Author Topic: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch  (Read 11132 times)

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #25 on: 22 October, 2008, 08:45:24 pm »
No reply from PC World either, so complaint sent to Trading Standards.  Besides anything else, this sort of behaviour buggers up all the price comparison sites.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

JT

  • Howay the lads!
    • CTC Peterborough
Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #26 on: 23 October, 2008, 09:08:09 am »
Mrs JT works with someone who's just joined her company from DSG and he's just asked about the Garmin on our behalf. Apparently they now have warehouse stock and limited stock some in stores. The Halifax branch apparently has one but it is ex-display.
a great mind thinks alike

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #27 on: 23 October, 2008, 05:42:10 pm »
The humungous Swindon stores (Currys and PC World next to each other) only sell car satnav.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

rr

Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #28 on: 24 October, 2008, 10:13:47 am »
Mrs JT works with someone who's just joined her company from DSG and he's just asked about the Garmin on our behalf. Apparently they now have warehouse stock and limited stock some in stores. The Halifax branch apparently has one but it is ex-display.


The website still shows no stock

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #29 on: 25 October, 2008, 07:39:41 pm »
TS have acknowledged my e-mail.

Oh, still no stock.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #30 on: 25 October, 2008, 07:52:57 pm »
Just looked it up, listed for £39.97 - £10 off, still out of stock ofc.... ???

Frere

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #31 on: 15 November, 2008, 10:57:12 am »
Shows how effective Trading Standards are.  And once you've made a complaint, you can only contact them by phone, which is crap if you work in an open-plan office during the day.

I went into one of Currys' shops this week for a laugh.  Usual subhuman idiot asks if I want any help.  I explained what I was looking for.

"Have you tried online?"

"Yes, but they've been out of stock for over a month although they've reduced the price to £40, when everywhere else sells them for more than £100."

"In that case, they know won't be getting any more of them in", he laughed, obviously used to this sort of thing, then tried to sell me a car satnav.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #32 on: 15 November, 2008, 11:06:44 am »
I spoke to a friend who works in PC World (same company) about this.  He said that it only takes one branch to have one product at that price (even if it is missing parts, shop-soiled, etc) and that is the price that will show up across the range.

Apparently the shop staff find it just as annoying as customers because they are regularly asked about these items and are unable to trace them on their system, thus wasting everyone's time.

He says he is going to use some trickery to try and locate the offending item.
The sound of one pannier flapping

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #33 on: 03 December, 2008, 07:02:56 pm »
VAT's gone down - price reduced to £39.11.

Still no stock.  A pox on DSG and on the wholly ineffectual Trading Standards.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #34 on: 05 December, 2008, 04:44:01 pm »
VAT's gone down - price reduced to £39.11.

Still no stock.  A pox on DSG and on the wholly ineffectual Trading Standards.

Surely they are not breaking the law because they are clearly indicating that they don't have any to sell at that price..

Can you place an order in anticipation of a restock?

..d
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #35 on: 05 December, 2008, 08:43:32 pm »
No, you can't.

Halfrauds have cut the price of the 205 to £99.99, incidentally, although it still looks expensive compared to the eTrex range because it doesn't do maps.  At all.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #36 on: 11 January, 2009, 10:24:18 am »
VAT's gone down - price reduced to £39.11.

Still no stock.  A pox on DSG and on the wholly ineffectual Trading Standards.

Surely they are not breaking the law because they are clearly indicating that they don't have any to sell at that price..

Can you place an order in anticipation of a restock?

..d

They may be breaking the law by bait advertising.   The fact that they have had this advertised for so long, and not stocked it could be implied that it is a deliberate bait.  It may be sheer incompetence but they have a duty to ensure that what they advertise is real.   

Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #37 on: 11 January, 2009, 10:27:42 am »
Roger,

Send TS a follow up email if they're still advertising it.   If they are then it is really taking the piss.

Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #38 on: 11 January, 2009, 10:29:24 am »
Actually, I've just checked.  They are still advertising it.

Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #39 on: 11 January, 2009, 10:35:27 am »
And, I've just emailed Warwickshire Trading Standards.   

Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #40 on: 11 January, 2009, 12:55:58 pm »
This reminds me of a tale a workmate used to tell, about a friend, Bob, who went to a scrapyard for a radiator for his lorry:

Bob: "Have you got a radiator for a 10 ton truck?"

Scrapman: "I can do you one for £20."

Bob: "Jones' scrapyard, down the road, only wanted £10 for one!"

Scrapman: "Why didn't you buy it?"

Bob: "He didn't have one in."

Scrapman: "Well - when we haven't got one, our's are only £5"  ;D

Bob: "Okay, I'll come back when you haven't got one then."


 ;D ;D ;D
If it ain't broke, fix it 'til it is...

JT

  • Howay the lads!
    • CTC Peterborough
Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #41 on: 11 January, 2009, 10:09:50 pm »
We've reported them to the ASA.
a great mind thinks alike

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #42 on: 17 January, 2009, 06:59:49 pm »
Just went to their site to check again (still OOS) and I got a pop-up survey  :demon:
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #43 on: 17 January, 2009, 07:36:56 pm »
They replied to me (They being Warwickshire Trading Standards):

Dear Mr Polar Bear,

Thanks for your email. I have checked the site and note that the item is still out of stock. I am not convinced this amounts to bait and switch because it is not obvious what alternative is being offered. Is your argument that the customer is attracted to the Website in general and then may decide to buy an unrelated item?

Yours sincerely,

Not Bothered


So I have just replied...

Dear Not bothered,

Customers looking for that device or similar have been drawn to that website by an advertisement for that device for a price fnitially at £49.97 in September.   For a number of weeks now it has been priced below £40.   During that time it seems that the product have never actually been available to purchase at the advertised price.

Why would they advertise for so long other than to tempt potential buyers in?   An error is an error, but to reduce the price rather than simply to remove the advert appears tantamount to baiting potential customers in my opinion.   Might I suggest that you check the price with other retailers?  Even online it is impossible to find another one advertised for under £90.   

I have been reading here  The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 No. 1277

I refer to Part 2, Prohibitions, section 5, Misleading Actions:

Part 2, s5 (4) (b) the main characteristics of the product (as defined in paragraph 5);

Part 2, s5 (5) (a) availability of the product;

The legislation does not appear to insist that the bait simply needs to be an inducement.   

Since Curry’s have been advertising this on their website at a very competitive price since September, and it is not actually ever available, I conclude that they may be in breach.   

Yours,

Polar Bear

gonzo

Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #44 on: 17 January, 2009, 09:04:48 pm »
Various supermarkets have got in trouble about this over Christmas because they were offering some very cheap drinks, put lots of advertising showing these prices but had very limited stock.

Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #45 on: 17 January, 2009, 09:29:17 pm »
I can see the argument with supermarkets, since clearly you have to go there, and find no stock, and end up buying something else again.  I guess that it's not quite as true about an online retailer, where the effort involved in going to another store is substantially smaller.

Of course, if the same price is meant to be available in-store, then clearly it could be argued that this is an inducement to go to the store, and in effect it's an advertisement (although not quite so blatant).

As has been said, they don't seem to have bothered to remove the item, and have actually dropped it in price (whilst remaining out of stock...) which does seem either spectacularly stupid, or suspicious.
Actually, it is rocket science.
 

Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #46 on: 17 January, 2009, 09:31:06 pm »
It's four bloody months and one price drop.  It's being advertised for less than half the price anybody else is advertising it.  I bet other advertisers can supply it.

It is grossly and consistently misleading.   




Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #47 on: 19 January, 2009, 05:24:40 pm »
TS have agreed to investigate further.   :thumbsup:

...

Schedule I (5) is probably more appropriate although the problem here is that the information that it is out of stock arguably negates the potential invitation.

5.  Making an invitation to purchase products at a specified price without disclosing the existence of any reasonable grounds the trader may have for believing that he will not be able to offer for supply, or to procure another trader to supply, those products or equivalent products at that price for a period that is, and in quantities that are, reasonable having regard to the product, the scale of advertising of the product and the price offered (bait advertising).

Having said the above I will be looking into the matter further and will tell you the outcome.

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #48 on: 19 January, 2009, 07:23:37 pm »
TS have agreed to investigate further.   :thumbsup:

...

Schedule I (5) is probably more appropriate although the problem here is that the information that it is out of stock arguably negates the potential invitation.

5.  Making an invitation to purchase products at a specified price without disclosing the existence of any reasonable grounds the trader may have for believing that he will not be able to offer for supply, or to procure another trader to supply, those products or equivalent products at that price for a period that is, and in quantities that are, reasonable having regard to the product, the scale of advertising of the product and the price offered (bait advertising).

Having said the above I will be looking into the matter further and will tell you the outcome.


I think you may find the words 'not in stock' adequately covered the 'reasonable grounds for believing they will not be able to supply'
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

Re: Garmin Edge 205 for £49.97 at Currys...but there's a catch
« Reply #49 on: 19 January, 2009, 07:26:03 pm »
But you can't reasonably have the produce "Not in Stock" for month after month after month.  At some point you remove it from the website, and it stops being found by search engines etc

Google Shopping; The third return I get is for Currys.
Actually, it is rocket science.