RMweb Premium melmerby Posted March 8, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 8, 2012 Hi all Modelzone in Birmingham has notices stating that all Hornby stock is being re-priced to reflect Hornby's new RRP. The price on the boxes are not what you pay, the new price will be charged at the till. As much/most of this stock was bought pre rise this is at the least underhand and possibly bordering on the illegal. What do others think? Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted March 8, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 8, 2012 Shop elsewhere ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted March 8, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 8, 2012 I was under the impression that the price on the box was the max you were required to pay. Trading Standards might confirm or deny that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold sjp23480 Posted March 8, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 8, 2012 Keith I know a number of retailers that take this approach. I guess it comes down to buyer beware. My challenge with Modelzone is that their prices are different to The Signal Box, which are part of the group. For example, I recently bought a Bachmann Patriot at Modelzone for a very competitive £69.99, I then found it on TheSignal Box stand at Tenterden expo for £65.99. Caveat emptor I guess. Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennine MC Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 As much/most of this stock was bought pre rise Always assuming it is bought, and not on some sort of 'sale or return' basis. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I may be way off course, but I thought the price on an item was not firm and fixed. I seem to recall a car where the price was displayed on the windscreen in those sticky plastic letters (way back in the 60's) and the hundreds figure came off in the heat and someone wanted to buy the car at that price. Wasn't there a ruling that the price displayed was only an offer and the deal wasn't done until agreed between both parties? No doubt similar things have happened since then with internet pricing where a human error meant a wrong price was displayed. I think it's called 'invitation to treat'.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invitation_to_treat Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady_Ava_Hay Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 The abolition of Retail Price Maintenance some ( donkeys ) years ago meant that the price on the box is irrelevant. Modelzone and indeed anyone else can charge what they like for any merchandise whether new or second hand. When I was in the motor trade working at new car franchises, it was a regular occurrence to purchase new stock ex factory gate at the old price and sell on at the new. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I understand the stock in Modelzone to be on sale or return to Hornby and therefore they will charge whatever Hornby wants for the model. They are basically acting as countrywide warehouses for them; the amount of Airfix stuff in my local branch beggers belief at times. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Natalie Graham Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 If the wrong price is inadvertantly on the item, as in the case of the car referred to above, the seller is not obliged to sell at that price. However it is a legal requirement that goods for sale have the correct price displayed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 The display of a sign saying the prices would be corrected at the till is pretty common at the times of VAT changes so I expect there is some get out in the legislation that they are using. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PhilH Posted March 8, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 8, 2012 And they wonder why people are turning to (global) internet shopping. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted March 8, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 8, 2012 Any retailer can charge what they like for a product unless it is one where some sort of the equivalent of retail price maintenance still applies (e.g. I think the Net Book Agreement might still be in place?). And the answer when you don't like what a retailer charges is very simple - you take your custom elsewhere. Modelzone locally(ish) have had loads of Hornby product at deeply discounted prices on their shelves for months and i haven't heard any complaints (apart from some retailers) about them selling cheaply. Perhaps that strategy has not been successful and they're trying another one in order to improve their cash flow? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady_Ava_Hay Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 therefore they will charge whatever Hornby wants for the model. No that would be illegal. Hornby can only recommend a retail price but they cannot insist. At the same time you as a buyer are quite entitled to search for a better price elsewhere and the seller is allowed to advertise a price that he wants to sell at. That price might well be very much lower than your small local hobby shop. That difference is established by the retailer negotiating a better price by agreeing to take a certain level of stock either of this item or others. Then again, rare stock can end up on E Bay at more than RRP. My local dealer does not inflate his prices above RRP on rare stock so if the box shifters have run out, local dealers can and will supply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 The price on the boxes are not what you pay, the new price will be charged at the till. Look, if I do my big shop in Tresco's and, going off shelf prices, I budget for what I put in my trolley, the girl on the checkout can't willy nilly 'up' the prices on everything. Tesco's share price would plummet as soon as the media got hold of it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Physicsman Posted March 8, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 8, 2012 Shop elsewhere ? Unless you are desperate to line Modelzone's pockets, do as Robin says, and go elsewhere. Irrespective of consumer law, if the consumer stops shopping at a given outlet, said outlet will have to re-think its policy. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wummyock Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 They have to sell the product to you at the price on the label not a number that comes into the shop assistants head.If they argue about it thay have to take all stock off the shelf and reprice it at the price they want. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Reid Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Last Sunday's visit to the Modelzone in Aberdeen provided a nice heavily discounted Bachmann Mk1 RU - though I have to say I'd think twice before paying full price there for Hornby 08 with sound - a wallet thinning £219 (Ouch) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danemouth Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Having complained to Trading Standards about an "offy" that had one price on the shelves and charged another at the tills I know that they will take it up with the retailer. I think Modelzone may be on tricky ground. Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor H Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I think they have every right to sell at Hornby's rrp, if that's what they wish. When the VAT increase was introduced, many shops put messages up explaining the price increase could be different to that on the product, which was understandable as it was introduced at a very busy period for the retail market. But i think the way this Modelzone branch have gone about it doesn't do anything for their customer relations, why didn't the manager just get his staff to remove price labels and then reprice. All price changes are centrally adjusted except branch specials, so did other branches have the same notice in the window. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete the Elaner Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 I used to work at Sainsbury's when I was a student & 1 of my jobs was changing shelf egde labels. I could do increases before the store shut because it was ok to sell things cheaper than they were advertised for. Decreases had to wait until the store shut. I was told that the company could be prosecuted for selling items at a higher price than what they are advertised for. I really can't see this law changing. Surely such a change would never get passed? I have since been told that the seller can withdraw the item from sale if there is an issue.....I can't remember who told me that though. If I was told I had to pay a higher price than what was marked, my reaction would be to put the item on the counter & walk out. I only ever buy discounted stuff from Modelzone anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmthtrains - David Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Sounds like the staff are just too lazy to print new prices for the display - that's poor shopkeeping, but nothing illegal. If they have a notice advising the prices have gone up, that's just about acceptable if it says "by 10%" or similar (as was done during the VAT change in many places). The legalities of retail mean that you don't enter into a binding contract until purchase, so if the price at the till is higher than on display, as long as the customer is informed before they pay, no laws are being broken. You don't have to honour any advertised price if it is wrong. What you DO have to do though is display a price of some sort before the contract of sale is entered into - which is why I never use my local model shop unless desperate, as nothing in the shop is priced, and mysteriously things seem to change price at the till depending on who serves you and what mood they are in... Oh, and I do so wish the net book agreement was still in force - It would have stopped Amazon taking over the planet and saved my industry from its rapid decline down the toilet... David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor H Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Look, if I do my big shop in Tresco's and, going off shelf prices, I budget for what I put in my trolley, the girl on the checkout can't willy nilly 'up' the prices on everything. Tesco's share price would plummet as soon as the media got hold of it. Not just Tesco's but in all the big supermarkets, we're all human and quite often the price label on the shelf has not been updated to that what is on the till, as the wife often reminds me when she looks at the receipt. I think the assistant can refuse to sell you an item if its marked at a lower price and likewise you can refuse to buy it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium spamcan61 Posted March 8, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 8, 2012 What you DO have to do though is display a price of some sort before the contract of sale is entered into - which is why I never use my local model shop unless desperate, as nothing in the shop is priced, and mysteriously things seem to change price at the till depending on who serves you and what mood they are in... David I won't spend any money there full stop for that reason. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karhedron Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 They have to sell the product to you at the price on the label not a number that comes into the shop assistants head.If they argue about it thay have to take all stock off the shelf and reprice it at the price they want. Not at all, they are under no legal obligation to sell you anything. Any shop/restaurant or anything may refuse to serve if they wish. Many shops will honour a mispriced item (particularly if the shop is large or the price difference not large) but that is maintain customer goodwill, nothing to do with the law. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Y Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 If the wrong price is inadvertantly on the item, as in the case of the car referred to above, the seller is not obliged to sell at that price. However it is a legal requirement that goods for sale have the correct price displayed. This is correct and as Gordon mentioned, an 'invitation to treat' - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offer_and_acceptance#Invitations_to_treat Trading standards can choose to act upon the latter following a consumer complaint. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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