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Shoe Show dept. store prices

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  • Shoe Show dept. store prices

    I'm not actually sure if this is the correct place to put this post but I did want to know what people thought about my recent experience at Shoe Show, which is a division of The Shoe Dept. show store. I basically would like to know if you think that they were correct or if I have a right to complain.

    So I go up to the counter with a pair of Sketchers flip-flops that I really like. I found two pairs in a 6 and a 7, and found that the size 6 fit better. The problem was that the size 7 was 11.98, while the size 6 was priced 23 or 24 dollars. I went up with both pairs to see if I could get the lower price. I asked the first employee and she said yes, it would be the price for the size 6. So I decided to go ahead with the purchase and it just so happens that the more experienced employee (I've seen her several times there in the last few years) checked me out. The shoes rang up for twenty-something dollars. I told her that the exact same style shoes that were size 7 were only 11.98 and she said whatever they ring up for is the price and that the size 7's may have been mistagged. I went back to look at the shoes and as she passed me I showed her the size 7's and that they were 11.98. She said again that they may have been mistagged and that she could sell that pair for 11.98 but not the size 6. So I left without buying shoes that I really liked. I buy shoes like twice a year maybe so I put a lot of thought into them.

    Ok so sorry for the looooong story but I just wondered what everyone's opinions are. Btw, I work in retail and I know how it is, but I definitely would have given a customer at Walgreens (I work there!) the lower price.
    Also I've written a letter to the place about it. They've asked for my phone number to talk to me directly about it. I'm really good at writing angry letters when I get upset about something (Spray n' Wash comes to mind, lol!)

  • #2
    Generally, a store should honor the ticketed price, even if it is wrong, if it is lower than it should be. If it is higher than it should be, they should charge you the correct price.

    So the question in your case is which price was right? If $23 was the correct price, I don't think they were obligated to sell them to you for $11.98. If $11.98 was correct, then they should have charged you that.
    Steve

    * Despite the high cost of living, it remains very popular.
    * Why should I pay for my daughter's education when she already knows everything?
    * There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going.

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    • #3
      So do you think I should have been charged the lower price on the other pair if it was not tagged 11.98 but the same pair that was the size 7 was? Especially when one employee thought so but the other refused to give me that price. Thanks for your opinion Steve!

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      • #4
        Originally posted by nmboone View Post
        So do you think I should have been charged the lower price on the other pair if it was not tagged 11.98 but the same pair that was the size 7 was? Especially when one employee thought so but the other refused to give me that price. Thanks for your opinion Steve!
        I think you should have been charged $11.98 if the pair you were actually buying was tagged for $11.98 regardless of how much it should have been. I believe the law supports that. Otherwise, it is considered false advertising.

        If the $11.98 tag was a mistake and you were buying the pair properly tagged at $23.00, you should have been charged $23.00. I suppose it wouldn't have hurt to ask to speak to the manager and show him/her the price discrepancy and ask if you could have them for the lower price, but I don't think the store has any obligation to match a pricing mistake.
        Steve

        * Despite the high cost of living, it remains very popular.
        * Why should I pay for my daughter's education when she already knows everything?
        * There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going.

        Comment


        • #5
          In so many chain stores these days, the employees have nearly no authority to make an independent decision. They have to be guided by store policy. If they see reason to do otherwise, they have to ask a manager to take over on it. If the person you dealt with could not make a decision that s/he perceived to be against store policy even when you appeared to be asking for something reasonable, then they should have consulted a manager. And perhaps you should have asked for one if you wanted to press for the lower price.

          I do think the store has the right to charge what they want to charge, as long as they have not told you otherwise through their advertising--or even through their price tags. But if they want to charge more for a smaller size, well that's weird, but I think within their rights.
          "There is some ontological doubt as to whether it may even be possible in principle to nail down these things in the universe we're given to study." --text msg from my kid

          "It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." --Frederick Douglass

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          • #6
            The reason I did not ask is because I was fairly sure the manager wasn't there. The more experienced employee has been there a long time but I'm not sure if she is a manager or not.

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            • #7
              So I got a call from the district manager today. She said she would leave a message for the manager to give me the shoes for 11.98! Natalie:1 Shoe Show: 0 Sweet.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by nmboone View Post
                So I got a call from the district manager today. She said she would leave a message for the manager to give me the shoes for 11.98! Natalie:1 Shoe Show: 0 Sweet.
                Good for you. A few minutes of your time saved you over $10. Nice.
                Steve

                * Despite the high cost of living, it remains very popular.
                * Why should I pay for my daughter's education when she already knows everything?
                * There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going.

                Comment


                • #9
                  It may not have been a mistake. Years ago (prehistoric days) I worked for JC Penney in a small town. By accident we had about 140 pairs of girls size 14 jeans come in, instead of the 4 pairs in each color that were supposed to come in. To reduce the size 14's we were instructed by the manager to sell those at 70% off the price of the other sizes. He didn't want to return them and get a charge back that would interfer with his year end bonus. We had all kinds of flack from customers over that one--because the others were more expensive.

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                  • #10
                    Thanks everyone! And mom from missouri that's a pretty interesting story! Bad customer service because someone got greedy, lol!

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                    • #11
                      Good for you! Were there only two of these style of shoes left? Usually you can tell if something was mismarked (the only one with a lower price).

                      Another story I have issues with is Hobby Lobby, they will have these signs posted for their sales, like 30% off, and it will be right there next to whatever, and you get to the register and find out it wasn't for THAT item, it was for something that was on the very top shelf. Have to be very careful there and double check what you think is on sale.

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                      • #12
                        wnl butterfly, the only two I saw were the two I've talked about. Very confusing when one says a much lower price than the other. I never saw another pair just like those in any other size or otherwise. I will try to remember that about Hobby Lobby!

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