Online/in-Store Different Prices On Same Product?

[-mermaid-]

Hi, bought some shoes online from Topshop a few weeks ago, they were £15 in the sale and I love them so much I decided to get another pair exactly the same. They no longer had my size on the internet so I found a store which still had them in stock and they cost me £20; however online they are still £15- are companies allowed to do this and why?!

[jackthehat]

When did you find out that they would cost you £20?

[Old_Geezer]

Why would folk stop them ? They can offer their goods at any price they think attractive.

In any case they are probably trying to encourage Net purchases as presumably they work out cheaper for them.

[dotty.]

yes they are, the online business is a different business to the high street business, it will have a .co.uk business address behind it;s name and the shop won't. also, it is cheaper to store stock in a dark warehouse in a sealed box than on a shop shelf with an assistant standing there awaiting your custom.

[sunny-dave]

Companies do it all the time - just compare the online prices for stuff at Currys and PCWorld with their store ticket prices.

They are pricing 'opportunistically' to get the most they can for their stock.

[dotty.]

no they are not sunny dave who ever told you that? online prices do not have to factor in the same overheads of a high street store

[whiskeryron]

I would imagine that companies can charge what they like, it is you the customer who decides whether or not to pay the price asked.

WR.

[Prudie]

Loads of goods are cheaper online than in store. I presume they can charge what they like.Two local Tesco to me, only 20 miles apart, recently had petrol at 4p difference to one another.

[MrIncredible]

In the past when i have wanted to buy something from currys/pc world I reserve it for store pick up (make sure you take along the printed sheet with reservation number AND PRICE) when you collect it you pay the online price and not the in store price which is usually more expensive. Saved my self quite a bit of money by doing this!

[sunny-dave]

Yes they are pricing opportunistically, dotty.

Online they are 'kept honest' by other online sellers - in store they (quite rightly) will charge whatever they think the local 'passing trade' market will bear.

In the same way Tesco (for example) will have different pricing models depending on the size of store and local competition - regardless of the precise overheads of any individual store (and just watch those prices magically increase if they drive a competitor out of town) ...

I'm not criticising them - it's just how business works these days.

[-mermaid-]

Gotcha. Damn. Still, at least it was only a fiver! Thanks =]