Price match offers - making mugs of us?

[PaulSecteur]

Like most people I like to shop around to get the best price, and like most people I have a few favorite retailers, usually larger ones with a good returns policy should I need it. And most of those offer a price match, which I thought was a good deal.

But thinking about it, its not really. They are really saying "We are happy to charge you £100, unless you can find it cheaper, it which case we may choose to loose a bit of profit to get your custom"

What I will be doing from now on, providing I find either good reviews for the store or good email replies to questions is buy from the one thats was originally cheapest. I may even shun price mach plus 10% type deals too, as they must be really overcharging to be able to offer that extra 10%.

I feel a bit stoopid for taking this long to figure it out... or am I wrong?

 

[Noodley]

I was about 4 years old when I figured it out so, yes, I think you are stupid.

 

[Sandra6]

I don't understand people who ask for price match. If you can get it cheaper somewhere else why not just buy it there?
I hate when people come into the shop and say "oh this is £10 cheaper in such a shop, can you match it?"
I ask "Can you prove it?" And they never can. Or it turns out to be a totally different product. Or on online offer. Or they are an idiot.
Sometimes all three.

 

[Beebo]

I agree with the OP's sentiments but adnit that I use Evans price match sometimes. It's useful if you want to buy a few things lime a chain and cassette, as it's easier to get them all from one place. It's my local shop at work so I can pick the stuff up at lunch. Saves having to wait for things to be posted from a few places.

All they do is go onto the other shop's website to verify it, it's very easy and takes 30 seconds.

 

[swee'pea99]

Can't see there's any kind of moral issue involved. Of course they could sell you anything a bit cheaper - that 'excess' is what enables the profit, without which they'd go to the wall. But they'll squeeze it to keep your custom (and probably still make a profit - just a smaller one). So? That's not them being swine, just a business, which is what they are.

 

[Sara_H]

I don't understand people who ask for price match. If you can get it cheaper somewhere else why not just buy it there?
I hate when people come into the shop and say "oh this is £10 cheaper in such a shop, can you match it?"
I ask "Can you prove it?" And they never can. Or it turns out to be a totally different product. Or on online offer. Or they are an idiot.
Sometimes all three.

I asked for a price match at Go Outdoors once, they just looked the price up onlne, matched the offer + 10% off. I was happy, they had my money. Deal done.

 

[SquareDaff]

Can't see there's any kind of moral issue involved. Of course they could sell you anything a bit cheaper - that 'excess' is what enables the profit, without which they'd go to the wall. But they'll squeeze it to keep your custom (and probably still make a profit - just a smaller one). So? That's not them being swine, just a business, which is what they are.

Agree - and they know that 90% of their customers won't bother. Whether "price matches" will still happen when the older generation (probbaly the biggest culprits for not claiming) "dies off" will be another matter.

 

[Cyclist33]

lets face it, when youve seen a dealers mag and a carbon road bike that rrp's for 1500 ships to the dealer for 8, you realise that all bike products are basically a licence to print money, however good they are!

stu

 

[Sandra6]

I asked for a price match at Go Outdoors once, they just looked the price up onlne, matched the offer + 10% off. I was happy, they had my money. Deal done.

The problem for me is that we won't match online prices, only in store ones - they're often different - so we have to establish the instore price. I usually ring the store, and it has yet to turn out to be the right price.

 

[Kiwiavenger]

i used price matching with evans when i got my cycle to work voucher. was the only time ive really bothered but i was tied to evans for the bike. mostly if i can get it cheaper elsewhere i'll buy it at the cheaper place.

 

[Manonabike]

Well, I always give my business to the place with the cheapest price, I don't look for a price match unless there is something to my advantage.
For instance I bought a Laptop from John Lewis although their price was originally £98 more expensive. They did match the price but also gave me two years warranty as standard, Staples would give only 12 months warranty.

It's only fair that the store with the cheapest price get the business.

 

[4F]

I don't understand people who ask for price match. If you can get it cheaper somewhere else why not just buy it there?
I hate when people come into the shop and say "oh this is £10 cheaper in such a shop, can you match it?"
I ask "Can you prove it?" And they never can. Or it turns out to be a totally different product. Or on online offer. Or they are an idiot.
Sometimes all three.

Send them away with a flea in their ear, b***** cheapskates. We used to have a client who always wanted £50 knocked of the rate on everything so every quote I gave him had £ 50 added to it beforehand.

 

[Fnaar]

Don't try price matching in charity shops