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Article #2161How do you file a false advertising charge?
From: ids
Date: Sat, 28 Dec 1996 00:00
Date: Sat, 28 Dec 1996 00:00
60 lines
3584 bytes
3584 bytes
Does anyone know about making a charge of false advertising? After reading the details below, do you feel that I am correct? Has anyone else ever pursued a similar claim? This afternoon, I was shopping. First I went to Computer City. The were advertising "Purchase two software packages and receive a third of equal or lesser value free". I have been fairly successfull with getting Future Shop to beat competitors pricing in the past, so I went accross the street to see what type of deal I could get. The wording of the Future Shop policy is: Our Absolute Lowest Price Guarantee... We will BEAT any price advertised by another Authorized Dealer... -Before you buy... We will beat their price by 55% of the difference OR YOU GET IT FREE! Therefore: -I was going to buy three packages all $69.99 -At Computer City, I would pay for two and the third was free Total $139.98 -At Future Shop same three packages shelf prices $69.99 each. Total $209.97 -Difference between these two prices $69.99 -55% of $69.99 =$38.49 -With advertised policy of Future Shop I should be able to make purchase at price of ($69.99 *2)- $38.49 =$101.49 When I approached the salesman and explained my position he said they were aware of the deal at Computer City and they would do the same. I pointed out that their advertising said that they would beat the price not just match it. He refused. I asked to speak to the manager, and he introduced me to assistant manager. I again explained my position, and again was refused. I asked to speak to the senior store manager. This was done. I explained my position, and stated that since I had been refused the discount twice, I now felt that I should receive the product for free. He refused to give me the products, or comply with their own advertising. His position was that they had been aware of the Computer City ad, and had been matching it all weekend. I asked if this had been posted anywhere? It had not, but all of his staff was aware of it. One sales clerk that was nearby offered that it was in their newspaper ad. I asked for a copy of this ad. She did not have it. Again, I explained to the manager that their policy (which is posted on a 6Ft tall wall sign) indicated that he should BEAT the price by 55% of the difference, of give it to me for FREE. Again, I was refused. I contacted the RCMP on my cellular phone, and asked for information about making a charge of false advertising, they suggested I contact the better business bureau on Monday. Before leaving I returned to the Manager, and informed him that it is my position that I have requested the advertised discount, I have been refused three times, I now feel that I am entitled to receive all of the products for free. I also told him that the RCMP had told be I was unable to follow up on my claim until Monday. He said he understood, and that he still refused to beat the price, but I could purchase the product for the same deal that was offered at Computer City.
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X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 114977,267e50cff3dbfb9f,start X-Google-Attributes: gid114977,public From: "ids@bc.sympatico.ca" <ids@bc.sympatico.ca> Subject: How do you file a false advertising charge? Date: 1996/12/28 Message-ID: <32C61BE5.5BDC@bc.sympatico.ca> X-Deja-AN: 206626800 content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii organization: BCTEL Advanced Communications mime-version: 1.0 reply-to: ids@bc.sympcatioc.ca newsgroups: can.consumers x-mailer: Mozilla 3.01 (Win95; I)