Price reduced after ordering months ago and product still not ready to collect

Mesperleuc

 Back in June I ordered and paid a £50 deposit for an electric bike. It is still not ready to collect and the price has recently been reduced by £109. I asked the supplier if I would be paying the now current price but was told no, the price would the one at the time I ordered. 
I know this is similar to a previous thread by Chisy... but this is not a sale reduction, it is a change to the ongoing standard price. It is the same product so surely (legally?) it should be be the same price - or am I wrong? 

Mark_d

Prices of things change over time.  Technology generally gets cheaper.  If you buy a new car now you contract to pay today's price, not the price when you eventually take delivery of the car.

You should check your documents.  There may be scope to negotiate on price.  There may be the option to cancel your order losing just the deposit...allowing you to order a new bike at the lower price

MattMattMattUK

Mesperleuc said:

 Back in June I ordered and paid a £50 deposit for an electric bike. It is still not ready to collect and the price has recently been reduced by £109. I asked the supplier if I would be paying the now current price but was told no, the price would the one at the time I ordered. 
I know this is similar to a previous thread by Chisy... but this is not a sale reduction, it is a change to the ongoing standard price. It is the same product so surely (legally?) it should be be the same price - or am I wrong? 

You are wrong.

You can potentially cancel and re-order at the new price though, depending on the contract and deposit. 

mr_stripey

If the price had increased by £100 I expect you'd be miffed if they insisted you pay the higher price.?

As others have said, you may be able to cancel and re - order ?

Alderbank

To go back to basics, when you buy anything a contract is created between buyer and seller at the point of sale.

It is the contract which sets the price, not the physical object being sold. So if you and the dealer agreed a contract where for example you would pay £500 for a specific bike then you must keep your part of the contract by paying £500 and they must keep their part by supplying that exact model of bike as defined in the contract. Neither party can unilaterally change the agreed price or any other contract term. If they try to, that is called breach of contract and they can be held to account.

(Can we assume you went to the shop to buy? If the contract was made wholly online that makes a difference)

eskbanker

Mesperleuc said:

 Back in June I ordered and paid a £50 deposit for an electric bike. It is still not ready to collect...

Was a collection date agreed as part of the contract?

Aylesbury_Duck

As others have said, you agreed a price when the contract was formed.  I assume you'd forfeit your deposit if you cancelled, but doing so and re-ordering would in theory save you £59.  However, you'd have to see what the contract says about deposits, you may be able to cancel without penalty if they haven't fulfilled the order in the period they promised they would, and presumably you'd join the back of the queue if you re-ordered.  All things to consider.

Undervalued

Mesperleuc said:

 Back in June I ordered and paid a £50 deposit for an electric bike. It is still not ready to collect and the price has recently been reduced by £109. I asked the supplier if I would be paying the now current price but was told no, the price would the one at the time I ordered. 
I know this is similar to a previous thread by Chisy... but this is not a sale reduction, it is a change to the ongoing standard price. It is the same product so surely (legally?) it should be be the same price - or am I wrong? 

If the price had gone up by £109 you would, by your argument, of course be happy to pay the extra?!!

As others have said, a contract has been formed at the agreed price. You might have the right to cancel and get a refund, then order again at a different price if they will accept a new order. However check carefully as it will depend on the terms you agreed assuming they comply with current consumer legislation.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Hello OP

There are 4 things to consider, as above if you ordered online (and the bike wasn't personalised or customised in a way that makes it a unique product) then there is likely the right to cancel and receive a refund of any payment.

Whether online or in store, were you given any terms regarding acceptance, many retailers postpone acceptance until they are sure they can fulfil an order, should acceptance be stated as not occurring yet you may withdraw your offer and possibly get a refund of the £50.

If no terms were set the trader taking a "deposit"" may be viewed as acceptance @Okell might have more thoughts on this one.

If you don't have a right to cancel you could simply breach the contract, the "deposit" is really a reservation fee and given it's amount compared to the cost of an electric bike it would most likely be fair for the trader to retain the £50.

Lastly as above was you given a date for the bike? If so and it has passed then you may give another timeframe that is reasonable and then treat the contract at an end with a refund of any payment made.

If no date was given then it will be 30 days, which has now passed, so again you may give another timeframe that is reasonable and then treat the contract at an end with a refund of any payment made.

This last potion is covered under delivery of goods from the CRA. My understand is that "delivery" is voluntary transfer of possession rather than the colloquial meaning of using a courier. 

If you push this particularly supplier on any of these points they may not allow you to order again (seems petty to me but such is their right to refuse service). 

Pragmatically when you do collect the bike you could ask to split the difference, face to face they may be more accommodating.    

Grumpy_chap

mr_stripey said:

If the price had increased by £100 I expect you'd be miffed if they insisted you pay the higher price.?

Ordinarily, I might well say something along those lines but I am not sure that the same rationale applies in this case.

It would be very helpful if the OP could provide an indication of the expected lead time when the order was placed.

I can see that products such as a bike might well have a seasonality in the price profile through the year, possibly linked with product cycles. 

It is entirely possible to imagine that the 2024 bike model is launched, say February at starting price (full / highest price) so capturing all the market demand for summer use.  The OP purchased in June, so still with a reasonable expectation of enjoying the summer.  As the autumn draws in, it is quite plausible that the 2024 bike is reduced in price so that remaining stocks are exhausted for the year end.  Then, in February, the new 2025 model comes along.  I have no knowledge of product launch sequences for bikes, but something similar to what I have described seems plausible.

Anyway, the OP is now deprived of the enjoyment of the bike through the lovely summer so the price discount seems reasonable.  

I have no idea how any of what I have said would map into consumer rights.