To expect M&S to honour wrongly priced item?

[lovemehols]

I spent ages trawling through all the marked down items and had already bought a few things when, half hidden behind the pay desk I saw some boots. Three pairs, all on their own. They were hanging on a rail, set well away from the boots on sale for normal price. I found a pair in my size (well nearly my size)clipped on a hanger stating £15. A half size too big for me I figured they'd be fine as they were a bit of a bargain.
When I got to the till they came up as £35 which I queried. The assistant said they were marked up wrong and were not in the sale.
I asked for a manager to be called who, when he arrived, said he thought I had a valid point. However he was not the manager for that section - so he sent for a third body! When she came, she just echoed what the assistant had said and, though she accepted it was their mistake in pricing the boots wrongly she said that the full price had to be paid. The hanger with £15 on was for slippers!!
I was really annoyed, particularly when her only response was the corporate, inhuman repetition, "I hear what you're saying madam, but.."

After admitting their assistants had made the mistake I felt aggrieved that they would not honour the price displayed. I left the boots.
Am I being unreasonable?

[KalokiMallow]

Yes, sorry. They do not have to honour it.

[BreakOutTheKaraoke]

So it only said it on the hanger, not the actual boots? I work in a shop, and we wouldn't have honoured that, not saying you would do this but loads of customers try swapping hangers for cheaper ones, taking labels off others, etc.

[Ladyofthehousespeaking]

Yep sorry- they were entirely in their rights I'm afraid

[McDreamy]

As annoying as it is I'm afraid YABU. They don't have to honour a mispriced item.

[cumfy]

Did you show them them the rail with the other boots ?

If you did and they were all £15 I'd write to HQ.

[ILoveItWhenYouCallMeBoo]

ok so this was a rail behind the til and not with the rest of the shoes? soudns liek tehy had already removed them from the proper display and were storing them on the rail before repricing. i don't think they were actually for sale. did you actually go behind the til to get them?

and either way they don't have to honour it

[lovemehols]

Yes I did know they didn't HAVE to honour it and I'm sure there are loads of people who might try to cheat this way. I just thought they might have at least said, "Hands up, our mistake, we'll knock something off".

The display of 3 pairs of all different styles wasn't anywhere near the full priced stuff. Ah well!

[GrimmaTheNome]

If the price was on the boots, they should have honoured it. However, if the price was on a hanger rather than the boots themselves I'm not sure. They may have to draw the line because it would be quite easy for someone to deliberately put expensive shoes on a cheap hanger

[ruddynorah]

No. They were half hidden for starters.

[lovemehols]

And no, I didn't go behind the till. It was a random separate rail. All sort of things hanging but just 3 boots.

[KalokiMallow]

The problem is, it may have had the hangers changed by a customer, therefore not their fault. And if they start holding their hands up and accepting responsibility for changed price labels, then it's going to leave them wide open to abuse.

[ILoveItWhenYouCallMeBoo]

still sounds like they weren't actually for sale.

[ILoveItWhenYouCallMeBoo]

the fact that tehy were behind teh desk and half hidden would have told me tehy weren't for sale. i wouldn't have even looked.

[FudgeGirl]

Google "invitation to treat".

They don't have to sell anything to anyone, at any price.

Annoying - but no, they didn't have to honour the incorrect price.

[lovemehols]

You might have a point with that but none of the 3 staff said that.
My loss then I guess.

[Reluctant2ndtimer]

Bloody M&S though. Every time I buy food in there the prices on the shelves don't match the food on the shelves. Just bought a big freezer pack of chicken fillets today thinking they were £8.99 but receipt says £10.99. I know it's only 2 quid but I am poor and I am sick of M& bloody S always having the wrong prices on the shelf. I checked and checked, there was four shelves of these chicken fillets with the shelves all priced at £8.99. If they didn't rearrange the bloody shop every other day they might manage to price the stock correctly. Sorry, rant over.

[Flisspaps]

YABU for trying to buy something boots in the wrong size just because they were cheap.

[lovemehols]

Half a size + an extra pair of socks at £20 off = Success in my book.
Problem was with the £20 off!

[KalokiMallow]

lovemehols Tbh, I wouldn't have said it to you either, if only because then there'd be a chance that you'd take it to mean I was accusing you of changing the labels.

I learnt that lesson quickly in retail

reluctant If they haven't updated the shelf prices (and if the price tickets also say what the product is/have matching item code) most places (IME) will honour the ticket price.

a) Because they look really bad otherwise
b) Because you've given them a chance to change the tickets

They don't have to of course, but all the stores I've worked for have tried to honour inaccurate ticket prices.

[KalokiMallow]

lovemehols Maybe it just wasn't meant to be, you'll find your dream boots in your exact size.

[charliesmommy]

If the price tag was actually attached to them then you would have a point. If its just on the hanger, then no, you dont have any reason to expect them to honour it.

[charliesmommy]

"Reluctant2ndtimer Mon 10-Jan-11 23:46:03
Bloody M&S though. Every time I buy food in there the prices on the shelves don't match the food on the shelves. Just bought a big freezer pack of chicken fillets today thinking they were £8.99 but receipt says £10.99. I know it's only 2 quid but I am poor and I am sick of M& bloody S always having the wrong prices on the shelf"


If you were that poor, you would be in Sainsburys... not M & S. They have chicken fillets at half price all this month.

[ilovecrisps]

same thing happened to me in Waitrose BOGOF which they wouldn't offer since they were nearly out of date and on sale

I even joked with the woman behind the till when she overcharged me as to why she was entering it manually
when I left I realised it was because they were overriding the BOGOF

shameful

equally shameful that neither assistant or manager could add!

[PocketMouse]

Anybody could have tampered with the price.

The only time stores have to honour prices (in my experience) is when there is something in a locked case that has obviously been priced up by staff. They will always try to get out of it, but a pic on your phone helps :)

[charliesmommy]

Crisps, that used to be a great little bargain at all the supermarkets.. then they got wise to it!