Currys refuse to honour price promise.
I wished to purchase a widescreen TV after my one had become
damaged... the insurer (More Than) paid out swiftly and accepted
that this was covered by my household insurance... they informed
me that the Dixons Group would contact me to supply vouchers to
the value of the television so that I could obtain a replacement.
Their first hiccup was that they would only match our current
TV (Philips 32PW9523 purchased 2 years ago for £1600) against
the cheapest 32" TV in the Philips range... which is only
£999 and fell far short of the technical specs of my model.
They refused to re-consider this until I contacted More Than to
ask them to contact Dixons Insurers and re-validate the price...
only then did they return with the model 32PW9576 as being a like
for like match at £1474.
So... Dixons Group despatched vouchers to this value (less the
£100 excess on the policy) and these arrived 15-June-2002.
So, attempt number 1)
Off I went to check out what selection I could choose from
at Currys on the Great West Road in Brentford (my local store)
arriving there around 10am.
Once there I saw the TV I wanted, it was the one they matched
in the like for like... Philips 32PW9576... but at £1474
I felt this to be a bit steep, so seeing their Price Promise I
thought I would investigate further.
The Price Promise states:
"Currys has unbeatable low prices, because even in the
unlikely event of you finding a lower price for the same model
and offer from a local retail store, we will reduce our price
by 100% of the difference
We will only do this where the offer is available to purchase
immediately at another retail store, within 10 miles of Currys
- either before you purchase, or within 7 days of your purchase
from Currys."
So, I visited the Philips web site and browsed for their dealer
list...
http://www2.consumer.philips.com/global/b2c/common/dealerlocator/dealer.jhtml
And selected 'London' as the location, and 'TV' as the category.
The very first dealer is 'A and M Electronics' of Tottenham Court
Rd.
I phoned A&M and they informed me that the TV I wanted was
available in store for £1299.
So printing the dealer list and the writing down the price
I returned to Currys.
On asking to purchase the TV under the Price Promise they
fetched the manager (Ian) to deal with me. Who proceeded to phone
A&M. Ian confirmed that they had also quoted him £1299
but then went into a back office. A few moments later he returned
to say that he would not be granting me a Price Promise and the
agreed reduction in price since A&M are not listed in Directory
Enquiries and that he was "unable to confirm that the shop
is trading there".
Upon calling Currys customer service, I was informed (after
the helper phoned the store) that it was a managers right to refuse
to honour the Price Promise regardless of what proof I could offer.
I obtained a note from the manager to the effect that he refuses
to perform a price match because the company was not listed in
directory enquiries.
On asking him to contact Philips or to check the Philips website
to validate his already phoning the store and that they are a
legitimate retail outlet trading where I've stated... he again
refused.
I'm complaining because this is against their company policy.
Further, to promise a particular service and then refuse because
a customer wants to use it, is in mind a lie... they either offer
the Price Promise or they don't... not just when it suits thme
(price compare against Comet or Dixons... where the price fixing
between these stores keeps levels artificially high).
I am now left with no choice but to pay full price, even though
they advertise heavily that they will beat any other price.
I did all that was asked... spending a whole saturday morning
phoning round... just to be told no because it didn't suit the
manager.
Onto attempt number 2)
After failing to get Brentford to agree to abiding to their
Price Promise, I returned home and searched on http://ws4info.companieshouse.gov.uk/info/
(Companies House website) for A&M to prove their existence
beyond refute.
I then headed with all my paperwork (and a new RAC Route search
proving that A&M were only 8.2 miles from the Richmond Currys)
off to the Richmond branch of Currys.
On arriving there (around 3pm), I spoke to a Sales Asst named
Ian, who accepted after calling A&M that I had strong grounds
for the Price Promise and he called a Manager to approve the Price
Promise, "I Can't find holes in this one". The manager
questioned the distance, and I proved that it was less than 10
miles. He questioned their status, and I showed the Companies
House printout. He questioned whether the product they offered
was a legitimate UK model, and I proved that they were a Official
Philips Dealership.
After all of this the Manager agreed, but said that he would
need approval from the area manager. He then went into a back
room, and returned five minutes later and informed me that the
area manager had declined my price promise. Yet he would not give
me a solid reason why it has been refused. He mentioned the distance
again, and I explained that according to their advertisement and
policy I was in the right. He mentioned the 'grey goods' thing,
and I pointed out that they were an official dealership. But he
remained steadfast and insisted that he would not be honouting
the Price Promise agreement, even though there is no small print
on the Price Promise allowing a manager or the company to refuse
if you have met all their criteria... nor does the Price Promise
exclude this or any store on Tottenham Court Rd.
I was forced in the end to purchase the TV at full price. Even
though I was entitled to £174 off through their Price Promise.
I feel very strongly that Currys should be made to honour promises
it tells its customers. And that at the minimum I am due the £174
in vouchers to spend there.
It is simply wrong for a company to advertise one thing, to
have that at the core it of it's 'Unbeatable Prices' that it proclaims
in massive letters throughout the store... but when a customer
takes them up on it they simply refute my right to it, even though
there is no clause otherwise and I have solid evidence of the
price that the item could be obtained at.
I would dearly like to take this further, feeling that a company
of the scale of Currys and the Dixons Group who have such a dominant
position should be forced to honour the promises they make and
not deceive the customer on their prices.
Yours, David Kitchen
Link to Other Dixon Group Company
Complaints
