• Is every promotion an opportunity to buy at an affordable price?
• What practices do sellers follow?
• Consumer, check out what to look out for to make an informed choice.

Two special sales days are coming - Black Friday and Cyber Monday. They will be followed by Christmas and New Year sales. How can we really make some savings in the maze of subsequent shopping opportunities? What should make us alert so that we don't fall into the traps of sellers? UOKiK, together with the European Consumer Centre, described examples of situations most frequently encountered by consumers taking advantage of bargain prices in both Polish and foreign shops.

Watch out for price juggling

Ania wants to buy a TV. She reads reviews, compares features, finds the device that suits her. The “bargain week” is approaching, so she decides to wait. Just before a sale is due to take place, Ania notices that the price goes up, and a day later it's reduced by 40 percent. However, the TV costs only a little less than when Ania chose it.

Raising prices a few days before a planned sale is creating the right background to simulate tempting discounts. It is an unfair marketing gimmick to convince the consumer that the promotion is more attractive than it really is. Legislation aimed at eliminating such practices will soon come into force. The implementation of the Omnibus Directive will, among other things, enforce the precise reporting of a change in the price of a good or service and its lowest price that applied in the 30 days prior to the discount.

Do not fall for catchy slogans

Ela needs to replenish her cosmetics kit. She wants to quickly buy tried and tested items. It's a big expense, so she's happy when her favourite chemist announces a big promotion. In the end, however, Ela wastes a lot of time failing to take advantage of the discounts because it turns out that the promotion doesn't cover the brands she uses.

“Big sale of items”, “second product for half price” - sounds appealing? Only if it doesn't turn out that the promotion involves merely selected products or goods of a particular brand, and not the entire stock of the shop. Consumers should be wary of catchy advertising slogans designed to lure them into shopping, and not just at a bargain price.

Check prices on several websites

Tomek needs a new bicycle helmet. He is lucky today - he finds a promotion right away. He makes a quick purchase and, satisfied, recommends the shop to a friend. His friend, however, is not impressed by the price of the helmet.

Before you believe in the “offer of the day”, “special occasion” or “super discount”, it is worth checking the prices of the product in other shops or portals. It may turn out that you have not come across a special offer at all, and the item you are interested in is available at a similar price in many places, not only temporarily.

Price on the Internet vs. price on the label

Adam orders a cap from an online shop. He is surprised when he receives the parcel and sees the label of the unpacked product. The price on it is lower than what he paid.

Online retailers are not obliged to keep to the price shown on the product tag or label. The amount shown on the website applies - this is the price the consumer is informed of. Therefore, it may happen that when the product arrives, the tag will show a lower or higher price than the one we paid. This is legal.

Price on the product vs. amount at the checkout

Kasia picks out a vase in the shop to match the décor of her new office. There is no tag attached to it, but the price label on the shelf indicates that the purchase will fall within her budget. At the checkout, however, the saleswoman gives a much higher amount to be paid.

In physical shops, the principle is that the price next to the product - on the tag or label - is important, as it influences the consumer's purchase decision. If at the checkout or after checking the receipt it turns out that the product was more expensive, we have the right to buy it at the tag price or receive a refund of the difference.

Online price vs. in-store price

Magda and Jacek decided to take sports classes together. After the first training session, they decided to buy their own exercise mats. Magda bought the product at a nearby physical shop, as it was on special offer. Jacek ordered the same mat using the online sale of the same shop. Each of them paid a different price.

If a seller operates a two-channel business - running a physical shop and an online shop - they may price differently in each of them. The offers in these shops do not have to be identical and often they are not. If you buy online, the price listed on the website applies, if in a physical shop - the price on the tag or label.

Cancelled order

Karol chose wireless headphones at a very affordable price. The shop advertised a sale on equipment for audiophiles. He bought one for himself and one for a loved one. He did not receive his order. He was informed that the pool of goods at the promotional price was limited.

A shop may allocate a certain amount of stock for a promotion. Once this is exhausted, the shop should no longer offer the opportunity to purchase. However, if the consumer has carried out the transaction correctly, the seller has accepted it and then it turns out that the goods are out of stock - the shop is obliged to fulfil its obligation.

Kalina bought a tableware set at a promotional price that had broken in the warehouse. The seller informed her that her order had been cancelled, while the tableware was still on offer. Unfortunately, at a higher price.

The new product price does not relieve the entrepreneur from the obligation to duly fulfil orders received so far. Demand it! Damage that has occurred in the warehouse is part of the business risk.

Overseas purchases

Grzegorz bought parts for the equipment he was repairing on a Chinese portal. He converted the currency and decided that the purchase was extremely cost-effective for him, so he could wait longer for it. What he didn't take into account was the cost of delivery and customs duty, which significantly increased the final order amount.

When buying through foreign sites, you can often save money or stock up on goods that are not available in our country. However, you should bear in mind that you have to add delivery costs to the price of the product, which often amount to several dozen zlotys. Whereas, if you import something from outside the European Union, you will also have to pay customs duty (if the product is more expensive than EUR 150) and VAT (if the price is more than EUR 45). 

Maria bought a dress in a UK shop for EUR 120. Along with it, she received an invoice with a request to pay VAT.

When buying products from entrepreneurs outside the EU customs area, be prepared to pay import duties such as VAT. If the product was not manufactured in the EU and costs more than EUR 150 - you may be charged import duties.

REMEMBER!

Before you click the “buy” button - shops must make it clear what taxes and charges apply to you when you buy goods. Sometimes they do this in the terms and conditions - read them before making a purchase.

Not all prices are equal

Kasia and Tomek are having a party. They have run out of olives, juice and napkins. They try to choose the cheapest items on sale at the market. Is it better to buy 400g of olives or a larger jar? How much does a litre of juice cost in a 1,100 ml container and which napkins should they choose - pack of 50 or 100?

Similar products may be packaged differently - not sure which one to choose? Pay attention to the unit price - this is the price per unit of measurement, e.g. 1 litre, kilogram, metre, piece. It may turn out that it is not the promotional price, but the weight of the item that will determine the offer's appeal.

If we buy by the piece, the seller should give us the unit price. The same applies to packaging that states the number of units, e.g. dishwasher tablets. In this case, the price for multiples may also appear. In special cases - justified, for example, by the customary number of goods offered or the type of goods - it is permissible to use decimal multiples or submultiples of units of measurement, e.g. price per 100 ml rather than per 1 l or price per 100 g instead of 1 kg.

The unit price can be found by consumers on the label. If it is identical to the selling price, there is no obligation to include it on the price tag. This is regulated by the Price Indication Regulation. The Trade Inspection conducts audits in all types of retail outlets, checking the correct indication of prices and unit prices, as well as the correctness of their calculation.

Consumer support:

• 801 440 220 or 22 266 76 76
• [SCODE]cG9yYWR5QGRsYWtvbnN1bWVudG93LnBs[ECODE]
• Consumer ombudsmen in your city or district: 
• Voivodeship inspectorates of the Trade Inspection: uokik.gov.pl/wiih
• European Consumer Centre: in cross-border cases involving sellers from the European Union, the United Kingdom, Norway and Iceland. Website: konsument.gov.pl

For more information, see prawakonsumenta.uokik.gov.pl

Additional information for the media:

UOKiK Press Office
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Phone: 22 55 60 246
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