Incorrect Pricing in Arnotts

[Bob_tg]

I was in Arnotts over the weekend (looking for a good deal in the Bargain Basement!!) and found what I thought was a bargain... a duvet set for with a 25 Euro official price tag placed in a 30 Euro Section.

On presenting it for purchase at the counter, the sales assistant advised me that that price was wrong and pointed to a hard-to-see hand-written (in biro) "30 Euro" price marked on a transparent part of the packaging. She also pointed out that it came from the 30 Euro Section.

I made the counterpoint that the 25 Euro price tag had the Arnotts logo on it and looked like the official price, so therefore under the law they would have to sell me the goods at that 25 Euro price.

She then checked with her manager, and after some consulation decided that they "didn't have to sell it to me at 25 Euro", but would do so to "avoid an argument".

So, my query here is: is the legislation clear on this regarding ambiguous labelling, or does this fall into interpretation withing case law? Are there guidelines that retailers must follow when displaying prices to consumers?

 

[foxylady]

I was in Arnotts over the weekend (looking for a good deal in the Bargain Basement!!) and found what I thought was a bargain... a duvet set for with a 25 Euro official price tag placed in a 30 Euro Section.

On presenting it for purchase at the counter, the sales assistant advised me that that price was wrong and pointed to a hard-to-see hand-written (in biro) "30 Euro" price marked on a transparent part of the packaging. She also pointed out that it came from the 30 Euro Section.

I made the counterpoint that the 25 Euro price tag had the Arnotts logo on it and looked like the official price, so therefore under the law they would have to sell me the goods at that 25 Euro price.

She then checked with her manager, and after some consulation decided that they "didn't have to sell it to me at 25 Euro", but would do so to "avoid an argument".

So, my query here is: is the legislation clear on this regarding ambiguous labelling, or does this fall into interpretation withing case law? Are there guidelines that retailers must follow when displaying prices to consumers?

Even though this was priced wrong the shop dont have to sell it to you at this price as this is called an "invitation to treat" most shops however do sell it as a "goodwill" gesture.

 

[KalEl]

Even though this was priced wrong the shop dont have to sell it to you at this price as this is called an "invitation to treat" most shops however do sell it as a "goodwill" gesture.

Foxylady (awesome name) is right. Customers who stand their ground will generally be looked after but Arnotts were under no obligation to sell the duvet at the lower price.
Invitation to treat basically means by displaying a price they are inviting you to make an offer for the product. They then accept or decline your offer. Legally this is what happens when you buy an item.

 

[Bob_tg]

Expert comments (as usual). Thanks to both of you!!!

 

[ClubMan]

This information should be on ConsumerConnect but I cannot find it. It's still on the legacy (?) [broken link removed] website though and easier to find [broken link removed]:

A price on a shelf edge label was less than price showing on the till when the product is scanned. Does the consumer have a right to buy the product at the lower price?


This may be a misleading price indication, consumer should contact the Office with details. However, the consumer does not have an automatic right to the product at the lower price. A price indication on a product is what's called an "invitation to treat";

• If the consumer is advised of the correct price before purchasing, they are not entitled to the goods at the lower price. In this case, the consumer has a choice of rejecting the goods and not buying them, or, accepting the higher price and making the purchase.
• If the consumer was not informed of the correct price before purchasing, they may be entitled to some form of redress from the shop for having been misled. But, if the shop refuses, as well as this Office following up on the matter, the consumer could consider taking the matter further thorough the shop's Head Office (if it is a member of a chain), or, through the Small Claims Court.