Purchased camera for higher price

[deanstein]

Hi all

I wonder if anyone can help me. Yesterday (26 Feb 2012) I purchased a camera bundle from a store for R10,999. I've subsequently noticed that their website shows a price for the bundle I bought of R10,695. Furthermore I now see that another store is offering the identical bundle for R9,999.

I know I should've done my homework before purchasing but surely I can evoke the CPA for these reasons? I have opened the box but I still have all the original packaging. In what position do I stand?

Thank you in advance.

[koeksGHT]

You have 7 days to return under CPA?

[bwana]

I've just read section 20 of the CPA and I don't see any grounds that you could evoke the act. Maybe I missed something though.

Maybe the store has a decent returns policy of its own?

[Randhir]

Hi all

I wonder if anyone can help me. Yesterday (26 Feb 2012) I purchased a camera bundle from a store for R10,999. I've subsequently noticed that their website shows a price for the bundle I bought of R10,695. Furthermore I now see that another store is offering the identical bundle for R9,999.

I know I should've done my homework before purchasing but surely I can evoke the CPA for these reasons? I have opened the box but I still have all the original packaging. In what position do I stand?

Thank you in advance.

What store? You should be able to return it for a refund within 7 days.

[intel8080]

You can't just return things without a valid reason, CPA or not. Imagine the chaos if everyone did just that with any item purchased! Just because you saw a better price is not a valid reason. You should have checked the prices BEFORE and not after you bought. Now is a done deal. I see in this forum, people expect to much from the CPA. It is not ment to kill business in South Africa. It is ment to protect the people (mostly the less educated ones) from unscrupulous dealers out there. No more no less.

[Randhir]

It is not ment to kill business in South Africa. It is ment to protect the people (mostly the less educated ones) from unscrupulous dealers out there. No more no less.

Their website shows a reduced price to the one advertised in-store. Whether unscrupulous or not, the store needs to address that issue.

In any case, if you bought it from Makro or Game, chances are they'll honour a refund within a week.

[intel8080]

Correct, but the CPA does not say anywhere that the shop has to sell at the lowest price advertised! If the customer was happy to pay the higher displayed price then so be it. And no, the 7 days "cool off" period can not be invoked either because this sale happened at the customer's initiation. No pressure or active/direct marketing on the seller's part. I wish I had better news though. Let's hope someone will prove me wrong during the course of the day.

[Bryn26]

Hi all

I wonder if anyone can help me. Yesterday (26 Feb 2012) I purchased a camera bundle from a store for R10,999. I've subsequently noticed that their website shows a price for the bundle I bought of R10,695. Furthermore I now see that another store is offering the identical bundle for R9,999.

I know I should've done my homework before purchasing but surely I can evoke the CPA for these reasons? I have opened the box but I still have all the original packaging. In what position do I stand?

Thank you in advance.

Your only chance is claiming that the camera is above your needs and that you're an idiot and can't use it. If you bought it from a big store they might accept it back. The truth of the matter is that you have no recourse and should have checked rival stores before overpaying by R1000. Don't mention the online price - they'll either say that it didn't exist at the time you bought it or that it is an online price only.

[rakabos3]

R300 of R11 000 is such a small amount, come on get real. If you spend R11 000 on a camera, you should have, like you said, done some research first. I dont think you will miss the R300 if u have that kind of cash to drop on a camera

[Drunkard #1]

Your best bet is to talk to the vendor. The CPA doesn't offer much protection, although S. 23 (6)(b) does mention multiple prices.

(6) Subject to subsections (7) to (10), a supplier must not require a consumer to pay
a price for any goods or services—
(b) if more than one price is concurrently displayed, higher than the lower or
lowest of the prices so displayed.

If you bought it from Game, you used to have a month to take advantage of their price beat policy. IE, if you find the same product cheaper, within a month of buying it at Game, they would refund you the difference. Don't know if they still do that.

Rumour say that Visa offers their own "new model" guarantee. If you paid with a Visa card, and a new model has been released.

Makro (and Game, IIRC) have no questions asked returns policies, so try taking it back.

Next time, do your homework before you buy. And check out fotodiscountworld for prices.

[lived666]

Forget the CPA here, rather just check the stores return policy - most of the bigger chains will accept a no questions asked return if done within 7 days.

[lived666]

Forget the CPA here, rather just check the stores return policy - most of the bigger chains will accept a no questions asked return if done within 7 days.

If not, then lesson learnt, do your homework next time.

[deanstein]

Thank you to everyone for the comments. The store does have a 7 day return policy (the store is Cameraland for those who asked).

I understand that I screwed up regarding the lower price at the other store (Makro). However I think I do have a case regarding the lower price that is advertised on the website but going through the hassle for R300 is just not worth it!

I learnt a good lesson and will do more research next time!