Buyer Beware

[fritz eng]

Several days before Labor Day, a well known seller of excellent and high quality tools based in California advertised a tool sale touting that the prices would remain effective until xx hours before the close of the holiday. After placing an order and not more than 24 hours after the so called deadline, the seller reduced the sale price even further while I waited for my order to arrive. Although I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this seller’s tools, this is the second time I have experienced this same chain of events. Yes, shame on me. To be fair I wrote asking that I be reimbursed for the price differential which was granted but only after requesting that I be credited through my charge card account and not given store credit, which was first offered by the seller. Yes, shame on me a second time because their refund policy, at their discretion, is to either refund through store credit or be surcharged 5% for credit card purchases..........

[Nicholas Lawrence]

Several days before Labor Day, a well known seller of excellent and high quality tools based in California advertised a tool sale touting that the prices would remain effective until xx hours before the close of the holiday. After placing an order and not more than 24 hours after the so called deadline, the seller reduced the sale price even further while I waited for my order to arrive. Although I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this seller’s tools, this is the second time I have experienced this same chain of events. Yes, shame on me. To be fair I wrote asking that I be reimbursed for the price differential which was granted but only after requesting that I be credited through my charge card account and not given store credit, which was first offered by the seller. Yes, shame on me a second time because their refund policy, at their discretion, is to either refund through store credit or be surcharged 5% for credit card purchases..........
Not entirely clear what danger I need to avoid. It sounds like they sold you tools you wanted at a price you agreed to pay?

[Gary Ragatz]

Not entirely clear what danger I need to avoid. It sounds like they sold you tools you wanted at a price you agreed to pay?

Actually, it sounds like they agreed to sell him tools at a lower price than what he originally agreed to pay.

I've run into the situation myself - buy something and then see it offered for a lower price, from the same seller, a day or two later. I refuse to whine about it - if I thought it was a fair price when I bought it, then it's a fair price. My wife on the other hand, will always ask for the lower price. Some major retailers seem to have a policy that they will grant the lower price if you bought within some limited time prior to the price reduction.

[Scott Clausen]

Sorry but what are you expecting the seller to do, seek out each previous buyer every time he reduces the sale price to offer a refund?

[George Wall]

Even the Big Box stores that offer price protection on their products still require the buyer to apply for it. If sellers were required to notify every past buyer of a sale, sellers would never be able to offer sales at all.

[Jim Koepke]

Although I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this seller’s tools, this is the second time I have experienced this same chain of events. Yes, shame on me.

If this is a regular practice of this retailer it might be wise to work on this preemptively by asking for price protection the next time you wish to buy a tool "on sale."

jtk

[Mike Brady]

There are an interesting series of responses to the original post, above. All make valid points. I had a similar situation with a different California tool retailer, where I ordered something to be shipped to me and it went on sale before I received it. The seller certainly knew the item was about to go on sale when he accepted my order, since he runs the business. As a former retailer, I operated by the principal that there was nothing that is worth losing a customer over. I recall only one instance in which it was decided that a customer would simply be refunded his full purchase price, with our apologies, rather than argue further. In the case of my tool purchase that I mentioned earlier, I never did business with that store again, and would not. He was the loser, and his store is gone, or (sold/moved) to another state. You might recognize the name.

[Anuj Prateek]

Back in the US I had a CC that offered price protection. Price protection worked across sellers. Used it once or twice when I ordered something and later found it cheaper on some other website. Similarly, some CC offer return protection, loss protection and extended warranty. Do check your CC agreements, just in case there are benefits you are not using.

[Clifford McGuire]

I'm lost. They gave you the reduced price, no? And credited you the difference, even though their policy says it could be store credit.

Or am I missing something??

[Gary Ragatz]

As a former retailer, I operated by the principal that there was nothing that is worth losing a customer over.

Interesting. My Dad ran a business (B2B, not retail), and I can recall him telling me more than once when I was working for him, "Sometimes there are customers who are just more trouble than they're worth." Once he figured out who they were, any quote included a PITA premium. If they wanted to negotiate, he'd just walk away. He did very well for himself.

[Eric Rathhaus]

Fritz, the higher price you paid was a premium to ensure you got the item you wanted at the first sale price. It's common for sellers to hold sales, and later, drop the prices to get rid of the items not purchased during the original sale. You can always wait and hope an item you want makes it to the day after sale. I see nothing shady or underhanded about this practice.

[Ron Selzer]

Fritz, the higher price you paid was a premium to ensure you got the item you wanted at the first sale price. It's common for sellers to hold sales, and later, drop the prices to get rid of the items not purchased during the original sale. You can always wait and hope an item you want makes it to the day after sale. I see nothing shady or underhanded about this practice.

agree 100%

[Peter Schussheim]

What is the name of this retailer?


Several days before Labor Day, a well known seller of excellent and high quality tools based in California advertised a tool sale touting that the prices would remain effective until xx hours before the close of the holiday. After placing an order and not more than 24 hours after the so called deadline, the seller reduced the sale price even further while I waited for my order to arrive. Although I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this seller’s tools, this is the second time I have experienced this same chain of events. Yes, shame on me. To be fair I wrote asking that I be reimbursed for the price differential which was granted but only after requesting that I be credited through my charge card account and not given store credit, which was first offered by the seller. Yes, shame on me a second time because their refund policy, at their discretion, is to either refund through store credit or be surcharged 5% for credit card purchases..........

[Frederick Skelly]

agree 100%

Me too....