Bond & Bond - Incompetent or bait advertising?

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Reply # 319951 18-Apr-2010 16:45

If they make a mistake and genuinely advertise a price in error then they dont have to honour it. The issue is that they DID sell to some people at that mistakenly low price. I guess thats a win for those purchasers. What has made it worse is stupid sales staff acknowledging, firstly that the advert existed and secondly that it was an error.

I found B&B to be pretty much useless last year and would never go back after looking for a TV last year. B&B had a deal which was 20% off 'most' TVs. I was after a G10 50" panasonic plasma. It had a RRP of (from memory) $4000 at the time (Panasonic were also giving away a free Wii as a promotion). Anyway - their website had that model not included in the special. I found out from geekzone the day it finished that people had in fact got that TV for 20% off ($3200). The Wii promotion finished as well. I was well P'd off.

Anyway - a week later someone I knew had bought something off B&B and they got emailed a flyer that said B&B were having a cost +10% day - just print and bring in the flyer - if you dont bring it with you no special deal. So I bowled into the shop with the flyer only to find them handing them out at the door. I went to the counter and said whats your deal on the G10 Panny? After mucking about on his computer for a while the guy said $3700. I said "are you sure? - thats cost + 10%?" More mucking about on the computer - "yep thats the special price - best deal we can do". I mentioned it had been going a week earlier for $3200 and the guy said "You should have come in then".

I said "I''ll shop be shopping around then" to which he said "If you get a better offer come back and we will match it". Yeah right! Went over the road to JB HiFi and said can you do it for $3200? - they checked and said $3250 (probably could have talked them down but dont like haggling much) so I just bought it from them.

JB + 1 (and I have bought other stuff from them since)

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Behodar

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Reply # 319952 18-Apr-2010 16:58

Bung: $599 is Bond&Bond and Noel leeming's current web price for a 120GB PS3 on its own. They show 250GB + GOW bundle at $729. Noel Leeming do the bundle at $699.

That's interesting; look at the prices listed on the official site.

NonprayingMantis

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Reply # 319969 18-Apr-2010 17:33

Anyway - a week later someone I knew had bought something off B&B and they got emailed a flyer that said B&B were having a cost +10% day - just print and bring in the flyer - if you dont bring it with you no special deal. So I bowled into the shop with the flyer only to find them handing them out at the door. I went to the counter and said whats your deal on the G10 Panny? After mucking about on his computer for a while the guy said $3700. I said "are you sure? - thats cost + 10%?" More mucking about on the computer - "yep thats the special price - best deal we can do". I mentioned it had been going a week earlier for $3200 and the guy said "You should have come in then".

ah yes, cost plus ten always sounds like a much better deal than it actually is.

Most retailers will make somewhere between 15 and 25% margin on consumer electronics, when selling at full price, and once something has been around for a while and theyneed to shift it they will often sell for below 'cost+10', which means that 'cost+10%' is not usually much different from a straight ten percent discount on new things, and often worse than the standard RRP on older things. (not that a 10% discount is to be sniffed it, it's still $400 off a $4000 TV)

some products, like consoles and apple goods are sold at even lower margins (which is why you often see them excluded from sales.)

occaisionally you will stumble upon a fantastic deal, but it;s hard to know without the guys in store checking their system for every single TV there is.

bazzer

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Reply # 319997 18-Apr-2010 19:10

robjg63: I said "I''ll shop be shopping around then" to which he said "If you get a better offer come back and we will match it". Yeah right!

I know! Why am I going to go to the effort of looking around to find a better price and then come back to the place that mucked me around to buy it? I'd rather reward the shop willing to offer it at that low price. Why screw them out of a sale just to give it to B&B?

bazzer

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Reply # 319998 18-Apr-2010 19:11

Behodar:
Bung: $599 is Bond&Bond and Noel leeming's current web price for a 120GB PS3 on its own. They show 250GB + GOW bundle at $729. Noel Leeming do the bundle at $699.

That's interesting; look at the prices listed on the official site.

What the hell kind of "official site" is that?!

Behodar

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Reply # 320011 18-Apr-2010 20:08

bazzer: What the hell kind of "official site" is that?!

Can you please clarify? Are you commenting on its appearance or do you think that it's not official? I started at www.playstation.com and eventually ended up on that page (links from http://nz.playstation.com/ps3/).

Linuxluver

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Reply # 320036 18-Apr-2010 20:48

Lupins: Sorry but I totally disagree. It's up to stores to ensure that their staff are aware of promotions, know how to work the systems, and provide at least adequate customer service. No customer should have to chase-up any special price, offer, or anything else.

Anyway, it's not like we're talking a one day, super special, only found in some secret place special here, it was a nationally advertised/distributed flyer that lasted for over a week, and I went in on the final days of it. Not like I caught them by surprise.

I hear you.

But you can't deny that had you walked into the store with the flyer in hand, events would have gone very differently.

It's your time. Waste it any way you feel comfortable. :-)

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Kyanar

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Reply # 320038 18-Apr-2010 20:55

bazzer:
Behodar:
Bung: $599 is Bond&Bond and Noel leeming's current web price for a 120GB PS3 on its own. They show 250GB + GOW bundle at $729. Noel Leeming do the bundle at $699.

That's interesting; look at the prices listed on the official site.

What the hell kind of "official site" is that?!

One owned by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.

I finally have fibre! Had to leave the country to get it though.

bazzer

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Reply # 320063 18-Apr-2010 22:43

Behodar:
bazzer: What the hell kind of "official site" is that?!

Can you please clarify? Are you commenting on its appearance or do you think that it's not official? I started at www.playstation.com and eventually ended up on that page (links from http://nz.playstation.com/ps3/).

It looks ridiculous is all. Not your fault (unless you designed it). :)

Behodar

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Reply # 320089 19-Apr-2010 07:20

Nope, I didn't design it :) And yes, it looks horrendous!

MikeyPI

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Reply # 320153 19-Apr-2010 11:03

Behodar: Nope, I didn't design it :) And yes, it looks horrendous!

1) Ugliest official website ever.

2) Mistakes vs incompetence is a close one. If the mistake is the a third party fair enough, or a massive typo, $1.00 instead of $100, maybe but this sounded like bait.

I got my Elite 360 from DSE for $499 about a year ago as the had the signs instore for the bundle for $499, but the tv ad said $599. The manager tried to claim is wasnt right and they werent offering that, but I simply said I want that deal being advertised, took him round the shop to show him. (took a photo as well and claimed false advertising) he put on the meanest grumpy face and sold it to me. Next day; price instore was $599!

Bung

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Reply # 320162 19-Apr-2010 11:19

MikeyPI: 2) Mistakes vs incompetence is a close one. If the mistake is the a third party fair enough, or a massive typo, $1.00 instead of $100, maybe but this sounded like bait.

I got my Elite 360 from DSE for $499 about a year ago as the had the signs instore for the bundle for $499, but the tv ad said $599. The manager tried to claim is wasnt right and they werent offering that, but I simply said I want that deal being advertised, took him round the shop to show him. (took a photo as well and claimed false advertising) he put on the meanest grumpy face and sold it to me. Next day; price instore was $599!

The Bond&Bond one looked like someone used the basic console price instead of the correct one. Surely they've had enough experience of the FTA to be more subtle eg great price but "limited to 100 units NZ wide".

Just because you put the DSE manager on the spot and he backed down doesn't mean he couldn't have stuck to his position that there was a mistake.

MikeyPI

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Reply # 320604 20-Apr-2010 11:39

Bung:
MikeyPI: 2) Mistakes vs incompetence is a close one. If the mistake is the a third party fair enough, or a massive typo, $1.00 instead of $100, maybe but this sounded like bait.

I got my Elite 360 from DSE for $499 about a year ago as the had the signs instore for the bundle for $499, but the tv ad said $599. The manager tried to claim is wasnt right and they werent offering that, but I simply said I want that deal being advertised, took him round the shop to show him. (took a photo as well and claimed false advertising) he put on the meanest grumpy face and sold it to me. Next day; price instore was $599!

The Bond&Bond one looked like someone used the basic console price instead of the correct one. Surely they've had enough experience of the FTA to be more subtle eg great price but "limited to 100 units NZ wide".

Just because you put the DSE manager on the spot and he backed down doesn't mean he couldn't have stuck to his position that there was a mistake.

Yup but they then posted the flyers around their own shop, so plenty of time to either rectify, or not put up at all. Love to see that one in court!
"No it was a mistake, and we didn't notice when we designed the flyer, or when it got signed off, or when it got printed, or when it got delivered, or when we put it up!"

Lupins

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Reply # 321417 21-Apr-2010 18:51

^^ Yeah, it does seem unlikely that a flyer would have a mis-print, considering it would be checked and signed off at least three times, if not more. The store I was in had no flyers around though.

We're now up to over two weeks since I followed this up, and one week since the manager claimed he'd "investigate my claims" and I'm yet to hear a single thing. At this point I haven't even received so much as a "sorry for the error."

Clearly Bond and Bond are really concerned about customer service and sorting out these issues.

reekydesert

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Reply # 321827 22-Apr-2010 20:25

hi Lupins,
i haven't gong through fair trading act line by line, but my years in retail industry as a planner told me that if you found your store had a genuine mistake, you should prove that you tried your best to rectify it, like some out "correction notice or ticket" to post in store to tell consumers, and inform store stuff there was an mistake so they could deal with consumers properly.
i'm not sure which day of the event you went to the store, but it's it's not the 2nd or 3rd of the event, they should've noticed the mistake alrady, it they haven't, they are being ignorant and should take full responsibility of the mistake. they can say: yah it's a genuine mistake and we just didn't know it after 10 days into the promotion. also it's not very likely you are the first one to ask about this promo - if someone else has done it already, store stuff is supposed to notify the head office, and if they don't....
so my experience is, like other people has said, if you plan to go to get the deal (not like you just wonder on the road suddenly decide to get in the store to have a look), bring the flyer with you. when store stuff say they don't know about it, show them the flyer, if still they say it's wrong, ask for store manager. if they say the manager is not there, ask for whoever can make a decision, a store can never have no one in charge at any time, so there must be someone who makes decision. and be firm, can go along lines like: i don't care if it's the mistake, i came here because i saw this deal on YOUR flyer, and now i want this price, if you are losing money because the price too low, bad luck, blame your head office buyer/planner... i've tried this many times, in briscoes, farmers (as i buy more stuff there than in electronic stores), and it always worked. no sane store manager will like a consumer to make an official complaint to their head office, commerce commission, or media, good managers will complete the deal, notice head office straight away to rectify the problem, so when next consumer walks with an idea to get the deal, he or she will see a big ticket in the store saying there has been a misprint...
basically the money they lose in this deal is just not comparable with the potential loss of their reputation. ordinary sales person may not understand this, but a store manager should do (or how did they get the position?)

hope this helps... geez it's a long post...

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