If a retail store offers a price matching guarantee on competitors pricing are they obligated to match the price of the same product at one of their other stores? For example, I need to buy product x. The nearest branch to me has the product for $8 but a branch of the same chain in a different county about 50 miles away has it for $5. Does my local branch have to match the price?
2006-09-14 15:30:56 · 3 answers · asked by E5 Industries 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Probably one is a franchise and the other is a company store. They should match the price if it is a real price.
2006-09-14 15:32:31 · answer #1 · answered by Stan the answer Man 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would make them call the other store and verify the price.
If they are a national chain, and not a "franchise" (private individual owners), then I would think they would honor the other price.
There is no law stating that they have to have the same price in every store. The only thing that weights and measures checks for is the price that is "scanned" or "rang up" is the price that it is posted in that store. There are distribution and whole sale contributing factors in the reason that something is a price in one place and a different price in another.
But it puzzles me - I know that a big "box store" (Target, Wal-Mart) would make sure a store that close to them was the same price. But if it is in a different county, it could be due to taxes, or some other regulation. I guess I would need to know more info.
Long and short - it isn't the best of customer service practices to offer different prices, but it is not illegal. And the price matching? If you read the fine print, it usually states that the store has the right to limit the quantity and honor certain prices and not others (store's discression).
Again, what I would do is ask to speak to management, and inform them of the situation. More than likely, they are not aware of the variance, or there might be some sort of reason for it. But they don't have to sell the item to you for that certain price. All they have to do is sell it to you for the price that is posted in THAT BUILDING you're in.
2006-09-14 15:59:23 · answer #2 · answered by volleyballchick (cowards block) 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You have to ask the company what their policy is... usually if it is in the same market city, yes. 50 miles away should be fine but then again it may be in the fine print of the ad.
2006-09-14 15:35:32 · answer #3 · answered by stonageking 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋