“Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing” – Oscar Wilde
Every day, consumers ask me a variety of questions across my social media platforms, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Threads. In my The Complaining Cow Consumer Column, I share the issues that come up most frequently. I often get asked about different angles regarding pricing, so am answering them here.
TikTok video outlining pricing issues:
@thecomplainingcow It is quite easy to get confused about when you should and shouldn’t pay the price you see. Consumer law is there to protect both a retailer and consumer What’s your best win or biggest loss when you missed a bargain or were charged when you shouldn’t have been? #pricing#prices#contract#moneytipsuk #consumerrights
Must a company sell me the item at the price displayed?
It is a commonly held belief that a company must sell you an item for the price at which it is displayed. This is a misconception. The price displayed is actually an invitation to treat.
Companies can make mistakes. So, if you see a different price when you reach the till or online checkout, you have the choice whether to proceed or not. If, however, they tell you after you have paid, they cannot extract more money from you! The contract is complete when you have paid your money.
Must a company sell me an item at the marked price if I have received a confirmation email?
When you buy an item online and receive confirmation of your order, the contract is not yet complete. So, a company can cancel the order but it must fully refund you. You cannot force it to sell the item at that price! However, if you have already received the goods, they cannot then ask you to return them or pay more money.
Even big high-end companies can make mistakes. See my article Harrods customers try to bag a bargain – but can they keep it? Many customers were left disappointed that they could not snap up a bag at a bargain price!
What about misleading consumers with prices?
Genuine mistakes are fine. However, misleading consumers is not. Under the Digital Markets Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC) companies cannot mislead consumers into making a purchase they otherwise would not have made if they had the full or correct information. So, if a store continues listing an item at a certain price after finding an error, then that would be misleading.
Drip pricing also became unlawful under the DMCC. When a buyer is purchasing, the full price must be listed at the beginning of the buying process. So, the company cannot add additional costs at the end. That is mandatory.
Recently the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) prosecuted two companies for breaching the drip pricing laws. See the TikTok videos below.
StubHub fined for adding mandatory items at the end of the purchasing journey:
@thecomplainingcow StubHub UK has been fined £889,000 and ordered to refund more than 50,000 customers after the CMA found fans were shown ticket prices that didn’t include mandatory service and delivery fees. Those charges were added later in the buying process, a practice known as drip pricing. The CMA says consumers should be shown the total price upfront so they can make informed decisions. 👇 Have you ever got to checkout and found the price was much higher than advertised? #ConsumerRights #StubHub #Refunds #HiddenFees #unfair
and Marks Electrical fined for automatically adding optional extras:
@thecomplainingcow Marks Electrical has been fined £720,000 and ordered to refund nearly 40,000 customers after the CMA found shoppers were automatically opted into paid extras. Consumer law is clear. Optional extras require your express consent. No pre-ticked boxes. No automatic opt-ins. No surprise charges. 👇 Have you ever found something in your basket that you didn’t knowingly add? #ConsumerRights #Refunds #fines #MoneySaving #Complaints
What are you rights if an item goes down in price after you bought it?
If you bought the item online, you have 14 days in which to change your mind and another 14 days in which to return it. So, you could in theory send it back (although you may have to pay return postage depending on the company’s term and conditions) and buy again at the discounted price. Many consumers have contacted a company to explain the situation and the company has refunded the difference between the old and new prices.
What about when I put an item in the basket online and the price then goes up?
There is nothing you can do, it’s just bad luck!
See the TikTok video below about when prices go down:
@thecomplainingcow Sod’s law — the price drops after you buy it… or goes up when it’s in your basket. Here’s what you can actually do. Follow for consumer rights advice most people don’t know. #consumerrights #sodslaw #refunds #consumeradvice #onlineshopping
Further help with complaining
To ensure that you know your rights and how to use them take a look at the book. How to Complain: The Essential Consumer Guide to Getting Refunds, Redress and Results. As one reviewer says “you’ll get more than your money back the first time you use it!”
101 Habits of an Effective complainer designed to improve the way you look at and make complaints. Each page gives you a complaining habit to consider and an example of how and why it empowers you to become more effective in getting the results you want.
Purchase downloadable templates to gain redress to get refunds and redress.
