# Who can I report overcharging (in supermarket) to?



## AgathaC (25 Oct 2008)

I bought a moisturiser in Dunnes last weekend which had a sign over the particular brand of product saying there was a percentage reduction. I was charged full price at the till. I went back and read the (extremely) small print which stated that the price shown was the reduced price. I was in Dunnes today, the items are on sale at the same price. The 'offer' is now displayed over a different brand.
Who can I report this to?


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## eggerb (25 Oct 2008)

*Re: Who can I report overcharging (in supermarket)to?*

Maybe the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland. They have an online [broken link removed] on their website.


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## AgathaC (25 Oct 2008)

*Re: Who can I report overcharging (in supermarket)to?*

The price shown today(11.95)as full price i.e. with no 'offer' is the same price as was shown last week (11.95). Last week's price was supposed to be the reduced price (11.95).... I am not complaining about the way the price was displayed, but about the fact that this is not a genuine offer at all.


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## AgathaC (25 Oct 2008)

*Re: Who can I report overcharging (in supermarket)to?*

Thanks eggerb, I will try it.


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## bond-007 (25 Oct 2008)

*Re: Who can I report overcharging (in supermarket)to?*

Dunnes are always at that old trick. I would advise shopping elsewhere.


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## AgathaC (25 Oct 2008)

*Re: Who can I report overcharging (in supermarket)to?*

I will certainly be a lot more wary of their 'offers' from now on.


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## juke (25 Oct 2008)

*Re: Who can I report overcharging (in supermarket)to?*

faced similar problem myself

http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=86960

I made all the complaints - no adequate reaction.

I did learn though that by advertising "offers", it's often just a means of deluding consumers into thinking the price is reduced.  Simply not so.

I'm much more careful now, and check prices a lot more carefully.


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## AgathaC (25 Oct 2008)

Thanks, I am going to make a complaint to Dunnes. It's not a huge amount of money, by any means, but it is surely false or misleading advertising! I will certainly be checking any offers I see there or elsewhere from now on. I still feel I should bring this to the attention of some consumer body. Not quite sure where, but it annoys me that they get away with this probably all the time.


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## Complainer (25 Oct 2008)

*Re: Who can I report overcharging (in supermarket)to?*



eggerb said:


> Maybe the . They have an online [broken link removed] on their website.


No - The ASAI deal with press/media advertising. They have no statutory power - they are just a crowd of advertising industry heads who might name-and-shame.

The relevant statutory body is the National Consumer Agency.


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## AgathaC (26 Oct 2008)

Thanks for that, I have now sent my complaint to the National Consumer Agency.


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## Black Sheep (30 Oct 2008)

I spoke to a lady from the National Consumer Agency last week about a similar problem I had in Tesco. She said their Inspector would be paying them a visit this week


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## AgathaC (31 Oct 2008)

That is good to hear. I have had a response also, they did make the point that they cannot follow up every complaint which I suppose is fair enough.


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## Brendan Burgess (31 Oct 2008)

They cannot follow up every complaint, but they do log them all.

So if they get repeated complaints about a particular practice in a particular store, they would follow them up.

Brendan


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## AgathaC (16 Nov 2008)

After my experience with Dunnes I am now very wary of 'special offers' and I advise others to be the same. Just this weekend in Boots there was an offer on toothpaste, it mentioned clearly which brand was on offer. I went to the check out and before I produced any money I asked the girl to check if it was on offer. It came up at full price. So I simply didnt buy it.


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## bond-007 (16 Nov 2008)

Also be vary of Supervalu special offers. I bought 4 chicken kievs marked down from 6.99 to 3.49 on a special offer. Price was clearly indicated on the package. Package scanned at 6.99. I complained but checkout person would not change the price despite it being indicated on the package. 

In the end I had to get the manager to intervene. I got the item for free in the end. it pays to be vigilant.


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## lightswitch (23 Nov 2008)

I had a problem with this in Supervalue today.  Bought a firelog for marked 2.49 and was charged 4.49 at the till.  Probably wouldn't have noticed but for the fact that I only had E20 on me and was counting up what I was spending on my way around.  Have often had this happen in B&Q with offers so always check there.  Will be checking all receipts going forward.


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## europhile (23 Nov 2008)

Marks & Spencer constantly label their satsumas/clementines as "two nets for the price of one".

I have never seen a net advertised at their notional price.


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## allthedoyles (23 Nov 2008)

www.ripoff.ie


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## AgathaC (25 Nov 2008)

allthedoyles said:


> [broken link removed]


 Thanks for that. Another place to watch is Boots. I know this because I was buying two things one day, had realised I was fairly low on cash, but had enough. When I got to the check out, the total was well above what I expected. I queried the prices and I was correct and the cashier made the adjustment. There was no explanation whatsoever offered about the considerable price difference. I would often buy a basket of items in Boots and would not, in that case, notice that I had been overcharged. Another case of 'buyer beware'.


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