Refusing to sell at sale price

Jengau11

Hi, hoping someone can help. We’ve been to Next today and my daughter was delighted that the kids clothes were marked in pen at reduced prices on the tags.
She picked a few items to buy with some Xmas money, but when we went to the till, the staff said sale prices don’t apply until Friday? Outside there was a banner in the window saying ‘sale now on’ 
I spoke to the manager who basically said the sale sign in the window was for a concession in the store only, and the sale prices marked on tags didn’t have £ signs next to the numbers, so they were allowed to mark them up and refuse to sell at that price.

I find it unbelievable as the reduced price seemed clear to me. The manager was quite patronising so I’ll be complaining in writing, I just want to get my consumer rights straight before I do.

Many thanks, Jen 

Voyager2002

Sadly, the shop can refuse to sell for any or no reason.

user1977

At most, misleading price labels might be an offence for Trading Standards to investigate, but a consumer can't demand they sell at the marked price.

powerful_Rogue

Jengau11 said:

Hi, hoping someone can help. We’ve been to Next today and my daughter was delighted that the kids clothes were marked in pen at reduced prices on the tags.
She picked a few items to buy with some Xmas money, but when we went to the till, the staff said sale prices don’t apply until Friday? Outside there was a banner in the window saying ‘sale now on’ 
I spoke to the manager who basically said the sale sign in the window was for a concession in the store only, and the sale prices marked on tags didn’t have £ signs next to the numbers, so they were allowed to mark them up and refuse to sell at that price.

I find it unbelievable as the reduced price seemed clear to me. The manager was quite patronising so I’ll be complaining in writing, I just want to get my consumer rights straight before I do.

Many thanks, Jen 

You have no consumer rights. This was an invitation to treat. You can read about it here.

https://www.lawbite.co.uk/resources/blog/what-is-an-invitation-to-treat

user1977

Would it not be simpler just to go back on Friday and buy at the sale prices?

MeteredOut

user1977 said:

Would it not be simpler just to go back on Friday and buy at the sale prices?

Items might be gone then. OP might have other stuff on.

Whilst no legal right to purchase the item at that price, its bad form by Next. The most the OP can probably do is complain to trading standards, but it won't change the outcome.

(I can't remember the last time I saw a Next shop window without a large SALE sign in the window)

prowla

[Quoted post removed by Forum Team]

Complain about the shop having signs saying "Sale now on" but the staff saying it doesn't start til Friday.

That would be my  guess.

Grumpy_chap

Prices displayed in store are nothing more than "invitation to treat" - the store can refuse a sale or negotiate a different price.
Discounts two-days before Christmas aren't going to happen - if the items can wait, order online from 4 pm tomorrow or in store from 6 am Friday.

powerful_Rogue

prowla said:

[Quoted post removed by Forum Team]

Complain about the shop having signs saying "Sale now on" but the staff saying it doesn't start til Friday.

That would be my  guess.

But the manager said the sale poster applied to the concession within the store, so without seeing the poster and any small print the OP might have nothing to complain about.

user1977

MeteredOut said:

user1977 said:

Would it not be simpler just to go back on Friday and buy at the sale prices?

Items might be gone then. OP might have other stuff on.

Obviously. But it's the only way of getting the item(s) at the price they want. I can't see complaining achieving much.

MeteredOut

user1977 said:

MeteredOut said:

user1977 said:

Would it not be simpler just to go back on Friday and buy at the sale prices?

Items might be gone then. OP might have other stuff on.

Obviously. But it's the only way of getting the item(s) at the price they want. I can't see complaining achieving much.

I'd go farther and say I can't see complaining achieving anything.