Question is simple....does a shop have to sell you an item at the marked price or can they say sorry, that price should be more. This situation actually happened to me in a major electrical store. Appreciate advice on what the law says (UK Law)
2007-03-03 23:54:51 · 18 answers · asked by harpomac15 3 in Consumer Electronics ➔ Other - Electronics
Dealing with trading standards for many years in my retail days (UK), I can clear this matter up.
A retailer gives you "and invitation to treat". That means the shop wants you to make an offer for the item, it's you that wants to buy and not the shop that want's to sell. Otherwise, you would obliged to buy an item if you picked it up.
So when you walk into a shop, a price label will indicate a value the shopkeeper would like for the item. You take the item to the till because you want to make the contract to purchase the item and the shop usually accepts your offer by ringing it through the till. At this point, the shop can refuse to sell it to you and place it back on the shelf.
What happens if the shop makes a genuine mistake. A bit of dirt in the price gun means the £99.99 item has a price label of £9.99 on it. The shop is not obliged to sell it to you. They should remove those items from sale so they can investigate the problem. You will find that if it's a few pence to a £ or two error, the shop may accept the lower price and sell it. Oh, by the way, because the item is £7.99 and you want to make a contract, you can go to the till and say "Will you take £5 for this item?". It's you that wants to make the contract.
Trading standards will pick on big retailers for pricing errors. So they tend to have price cheking procedures in place where a sample quantity of items are checked daily or weekly. They can show this to trading standards officer on a visit due to complaint by a customer.
Retailers can make errors (because we are all human) and if they can show it was not deliberate but an error, then they won't get fined by trading standards. It's amazing how little customers know about their rights when it comes to retail. Phone trading standards and get the booklet off them. You'll suprised that you can get the shop to collect a faulty item and have a guarantee for upto 6 years on certain purchases (that's why they state "This does not affect your statutory rights").
2007-03-04 08:41:50 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Although it is illegal to give misleading price information, the law states that a retailer can refuse to sell any item, at any price to you without giving a reason. Although the price displayed is an invitation to treat, no binding contract exists until you go to pay and your offer is accepted. If you have already paid for the item at the lower price they can't make you pay more unless they can prove that you knew the price was wrong. Often if a price is displayed wrongly a shop will sell you the item for that price out of goodwill.
2007-03-04 08:00:34 · answer #2 · answered by siouxsie 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋
As a businessman, I can tell you what the law is in Connecticut. When an item is on display on a store shelve or floor, the marked price of the item IS the selling price. Regardless of what a store flyer's price is, the actual displayed price is the one they have to sell at. Flyers and coupons do contain typographical errors and for that reason are not the rule. However, if an item in a flyer or coupon shows the price slightly lower than the actual marked displayed price, most popular stores will honor the price in the flyer or coupon, even if they are not mandated to do so.
2007-03-04 08:06:16 · answer #3 · answered by Yafooey! 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋
UK law states that if a price is advertised as a certain price, the shop have to sell it at that or risk being done for misrepresentation.
Basically, when you buy something from a shop, its a contract. The shop initiate the contract by advertising the price they would like for the item (also being the price they would accept for that item), you are accepting those terms by taking the item to the counter and offering the payment. By law, they have to sell it at the same (or lesser price if the item was reduced and not stickered up as reduced), but they cannot say that the item was supposed to be more money as they have already stated on the price tag the price they would accept.
2007-03-04 08:01:42 · answer #4 · answered by keiraebony 3 · 2⤊ 3⤋
In Australia if an item scans at a higher price than the displayed shelf price, you get the item for free. Not sure what the UK situation is, just thought you'd like a bit of trivial information. Helps to know if you visit over here.
2007-03-04 08:02:45 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Most answer are wrong. A shop offers, 'an invitation to buy' they do not have to sell you anything if they dont want to. Although most shops will sell at a wrongly marked price if you make enough fuss.
2007-03-04 12:49:32 · answer #6 · answered by jayktee96 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Firstly, I am concerned at the number of thumbs down responses to answers to this question.
Wishing someting does make it true.
UK response:
It is an offence to knowingly apply a false description, BUT, the display of goods with a price tag is merely an 'invitation to treat', there is no obligation to sell at all.
A number of larger stores have policies in place for such things and will have trained their staff accoringly, so a reponse from a person working for a large store chain might simply be the policy of that chain of stores.
I used to work for a retail group with over 1200 UK stores, consulting with the legal team on customer service matters.
2007-03-04 08:37:05 · answer #7 · answered by David P 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If they have put a price on the product in display then that is the price they must sell it for under uk law.
There have been several cases involving this but if they mark an item for sale at 6 pounds by accident and it should have been 16 pounds you are legally entitled to get it for 6 pounds.
2007-03-04 07:59:19 · answer #8 · answered by clever investor 3 · 1⤊ 4⤋
If all of the same items on display are marked at the same price then they have to sell it you at that price.
2007-03-04 07:59:25 · answer #9 · answered by sarah k 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
A shop is at no legal obligation to sell you something at the displayed price, that is there just as a guide to invite you to buy, they can charge anything they like.
If the price is wrong however and you complain you may find they will sell it to you at the price on the shelf just for customer satisfaction but being as i dont know how big the mistake was in your case i cant say for certain
2007-03-04 07:59:24 · answer #10 · answered by mark a 3 · 4⤊ 3⤋