Do online sites showing discounted items have to verify the Original Price shown?

DisgruntledXmas

I recently bought a Kids Build Your Own Fort Kit from a website claiming to sell items for major discounts.  I paid £19.99 for a 'large set' supposedly saving 60% on the "original value" of £49.99. I then paid £5.99 for postage.  
When the fort arrived, it took me a few minutes to actually work out what I was looking at.  I've attached images of how the Fort is displayed on the website and the bag of straws, cat balls and plastic sheeting which arrived in the post.
I complained to the website, sending photos of the items and questioning how they could possibly advertise it as having an original value of £49.99. I detailed my belief that the item is being incorrectly advertised and valued.
They acknowledged my complaint and forwarded it to the Merchant who responded "Actually we do not know every customer's expectation of this item" and asked me to return the item and keep a proof of postage.
I've sent the item back and requested a refund for the item and postage to receive and return the item.
My question is this. I don't believe the item I bought was worth £19.99 let alone £49.99. Does the retailer advertising this product have to verify that the item advertised was at some point sold for the original price, or does it only have to have been put on sale for £49.99? 

ButterCheese

I think it only has to be at "full price" for 1 month in a 6 month period.  Usually retailers will advertise it at £49.99 over the month when they wouldn't expect to sell it (e.g camping stuff over winter) so they can then advertise it at "half price" for the 5 months when people are looking to buy it.  Or in your case it's not necessarily weather specific but everyone likes to advertise "half price" "sales" in the run-up to christmas so you think you're getting a good deal

user1977

No, they don’t need to enter into correspondence with you about it. If they haven’t really marketed at the higher price then it’s a trading standards matter (assuming we’re even talking about a UK retailer). But there’s still no principle that it has to be “worth” the higher price or that they ever actually sold any at the higher price.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Examples 9 though to 15 in part cover this:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1146747/OCA_business_open_letter_FINAL.pdf

The answer is that most of the price comparison claims we see everywhere could be be classed as misleading under the CPRs but 1) there is very little enforcement 2) they work (i.e we fall for them) and ruling them out completely might harm the economy 3) it would ultimately require a a case in a higher court for a specific action to be set in stone as a breach of the regs. 

In this case the item is probably unbranded from China and the higher price simply made up to create discounts against (which would very likely be classed as misleading). 

2 things OP, 1) use Google image search to see what prices are around elsewhere 2) the type of thing you purchased is usually a load of rubbish, we had a something similar, wasn't even enough pieces in the box to make the image shown on the front (should you expect better from B&M?). 

Ours is happy as Larry with a few blankets and some pillows off the sofa (although doesn't help if looking for gifts).  

DullGreyGuy

Major places like TK Maxx and Bicester Shopping centre have gotten away for years with putting false MRSP/RRPs on labels despite various "investigations" by the BBC etc all concluded it's not compliant. If Trading Standards etc cannot be bothered with them they arent going to go after some small online retailer reselling junk off of AliExpress etc. 

eskbanker

DisgruntledXmas said:

Does the retailer advertising this product have to verify that the item advertised was at some point sold for the original price, or does it only have to have been put on sale for £49.99?

To answer that specific question, it's the latter, hence 'available' rather than 'sold':

In any comparison with your own previous price, the previous price should be the last price at which the product was available to consumers in the previous 6 months...

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/2705/schedules/made