Chandlery Prices

P

Pasarell

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 Jan 2007
Messages
1,324
Location
Greece
Visit site
I went into a well known chandlery by the Hamble yesterday for a new impellor. After scanning it at the till the price was different to what was marked on the packaging and I queried it. The response was "lots of prices like that. When the price goes up we change the bar code on the till but not items on the shelves. If the customer complains we refund the difference"
Buyers beware!
 
IIRC the seller must sell at the advertised price, although they don't have to sell it to you until there is a contract.

At what point is the sale agreed? When you take it to the counter and they scan it? Or when you proffer the payment?

I was in a similar situation when the listing on the shelf was significantly less than the tag on the item (presumably an error). The manager refused to sell it at the advertised cheaper price - after I said that he couldn't charge more than was advertised he said "Well, I don't have to sell it to you". So I didn't buy it /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I was under the impression that this kind of selling was illegal.

If you are purchasing an item and you see what you thing is an item priced reasonable, then they vendor is not supposed to price it higher at the till. I think it is sharp practice.

Obviously if their is a blatant error then that is a different thing altogether. The vendor can then withdraw the complete line which has been advertised for sale at the incorrect price.

Just check with your local Trading Standards Office for advice
 
Happened to me yesterday at Halfords. 3.12kW rated extension cord, shelf price £13.99, scan price at the till £18.99. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I queried it and the manager let me have it for the lower price, but told an underling to go and change the price on the shelf. Luckily, I don't need another one! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Years ago Ive seen people peel off a price and replace it with a label from a cheaper item, then get stroppy when the price is challenged.
My customers dont do that because they are nice people, but it is a problem out there,
 
"I was under the impression that this kind of selling was illegal"

That's certainly my impression. I dimly remember a law ruling some years ago regarding new bar code/price labels being stuck over old bar labels on old stock. If memory serves (and it may be faulty), the ruling was that it was illegal. There seemed to be more to it than straight contractual law...more that if specific item x (as opposed to newer stock of the same description) was once offered at price y, it should still be. As lenseman suggests, I'm sure your local trading standards office would be happy to advise.
 
That has allways been a myth due to misunderstanding of the sale of goods act. AS long as the price is clearly marked the retailer may charge the price he wants, it has nothing to do with the age of the stock
 
[ QUOTE ]
"I was under the impression that this kind of selling was illegal". That's certainly my impression. I dimly remember a law ruling some years ago regarding new bar code/price labels being stuck over old bar labels on old stock. If memory serves (and it may be faulty), the ruling was that it was illegal.

[/ QUOTE ]

You are quite right, it was back in the 70's and I think it was about the time of the three day week, oil price rises or the changeover to decimalisation /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

That particular law just might have been repealed now.

Similarly, I can remember it being illegal to use a petrol generator during the three day week but I did as I had just purchased it for just that purpose to get round the electricity power cuts that were all the rage! /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
The law is quite straightforward. The contract is made when the buyer makes the offer to buy and the seller accepts. If the price is "wrong" the seller cannot then withdraw. However, the label on the shelf has no legal significance. In practice most retailers would honour the price on the label to avoid the hassle and change the label afterwards for remaining stock, but he is under no obligation to do this.

There is a difference if the seller is misrepresenting, which is what the current row with Ryanair advertising is all about. Flights are not available for 99p because they then add on taxes etc, which are not included in the advertising. They are having to close their booking website all next weekend to update all their prices to include taxes etc. However, when you come to buy, you have always been told the full price otherwise there could never be a contract.

Because we have had a period of low inflation, prices have remained stable for long periods of time, but we may be going back to more frquent price increase/changes. Because most tills now take the price from a bar code the chances of there being dicrepancies between this and the label on the shelf will increase.

Some of us oldies will remember shopping in Kwik Save (when we were hard up!) where all prices were in the head of the till operator so you had to take on trust that they were right!

Such is life!
 
[ QUOTE ]
What we need is a lawyer, they have to be good for an answer surely

[/ QUOTE ]

never yet found a lawyer that will give a straight answer to a question, particularly when it comes to fees.

dont understand what the problem is anyway. the shop is sloppily run and losing money by being so. you're getting something cheaper than you should (provided you are awake).
 
Nothing to do with chandleries, but I remember many years ago a famous case where a lady's fur coat was on view in a shop window with a price tag somewhere in the region of 50 guineas (I told you it was many years ago). Unfortunately the price tag on a hat above the fur coat showing about 3 guineas fell off the hat and on to the coat and covering the original price. An eagle eyed customer bought the coat at the lower price, as that was the law in those days. That law was quickly repealed, I believe.
 
I worked for years in a large supermarket and always had this problem - a normal supermarket can have 80000 lines and things will be missed!

Legally the price on the shelf can be wrong, and you'd still have to pay the larger price but most decent stores will always give you it at the lower value so as to look good.

Like some folk said, both buyer and seller have to agree the bidded price at the time of payment, and the store is "inviting" you to shop with them after all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top