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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think they shouldn't have increased the price?

54 replies

iamdivergent · 17/07/2014 14:51

This morning walking to work I saw a table and chairs in the window of a local charity shop, they were marked at £45. I took a pic and sent it to DH, not noticing but the price was also in the pic. DH liked the table too, so at 9am I called the shop.

The person who answered took the details and said they'd call me back, (I wanted to reserve and go in and pay when I finished work), he called me back about 20mins later and said that the table had been sold already. I thought, oh well and continued on til I finished work.

Walking back home I walked by the same shop to find the exact table with a new price on top - an increase of £30 from this morning. I was Hmm so I went in and queried to be told that it was definately not the same table.

I looked at my pic, it is definately the same table and chairs, down to a big scratch down the middle of it. We could just afford it at the original price, but can't afford the extra - so annoying and a bit shitty of the shop imo.

So AIBU?

OP posts:
FluffyPiggle · 17/07/2014 15:03

Kinda bad if was the same table... charity shops are so grabby these days

Original poster
iamdivergent · 17/07/2014 15:06

Yes - some charge £3 for a used book Confused I can get 2 brand new in Tesco for £7, or £3.75 each

OP posts:
spence24 · 17/07/2014 15:22

I walk by the same charity shop every day too and am amazed at how high their prices are - over £60 for a second hand not nice looking set of dinner plates, one time they had second hand Primark clothes for more than Primark sell them for brand new!

My grandma has the right idea - she always haggles! It's hilarious as the volunteer old ladies get all huffy when she's stood there loudly going "Oh come on, you can't tell me it's worth more than that! I could get this new down the road for less, do you want my money or not?"

She's 86 and manages to get away with it. My hero.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 17/07/2014 15:24

Did you show them your photo, iamdivergent?

Staywithme · 17/07/2014 15:26

Sounds like they're trying to put buyers off until they can afford it for themselves. Hmm

harverina · 17/07/2014 15:26

I don't begrudge charities making money but surely their shops have to adhere to the usual selling laws?

londonrach · 17/07/2014 15:28

Trading standards...

jacks365 · 17/07/2014 15:32

They are perfectly within their rights to increase the price and have no obligation to sell it to the op at the original price.

redexpat · 17/07/2014 15:36

There are different grades of charity shops. The higher the prices are found in generally better off areas.

And how very dare charity shops try to increase their profit. Tsk, the cheek!

Original poster
iamdivergent · 17/07/2014 15:37

Apart from the fact it had increased in price - I was told it had been sold. It is definately the exact same table - why lie?!

OP posts:
Staywithme · 17/07/2014 15:38

I remember when charity shops were also considered a way of helping people who couldn't afford to buy in 'regular' shops as well as helping the charity. Now it seems as purely about profit. I've stopped going now as the charity shops round here have got too greedy.

Original poster
iamdivergent · 17/07/2014 15:38

I don't live in a better off area redexpat, nowhere near.

OP posts:
jacks365 · 17/07/2014 15:41

Why lie? Because the person probably wasn't the one who increased the price and couldn't justify the price increasing so decided a lie was easier.

Original poster
iamdivergent · 17/07/2014 15:45

Ah well disappointing for us - would have rather they said it had been priced wrong than lie about it.

OP posts:
WallyBantersJunkBox · 17/07/2014 15:45

I'm all for Charity shops making money, who isn't?

But they do need to be commercially aware. They make 100% gross profit on donations, and have less OPEX expenses than other shops so pricing above market forces for second hand goods and driving away custom seems mad.

Sell 10 books for £1 each on a Saturday, or 1 for £3? I also think regular custom is important as very often people will return their books again. I certainly do. 200% gross margin - imagine that.

We used to have an awful shop in our town - miserable, snappy staff, declining decent donations, overcharging and keeping the good stuff out the back. Shame for the charity.

Original poster
iamdivergent · 17/07/2014 15:49

Oh definately Wally it would put me off donating there tbh.

OP posts:
SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 17/07/2014 15:53

Redexpat - of course they should maximise profits - but why lie about it? They could have said, "Yes, it was cheaper earlier - we priced it up,incorrectly, and had to put the price up" - but instead they lied and said it was a different table - that's not OK, is it?

dillite · 17/07/2014 15:58

We have a furniture charity shop where I live and the prices there are ridiculous. An old, stained sofa will be priced at £150 at least. If it's a matching set/ suite expect the price to be £200 at least. Second hand white goods are more expensive than new from a high street shop. I used to go in, but no longer do as it's just so expensive. Local delivery is £35 for small items.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 17/07/2014 16:03

That would really annoy me, as either a customer or a donor, dillite - one of the reasons I think it is so good to donate to charity shops is that it means people can get decent stuff at sensible prices, whilst the charity benefits too.

WallyBantersJunkBox · 17/07/2014 16:04

What would be the statistical chances of a local charity shop getting a particular style of table and chairs, selling it, and then receiving an identical one on the same day??? ConfusedGrin

I'd take the photo in and speak to the manager. They could make £45 or they could lose custom by word of mouth.

londonrach · 17/07/2014 16:06

They don't have to sell it at the lower price. It's an invitation to buy. I think the lie is. morally and legally wrong. Even if it's a charity shop they have to follow the law. I personally would report to trading standards even if I didn't want the item be in at the lower price. The lie would upset me. You sure it was the same table.

Below copied....

Criminal

Does a shop have to display prices?

The Price Marking Order 2004 is the legislation that makes shops have to display prices for goods. Prices must include VAT and be clearly legible. Items do not have to be individually price (i.e they can use a price list) but the prices should be available so that the customer does not have to ask for them.

There is currently no law that specifies that prices must be displayed for services. This is currently controlled by the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 under misleading omissions. What this means is that there is no blanket answer for every situation, instead it depends on whether the lack of price can influence customers decision to buy. Lets say you go to a bar and order a lemonade. There are no prices listed. Chances are you expect the drink to cost around £1. If it does in fact cost £1 you are probably happy with that and the lack of a price list hasn't influenced your decision to buy. Now lets say the lemonade costs £5. Clearly this could now mean you would not have ordered the drink had you know this. This sort of scenario is where the lack of pricing could be a misleading omission. In my opinion its a bit of a flaw in the law(!).

Was it a simple mistake or are the shop purposely misleading customers with incorrect pricing?

This is all covered by the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. Without going into too much depth it can be a criminal offence for a shop to mislead consumers about the price of a product and the way in which it was calculated.

This legislation also prevents businesses from purposefully taking orders for a product they know they cannot supply so that they can get you into their shop (bait advertising) or from taking orders for a product but then trying to get the customer to buy another product (bait and switch). Mind you there is criteria for deciding what these are, but I have simplified it here for you.

So finally, the question is was it just a mistake? This really depends on whether the shop changes the mistake ASAP and whether they do it often. In the grand scheme of things a pricing error is no big deal for the authorities to bother taking action on. I would however suggest that you report all incidents where you believe the shop has tried to deceive you. The more information the authorities have the easier it is for them to see which companies are clearly breaking the law.

SistersOfPercy · 17/07/2014 16:16

I've said this before, some Charity Shops are ridiculous.

My area isn't especially affluent and several of our local charity shops are everything £1. It's always heaving, there is a great turnover of stock and I can go in on a Saturday and see a shop full of completely different goods than there was the week before.

Next town along is slightly more affluent. It's charity shops are laughable. £5 for a Primark top that probably wasn't far off that new and one of the more amusing ones I saw was a denim jacket, no special brand, that was marked up at £20. I only go to that town probably every six weeks or so but that jacket has been in there for months now and will probably still be there the next time I go. The stock changes, but only slightly in comparison to the £1 charity shops.

I don't see the point in keeping something clogging up a shelf for months at £20 when you can have a massive turnover of goods at £1.

McFox · 17/07/2014 16:23

I live in an affluent area that's heaving with charity shops and their prices are unbelievable. Last year I donated a pair of Mango trousers and saw them in the window a week later for almost double what I'd paid for them!

Mary Portas has a charity shop here and I only go in for a laugh, it's so expensive.

dillite · 17/07/2014 16:35

STDG I agree with you- charity shops are great for that. Well some are. But I genuinely do not think that the prices charged at the mentioned shop are at all sensible- a lot of stuff for sale there most people would have to pay money to get rid of, not to buy. Honestly, it's terrible.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 17/07/2014 16:52

Ohh yes - I absolutely agree, dillite.