John lewis - Will they match an online price?

[Goochie]

I'm currently looking at MP3 players and have found one priced at £129.99 on play.com but £169 in John Lewis.

I'd like to buy it from JL because I've only ever had good experiences when getting things from them. I can also take it back easily if it fails etc.

But does anyone know if they'll price-match an online price?

[john_p]

Certainly a few years ago, if the online shop has a physical store and they had the item in stock, then your local JL would match it.

[Gandalf Beckwith]

About 4 years ago they refused to match an online price for me (digital camera I think, but I can't be sure...) - the excuse was that it wasn't another "store" they were matching.

However with their website now more of a "trading" site than then (just info only at the time) it would be worth another try, as I'm not sure the original excuse would stack up....

[FiveStar]

Yes call Lorna on 08456 049 049, she will sort you out

[V6]

I used to work for JL online and we wouldn't match web prices because they can be made up - it is pretty easy to make a realistic looking site and put whatever price you want on there.

[lenny007]

As long as the online store in question has a physical shop then they will. Mainly because they send staff from the nearest branch into said physical store to check the "sticker price" prior to committing to a price match.

I did this last December with my LCD TV and got £300 off the cost of it. Would have been more but the online price was cheaper than the sticker price - bah!

[mouseymousey]

Goochie said:

I'm currently looking at MP3 players and have found one priced at £129.99 on play.com but £169 in John Lewis.

I'd like to buy it from JL because I've only ever had good experiences when getting things from them. I can also take it back easily if it fails etc.

But does anyone know if they'll price-match an online price?

Isn't that part of the reason why they're £40 more expensive? It seems a bit like trying to get the Ritz to price match a Wetherspoons on a gin and tonic. A bit of an insult.

[Goochie]

mouseymousey said:

Goochie said:

I'm currently looking at MP3 players and have found one priced at £129.99 on play.com but £169 in John Lewis.

I'd like to buy it from JL because I've only ever had good experiences when getting things from them. I can also take it back easily if it fails etc.

But does anyone know if they'll price-match an online price?

Isn't that part of the reason why they're £40 more expensive? It seems a bit like trying to get the Ritz to price match a Wetherspoons on a gin and tonic. A bit of an insult.

Last time I checked, The Ritz diddnt openly advertise the phrase "never knowingly undersold"

[emicen]

I didnt have any luck with them last year trying to get them to price match an iPod with a site I'd found via pricerunner.

I would have gone with John Lewis even if they'd got to within £20 because of their warranty, but alas, no such luck.

[Pickled Piper]

They will match any store where you can walk in and buy the product. This includes online stores providing you can visit them and pick up the product.

Online only stores are not included.

pp

[Silver993tt]

Pickled Piper said:

They will match any store where you can walk in and buy the product. This includes online stores providing you can visit them and pick up the product.

Online only stores are not included.

pp

No they won't. 2 years ago I was interested in buting a large Sharp 46 LCD TV from John Lewis Kingston. They included a 5 year guarantee and the price then was £1999. I walked around to Richer Sounds in Kingston where they had the same TV but in 42". However, they also had a sign next to the TV stating that the 46" was also available for £1499 with a 1 year guarantee. To take this to a 5 year guarantee was an additional 10%, so total price was £1648.90 with the like for like guarantee as JL. I mentioned this to John Lewis who then said they would go to Richer Sounds to check what I had seen and also that it must be in stock. I went back to Richer Sounds to ask if they had one in stock and they did, so I reserved it for a couple of days. A few days later JL told me that I was mistaken as they had not seen a sign for the large (46") TV. I went back to Richer Sounds and there was the sign, in the same place, next to the 42" advertising the 46". I contacted them again and they said they would check again. They contactde me and told me I had made a mistake, there was no advertising for a 46" TV.

I've never bought anything from JL ever again and will not set foot in any of their stores again. Their policy of price matching is a joke and they effectively told me I was a liar when in fact I have no eveidence they even went to Richer Sounds to check. With the evidence I have they are the liars and when confronted with a lower price they will just refuse to honour a price match.

Edited by Silver993tt on Monday 29th September 18:54

[Maxf]

Ive price matched with them loads of times - only for 'real' shops though. They've always wanted to either phone the shop or see the advert before dropping their price though - I've never heard of them sending someone out to look at the other shop though? I think they might have been pulling your plonker

[Silver993tt]

Maxf said:

Ive price matched with them loads of times - only for 'real' shops though. They've always wanted to either phone the shop or see the advert before dropping their price though - I've never heard of them sending someone out to look at the other shop though? I think they might have been pulling your plonker

Well, I bought 2 LCD worth £2000 from Richer Sounds in the end, so I think JL had their plonker well and truly pulled. The TVs were clearly advertised at £100's less in a real store and they refused to accept they had been beaten. I've now bought a bagload more equipment, so not only to JL not get the revenue but it goes to one of their main electronics sales competitors - double whammy

Edited by Silver993tt on Monday 29th September 18:45

[vehiclesystems]

Any MP's on the forum who can advise?

[JR]

Silver993tt said:

2 years ago I was interested in buting a large Sharp 46 LCD TV from John Lewis Kingston. They included a 5 year guarantee and the price then was £19999. I walked around to Richer Sounds in Kingston where they had the same TV but in 42". However, they also had a sign next to the TV stating that the 46" was also available for £1499 with a 1 year guarantee. To take this to a 5 year guarantee was an additional 10%, so total price was £1648.90 with the like for like guarantee as JL.

So Richer were over £18K cheaper! No wonder JL wouldn't price match.

[Silver993tt]

JR said:

Silver993tt said:

2 years ago I was interested in buting a large Sharp 46 LCD TV from John Lewis Kingston. They included a 5 year guarantee and the price then was £19999. I walked around to Richer Sounds in Kingston where they had the same TV but in 42". However, they also had a sign next to the TV stating that the 46" was also available for £1499 with a 1 year guarantee. To take this to a 5 year guarantee was an additional 10%, so total price was £1648.90 with the like for like guarantee as JL.

So Richer were over £18K cheaper! No wonder JL wouldn't price match.

very funny, you know it was meant to read £1999

[anonymous-user]

I've never had any luck with the price match at JL. Last year I was buying an 'expensive' cooker. It was cheaper in another retail park store, but JL offered a better guarantee. But the 'same' item in the other store had a different letter suffix on the item code. It was 99.99% the same, but had an extra knob. Purely a price match evasion knob. A right fiddle. As it wasn't the same item they didn't price match.

I've noticed this a lot, different outlets selling 'exclusive' products, which are 99% identical, but I guess it is done intentionally to wriggle out of price matching.

[Silver993tt]

Jimboka said:

I've never had any luck with the price match at JL. Last year I was buying an 'expensive' cooker. It was cheaper in another retail park store, but JL offered a better guarantee. But the 'same' item in the other store had a different letter suffix on the item code. It was 99.99% the same, but had an extra knob. Purely a price match evasion knob. A right fiddle. As it wasn't the same item they didn't price match.

I've noticed this a lot, different outlets selling 'exclusive' products, which are 99% identical, but I guess it is done intentionally to wriggle out of price matching.

That's a common scam. Dixons for instance will have exactly the same LCD TV as JL but with a different letter as a suffix. This is done to help stores avoid a price war by price matching. It's a real con.