Argos (catalogue shop in UK) trying to rip us off?

[missthingsplace]

I went to Argos today to buy a new watch - mine conked out before xmas - and i found one i liked priced at  £22.39, so i write the number down and give it to the assistant and she fetches one and puts it through the till and tells me that it's now £30.59 because of the VAT increase ... an increase of 2.5%!

This sounds rather wrong to me so i questioned it and she replied that if the till says that's the price then it must be right, so liking the watch i pay and leave but once outside my daugher and i question it again, there no way a VAT rise of 2.5% on that price would increase it by £8, it shouldn't have been more than about 60p!

So, we head back in and go to the Customer Services desk and explain and she goes off to investigate, while she's gone my daughter puts the number of another watch in the display case into one of the computer stock checkers and it come up £5 more than the price on the watch, which was £19.99.

The assistant returns and tells me she can resell me the watch for £22.94, which would be about right, so i agree, but how many people wouldn't question it? I work in retail and there are some gullible people out there i can tell you, when i originally questioned the assistant who sold it to me she said it was the VAT increase so even she's not exactly loaded with brains!

I've emailed Argos' head office to ask them if they are using the VAT increase to increase their prices and if so they really should admit it, not use it to hide a lie and told them that i will be contacting Trading Standards, as my husband stated, that really is criminal!

Unbelievable!!!

Have been out all day, more fic soon, i promise.

Di x

Comments

[trektorch]

What is VAT-Value Added Tax? Yeah, you got to watch them every minute. There was a thing on one of the morning programs today about how packaging and amounts in the pack (for example, orange juice) are shrinking, yet you are being charged the same price or even more for the item. And you are right, most people will just pay it and not question the price.

[missthingsplace]

Yeah, value added tax, it's just gone up from 17.5% to 20% ... that product shrinking thing has been going on here for ages.

[ceindreadh]

An 8 pound increase is most definitely a total rip-off. Good for you for questioning it, and more so for emailing the head office.

And you're right, a lot of people would just assume that any price increases were down to VAT and not question it.

It happened here a few years ago when the rate went from 21% to 21.5% and many shopkeepers took advantage of the rise to increase prices. Naturally of course, many of them (M&S being an exception), didn't bother to reduce their prices when the rate went back down to 21% last year.

[missthingsplace]

I think a lot of shops never dropped the prices when they went down to 15% for a while here ... which didn't work as they are not increasing them from the 17.5% they went back to before xmas.

I am going to email trading standards in the morning, i can't wait to see the reply from Argos.

[thraceadams]

GRRRRRR what a ripoff!!!!!

[missthingsplace]

Oh yes, it's a good job i have a brain and can do maths in my head!

[reddevilpoes]

Good on you! Noticing, claiming and getting the price down to somewhat more correct yhan the first..
I agree, they will keep trying. Either by upping the price or by 'new and improved' packaging..meaning more expensive...

[missthingsplace]

I suspect the prices in their new catalogue will just be a darn sight higher than the current one, and no-one will question it sadly.

[choccy_grl]

TBH I think Argos should have to stick to the price in the catalogue and stuck it up about the VAT increase or release a new catalogue with the correct, new prices in. You shouldn't get caught out when you go to the till.

[missthingsplace]

They have signs up saying they are in the process of changing the prices to comply with the VAT rise, which is fair enough, but what they aren't saying is that they are upping the prices by a huge amount that doesn't account for the VAT.

There is a huge difference between the 60p that the price should have changed by and the £8 they wanted to charge, they are not just adding on VAT and that's just wrong. If they want to increase the prices then they should be explaining that too, not trying to fool people.

I'm sure the new catalogue will be out soon, with they huge price increases but they shouldn't be able to get away with that kinda of mark up when clearly they aren't just adding the extra 2.5% VAT.

[choccy_grl]

I think the new catalogue is normally the end of January. If they want to increase the prices they should just wait for the new catalogue.

[missthingsplace]

They should. I have no problem with putting the prices up, thats their progative, it's the sneakiness that made me angry.

[r2d2antics]

Hi, it isn't 60p, it is only 48pence. This link is for the BBC VAT calculator(halfway down the page)if it doesn't work then i will asend it to you via Add This.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10373992

[missthingsplace]

We were only working it out roughly in our heads, that it couldn't be more than 60p, i think that yes, they still ripped us off by a few pence but that's better than £8!

Thanks for the link :)