Is it fair to not honor a advertised price on a tool company website?

[michael flay]

I had read on a thread about a company offering a discount of $100 on the purchase of a driftmaster fence and $75 on a set of ceramic guides. I checked out there site and saw that the discount was not shown on the guides but was still shown on the fence. I decided to contact the company via live chat and inquire about this deal, I was told that the deal had ended in December and that I should just contact my local dealer in Canada. I then mentioned that the fence discount was shown on there website and was told that this was a IT glitch and it just happens while I am chatting it mysteriously disappears off the site!! How convenient !!! I contacted the company by phone and was told the best they could do after speaking to a manager was offer me $50 off each item for a savings of $100 not the $175 that was initially available. Now the discount on the guides is not the issue as it was not listed anymore, but I think they should have honored the $100 discount that was still shown on the fence as a sign of good faith. Is that an unreasonable request? As a side note I purchased a MM20 resaw bandsaw this summer after being told that there was a supply issue with this companies euro saws and am in the process of selling my 17" General bandsaw, because I want a footbrake on my smaller saw as I had a close call recently and this would have helped and was dealing with my local dealer on purchasing one of this companies machines but after this I am now looking at other companies offerings. Thanks for listening.

[John Schweikert]

Life is short to worry about it, but other sales will come along.

[Dan Hintz]

Depends upon if you want to be a stickler and get something that was never meant to be yours... such as in the case mentioned above (and in an earlier thread). In this case, the proper answer is "yes, it's fair". You were told it was a mistake, because it likely was, and now you're hurt because you didn't get what you had hoped to. There was no maliciousness or attempt at trickery, but your feelings are hurt, so you're whining to the public at large hoping we'll back you up. I'd be hurt, too, if it happened to me (and it has, on multiple occasions)... but that's an emotional judgement that doesn't matter to the question of "fairness". The service guy on the phone didn't handle it well, but he told you the likely truth, so making a demand they honor the price is childish. If they willingly do so, kudos to them, and they would be able to count me as a faithful customer for years to come (and I would certainly not miss the opportunity to ask), but I wouldn't hold it against them.

If the company made a habit of posting sales only to yank the rug out from under you once in the store or on the website, then yes, it's unfair... but I don't see that as the case here.

[John Schweikert]

I was asking looking for constructive answers not smart comments!!!

It wasn't intended as being smart. Plenty of comments were provided yesterday from your previous thread! You seem to feel slighted by that company, but those are your own feelings. Other people would just find other options.

Dan's remarks are spot on!

[Erik Loza]

Two thoughts, then I'm outta' here...

1.) Why do we wait until the last minute to try and make decisions like this?

2.) We're talking about a $75 difference, right? Are you telling me that would not get $75 worth of use out of this device between now and whenever it might go on sale again. Or, to put it another way, would you be willing to wait, say, six months just to save $75 but completely without it in the meantime?

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Stephen Cherry]

Have you considered crying? You missed the sale. The company offered a sale, you missed it. They slipped up a little, but you are dealing with a woodworking company, not amazon. They are not website experts. Would you prefer that companies go out of business, or give up their websites, or never have sales? Wasn't this same thing posted yesterday?

[Rich Riddle]

I am trying to figure out why this is in the general woodworking and power tool section. The accessories you discuss are not power tools and the thread has nothing to do with woodworking. Why not post this in the "off topic" forum?

[johnny means]

Would you want to not get paid for a days work because you forgot to clock in? Would you want to pay more because the 7 on your check looked like a 9? Of course, after squeezing companies for every last discount we can, we'll complain about how all our goods and services are being cheapened to the point of being worthless.

[Frederick Skelly]

Yes Michael, its fair. They offerred you $100 instead of the original $175. Thats not bad - they met you slightly more than half way. Id either thank them and politely accept their offer or decline and refuse to buy from them again (edit: if you truly feel wronged). But as I said in response to the post yesterday, I feel they were very reasonable with you. After all, the sale WAS over. I wouldnt "dis" them - they tried to settle fairly.

Fred

[Dave Lehnert]

Were you interested in the fence and the guides? If so, you said the guide sale price was not listed on sale so not an issue. If then they offered you $50 off each item, that would have been the same as $100 off the fence. If you only wanted the fence then it does not work.

It' s always frustrating when something like that happens but mistakes always will happen. Only right to let someone correct it. Now if a company would say one price then charge you a higher price on your card, that would be WRONG!

[Peter Quinn]

I'm humming to a Steve Miller tune "Go on take the discount and run.....go on take the discount and run." They offered you $100 in discounts as an appeasement for a minor error on their part, not keeping their site completely current. Others get railed for doing something they are in no way obligated to. You will get no more sympathy from me. Not only is it fair, its generous and reasonable IMO.

I can remember as a grocery stock boy watching a women dig through piles of canned beans, tearing the shelves apart trying to find one can that was marked lower than the advertised price, then taking 10 cans to the register and demanding all ten cans at that price. See where I'm going here......

[michael flay]

Wow tough crowd, I think I will go back to checking in and reading the forums and not participating if this is the kind of responses one will get. I was simple asking a question, a simple yes it's fair or no it's not fair would suffice!! I never once asked to have my hand held or be consoled ! Out of ten responses 3 are civil and the rest look like they were written by a bunch of angry jr high kids frankly these are the kind of insulting smart alec remarks I would expect from my two school age kids. Anyways now I am ranting and lowering myself to there level. Sorry for the trouble.

As for the other thread I thought a observant person would have noticed it disappeared!!!!!

[Stephen Cherry]

Wow tough crowd, I think I will go back to checking in and reading the forums and not participating if this is the kind of responses one will get. I was simple asking a question, a simple yes it's fair or no it's not fair would suffice!! I never once asked to have my hand held or be consoled ! Out of ten responses 3 are civil and the rest look like they were written by a bunch of angry jr high kids frankly these are the kind of insulting smart alec remarks I would expect from my two school age kids. Anyways now I am ranting and lowering myself to there level. Sorry for the trouble.

As for the other thread I thought a observant person would have noticed it disappeared!!!!!

I guess people get tired of harsh criticisms of woodworking companies that are doing their best to provide good products at reasonable prices. The sale was over, you missed it, they made a little slip up in the website, and offered to extend the sale, in part. Nothing complex. Nothing really related to the performance of a product. Looks more like an attempt to damage the name of a company than anything else, in an attempt to get even.

Maybe the other thread disappeared because it was seen as just an attempt to damage the good name of a company that has provided nice machines for a long time. Personally, I would rather see these companies remain viable businesses than damage their reputation for something trivial.

All just my opinions though, and, of course, the moderators do their best to keep things positive.

[Rich Riddle]

Michael,

Your question was answered yesterday. The thread disappeared, but you knew the preponderance of members didn't agree with your assertions. Yet, you come and ask the same question today. Many get annoyed when repeatedly asked the same question. In court your line of questions would have been ignored as "asked and answered." You didn't like the answers you received. We all don't get answers we want.

You come across as self-righteous and condescending to the company and the people here. Don't expect that type of behavior to merit friendly responses. Time to stop beating this dead horse and gracefully behave. There's always an ignore feature to bock comments from folks you don't like reading; I believe I will try it for only the second time right now.

[David Weaver]

I think they're being at least fair by offering a hundred bucks on the two things. I would've taken the deal. there have been several times I got something on amazon where the seller said it was a listing mistake and amazon said they don't honor listing mistakes.