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So I went to purchase glasses. There were a few signs with prices above saying $69 lenses included. Finally went and picked out a pair. Went to pay and was told the amount was $100 for the pair. I mentioned that there were prices on the signs above were saying the glasses were $69.00. The salesperson informed me those signs were from 2 weeks ago and the sale ended 2 weeks before. Then proceeds to show me a card with the sale date ending 2 weeks prior. I said, well if that is the case, those signs should have come down, as soon as the sale ended, 2 weeks before. And that it was false advertising and that if the goods have a sale price, that price should be honored. Without a word, he returned my money and turned his back on me. What is the halachah when it comes to signs? Was he right or wrong? But seriously, like if the sale ended in the morning, I can understand he didn’t have a chance to take down the sale price signs, but 2 weeks later and they are still up??
I don’t think he’s oiver on anything. I think he’s a jerk.
You should tear the sign down and give it to him and say you did him a favor by removing the old expired sign.
If the sign is still up it should be honored call corporate.
He should have honored it anyway. At this point no one would blame you for not directing business in his direction. On the other hand, had he honored it, it would have been good for business. His loss.
If this is a non-Jewish store and in NYC you can report it to the Department of Consumer Affairs. If they are Jewish I would just shop elsewhere. If you are just looking for an inexpensive pair of glasses maybe you should shop online. I am assuming you already have the prescription. There are glasses that look nice that are priced under $10.00 online.
Its also important to keep in mind often retail stores are forced to give sales because they are desperate to stay in business and can make very little to no profit on the sale item. He might be struggling to stay afloat to feed his family and support himself. While this might not apply to him and doesn’t mean you have to shop there its something to keep in mind. I also hate when stores do these things but I can also sympathize with the owners.
Most business owners making plenty of profit would honor the price to make the customer happy. The fact that he didn’t probably means he cant afford to and his business is not doing well.
Can’t imagine any customer walking happily away from this scenario.
You don’t need an mba to understand this is foolish business practice
This story is so upsetting to me. I empathize with you mazal77 – you are in the right 100%.
Regarding being oveir any issur, I’m sure that since we hold of Dina Dimalchusa Dina, the store owner is certainly wrong on that account.
If you could (or should) report the owner to the Dept. of Consumer Affairs is proof that he did something against the law. There are many sources in Chazal which discuss misleading a potential buyer.
I hope that you told the owner or manager that “he lost a customer, with a whole family of eye glass wearers.”
Small stores must feel a strong drive to make a buck and don’t always understand that good customer relations will drive new business. Years ago, I went into a small, crowded frum-owned store that I often frequented, so they knew me, and I knocked a lightbulb off the shelf and it shattered, and right away one of the owners said “You’re going to have to pay for that!” The retail price on the bulb was less than a dollar, but i never went back to that store, and they lost way more in my business than the cost of the bulb.
1: Bait and switch is illegal.
2: He showed you a card that the sale price ended, was it also printed on the window signs and perhaps you missed it?
Do you think it was a ploy to get you to buy the glasses or they were just too lazy to take the signs down?
flatbusher would you have offered to pay for the bulb if given the chance?
Local law governs this type of situation. In NYC it is illegal to charge more than the posted price. I have heard that in colorado the price in the computer (scanned price) is THE price the store must honor and if there is a discrepency between the posted price and scanned price, the scanned price “wins”.
Sounds to me like someone in the store is lazy. The salesperson was likely not he owner and I wouldnt blame him/her for not honoring a lower price if he/she would be responsible for the shortfall.
Are the signs still hanging 3 days after your incident in the store? If they are, sounds to me like a serious case of bait and switch.
Do you all really have a problem with a sign up too long? My problem with this is how the customer was treated.
Do you all really have a problem with a sign up too long? My problem with this is how the customer was treated.
Both could be problematic, but the false advertising is worse and is geneivas daas by stealing the potential customer’s time, causing him to come into the store under false pretenses to look to purchase something represented to be at a lower price than actual.
the false advertising is worse and is geneivas daas by stealing the potential customer’s time, causing him to come into the store under false pretenses
The sign wasn’t in the window.
You’re right, I misread the OP on that point. Nevertheless, the customer spent time in the store to choose a product based on the posted pricing, so I think my underlying point is still applicable.
You always think your underlying point is applicable.
Nevertheless, the customer spent time in the store to choose a product based on the posted pricing
True, and that’s unfair, but it’s not quite as bad as if the sale was advertised outside of the store.
I still think it’s important to know whether it was intentional or not. Either way, the salesperson acted like a jerk.
Jerk? Salesperson said posted price is wrong. What should a salesperson who isn’t authorized to give a 30% discount do, klap al cheit and beg for mechila? Even the op seems more concerned with the signs than the salesperson behavior.
You’re right. He should turn his back on the customer and not apologize for the mistaken sign.
Why didn’t the salesman take off the signs?
Maybe the salesperson took off the signs after the customer left. The salesperson did what he/she felt was the best thing in that situation. Return the money. Does the salesperson who is just an employee have to take mussar from a customer about old signs the boss didnt take down? Perhaps the salesperson was embarrassed about the incorrect pricing on the signs and on top of that is now being lectured by the customer. From his/her perspective that was the best thing to do. Is it the customers place to lecture the salesperson, she should have lectured the owner. If anything, I think there is small element of “jerk” in the customer too.
The salesperson is an employee whose job is to represent the store.
Salesperson can not override owner. Unless they covet the title, former salesperson. Lecture the owner. The employee gave you your money back. What more do you want, a cheap pair of glasses, go to 39dollarglasses.com
Zenni is cheaper than 39dollarglasses.
There you go, go to Zenni.
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