Who pays when a supermarket price tag is wrong?
Photo:
Supplied
When a Whanganui SuperValue displayed some dodgy maths recently, shopper David Bradbury argued he should have been able to choose to pay the lower of the prices on offer.
He spotted bacon that was advertised as selling for a different price per 100g than the main display price.
Shoulder bacon was 200g for $4.69 but then 94c per 100g, and middle bacon was 200g for $5.79 but $1.16 per 100g.
"I pointed out to the closest person in a shop uniform the poor arithmetic ... He said the big number was the right one. I said I should be able to choose. He said no."
A SuperValue spokesperson said the unit
price was incorrect
.
"On our pricing tickets customers will find the price of the item and a unit price which enables them to make an informed decision of value based on the unit of measure.
"In this instance, the unit price was incorrect on the 200gm Grandpas Shoulder Bacon and Middle Bacon products. The price was however the correct price the customer would have paid at the counter.We apologise for the error and any confusion caused.
"We know how important it is that all of our tickets are accurate and we have now corrected the pricing tickets to reflect the correct unit price."
Vanessa Horne, Commerce Commission general manager, competition, fair trading and credit said she encouraged him to report the concern so the commission could assess whether the shop was complying with the laws it enforced.
"The trader could be prosecuted where there is serious non-compliance with the Unit Pricing Regulations.
"The Unit Pricing Regulations are there to help consumers easily compare products based on the price-per-unit and make informed choices about which product offers them the best value."
She said the Commerce Commission had
ongoing investigations into supermarket operators
.
"We have
recently filed criminal charges
against Woolworths NZ, Pak'nSave Silverdale, and Pak'nSave Mill Street for what the Commission alleges was inaccurate pricing and misleading specials that may have breached the Fair Trading Act.
"Supermarkets have long been on notice about the importance of accurate and clear pricing and specials, and we're not satisfied with the continuing issues we're seeing across the industry.
"The major supermarkets are large, well-resourced businesses that should invest the time and effort to get pricing and promotions right."
Consumer NZ spokesperson Sahar Lone said a supermarket that displayed incorrect unit pricing could be breaching the Fair Trading Act.
"If you notice an incorrect unit price, point this out to a supervisor in store. The store has the right to correct its pricing mistakes. If it doesn't sort the issue, or it's widespread, you can lodge a complaint with the Commerce Commission."
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