In Saturdays NZ Herald 16/9 I saw a Bond and Bond ad for the Sony KLV32S200A at $2209. Crikey, I thought, that’s a good price!

I then remembered that Noel Leeming have the ‘Price Promise’ promotion which goes like this:

FIND ANY IDENTICAL PRODUCT WE SELL AT A LOWER PRICE LOCALLY AND WE PROMISE TO MATCH THAT PRICE, DOWN TO THE LAST CENT AND GIVE YOU FLY BUYS

Terms & Conditions:
· Must be within 7 days of purchasing the product (or price of product advertised at competitor within last 7 days)
· Product compared must be in stock
· Must be the same new-boxed product, make and model
· Must be from a local retail home appliance dealer – excludes manufacturers clearances, stock liquidations, ex-demo models, trade offers, trade-in offers or parallel imported product
· Local = acknowledged home appliance retailers which operate within a 10km radius of the store presented with the Price Promise
· Internet-only retailers will be excluded (ie. Appliance retailer websites will be matched).

Great I thought, I’d buy the TV from Noel Leeming and use my BNZ Mastercard Goldcard and get Airpoints and collect Flybuys. Great deal all round.

On 19/9 I enter the Wairau Park Noel Leeming store and tell to salesman that I would like to buy the Sony KLV32S200A and take advantage of your Price Promise offer and let you match the Bond and Bond price and I’ll collect my Flybuys, Thanks very much.

After much muttering and checking of the computer screen. The response was sorry, we can’t match that price, it’s too cheap. They’ve made a mistake. Go to Bond and Bond and buy it.

But what about the Price Promise?
We’re not matching that price, we’d only make 2% on the sale.

Off I go across the road to Bond and Bond and low and behold is the Sony marked clearly at $2209. Speak to the sales consultant, yes good price on the Sony, no we don’t have any stock but I can order in for you and we’ll honour the $2209 price. Promotion ends today.

I didn’t buy the TV. Instead I went home and sent an email to Noel Leeming Customer Care.

To whom it may concern:

I went to the Wairau Park store to purchase a Sony KLV32S200A LCD TV. This TV was being promoted by Bond and Bond @ $2209 on sale between 16/9 and 19/9, as advertised in the Saturday Herald 16/9/06.

I asked staff to 'Price Promise' and match the Bond and Bond price on the TV so I could purchase from Noel Leeming and earn FlyBuys.

They refused and told me to go to Bond and Bond to buy it.

The Bond and Bond price comparison met all the criteria as stated in your Price Promise yet the staff refused to make the sale.

You allow 7 days for a Price Promise purchase and I would like to purchase this TV from Noel Leeming in accordance with the offer you promote.

Please advise me which store is willing to honour your Price Promise offer.

I got an acknowledgement in response:

Thank you for your letter regarding price promise.

We take complaints very seriously and your letter has been forwarded to the
appropriate person to investigate the matter.

If you have not already been contacted, you can expect to hear from
somebody within five days of the date of this letter.

Thank you for taking the time to alert us of this matter.

On 20/9 I called the Customer Care line and spoke to a person and described what had happened. She was very helpful and acknowledged the complaint. She was going to call the store and sort out the issue.

Get a call back and no problem sir, call into the store and ask for XXX and you can make your purchase and of course we’ll honour our Price Promise.

Return to Noel Leeming ask for XXX and explain that I had spoken to YYY who had told me to return and purchase the TV under Price the Promise offer.

“Yes I got the call but we can’t sell the TV at that price it’s too cheap. Bond and Bond have made a mistake and we won’t match that price. In fact they had a small sign to say that they had made a mistake in their advertising. We will sell the TV for $2309’’

‘Really? I went to the store and the TV was clearly marked with $2209, the Herald Ad says $2209, the pdf they had on their website says $2209 and there sales staff say the TV is being sold at $2209 and there was no disclaimer notice”

Now I was angry. I got home and called Bond and Bond to confirm the price, which they did. I also sent another email off to Customer Care:

Dear XXX

I contacted XXX on the customer service line with regard to my complaint
on the Wairau Store not wishing to honour the Price Promise as promoted by
Noel Leeming. She was quick to acknowledge the complaint and very proactive
to find out why the store was not complying with the Price Promise as
advertised.

XXX called me back and told me that she had spoken to XXX and that
Noel Leeming Wairau Park would match the Bond and Bond price. All I had to
do was call in and ask for XXX and I could complete the purchase.

Tonight I called into the store only to be told by XXX that they
would not match the price of Bond and Bond. He told me that Bond and Bond
had mistakenly priced the TV and they were not going to match the price. He
further said that the Bond and Bond store had put up a small sign to say
that the price was incorrect.

I believe this is not true as I visited the Wairau Park Bond and Bond store
on the 19th and the TV was clearly marked with the $2209 price and this
priced was confirmed by the Bond and Bond sales consultant, XXX. Further
to this I called the Wairau Park Bond and Bond store (XXX, ) today to
confirm the previous price, which they did. They acknowledged it was a very
good price and was only available for the promotional period, which is now
over as it expired at the close of business on the 19th.

What I can't believe is I was refused service twice and lied to; to avoid
meeting your own promotional promise. That is inexcusable. Please remember I
am not haggling over a price but am responding to your advertising to win my
business. To be treated by a national retailer in this manner is
disgraceful.

What if I’m wrong? Send email off to Bond and Bond Customer Service to confirm price:

In regards to your enquiry earlier about a Sony KLV32S200A that was for sale for $2209 it has been confirmed by the marketing department that it was advertised at that price and I have been given a copy of the advert. Let me know if I can help any further as you did not explain why you wanted to know

OK here comes the funny part. My Noel Leeming and Bond and Bond emails are going to the same person. Yes the original complaint and follow up complaint email went to the person who responded to my Bond and Bond enquiry to confirm the price. There is one Customer Service for both companies, as they are both owned by the same parent company.

Guess where the Customer Care centre is based? 7 Link Drive Wairau Park.

Here’s the thing. I wasn’t haggling about price. I was responding to Noel Leemings advertising to win my business. I have never had a consumer experience like this before. I have now passed the angry stage and am well into farcical disbelief.

I won’t be buying a TV or anything from Noel Leeming ever and I hope by sharing this, that others may make the same decision.

[Moderator edit (tonyhughes): Relevant title]