Can a retailer advertise a discounted TV and then cancel my order?
Q: I recently spotted a TV online that was heavily reduced in a sale, so I ordered and paid for it. A few days later, the retailer emailed to say my order had been cancelled and that I’d be getting a refund. I’d been keeping an eye on the TV for a while and I don’t remember ever seeing it sold at the higher “was” price that they advertised. Can a retailer advertise a discount like this and then cancel my order?
Ann, Mullingar
It’s frustrating to think you’ve found a great deal, only to have the order cancelled a few days later. There are two separate things to look at here: what happened with your order and whether the discount was advertised correctly.
First, the cancelled order. Paying for something online doesn’t always mean the retailer has formally accepted your order. This will usually depend on its terms and conditions. Some retailers, for example, state that an order is only accepted once the item has been dispatched rather than when payment is taken or an order acknowledgement is sent.
Have a look back at your confirmation email and the retailer’s terms and conditions to see when an order is considered accepted. If you think your order had already been accepted, go back to the retailer in writing and ask why it was cancelled. If the retailer was entitled to cancel the order, you should get your money back in full.
Then there’s the sale price. Retailers can, of course, reduce their prices, but there are rules around how those savings are advertised. If something is advertised as “was €1,000, now €700”, for example, the previous or ‘prior’ price should generally be the lowest price that applied to the product during the previous 30 days. This is to give shoppers a fair picture of the saving they’re actually getting.
As you’d already been keeping an eye on this TV, it’s worth holding on to anything that shows the prices you saw, along with screenshots of the sale and your order confirmation. You could also ask the retailer to explain the previous or ‘prior’ price stated in the pricing of the product.
If you’re still concerned that the prior price wasn’t advertised correctly, you can flag the pricing issue with the CCPC. While the CCPC doesn’t step into individual disputes, information from consumers can help highlight where there may be a wider issue with how prices or discounts are being advertised. You can find more information on pricing and your shopping rights on the CCPC website.
