I am stingy, I can see that, but am I being unreasonable?

[withgreatpower]

I phoned a well-known pizza delivery company (don't want to say who, because I never had problems with them before today), and said that I wanted to use their voucher (that they had delivered with the previously ordered pizza) for £ 5.99 for any size pizza, collection only (the voucher specified that this was good only for the classi bases, not the fancy ones, which was ok with me).

I get told by the "pizza guy" on the phone that that voucher is now £6.99. I point out that the voucher is valid until December 2013. More discussion... Then I get to talk to the manager, who explains that the pizza company headquarters had printed wrong vouchers, and the local franchise is now charging £6.99 instead of £5.99. He says it's still a good deal - and I agree with him, but I point out that the voucher says £ 5.99, and that I don't think that what he's doing is legal.

The manager says that if I read the small print (not on the voucher, but on the rest of the menu) it says that they can change offers any time.

I then ask the manager if, when I collect my pizza and I pay for it £ 6.99, he can write on a piece of paper that I tried to use the £5.99 voucher but he didn't honour it, and to put his details on it. I said that I would then check with the company headquarters if that was normal practice. The manager (still very polite, I have to say), then says he can't write a letter like that, but he decides to let me have my pizza for £5.99, but just for this time - I am not allowed to use any other £5.99 voucher that I might still had.

So, I spent 10 minutes on the phone for £ 1!!! Yes, I am very stingy, but was I unreasonable?

PS: When I collected the pizza, I realised that they might have spat in it... I ate the pizza anyway - it was tasty!

[lljkk]

I get called La Cheapette I'm so mean with my money (American relatives).
I think U are being silly. Doesn't it stress you out to have an argument like that over so little? Their profit margins are tight as it is.

[Financeprincess]

Yes, you are.

[CoffeeTea103]

It's people like you that go out to annoy other people. How petty to make an issue over this.

[withgreatpower]

lljkk, I think the problem is that I probably enjoy the argument!

[Leeds2]

I am not a cheapskate at all. But, it would pee me off big time if a company wouldn't adhere to the voucher they had printed. I don't think I would've argued about it though, would just have cancelled the order and gone elsewhere.

[cheminotte]

Yanbu - you were right it is illegal and they can't withdraw the offer once its been made. I probably would have just said ok, never mind I'll get my pizza somewhere else.

[Leeds2]

And probably paid more for the pizza, lol.

[KungFuBustle]

I'm cheap and I'd be pleased with myself for saving a pound. If it's the pizza place I'm thinking of I can't afford their expensive pizza unless it's on a deal and what they charge is robbery. Bit of dough, sauce and a handful of stuff for £15.99? Bring on the vouchers.

[sapfu]

That would annoy me. I suspect the manager wasn't being entirely honest.

I would have said 'Oh OK then', ripped up the voucher and called another pizza company.

CoffeeTea. Bit of a leap, that. Not enough caffeine today, or too much?

[nickelbabe]

you weren't being unreasonable- nothing wrong with trying to get the best deal you can.

however, they weren't acting illegally- an offer is just an offer and they can change it or withdraw it at any time before the transaction is completed.
the transaction itself is the contract, where you both confirm that the offer has been accepted.

[nickelbabe]

cheminotte - you need to read trading standards again, as per the information in my post.

[HollaAtMeBaby]

YANBU. I do things like this all the time. I am shameless in my pursuit of a bargain and I love an argument, so it's a win-win really. I don't think they were actually breaking the law but you had the moral high ground - and i would have been optimal customer service for them to honour the voucher without trying to wriggle out of it.

[Tikkamasala]

It's not illegal to change the offer, it is as nickelbabe said, but they should probably just stick to it for the sake of a pound to keep a customer happy.

[emsyj]

YANBU, they should have just honoured the voucher - it was their mistake that they printed the wrong price. Regardless of the legalities, they should have taken responsibility for the error IMO. I wouldn't have argued, but I wouldn't have ordered the pizza - I would have just said 'ok, I'll go somewhere else' and never ordered from there again.

[withgreatpower]

*nickelbabe", does it mean that a store can put a £15 price tag on a book, and then, when you go to the till to pay for the book, they say "It was a mistake, it's actually £ 25"?

This is a very honest and peaceful question. I am asking because a similar thing happened to one of my DD's friend, and DD's friend's dad, who is a layer, when up to the till and told them that what they were doing was illegal (so they sold the book to DD's friend for £ 15, as advertised). I am not a laywer, so I don't know if it is illegal or not, but I had that in my mind when I was talking to the pizza guy.

[withgreatpower]

sorry, that should have been in bold:
nickelbabe, does it mean that a store can put a £15 price tag on a book, and then, when you go to the till to pay for the book, they say "It was a mistake, it's actually £ 25"?

This is a very honest and peaceful question. I am asking because a similar thing happened to one of my DD's friend, and DD's friend's dad, who is a layer, when up to the till and told them that what they were doing was illegal (so they sold the book to DD's friend for £ 15, as advertised). I am not a laywer, so I don't know if it is illegal or not, but I had that in my mind when I was talking to the pizza guy.

[expatinscotland]

For a quid?! Wow. Yeah, that's pretty cheap.

[TheEarlOfDoncaster1963]

I thought they always had to honour the price on the item or shelf. I once bought something in Tesco that was mispriced lower than it should've been and the manager said "we have to sell it for the lower price as that's what is advertised". It's their mistake, not yours.

[withgreatpower]

I also felt that I couldn't go somewhere else, as the children love this place's pizza, and I had already announced they were going to have it for dinner.

[MistyB]

I think they were running the risk of a few arguments in changing the terms of the offer and have considered the consequences of this, if they haven't, they soon will!!

[loopdaloo]

A shop can refuse to sell anything that has been priced incorrectly, there is no law that states they must sell it, this is a common misconception. However unless it was a huge price difference most shops would honour it for the sake of good customer service. Putting a price on something means that is what you would be willing to take for an item, in theory you could try and barter with any shop although highly likely to be refused, but any shop is within their right to refuse to sell anything to anyone for any reason but again customer service and reputation comes into play!

[NoArmaniNoPunani]

Yeah you're a cheapskate. They probably hid bogies in your pizza.

[Tikkamasala]

OP yes in the book shop scenario or in a Tesco mis pricing scenario or whatever, they can change the price at the till. Often they won't because they want to keep the customer happy and keep the goodwill, but technically yes, they don't have to honour prices that are advertised. They are just an "invitation to treat". When you take the item to the till you are making them an offer to buy it at the marked price. They can then accept, and take your money, or they can reject the offer saying its the wrong price or make a counter offer telling you a new price... They are not legally bound until they put the transaction through.

[harticus]

NoArmani has got it right - snot/spit in pizza.
Pissing off people who are preparing your food is never a good strategy.

[withgreatpower]

Tikkamasala, thanks for the explanation. It's always good to know what is in your right and what is not!