets.

badmemory

I don't mind the double pricing so much, I just don't buy when there has been a clubcard price & it has gone.  Luckily being retired I have the time to deal with it.  Must be a serious nuisance if you are trying to work & deal with children & all the other things in life.

Teapot55

badmemory said:

The only way to shop now is to shop with your fingers before you leave home & check all the prices.  Anything that you don't want the named stuff for then be very very wary.  You can't even trust the Aldi price match at Tecos.  Pick up 6 bananas at Tescos with Aldis price @ 18p.  They put them through the till by weighing them, so they are more than 18p each if they are heavier @ Aldis they are 18p regardless.

I paid 72p for four bananas at Aldi, not realising they were priced per item not by weight. I found I could have got them cheaper at Lidl, where they still weigh them. Only wanted four, so packet no good on this occasion.