Complaining about a SALE! that is frankly not a sale.

[Lionel Ritchie]

In september I visited a furniture stockist where we spied an item priced at €599 and a similar item (different colour same model) at €549. In recent weeks this shop has advertised a 25% Off Sale event.

Thinking it might be an opportunity to pick up a decent discount we went back in crappy weather, heavy traffic (Dublin rd closed) and in forfeit of a decent chunk of our sunday afternoon. Signs all over the shop boasting 25% off marked price. Found the items we'd been interested in -sticker price has now been changed to €799.

Annoyed and up for it, herself went to customer services and pointed out that the stickers had been changed. Here the assistant told her, with a sharpeness that suggested it wasn't the first time that day she'd been confronted with this, that we'd caught the "end of the summer sale" back in september and that the prices had gone back up to their standard or list or whatever they call it inbetween.

Look -we weren't at any 'end of summer sale' -the €599 WAS the list price. There was no reduction listed on any tags back in September. If they'd been giving 200 bucks off back in september when sales are dead due to everyone feeling fiscally burned from their hols then they'd have been making an even bigger deal out of it than they are about this 'sale' in the run up to xmas when some people might actually be thinking of replacing a grotty couch before the in-laws call round.

What can you do? Who'd listen to a complaint? How can you prove they're bull****ters and what good'll come of it?

[Wolfie]

Commiserations, Lionel.

There comes a time in every mans life where he must take a stand.

With a rocket launcher.

Pointed at a furniture stockists premises.

And finally taking aim................................

[Dodge]

No good will come of it. They're not obliged to sell it to you at the price advertised, never mind the price you want to buy at.

Might get them a ticking off from consumer watchdogs/ombudsmen

[passinginterest]

You could try the NCA to see if there's any laws being broken; http://www.consumerconnect.ie/eng/

[tetsujin1979]

From what I remember, an item can only be listed as a "sale price" if it's been on sale at the actual price for the previous 90 days. Might be 60.

try posting in the Consumer Issues forum on boards.ie: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=580
Someone should get back to you before the end of the day

[dahamsta]

Furniture shops are notorious for this. tets' premise is basically correct, but I'm not sure if it's law in Ireland or not and unfortunately the consumer protection agencies in Ireland - yes, there's two of them - are basically jobs-for-the-boys. Name and shame, I say.

[Bluebeard]

It had been law in Ireland in the early 90s, though you wouldn't know what stands any more.

[brendy_éire]

What they've possibly done is have that particular sofa priced at €799 in one particular store of the chain, therefore, they can claim that this sofa is reduced by 25%.

DFS do this all the time. Notice their ads are on TV every week, and there's always a sale on. For the 60/90 days before, they will have had their "half-price" sofa on sale at the full price, but only in one particular store. So we they advertise it as being half-price, it is, technically.
It's a sneaky practise, but an entirely legal one.

[atfconline]

Were either the €599 or €799 prices marked as sale prices?

Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act covers how long it has to be at a price, before it can be included in a sale (if I remember Ms. Campbell's Business Studies class correctly).

[Lionel Ritchie]

Were either the €599 or €799 prices marked as sale prices?

Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act covers how long it has to be at a price, before it can be included in a sale (if I remember Ms. Campbell's Business Studies class correctly).

Neither. Nothing on the 599 price in September to indicate it was a sale price. Nothing on the 799 price now either -just loads of supplementary notices around the shop now advertising their "monster sale" which state "25% off marked price".

Oh and another thing ...herself found a cached webpage from their site which gives the price of the particular item as €567.

[tetsujin1979]

Were either the €599 or €799 prices marked as sale prices?

Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act covers how long it has to be at a price, before it can be included in a sale (if I remember Ms. Campbell's Business Studies class correctly).

I was relying on my vague memories of Mr Fallon's Business Studies classes!