Advertised Prices - Misleading?!

Malt_Vinegar · 22 Mar 2006 at 19:10

The local major electrical store is selling TV stands for 1p.

They have no media or anything on the stands to say that its only with a TV sale. The 1p price tag is on the actual stand.

Can i go in and demand a TV stand for 1p? I need one, as currently the TV is sat on a pink table i got for free from when my new house was the showhouse.

Its affecting my masculinity!

[TW]Fox · 22 Mar 2006 at 19:13

No, you can't.

They can refuse to serve anyone they want for any reason they want provided it's not becuase of somebodys gender or racial background.

Jenjey · 22 Mar 2006 at 19:13

Aaw the pink table looks amazing I bet!

Well, you're not going to lose anything by trying. I say go for it!

Malt_Vinegar · 22 Mar 2006 at 19:16

Im heading out to try and buy the stand

Video, and audio will be taken if possible

squawkBOX · 22 Mar 2006 at 19:17

My law knowledge is very rusty. Isn't it the case that an advert comes under the term invitation to treat (see wikipedia for more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invitation_to_treat).

Quote:
A shop owner displaying their goods for sale is generally making an invitation to treat (Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain v Boots Cash Chemists [1953] 1 QB 401). They are not obliged to sell the good to anyone who is willing to pay for them, even if additional signage such as "special offer" accompanies the display of the good. This distinction was legally relevant in Fisher v. Bell 1961 1 QB 394 where it was held that displaying a flicknife for sale in a shop did not contravene legislation which prohibited offering for sale such a weapon. The distinction also means that if a shop mistakenly displays a good for sale at a very low price it is not obliged to sell it for that amount [1].

Serj · 22 Mar 2006 at 20:04

That 1p price is an invitation to treat. The only thing you can do is go in and offer them 1p and see what they say

gib786 · 22 Mar 2006 at 20:33

that sucks!

Raymond Lin · 22 Mar 2006 at 20:37

gib786 said:
that sucks!

Unfortunately its how the common law evolved to be, it works and it seem fine to me.

Amps · 22 Mar 2006 at 20:40

Offer them 1p and if they don’t offer them 2p , Go up in 1p increments until they accept.

Adam_151 · 22 Mar 2006 at 20:42

Fox is right, but on the other hand, I'm not sure if they are allowed to advertise things in such a misleading way, and definally try to get them to sell you one for 1p, firstly for the hillarity, and secondly if their stupid advertising method results in inconvenience, then they might be persuaded to scrap it, lol

Raymond Lin · 22 Mar 2006 at 21:05

Adam_151 said:
Fox is right, but on the other hand, I'm not sure if they are allowed to advertise things in such a misleading way, and definally try to get them to sell you one for 1p, firstly for the hillarity, and secondly if their stupid advertising method results in inconvenience, then they might be persuaded to scrap it, lol

They are allow, its not false advertising as some people might think. That is a whole different kind of issue. This is to do with offer and acceptance, false advertising is to do with goods not matched it's discribed (ie, you bough a washing machine and claims to do a cycle in 60 mins when in reality it takes 120 mins.) With invitation to treat, the shop merely invites you to offer them a price, they are fully entitled to refuse your offer outright.