Friendship Super Market Pricing

[Banana7]

Went to Friendship supermarket on Pattaya Tia. Picked-up a pomello, shelf price was 60 baht. On checkout cashier rings up 90 baht. Call the manager, and he insists on 90 baht because it is the computer price, says someone changed the shelf price, and after further discussion admits it is his fault for not having the correct shelf price. Manager says either buy it for 90 baht or don't take it. Other customers get involved supporting the lower price and after 15 minutes, the manager allows the pomello to be sold for 60b.

 

When there is a price discrepancy at Foodland, the manager is called to resolve it, every time the manager, without argument, allows the product to be purchased for the lower price.

 

Is there a consumer protection law in Thailand for price discrepancies between shelf price and cashier price?

 

In Canada, if the product is less than $10 and the cashier rings up a higher price than the shelf price, the consumer gets the article for free.

 

[Jingthing]

No "free" law here. Are you joking to think there is?

I haven't had problems at Friendship but often at Tops.

A marked promotion doesn't get rung up.

It's so common now that I take a picture of the promotion sign so they won't have to cause a big delay to see I'm right. 

Edited November 8, 2017 by Jingthing

[KittenKong]

I come across endless errors like this in all shops here. 7/11, BigC, Tesco, Makro .......

[AlexCanada]

Personally I don't think the 15 minutes arguing and waiting is worth 30 baht but that's just me.

[tolsti]

why on earth would you buy a common locally available fruit at Friendship? Buy it in the markets FHS !

 

Friendship, Villa, Foodland etc are for difficult items to obtain. 

 

 

[digbeth]

if you can manage to contact the department of internal trade in Thai on their hotline or whatever, it's 5,000 baht per offence fine to the shop for not displaying correct price/overcharging

[balo]

3 hours ago, digbeth said:

contact the department of internal trade i

I have the number saved on my phone , I call them weekly when I'm overcharged by 20 baht or more. 

 

 

 

[Banana7]

4 hours ago, digbeth said:

if you can manage to contact the department of internal trade in Thai on their hotline or whatever, it's 5,000 baht per offence fine to the shop for not displaying correct price/overcharging

I'll have GF make the call.

[topt]

9 hours ago, Banana7 said:

I'll have GF make the call.

Did you miss off the sarcasm emoticon..........

[NanLaew]

44 minutes ago, topt said:

Did you miss off the sarcasm emoticon..........

Like he'll have half a clue about what his GF is saying on the phone anyway?

 

Could be calling her mum for all he knows.

[topt]

19 hours ago, Banana7 said:

Is there a consumer protection law in Thailand for price discrepancies between shelf price and cashier price?

 

In Canada, if the product is less than $10 and the cashier rings up a higher price than the shelf price, the consumer gets the article for free.

UK appears to be different - https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/somethings-gone-wrong-with-a-purchase/if-something-is-advertised-at-the-wrong-price/

and - https://www.theguardian.com/money/2012/sep/10/does-shop-honour-price-shelf

Quote

No, if the displayed price is a mistake. The price tag is not a contract. It is an "invitation to treat" ie it is inviting the customer to make an offer to purchase and the retailer doesn't have to accept that offer.

Would be interestig though to know what the actual law is - so if your gf does ring see if you can get a definitive answer

[Henryford]

The law in England is that if an article is displayed with the wrong price the seller is not obliged to sell it for that price. If they do it is only at their discretion. Agree it is annoying but i would have just not bought the item. Simple. Who has the time to argue over 30 baht !!

[pegman]

This happened to me at Safeway last week but I have never heard of getting the under $10 item free. Where exactly in Canada does that exist?

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

2 hours ago, pegman said:

This happened to me at Safeway last week but I have never heard of getting the under $10 item free. Where exactly in Canada does that exist?

 

Consumer protection laws come under the purview of each province, except where frauds and such become a criminal (federal) matter.  So you are going to get different regulations and penalties across the country.

[digbeth]

3 hours ago, Henryford said:

The law in England is that if an article is displayed with the wrong price the seller is not obliged to sell it for that price. If they do it is only at their discretion. Agree it is annoying but i would have just not bought the item. Simple. Who has the time to argue over 30 baht !!

Thai law doesn't seem to have exception for mistakes with wrong price, as it would probably be hard to prove intent between intentionally mislabeling thing in deception vs genuine honest mistake.

 

one thing many forgot is that when big retail stores make the mistake, they don't pocket the difference if they were to 'overcharge' the customers, the price is set in the system and if the shelf label is shown to be cheaper, their cost and profit doesn't change, the customers may feel lost out and that the mistake is 'costing' them and entitled to the difference.

 

But some mistake like if a product is on promotion and they forgot to change the label back when the promotion is over... I find this a lot at Tesco Lotus in Thailand, I saw the product and price on the shelves and intend to buy it in good faith, if they were to give me the option to either take it or leave it that'd leave a bad experience for me. Tesco used to advertise that they'll give you 10 times the product value if there's mistake in price but they quietly drops that

[Mattd]

23 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I haven't had problems at Friendship but often at Tops.

A marked promotion doesn't get rung up.

I shop at Tops a lot during the week in Bangkok, I'm not a One Card holder, I also noticed that these promotion prices are sometimes not passed on, until it was pointed out that the promotion prices are only for One Card holders, to be fair, they often enter in a card number (probably their own) and I then get the discount and if it is their card number, they get the points, so a fair exchange as far as I'm concerned 

[balo]

16 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Like he'll have half a clue about what his GF is saying on the phone anyway?

 

Could be calling her mum for all he knows.

Or her Thai village husband  . 

 

[balo]

12 hours ago, Mattd said:

promotion prices are only for One Card holders

You can download the One Card app to your phone , and use it to check the points balance . You will also have access to many rewards , inside Central. If you exchange 100 points , you'll get a coffee drink for 40 baht at Segafredo (normal price up to 130 baht).   

 

[Banana7]

On 11/9/2017 at 12:10 PM, pegman said:

This happened to me at Safeway last week but I have never heard of getting the under $10 item free. Where exactly in Canada does that exist?

Here is the sticker that is displayed near the cash register, by the best retailers in Canada.

 

Previously, in Canada, retailers had to put the price tag on each and every product offered for sale. Trade law was if a seller offers an item at a price and the price is accepted by the buyer, then the seller must sell the item to the buyer at the offer price. This trade law is the foundation of all trade in Canada and most other countries, and executed millions of times per day, on the stock market and other markets.

 

Retailers wanted the law changed to not have to put the price on every item, just use the shelf offer price and use bar codes, in order to reduce costs. The government and consumers were concerned that shelf price would not be same as the register price and there would no incentive or reason to put the accurate price on the shelf.

 

So the retail council of Canada instituted the below policy.

 

Edited November 10, 2017 by Banana7

[Banana7]

Accurate pricing is also important for fair competition. Price is a critical factor in making a purchase decision.

 

Here is an example. If there are 3 bottles of ketchup on a shelf, all the same size, and all are suitable to a consumer in other aspects, like taste etc.. The bottles have a shelf prices of 30b, 40b and 50b. Consumer chooses 30b one, goes to cashier, price becomes 51b, and consumer doesn't notice the price change.  Then not only is the consumer cheated, but also the other 2 manufacturers who's product was not selected for purchase are also cheated.

 

It's up to the government to establish fair trade law and also to enforce it.

 

Edited November 10, 2017 by Banana7

[EcigAmateur]

I do not check prices, this is a poor man attitude.

 

 

[Jingthing]

I do not check prices, this is a poor man attitude.
 
 

So what?

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[lou62]

3 hours ago, EcigAmateur said:

I do not check prices, this is a poor man attitude.

 

 

 

I think it's silly or irresponsible not to check prices.

[KittenKong]

11 hours ago, EcigAmateur said:

I do not check prices, this is a poor man attitude.

 

I am not a poor man but I do check prices. Given the huge number of errors made in Thailand I consider this to be basic common sense.

[EcigAmateur]

8 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

I am not a poor man but I do check prices. Given the huge number of errors made in Thailand I consider this to be basic common sense.

 

Knowing that I never checked prices anywhere in the world (not scare to pay $2 more) and knowing how cheap is life here, it's not going to start now, spending time earning a lot of money is more useful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[KittenKong]

1 hour ago, EcigAmateur said:

 

Knowing that I never checked prices anywhere in the world (not scare to pay $2 more) and knowing how cheap is life here, it's not going to start now, spending time earning a lot of money is more useful.

 

I wouldnt know. I had earned more than enough money to stop working when I was 50. Doesnt stop me being careful with it though, especially as I have plenty of spare time and can do with the mental exercise.

[rott]

Seems to me that in general in Thailand, putting the relevant price tag in front of the appropriate item is a vague aspiration rather than a basic requirement. And therefore not regarded as high priority.

[Jip99]

3 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

I wouldnt know. I had earned more than enough money to stop working when I was 50. Doesnt stop me being careful with it though, especially as I have plenty of spare time and can do with the mental exercise.

 

 

Yes, but you probably retired your ego at the same time...?

[EcigAmateur]

7 hours ago, rott said:

Seems to me that in general in Thailand, putting the relevant price tag in front of the appropriate item is a vague aspiration rather than a basic requirement. And therefore not regarded as high priority.

 

Their only high priority is eating, what else ?

Even having light on their bikes or cars is not a priority...

 

 

 

 

[rott]

Seeing as  what they are getting paid for is putting the appropriate stock behind the relevant price label I just thought that it would be some sort of job priority.

 

Eating and road traffic law observance falls outside employment requirements and so is a different matter.

 

No alcohol tonight so feeling a bit crabby.