When "special offers" aren't so special...

J

juke

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258
So I’ve complained online to the shop (“the person who deals with this is on holidays”!) and the NCA (who will investigate, but may not inform me of their findings) but what else to do?

I do my grocery shopping in one of the top 3 supermarkets. And I buy wine…a bottle or 2 a week. To drink with dinner – so nothing too special – I try to spend no more than €10.00 per bottle.

A couple of weeks ago (30th June) I decide to spoil myself and bought a favourite (so I’m familiar with its normal retail price) for €12.99.

One week later imagine my surprise to see said same brand on “special offer 25% off” for €12.99 for a limited time – 2nd to 20th July. It also quoted the usual price as €17 odd.

I questioned a member of staff (ok junior – and I didn’t press the matter – whilst I shop there, I don’t like it and haven’t had good experience from management before) who just shrugged his shoulders and said that’s the price.

I’ve checked the website and it continues to offer this special offer……makes me wonder what other special offers I see on every visit to the supermarket are not so special………….. How many unsuspecting shoppers get conned on a regular basis?

Any thoughts?

Mods, Is it allowed to post the offer link here?

J
 
Booked a Ryanair flight last week when it was €20 off per flight. The new offer this week is €40 off, yet the end price is exactly the same for both special offers.
 
There is a well known music/dvd retailer that regularly does this.
 
It's called Progressive Marketing to get stock moving. Consumer attitude is based on a deal and the shops are trying to move stock. What else are they supposed to do. Advertise and display them as bottles of vinegar at double the price. And if you want to rant go to Italy where I bought a bottle of wine in a restaurant for €4.99 and the same bottle over here retails at €23. It's called time and place.
 
Fair enough but aren't there specific statutory laws on the display of sale prices (e.g. the previous non sale price must have been in effect for a minimum period prior to the sale price coming into effect etc.)? Maybe www.consumerconnect.ie has some info on this. On the other hand this does not obviate the need to shop around regardless of special offer display tags and to only pay what you feel is a reasonable price within your personal budget for goods and services.
 
mercman said:
It's called Progressive Marketing to get stock moving. Consumer attitude is based on a deal and the shops are trying to move stock. What else are they supposed to do. Advertise and display them as bottles of vinegar at double the price. And if you want to rant go to Italy where I bought a bottle of wine in a restaurant for €4.99 and the same bottle over here retails at €23. It's called time and place.
Click to expand...

The point here is NOT the price - it's the fact that the retailer is claiming the item was previously on sale for a higher price when it wasn't, so it's misleading.

I thought I'd seen this previously discussed here a number of times, and that for them to reference a higher price in their literature then the higher price had to be in place for a minimum period of time (maybe only a day?) in that store.

It's the headline grabbing 25% or 33% that gets attention. If this detail isn't correct then it shouldn't be allowed.
 
rmelly said:
The point here is NOT the price - it's the fact that the retailer is claiming the item was previously on sale for a higher price when it wasn't, so it's misleading.
Click to expand...

Exactly. I didn't get caught this time, but I suspect there's plenty of time I have. And will continue to be...because it's impossible to remember the "normal" price of all products.

Thanks Sueellen - I've done just that.
 
To deem an item on sale it has to be on sale at the higher price for 28 or 30 days, cant recall which, out of the last 12 months.

When I worked in retail, December was high price month - goods were increased end November for the month of December to be put back to their normal "sale" price come January.
 
A tactic some furniture stores use to get around this is have an "Event Price" (the lower amount) and and "After Event Price" (the higher amount).

I bought a table & chairs thinking I was getting a great deal....they were advertised like this for about a year!! Not sure if it is legal.

The OP case seems blatently misleading and I would definately report it to the store & what ever agency deals with this sort of thing.
 
It's understandable..I've had so many customers who will buy Product X only if €5 is the sale price, not if €5 is the normal price. For the thrill? Take it to head office, sounds like that particular head office would be on Mercer Street. Alternatively, find out the name of the Store Manager.
 
all products are supposed to be at their "regular retail price" for a minimum of 28 days before they can be put on "special offer"... what their doing is wrong and misleading... i would definatley report the store....
 
The shop or supermarket may be wrong for what they did but, at the end of the day, what action can be taken against them. Shop around, as has been previously suggested in previous posts. On the plus side, I have bought half price wine which I had witnessed at the original price a week before so not all of them use sharp practice
 
Also there are the "Limited time, special offers" that are always available. Example is "Join the AA by the 31st of July and get free homestart", then in August the same limited time offer is repeated this time by the end of August. Each procedure each month. Eircom phonewatch are the exact same.

Dishonest advertising to say the least.
 
I remember years ago working in an electrical goods store and we were getting stock ready for the re-opening for january sales and i couldn't believe how many camcorders tv's etc that were actually dearer than pre x-mas. There were loads of people queueing up outside waiting for the sales and we thought they were going to gives us loads of grief over the price rises, but we needn't have worried the money was burning holes in their pockets and all they saw was sale sale sale.
 
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