Legal Question - Pricing in stores?

[Raistlin]

Hi Guys,

Quick question.

I'm fairly sure that I've seen some legislation somewhere regarding pricing of goods in stores.

From memory I think the salient points are as follows:

1. The advertising of a price on merchandise in stores constitutes an "invitation to buy" only. This means that the store don't legally have to sell you the item if it is mis-priced, however.....
2. If the store refuses to sell you the item they must remove it (and any other stock of the item) from display for a certain period of time, after which they may offer it for sale again at the correct price.
3. In the event that the store agrees to sell you the item, they must sell it to you at the advertised price.

Like I say, that's from memory and my memory isn't what it used to be (god, it's hard being alod and 27 :D ).

Does anybody know if I'm on the right track here, or (better still) has anybody got a quick link to the relevant legislative guidlines to save me having to spend the rest of the night trawling the web for them?

Cheers :D

[Russ]

I used to work in Tandy's who were famed for putting the wrong prices on items so we were tested on numerous occasions by "armchair solicitors" - the position back then (as I believe it still to be now) was the shop can either sell the item at the misquoted price or take the item (and its incorrect price) off-sale for a period of 24 hours.

[Graham]

1. The advertising of a price on merchandise in stores constitutes an "invitation to buy" only. This means that the store don't legally have to sell you the item if it is mis-priced,

Correct. It's known as "invitation to treat" (as in "treaty" or make a deal). It's perfectly possible to haggle in UK shops (especially if you're buying expensive stuff!)

however.....
2. If the store refuses to sell you the item they must remove it (and any other stock of the item) from display for a certain period of time, after which they may offer it for sale again at the correct price.

I've not heard of this one, nor have I found anything searching just now that confirms this.

3. In the event that the store agrees to sell you the item, they must sell it to you at the advertised price.

AIUI that's incorrect. From what I recall there are permissable exclusions for mistakes, ie pricing something at £10.00 which should be £100.00 .

Does anybody know if I'm on the right track here, or (better still) has anybody got a quick link to the relevant legislative guidlines to save me having to spend the rest of the night trawling the web for them?

Try http://www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/topics1/facts/misleading.htm and http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2004/20040102.htm and
http://www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/topics1/guide/misleadingprice.pdf for a start.

[Raistlin]

I used to work in Tandy's who were famed for putting the wrong prices on items so we were tested on numerous occasions by "armchair solicitors" - the position back then (as I believe it still to be now) was the shop can either sell the item at the misquoted price or take the item (and its incorrect price) off-sale for a period of 24 hours.

Thanks Russ, I'll get out of my armchair and start arguing with the Head Office of the store concerned then:D
__________________

Correct. It's known as "invitation to treat" (as in "treaty" or make a deal). It's perfectly possible to haggle in UK shops (especially if you're buying expensive stuff!)



I've not heard of this one, nor have I found anything searching just now that confirms this.



AIUI that's incorrect. From what I recall there are permissable exclusions for mistakes, ie pricing something at £10.00 which should be £100.00 .



Try http://www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/topics1/facts/misleading.htm and http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2004/20040102.htm and
http://www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/topics1/guide/misleadingprice.pdf for a start.

Thanks for your help Graham, much appreciated.

[andyl]

Whatever the legal situation some companies protect their brands by 'doing the right thing.'


http://www.dpreview.com/news/0201/02013101kodakdx3700deal.asp

Cheers,

Andy

[Raistlin]

Whatever the legal situation some companies protect their brands by 'doing the right thing.'


http://www.dpreview.com/news/0201/02013101kodakdx3700deal.asp

Cheers,

Andy

Nice to see, wonder if Tesco will do the same thing?

[andyl]

I just took a telly back to ASDA that I bought last September cos it was faulty. They gave me a new one and £30+ back because it had dropped in price since.

Better than that, in the days when ASDA offered a 3 year guarantee on electricals, my mate took a faulty telly back after 2.5 years and got a new one plus £40 back. How cool is that?!

[Graham]

Whatever the legal situation some companies protect their brands by 'doing the right thing.'

Which is great, if you as a company can afford it!

[Matth]

Owner of a DX3700 here (yes, That one!) - still not quite sure why they finally gave in, unless it was drawing too much adverse publicity.

To be honest, correct price, £300, priced as it was, £100 - my suspicion was that the price was a limited circulation offer, like an upgrade for owners of lower models. £300 for a zoomless (ok, it had "fake" digital zoom) 3.1Mp camera, plus a 32Mb card and a small pack of paper, was pretty unsustainable - and the model was actually quickly overtaken as it turned out, possibly one reason they did back down. On looking up some reviews (yes, even at that price), it then looked like an unfavoured model with known battery problems, that they might have been clearing.


I think where Kodak really shot themselves in their foot, was with the offer of a 10% discount on your next order, which I think brought out more of the "fighters".

The most annoying people, were those who had multiple orders, and then sold them on - Kodak should definitely have made it only one per order.

I still have mine, I still use mine, and until then, I hadn't really thought of Kodak as a name in digital cameras.