Its looks like its getting a bit of a rip off.

That’s twice now. I have seen on various websites but mostly noticed it on Merlin Cycles that pre-sale items are cheaper than in-sale items with the discount. They put their prices up before they put the sale on – THIS IS NOT A SALE THEN! Do they think we are stupid!

CRC have a great bargain.

Puncture repair kit @ £2.99 – Save 1% – now £2.95! 😆

The technical definition of ‘sale’ may not man anything anymore.

Was hoping to get some Shimano AM40s for sub £50 in the sales….but so far no go.

To answer your question – yes they do think people are stupid. Want to know why? It’s because most people are.

They need a disclaimer or they are breaking consumer law! Complain to trading standards. I did it when a House of Fraser store was closing down and they shipped all the crappy seconds in to get rid – within 48 hours a huge poster with the disclaimer on it appeared in store.

I used to work for a well known high street electrical retailer, and this sort of stuff seemed pretty common practice. They would introduce a product at a stupidly inflated price, leave it for about 2 weeks, then reduce it by some ludicrous amount (say 50%)and advertise it as an amazing deal. Of course, we were never told this, but it became more and more obvious the longer you worked there and got to know the products – there was a definite pattern to it. The worst thing about it was that sometimes people would buy the items before the price was reduced, and it used to make me feel extremely uneasy having to sell them something that I guessed (obviously I din’t “know”) was at a grossly inflated price. Needless to say I got out of the place as soon as I could.

Example:

Merlin cycles: Dura ace 7850 CL wheels – before sale was £459.99 now they are £529.95 (without the 10% off – even proof in google shopping!

see: before: http://www.google.co.uk/products?q=dura+ace+cl&aq=f
after: http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop/Wheels/Road+Wheels/Factory+Road+Wheels/Shimano+Dura+Ace+7850+CL+Wheels_1492.htm

Now that’s rubbish!

Is this illegal?

I dont think its illegal but it appears to be in contravention of the DTI’s published code of practice on price indications

http://www.bis.gov.uk/files/file8127.pdf

See

1.2 Comparisons with the trader’s own previous price
General
1.2.1 In any comparison between your present selling price and the last selling price at
which the product was offered, you should state the previous price as well as the new
lower price.
1.2.2 In any comparison with your own previous price:
(a) the previous price should be the last price at which the product was
available to consumers in the previous 6 months unless the situation covered
by paragraph 1.2.8 below applies;
(b) the product should have been available to consumers at that price for at
least 28 consecutive days in the previous 6 months; and
(c) the previous price should have applied (as above) for that period at the
same outlet where the reduced price is now being offered

1.2.4 A previous price used as a basis of a price comparison should be a genuine retail
price. It should be a price at which you offered the goods for sale in the reasonable
expectation that they could be sold by you at the higher price

Stoner – surely none of the above applies to that Merlin ad as they’re only comparing their current price against RRP, not their last selling price

I expect they are getting around it as they just say 10% off everything sale – I expect it is legal but its a poor show really as increasing your prices on certain items as soon as you advertise a 10% off sale is pretty pants!

fair point onion.

section 1.6 applies to RRP comparisons and doesnt make any metnion about relevance of RRP if intermediate or lower selling prices have existed which is the point here.

So – their approach is both legal and within the DTI guidelines and it’s still a sale as the price is less than RRP.

I think the disappointment is that a seasonal sale results in a higher advertised price than previously.

it’s still a sale as the price is less than RRP.

Not really – how many online retailers do you know sell shimano kit at Madison’s RRP? £1 off RRP is not a sale is it?

Still bastards though.

Stoner – Member
I think the disappointment is that a seasonal sale results in a higher advertised price than previously.

I completely understand the disappointment. However, it would appear that most folk don’t care (enough).

Not really – how many online retailers do you know sell shimano kit at Madison’s RRP? £1 off RRP is not a sale is it?

But they’re offering at least 10% off everything – that’s still a sale, shirley?

I mean claiming a sale price by reference to RRP is a bit moot in the case of Madison stuff. Sale price should be by reference to previously advertised price by the same retailer. IMO.

Stoner – Member
I mean claiming a sale price by reference to RRP is a bit moot in the case of Madison stuff. Sale price should be by reference to previously advertised price by the same retailer. IMO.

Lets run through a few scenarios and see how they pan out…

(a) I have ten Ultegra cassettes I bought from Madison. I put them into a sale at 25% off RRP. I then sell them all. A month later, I buy ten more from Madison and sell them at 10% off. Is this still a sale?

(b) I do a Xmas sale, whereby everything bought during December is at 25% off RRP. I only sell five of my ten cassettes. A couple of months later, I do an Easter sale whereby everything bought in March gets 15% off RRP – including the other five cassettes. Is this a sale?

Nope. Not IMO.

There’s nothing wrong with advertising it the second time round as a saving on RRP, but unless its been advertised at a higher price by the same retailer for at least 28 days prior to the “sale” start it shouldnt be marketed as a sale item.

Hmmmm so what do you think the deal is with stuff you have on your ‘wishlist’ at the original lower price?

I was kind of holding out for the sales….silly me.

why do you care ultegra is poo anyway… You want XTR 😉

You watch though – the price of those wheels WILL be down again when the 10% is over – like 4 weeks ago (yes I have been watching!)

Well adding the ‘cheaper’ original item from your wishlist on merlin to your basket means it gets updated to the current offered price. bugger.

I just got 10% off a 105 groupset which was already a wedge cheaper than anywhere else, so I’m not complaining. Price before the 10% was the same as it was yesterday.

My mission to get a tripster equipped with 105 + BB7s for less than £1k may yet succeed 😀

If anyone knows where I can get the frame for less than £449 (60cm, black) please let me know!