When a sale is not a sale - Argos half price mattresses

Argos are currently advertising a save up to half price on all mattresses. The sale is valid until 28/09/2011.

I was looking at buying a Sealy single mattress as advertised in the specially produced Argos sale catalogue. Previous price - €719.99, sale price - €359.99.

Great deal I thought, so I decided to check the current Argos catalogue (Autumn/Winter), and guess what, the mattress is not included. I also checked out the last catalogue (Spring/Summer) and it is not listed in that either so online I went, starting with the Argos website and they have it listed - same prices, but there is an astrix beside the sale price. Scroll down the page a bit and the astrix tells us

* Please note item 6939900 has previously been on sale at €287.99.

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Now the specially produced sale catalogue states that

Savings compared to a higher price charged for 28days in the last 6 months unless otherwise stated

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This would cover them under Irish Consumer legislation

I would like to point out that I have been looking for a mattress for a number of months, checking the Argos website every week and I even bought a bed frame from them recently, but decided to wait until the mattresses were on offer. I am 99.9% sure that Argos have never had a Sealy mattress for sale, in either their last two catalogues or online.

I will be contacting the National Consumer Agency asking them to investigate and Argos for their side of the story.

Argos often have things on their websiote that aren't in catalogues.....and i have noticed that wording about having been on sale previously for a lower price.....

I did buy a Sealy kingsize mattress in December that was 75% off, so they do appear.

I don't know if this applies to the specific situation you have described but a lot of the larger retailers will offer a product in one store only at the full price and then release it to all outlets at the sale price. Its possible this mattress was displayed for sale at the 'full price' in a single branch and did not appear online or in any catalogue.

The previous sale price looks like its 60% off the RRP so it was probably in a seasonal flyer that you missed.

The word sale is meaningless here. I wish they'd make them stop using it.

I've complained to National Consumer Agency about other dubious sales in the past, and heard nothing back. I think its a waste of time reporting them too.

its impossible for a normal person to watch all prices in all stores for a month, to see if their prices change. As such the current limitations around sales are meaningless.

Argos have told me that the full price was being charged between 01/08/2011 and 15/09/2011. The reduced price of €287.99 was on offer in April of this year. I asked were these prices in a particular store, in a catalogue or online only. They confirmed that they were online only. Now as I said, I've been keeping my eyes on Argos for a mattress and they have never had a single Sealy mattress for sale online or a catalogue in the last few months.

I've contacted the National Consumer Agency and they are investigating.

sealy mattress

Here they are on theirwebsite

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foxylady said:

Here they are on theirwebsite

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I know they are on the website, I mentioned that in the opening post.

The sale ended yesterday, and now the item is on sale again for €305.99 until 05/10/2011, down from €359.99.

RonanC said:

I know they are on the website, I mentioned that in the opening post.

The sale ended yesterday, and now the item is on sale again for €305.99 until 05/10/2011, down from €359.99.

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You also said

"I am 99.9% sure that Argos have never had a Sealy mattress for sale, in either their last two catalogues or online. "

Did you actually ring them to order one?

foxylady said:

You also said

"I am 99.9% sure that Argos have never had a Sealy mattress for sale, in either their last two catalogues or online. "

Did you actually ring them to order one?

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Sorry, that should have read -

"I am 99.9% sure that Argos have never had a Sealy single mattress for sale at full price, in either their last two catalogues or online. "

The only thing I'll say about Argos is that they're open enough to publish when an item has previously been on sale at a lower price. Means you can look about and might find it elsewhere at or close to the lower price.

Many other outlets operate in more far misleading manner using short 'control periods' where prices are set artificially high, then reduced with a big sale sticker attached.

Update : The single Sealy Stockholm Pillowtop mattress is now back priced at "half price" - €359.99 until 12th October after being on 'sale' priced at €305.99 for a couple of days.

maybe you should look for one else where. Their delivery service is a disgrace. I was confirmed i was going to receive my bed today at 7:15 sharp. A bit unusual i thought, but anyhow. Also, they tell you that u will get a call one hr before the delivery. Did not happened. I rang the customer service during the day ( UK no, as the Irish one wasn't working) and i was told that they can not track it down, but i will get a call back in a couple of hrs. Did not happened. I call them again, a different lady tells me that my bed is only beeing dispatched from England and that she does not know a delivery say, as the goods are beeing delivered by a courier. I jump in the car, planning to go to my local argos to get some answers and the phone rings. " Hi, Argos here!. Your delivery will be there in 10 mins"

Half working day lost, over 20 mins on the phone, some wasted fuel and...totally confused!!!Never again!

RonanC said:

Update : The single Sealy Stockholm Pillowtop mattress is now back priced at "half price" - €359.99 until 12th October after being on 'sale' priced at €305.99 for a couple of days.

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What price would you consider buying this mattress at?